Every commercial venue with outdoor space needs shelter for their customers and must manage the specific demands of the venue when installing shelter. Choosing the best shade solution for commercial venues often carries challenges around installation. With floor space at a premium and the need to accommodate flexible furniture configurations, both moveable shade and permanent shade installation offer pros and cons.
With substrate limitations, body corporate/council rules to adhere to, leasing/renting permissions and the related cost-vs-value of installation, the versatility and affordability of outdoor umbrellas make them the perfect shelter solution for most commercial venues. This article explores some of the installation methods employed by Shade7 commercial customers to help you envision your own dynamic commercial umbrella installation.
- Small Umbrellas
Cafés often utilise outdoor umbrellas for shade, both branded and unbranded. Being able to sit outside to enjoy the fresh air without getting scorched (or rained on) is something café patrons value. Café courtyards and patios frequently alter furniture layouts, and where venues adjoin public areas such as footpaths and shared thoroughfares, outdoor furniture and shade must be set up daily. Accordingly, small, easy to move umbrellas are often the best shade solution, with moveable bases the most common installation option for cafés. Bolt-down and in-ground fitting options are available, and are ideal for exposed locations where the umbrellas will always be in the same location.
Shade7’s best-selling small commercial umbrella is the Venice with sizes of 1.9m square, 2.6 and 3.1m octagonal. The preferred installation method for the Venice is moveable bases. Wheeled bases (25kg and 45kg) are great for long distances if umbrellas are not installed through tables. Weighted bases such as Shade7’s concrete-filled bases (25kg and 40kg) are ideal for umbrellas in tables, or umbrellas that will only be occasionally moved. Shade7’s new heavier stackable base has concrete-filled layers stacked onto a steel base, from 25kgs up to 200kgs for very exposed locations.
Branded umbrellas are often featured at cafés, supplied by suppliers such as breweries. Not only do outdoor umbrellas create fantastic ambience and effective shade, but brands get maximum exposure while patrons enjoy.
- Big Umbrellas
Restaurants face many of the same issues as cafés, so outdoor umbrellas are also often the best shade solution for restaurants. The main furniture used in restaurant outdoor spaces is dining tables. If heavy tables and large-scale umbrellas can’t be easily moved, table-compatible umbrellas are essential. Shade7 provides table compatibility guides for all their umbrellas, and the telescopic Tempest and Alfresco umbrellas discussed below have been designed to draw arms up above tabletop height when closing.
The scale of restaurant outdoor entertaining areas can be large, so to provide effective shelter, the scale of umbrellas required is also large, either in terms of quantity or of size. Shade7’s giant telescopic Tempest umbrella is the preferred solution for many large venues, especially in exposed locations such as Wynyard Quarter or Resorts, due to the Tempest’s 80-100kph wind-rating and ability to close over tables despite its huge scale. Where semi-permanent installation is possible, Tempest fittings can be cemented beneath paved substrates or bolted directly to concrete patios. Alternatively, freestanding bases suitable for the scale of the Tempest are also available from Shade7.
- Mid-size Umbrellas
Shade7’s Milan range offers a mid-size range of reasonably large yet easily moveable umbrellas. with a 50mm single-piece pole and heavy duty 20mm fibreglass arms, the Milan has a more solid presence than the Venice, and offers bigger sizes: 2.5m and 3m square, and 3.5 and 4m octagonal. The Milan is not telescopic, so only the 2.5 square and 3.5 octagonal will close over tables.
For those seeking something bigger than the Milan, and more versatile than the Tempest, Shade7’s new telescopic 3.5m square Alfresco balance umbrella is a game-changer. Despite its size, this umbrella does not need to be bolted down, and thanks to its telescopic design, the Alfresco will easily clear table tops as it opens and closes. There is no pulley rope or winder handle to operate: simply use one of the Alfresco’s strong aluminium arms to gently draw the frame apart, and the clever balance design will effortlessly finish opening the umbrella for you using balance and gravity. Shade7 has designed a stackable base especially for the Alfresco, which can also be utilised by other Shade7 centre pole umbrellas. With a 25kg steel base and extralong spigot, round concrete-filled plastic weights of 25kg can be stacked up on the steel base to a maximum of 200kgs. Thanks to this base, this vast umbrella can be used in exposed locations where restrictions of bolting to the ground might previously have prevented such a large umbrella being used.
- Cantilever Umbrellas:
Shade7’s sought-after Riviera cantilever umbrella reaches new heights in strength and beauty in the Riviera Premium. Resorts, residential villages, restaurants, vineyards and cafes add elegance, ambience and versatility to outdoor dining and activities spaces by installing the Riviera cantilever umbrella. The Riviera Classic is a similar, simpler model for smaller budgets. The main benefits of the Riviera cantilever in commercial venues is the entire space under the canopy is free for use, like an open-air room, maximising table space and guest’s enjoyment. The canopy also rotates 360degrees adding unique versatility to manage shade as the sun moves.
The best installation method for the Riviera is to bolt the umbrella spigot or baseplate and spigot directly to the ground. This tiny footprint keeps maximum space free for use and offers the full wind-rating of these strong umbrellas. If pavers are set over soil or shingle, or Astroturf/lawn is employed, Shade7 has an in-ground fitting option that is cast into wet cement beneath the ground, providing a discreet and super-strong footing. Shade7’s unique and elegant wheeled base is ideal for locations where bolting to the ground isn’t permitted, or where the use of the space needs to be kept fluid. An example of this is seen at the InterContinental Fiji where across the Resort, Riviera umbrellas were installed on wheeled bases.
With so many models and practical installation options to choose from, the friendly and experienced team will be pleased to offer advice and suggestions for your outdoor space, and to help you with commercial pricing (not available on the website). To learn more, contact Shade7, download the commercial umbrella catalogue, or call into the showroom at 1096 Great South Road, Mt Wellington, Auckland 1096.
