Thursday 6 August 2009

Patio Heaters and Patio Umbrellas - For the Year Long Alfresco Lovers

What most people do not know about patio umbrellas is that they ward off the rays of the sun and also shield us from light precipitation as well as dry autumnal leaves. Patio Umbrellas are a low-budget answer to your shade requirement in your lawns, backyard or poolside. While ready-to-buy patio umbrellas are a popular choice, a handful of customers do go for the designer umbrellas. In such cases, patio umbrellas can be custom-made to meet the exact consumer needs. Though designer stuff will surely cost more than the ordinary patio umbrellas.


The framework of typical patio umbrellas can be made of wood or aluminum. A standard patio umbrella carries the following features:
Crank
Button
Pulley
Collar tilting mechanisms


If you wish to up the style and elegance quotient of your outdoor décor, go for the patio umbrellas. These form the main item of allure between your other outdoor furniture pieces. See that your new patio umbrella is coordinated with the color scheme of your patio cushions as you shop. Also, take care that patio umbrella you are buying comes with a heavy, robust base lest it is not blown away by strong winds. For avoiding this casualty, make sure you buy strong and heavy based patio umbrellas. Assess the worth of the patio umbrella carefully during purchase. See to it that a flawed piece is not sold to you.


It can be a very good means of advertisement. Usually, companies have their logos and slogans printed on the patio umbrellas. Wooden kind give an aesthetic look to the outdoors. They have a pulley system that limits its versatility. It can be either table mounted or ground mounted. For the table mounted patio umbrellas, there is a provision on the center of the table for the attachment. Sometimes, the patio umbrellas do not come with good stands, due to which you might need to buy one separately from the market.


It can withstand harsh environmental conditions because of the material used. Tilting the patio umbrella is also very important. Most of them come with the tilt feature to enable you to tilt them in the direction of the sun. Maintaining them is very easy and can be washed with regular detergent and water. Periodic washing of them ensures the long life of the it. If they have a metal pole, you need to provide the necessary coating to prevent it from environmental damage.


Sunny summers may be taken care of by them, but the chilly winters herald the need of patio heaters. These heaters weave their magic and turn cool wintry evenings into pleasantly warm ones. If you wish that summers had never gone and want to make use of your outdoor spaces for an extended period, this is the one need. Usually, patio heaters provide heat in a 10-15 foot radius and increase temperatures by 10-15 degrees. Be it domestic or commercial, patio heaters find good use. For the homeowners, lawns, backyards and decks can be warmed by patio heaters.


Commercially, patio heaters are used in open air restaurants, pubs and other such places to have fun. Patio heaters may utilize electricity or gas as fuels. Electric patio heaters heat by radiation. They have the added advantage of not flickering in gusty evenings. However, the caveat with them is that they do run up the electricity bill. Bigger electric heaters consume more electricity. Put in other words, power consumption is a function of the size of the electric patio heater.


Gas patio heaters utilize propane gas to give heat. Gas patio heaters have greater transportability than their electricity-fuelled cousins. Electric heaters can warm efficiently smaller areas of 10-25 feet. For areas beyond, gas heaters can be utilized. Some designs of gas heaters resemble mushrooms in shape, and are thus called as mushroom heaters sometimes. Natural gas may also be used as fuel in gas patio heaters. Propane as well as natural gas are quite cheap and hence used frequently.


Patio umbrellas and patio heaters cannot be done without if what you are planning is an outdoor party. Patio umbrellas ward off rays of the hot sun while patio heaters keep the icy fingers of winter away. Patio umbrellas and patio heaters serve the one purpose of upping the comfort quotient of your kith and kin alike.


Tag : patio heaters,outdoor patio heaters,electric patio heaters,patio umbrellas


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_K_Leichester