A New Market Umbrella for the Deck

It’s that time of year–the time when we go outside, look around and take stock. Mother Nature has a way of taking her toll on our outdoor furniture and my green market umbrella had definitely seen better days.

When I first bought this huge, 9-ft umbrella for my patio furniture, I was so proud of it I never left it outside. Back then the deck wasn’t a very fun place to entertain or to spend any time. The flooring was a wreck as I showed in THIS post, boards were popping up and the afternoon sun was absolutely brutal. The old, “you could fry an egg out there” would have definitely applied.

So I’d drag the umbrella out for the rare forays on to the deck, then once we went back inside, I’d take it back in and store it in what is now my dish closet. It wasn’t easy hauling it in and out because it’s very tall, very heavy and extremely awkward to put into and out of the center hole of the patio table.

Once I added the screened-in porch, I quit bringing the umbrella back in. I was worried I’d accidently punch a hole in the screening of the door or porch if I continued that practice. At one time, the cording that’s used to raise and lower the umbrella began to disintegrate. I bought some new rope/cording and re-roped it and it worked great . Well that was then…


And this is now. Time and weather have taken their toll.

I removed the canvas cover to see if I could wash it and repair a large hole that appeared a while back. I have no idea what that white looking stuff is. Up close, it looks a lot like a fungus. Ewww! It’s probably either a cure for cancer or the beginnings of a flesh-eating bacteria for which there is no cure. Take your pick.

The large tear/hole is at one of the points where one of the wooden stays/spokes fits in.

I thought maybe sneaky Monsieur Ecureuil who raids my bird feeder every day had chewed on it or something.

I figured out how to take the cover off and I think I know now what happened. It appears at some point, one of the wooden spokes warped upward (see arrow below) and in so doing, ripped the big hole.

It was torn in this photo I shared on the blog when I cleaned and stained the decks last summer, but I just turned the bad side around when I took the picture for THIS post. Ok, don’t tell me you don’t do stuff like that?! 😉

I had thoughts of sanding down the wood spokes, re-staining them and purchasing a new cover. But once I saw the badly warped wood and how brittle the fabric had become, I knew it was time to consider purchasing a new umbrella. Also, I couldn’t find a new canopy cover online. (Update: I found replacement Umbrella Canopies HERE, but they cost $59.99 for a market umbrella which isn’t that much less than a new umbrella. Plus, it says they are a “universal size” and may or may not fit your umbrella.)

If you’ve been reading BNOTP very long, you know I have this very bad habit of searching and searching for just the right thing for my home before I take the leap and buy. I’m obsessive stubborn that way. So when I have to replace something, I always dread it. I worry I won’t be able to find something similar or something I like as well. Do you have this problem or is it just me? If it’s just me, don’t answer. 😉

I bought this market umbrella at a Home Depot Expo for $99 at least six to seven years ago…maybe longer. The Expos have all closed, now. (Insert frowny face.) The HD near my home didn’t have any of the wooden, pulley-operated market umbrellas. So, today I Googled them and guess what…Home Depot has them online! And here’s the real shocker…they are still just $99 and shipping is only $9.99. Excellent! Plus, they still have it in green. Score!

As I was shopping around on their site today, I discovered they also have it in red. Ummm, what to do? The green blends in with the trees, but the red is kind of jazzy. It would work well with the cushions I use on the deck and with the pillows and chair cushions on the screened-in porch. So, guess what I did? I ordered both.

Sounds crazy, right? Well, since I couldn’t decide what color to go with, I’m going to try them both to see which I like best. Then I’ll just return the one I least like to the local HD store, which according to their return policy will be fine.

I was so stunned to find the same umbrella still available and for the same price! I love this umbrella because it’s nice and big, the fabric is really heavy and durable and the color has stayed true. I don’t think it’s faded much, if any. It also has a neat tilt feature which really came in handy when we were roasting on our sun-scorched deck prior to the addition of the porch.

I think what I need to do this time around is to bring it in during the wintertime. I have a feeling the warped-wood-spoke-thing happened during one of those bitter cold winters we’ve had in the last few years.

And now I know the heavy, canvas-like fabric canopy can actually be removed for washing. I never knew that until today when I took it down and took it apart. You just screw off the top ball and the fabric comes right off. Cool! I may invest in one of those umbrella covers…but I think I’d rather just bring it in during the winter months and store it in the basement.

So, tell me, do you bring your umbrella in during the winter or, do you leave it out all year? Do you leave it out full time during the summer months? What’s the longest you’ve had a patio umbrella last?

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Comments

  1. Gloria (The Little Red House with the White Porch) says

    GET THE RED!!!!!!!!!!! My favorite color. 🙂
    And I'm just like you: when I get a new umbrella, I treat it like a baby, putting it away after the summer. Then the next year, I get lax and it is left out. This year it's either my 3rd or 4th year for my umbrella (I forget!) and I haven't looked at it yet! I am afraid to. I hope with a little cleaning, it will last me another year. Good luck with whatever color you decide! Even if everyone says red, but you prefer green since you know that looks nice already in that spot, go with the green; otherwise you will regret it.
    Best,
    Gloria

  2. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    The red would look great if you do red geraniums again this year, Susan! I usually go with green myself. I have a big umbrella, too, but not with the wood. I put it away at the end of the season and, in the Summer months, take it out of the table if there is a bad storm in the forecast.

  3. Susan the "red" would really stand out and be beautiful!!
    Here in East Texas they usually last one summer:(

  4. I still bring mine out when I'm going to use it and back when I'm not. I doubt it would have lasted one Louisiana Summer otherwise. It still looks brand new. I also bought "moonlights" mini lights, strung for an umbrella- magical.Mine is green and my next one will likely be green as well.

  5. Kim @ Starshine Chic says

    We have 4 market umbrellas. Hubby found 2 of them on the side of the road. He refinished the wood part & ordered replacement canvas online somewhere. We leave ours out all year long. But then, we live in SoCal. Winters are mild here. And we have always chosen a plain tan color. That way it doesn't fade & I tend to be fickle with colors. But if my choices were red & green. I'd go with the red. Costco & Sam's Club usually have great market umbrellas for a good price as well.

  6. Glenda/MidSouth says

    Mine stays out year round as I don't have a place to store one. Bad weather predicted and/or high winds – I lower it. I have lived here going on 13 years, and need to replace the 3rd one. It appears to still be in good shape, but the color is faded pretty bad – may make it do another year. I stick with the dark green, as it just looks better in my courtyard with the different colors of flowers.
    I don't think I have paid more than $39 for one and they usually last about 4 years.
    Enjoy your evening.
    Glenda

  7. Love the red! I usually leave mine out all year and I'm in need of another one!

  8. Go Green! I mean go with the green color. LOL
    Actually, either would be nice. A neighbor behind us has a red one and it's always so cheerful.
    Sorry, I'm no help.
    Wishing you a lovely Easter,
    Babs

  9. FLOWERSHOPGURL says

    So funny, change is hard on me too! I always bring mine in before winter, I actually have two and noticed that mine are starting to fade a bit. Now that I will be living on the water this year it will be interesting to see what that does to my things…
    I say go for the red, since you are buying something new you might as well enjoy a change too!
    Can't wait to see which one you keep!
    Hugz,
    Kim

  10. I love your porch..I'm a savvy shopper myself and found a similar umbrella on QVC.com if you are interested in checking it out here is the link http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.CM_SCID.coll.item.M23793.desc.Southern-Patio-9-Crank-Tilt-Market-Umbrella

  11. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Tammy, that was a great price! It says they are no longer available. I guess they sold out. It looks very similar. It tilts in a different spot but it does look very similar to my old one. Thanks for the link.

  12. Love the new umbrella!! I go through the process of considering a new color each time which for me is about every three years, but always stay with the green color, because it goes with my custom made seat cushion which I have had for close to 10 years, because I only bring them out for special events (company) then put them up, but I never bring in the umbrella, it stays out!! I love your beautiful patio!!! My daughter just has her first tea party, it was awesome, check out my blog to see her tea party, http://www.happilyeverafterhome.blogspot.com, to get the details and share your feed back, Disney needs to make a China Cabnet and Dinning Table for little ladies!! I love your blog!!

  13. Pamela Gordon says

    I think the red would be a nice change but you're right, the green blends in with the trees 🙂 I have a very cheap umbrella that I cover with one of those plastic zip covers every night. The dampness makes the fabric rot. Also, if it's extremely rainy or windy I'll put the umbrella in the garage – yes, it's awkward to move. I also store it in there all winter with the cover on. You are fortunate your umbrella lasted that long. I think mine is polyester (blue) and I noticed last summer that it is fading but it will do another year. That's a great price for such a nice umbrella! Have fun deciding.

  14. You'll have to show how both look but right now I'm loving that red! What a bright pop of color that will be outside…I bought a lime-y green one last year at Fred's. My deck furniture is black and my cushions are the lime green & black combo. I'm wanting to do something different but I'll have to hold off at least a year b/c the cushions are only a year old and in great shape and the colors do look good together.

    I usually go the cheaper route on my umbrellas cause they seem to get damaged by weather or fade out (I never bring mine in).

    Can't wait to see which one you chose (or is it "choose"…I never know!).

    Judy

  15. Barbara F. says

    My chocolate brown umbrella is just two summers old and already is quite faded. I store it in an umbrella bag that was purchased in Lowe's and leave it under my patio set in my backyard, up against my house, all winter. I have no space inside, no basement, no garage, no shed! Need to get a shed. xo,

  16. Ann from On Sutton Place says

    For some reason I thought it was a good idea to buy seat cushions that matched my umbrella. So last year when the seat cushions finally got the boot…so did the umbrella. My new one is green, but sort of a dark lime green. I love it. And I do keep it out all summer and bring it in for the winter. Either umbrella you end up keeping will look terrific. I hope your decision isn't too hard! ~Ann

  17. Don't have an umbrella….but I do like yours! I really liked the green one!

  18. Pine Tree Home says

    I really like the red. Keep your eye open at bulk stores too. We got ours at BJs Wholesale. Green one that has lasted 4-5 seasons so far. We do take ours in during the winter.

  19. The Toll House Cookie says

    Go with the red. I see you like primary colors outside….and with the red geraniums….your umbrella will compliment your porch color scheme.

  20. Designs By Pinky says

    Susan, I love the red too! Can't wait to see them both and see what you decide! I bring our umbrella in every fall, it wouldn't last too long if I didn't. I discovered that I could take the fabric off and wash it too and that is GREAT! I usually do that in the fall to store it but if I forget just do it in the spring. Come on over and see ONE of my Easter tables! XO, Pinky

  21. WHERE? is it.I really don't know.Mr. must have thrown it away.Well I guess I'm in the market for a new one also.
    I've thought and thought,I really don't know,it's a mystery!
    Sooo that tells you it stayed out all the time,I guess it was weather worn and went missing in action.hehehe
    ~Jo
    Lazy on Loblolly

  22. Laura Wilkerson says

    You are so talented that you're gonna totally change the appearance going back and forth between the red and green umbrellas and no one will even be the wiser….we'll all just think wow that looks awesome!

  23. Love the red one Susan. We store our umbrellas in a shed, but rarely use them now since having a gazebo tent and a patio cover.
    You may like the change in colour…eenie, meenie, minie..mo!! 🙂

  24. The red sounds jazzy as you said! The green is more country club! Maybe you should keep them both! We always bring our umbrella in through the winter months because of the winters here. That is amazing that you found it for the same price!

  25. Nancy's Notes says

    I love the flashy and brilliant red…then again, I like the other one too! Aww…just do it, keep them both, I do think the green is mighty pretty Susan!

    Nancy

  26. Ours is like the one you are replacing, 13 ft, green and from Costco. We bring it in most of the time, just move it under the covered porch. It has lasted a long time!
    Once when we left it out, and when I went to open it a bat flew out! eewww
    Good luck with your new brellie!

  27. Donna@Conghaile Cottage says

    Beautiful!!! I think you should keep both, hehe! I would personally buy the green BUT just think how fantastic the red would be on all your special occasions, AND Forth of July!!! Make sure you weatherproof the wood.(don't trust that they did it or that it's done properly)
    That is probably what happened to your old one(that nasty white science project). AND YES I take a long time contemplating my purchases too. Do so much homework that sometimes by the time I'm "READY" it's no longer available! Thank you for the informative fun post…Happy Easter to you and yours,
    Hugs,
    Donna

  28. Outdoor Garden Furniture says

    Umbrellas one of the best accessory for a used as a garden furniture.I have to buy a one,I feel difficulty in finding a unique and reliablet one for my garden.From where i get variety of the Umbrellas,such that i get a best one.

  29. Morning Susan, we had a lovely big green umbrella like yours when we bought our garden furniture when we got married 9 years ago,. We stored it in the garage in the Winter, well this is UK and we get a cold winter and a lot of rain!! Well when we got it out about three years ago the mice had chewed it in quite a few places and I didn't fancy using it again with holes everywhere.

    As my hubby has to be careful in the sun as he had malignant melanoma 3 years ago we sit in the conservatory.

    Although the red umbrella is a bright cheerful colour I think green is best in the garden, but I am sure you will make you mind up when they are in situ and it is good that you can try them both.Jackie in Surrey, UK.

  30. Luncheons at the Junction says

    I vote for the red!!! You've done the green – and since it's time for a new look – go with something completely different. Just think of the color combinations you can tablescape around! Look forward to seeing your choice.

  31. Love the green….blends in with the trees.
    We always bring our umbrella in for the winter but the wood still tends to warp, splinter etc. Be careful when you take off your cover to wash it. Did that once and it shrunk up just a smidgen but enough so it wouldn't open completely. Then the house painters splattered paint on it. They ordered a new cover for me but it was 7 ft instead of 9 ft so that was really bad and I couldn't return it as I has no idea where they got it…I searched and searched (I think we may have that in common).
    Your deck and porch are so nice!!! Would love to live there!

  32. Since you have a red front door, I would continue with the "red" around back. It is going to be great with your pretty house!

    We haven't had an umbrella in a couple of years, but I am in the market for one this year. I had a beautiful green and white one that lasted 6 years. I took it in at the end of the summer and stored it in the garage.

    Mary
    From Virginia

  33. Love the green, but the red might be just perfect too..
    my umbrella overwinters in the garage. My cushions stay in a closet until we go outside. yeah pretty much the West Texas sun and high winds would eat them alive!

  34. ♥ Sonny ♥ says

    I love both so I vote for keeping them both.:) they'll make great photos at different times..

    Sonny

  35. Dee Stephens says

    I vote red! Your porch rocks the casbah!
    xoxo,
    Your newest follower
    http://www.deestephensadventures.com

  36. Curtains In My Tree says

    Red it is girlfriend. I think the green looked good also.

    I got one last summer for the first time for my patio. My friend from Oregon came and she was so happy I broke down and bought a patio umbrella this was last summer and I stored it in my laundry/storgae room all winter.
    I have my big tree over my patio that I hang my lace curtains in

  37. FABBY'S LIVING says

    I think for a change, me, I would go for the RED this time, is happier and what a nice shade of red it is!
    Happy Easter.
    FABBY

  38. One thing to note–unless they have changed their policies HD online and HD in the store don't talk to one another. I found that out the hard way when I ordered an item online and tried to return it to a store…NO CAN DO!! And since I'd rather have my fingernails pulled out than create a package for shipping, I was stuck!!
    Check it out in case the stores have come into the 21st century.

  39. Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says

    Sandy, I think I read on their online site where you can return things to their stores. Pretty sure I read that. Hope I read it right because whichever one I don't keep, that's what I'm hoping to do.

  40. ~Tablescapes By Diane~ says

    Hi lovely lady.
    I love the Red Susan!! I would go with Tan becouse of the heat. Green and Red hold's the heat sweet lady. I'am in Texas and the sun is Hot on my patio in the summer, this is why we go with Tan, we also keep the umbrella in the garage. I hope you and your lovely family have a Great Easter.
    Diane

  41. Laura Ingalls Gunn says

    In terms of color psychology do you want excitement in your garden (red) or relaxation (green)? 🙂

    Loved the Fairytale furniture.

    Thank you for your kind comments about Marie's Hamlet on Metis.

  42. I really think you should keep both colors. When you set different tablescapes you can coordinate your umbrella. With two umbrella they will last a longer time and save you the struggle of searching.

  43. Alison @ The Polohouse says

    Great post!
    I love the red for a change but that's just me. I think my unbrellas last 5-7 years and I do have to bring mine in… high winds and lots of snow leave me no choice in the fall and winter months!

    Enjoy your time in the shade!
    xx
    Alison

  44. Who me? Turn the stained side of the linen away so the camera doesn't show it? Move the cracked part toward the wall so it can't be seen in a picture? Oh Never Moi! LOL. I definitely LOVE the red!

  45. Terry @ La Bella Vie says

    Hi Susan,
    I have the red and it faded so much after one season that I ended up tossing it out. The red looked like pink by the end of summer and the fabric didn't hold up at all. Don't know if its the same brand or not, I bought mine from a really well known high-end store but that didn't seem to make a difference, it still faded out so green may be safer.
    Terry

  46. Sue (Someone's Mom) says

    We no longer have an umbrella outside and I miss it. Our table/bar has a glass top and a few years ago a big wind blew the umbrella so hard it bent and broke the glass top of the bar. I just cried. We got the glass replaced, but with our unexpected wind gusts…we have opted not to take the risk again. Now, we have a canopy over the deck instead.

    I'm glad you found what you were looking for.

  47. I have one from Winn Dixie exactly like yours. They had it 3 yrs ago for $39. My husband has repaired one of the spokes a couple times. The cover is still good. He also replaced the rope.

    If you will spray yours with Scotchgaurd you will be very pleased at how much longer the fabric lasts and you won't have to take it down and wash it. Good Luck. Caroline

  48. Katherines Corner says

    I vote for red! Hugs

  49. Dj Fravel says

    Whatever you choose…KEEP the skeleton of the old umbrella. I saw the coolest decoration thingy which was a distressed naked umbrella frame! I liked it so much I was wondering how I could score such a find. I shop at Safeway…that's where the skeleton one appears. It is stuck in the boxes of the organic produce, opened up and everything…just sans the fabric. Soo cool!

  50. Sadly, we have one that had to go to the "umbrella" resting place after just one season. Our season is pretty long here in the desert, but still, it was a real disappointment. Ours has a very sturdy metal frame (wood probably wouldn't last more than a few months) & has a solar panel on top that operates little lights along each rib. Before tossing the ripped & torn fabric, I made a pattern & plan to try making one. I think the existing fabric, while it was a heavy duck cloth, just couldn't hold up to the sun & wind we get here. I'm going to make the new one out of sunbrella cloth. I will also be putting it away for the summer. By-the-way, I love the red market umbrella!
    CAS

  51. Alycia Nichols says

    Good to know about where to get a good deal on a porch umbrella. I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to need one this summer! I have never had one since we moved to this house even though our deck is on the south side. I had a cool black & white striped one for a few years back in the 90s. Have no idea why I didn't bring it with us when we moved. Hmmmmmm….!

  52. vignette design says

    I like the red umbrella! I too have "forgotten" to bring in my umbrellas, along with a huge tent in my back yard for the last three winters. The tent was a pretty penny and is made with Sunbrella. Needless to say, it's shot! It was covered with fungus or moss or lichen. I agree, it was probably a flesh-eating bacteria! I had to retire it. Just about broke my heart. I wrote a post about it a week ago. I guess we learned our lesson and will bring in the tents/umbrellas from now on for winter! ~Delores

  53. Heaven's Walk says

    Yup – I vote for red! It will add a nice pop of color out there, Susan! I love the cream colored one on our hot, hot deck and yes, I cover it faithfully every night with an umbrella cover. I have an extreme fear of bats (which we have out here in the country) and I don't want to take the chance of one deciding to take up residence in it and surprising it when I open up the umbrella! lol!

    xoxo laurie

  54. I love the fun colors. I used to get green then one year decided to go bold and got red, especially since my front door and back door are red and my patio furniture is black wrought iron and it looks so good. I bring them in for the winter and on extremely harsh weather days (if I remember and can get to it in tiime). This year I went with black. Something a bit more sophisticated I thought. They never last longer than two years for me. Even when they say fade resistant, they fade. So I never spend more than $79 or $89 max. I have had good luck at Big Lots with 9' market umbrellas for as little as $59. Can't wait to see which you choose.

  55. Thank you for keeping your blog real! I would have done the exact same thing. Turn the umbrella so the 'good' side shows and put the 'bad' side where it can't be seen!

    Love both the red and the green. You have a tough decision. I am just like you — I research and analyze til I drive my poor hubby crazy! 🙂

    Happy Easter!

  56. Jen Green says

    Wow. What a story! Thanks so much for sharing your back porch journey. I think you should keep the red. It would make a nice change.

  57. Pam @ Our Adventures in Home Improvement says

    We have one from Costco that we bought 11 years ago. We used it in Portland, Oregon for nine years and it got some rain on it! 🙂 We did bring it inside during the winters and springs. Since we've moved, we still bring it inside in the winter, but it's still doing ok. It's been a great investment!

    Good luck on your red or green one!

    Pam

  58. Kudos Kitchen says

    I'm in favor of green! There is something fresh and inviting about the green and the outdoors! I totally love your site. It's simply charming with all your photos, writing and design! I'd love the opportunity to paint your blog header or button on a ceramic tile. I think you'd be thrilled to have one. Please contact me if you're interested and/or check out my blog postings (my kitchen table) and portfolio pages. I sincerely love your site! Either way 🙂

  59. I have had my umbrella for fifteen years this summer. I do take it in and keep it covered since winters are harsh. I also do not take it out until the first of June since it takes that long for the heavy pollen to end. It comes in the first part of October on a dry sunny day. Our home is gray cedar and stone and the umbrella is wooden and azure. It's so pretty against the green of the trees and the blue of the sky. I too obsess before making a decision. I could make a good case for the red or the green. Wishing you an easy, apparent decision when you see them.

  60. So stunning, I love the sets they are perfectly suited to your deck.

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