7 Effective Deck Shade Ideas for Windy Areas
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You don’t have to live in Chicago to be concerned what the wind is going to decide to do with your precious outdoor shade that you have so lovingly installed. Moderate winds have been known to take down your run-of-the-mill umbrella with ease and put other home-grown shade systems at risk on an almost daily basis all across our great land.
We’ve had customers ask us how they can best shade their outdoor oasis while fighting hard against prevailing winds, and our patio experts have answered the call. Here you’ll find six excellent alternatives for providing skin-saving, temperature lowering blessed shade relief that you won’t have to worry about during normal wind conditions.
Why do we need the shade anyway?
When you add a sunshade of some type to your patio, there are more benefits than you might expect:
- UV Blocking – This is the big one. Not only will UV rays not be directly hitting your skin, but these same UV rays heat up the things on your patio (like furniture or even the deck itself), which then begin to radiate heat off to make you even hotter than just the sun exposure itself. Further, these same UV rays will bleach out fabrics (you know, like that beautiful palm pattern on your outdoor sofa) both indoors and out, and a proper shade will keep these materials from fading, extending their life.
- Reduced Energy Usage – Shade significantly reduces the amount of solar energy reaching your home (especially if your shade extends to windows and doorways), lowering your home’s internal temperature and therefore keeping your AC bills down.
- Weather Barrier – Not only does shade keep out sunlight, but it can repel rain, wind, or even show (if you’re the type to enjoy your patio in the winter).
- Weather Barrier – Not only does shade keep out sunlight, but it can repel rain, wind, or even show (if you’re the type to enjoy your patio in the winter).
What to consider when you’re installing a deck shade solution in a windy area
The first question to answer is… how windy is it really? To be more precise on your answer, you might consider picking up an aerometer to measure the typical wind speed in the area you’d like to shade.
When considering your deck shade solution, consider your local weather including the potential for weather extreme events (like windstorms, hurricanes, or tornadoes).
Another consideration, as with any improvement to your home, is budget. Is a large structure a possibility, or are your funds more limited to a smaller and less permanent solution?
Umbrellas for windy areas – a few tips and tricks
- This one is as “Duh!” as it gets… Close your umbrella when not in use. This is the “is it plugged in?” of the patio world, but you’d be surprised how often people forget this basic principle.
- Mount your base if you can. If you have wood or concrete patio deck, consider mounting your umbrella base to the deck itself make the base as stable as possible.
- Gain some weight. If you can’t mount your base, make it as heavy as possible. Make sure to fill the fillable bases with water or sand, and consider adding additional weights (extra sandbags, decorative bricks) to add even more weight.
- Select a canopy built for superior wind resistance. Look for extra-large or even double venting to allow more wind to pass through the canopy without making it into a sail.
- Look for fiberglass ribs which are built to flex under duress, necessary on a windy day.
- Tilt the right way. If your umbrella must be open, tilt it so that the top of the umbrella faces the direction from which the wind is blowing, making the wind push the umbrella down onto its base.
- Consider an umbrella with an aluminum frame (like the amazing hurricane side wind umbrella we have pictured at the top of this article, which withstands winds of up to 75 mph) that adds weight and are more durable.
7 Deck shade ideas that work well for windy areas
1. Consider building a permanent wood or metal structure, like a gazebo or pergola, that solid and can’t blow away in most typical winds
Solid structures, especially those attached to your home and anchored securely, are about as wind-proof as it’s going to get. The shade provided by a pergola is helpful in lowering temperatures by blocking some of the harmful UV rays from your body and keeping them for adding additional heat to your patio itself.
2. If you want to use an umbrella, opt for a cantilever umbrella
You’d think that because the weight of the canopy on a cantilever umbrella is out on the end of an arm that they would be less stable in wind conditions. Not so. Because their bases are typically beafier (heavier or mounted to the ground or deck), they can withstand much more wind without toppling over. With its large 9-foot diameter and the ability to turn 360° to get that tilt just right, the California Umbrella 194061158203 cantilever market umbrella is a stylish choice for windy conditions.
3. Mount shade sails that can be easily removed on high-wind days
The beauty of shade sails is that they are inexpensive, flexible, come in a ton of different sizes and shapes, and provide amazing shade and rain protection. We love the Custom Shade Sails CSS10-12REC-RD commercial grade shade sail for using the highest quality materials with double rows of locking stitches to create a robust shade that remains taut and eliminates sagging or flapping in the wind.
4. If you use a freestanding awning for shade, adjust the angle away from the wind
When angling your patio shading, always make it so that wind hits the top of your shade, pushing it toward the base. Here we have the truly phenomenal shade of the FIM Manufacturing Flexy Zel FLEXY-ZEN commercial dual-post umbrella tilted so the winds helps to keep it anchored, providing much-needed shade relief to guests enjoying the amazing vista.
5. Add a shade sail to add full shading to your pergola
We love a pergola – the partial shade it provides helps to lower temperatures on our beloved patio. With the simple addition of a shade sail to your pergola you can transform it into a full shading solution, dropping those temperatures even further. Installing a Custom Shade Sails CSS10-12REC-CP shade sail to your existing pergola is an inexpensive way to beef up the shade of your cherished pergola.
6. Retractable awnings are a great shade choice that you can fold up to avoid damage in high winds
Retractable awnings are one of our favorite ways to shade a patio – they are there when you need them, and easily hide away when you want those gorgeous days to shine down upon you. If high winds are headed your way, a simply turn of a crank or push of a button can fully retract your shade (and if you have a cover, secure the awning to your home). Featuring a special way to adjust the canopy’s pitch angle, the Advaning Slim-Gray Series MA1410-A108NG retractable awning is perfect for windy days because of its hide-and-seek nature.
7. Roller shades between deck columns are another versatile choice for windy areas
Like retractable awnings, outdoor roller shades allow you to shade your patio when you need to and allow in all the glorious sun when you don’t. What’s special about the Insolroll outdoor roller shades is that even when blocking up to 97% of the heat from the sun’s rays, you can still see through the shades to the other side.
There are plenty of ways to shade your family and guests from the sun’s rays without worrying about what Pooh would call a “blustery day.” We’re happy to have provided you with seven different ideas for how to add shade to your backyard oasis without feat of what happens when Mother Nature becomes a bit of a blowhard. Let’s take that next step of grabbing that inspiration and putting it into action – upgrade your patio with a wind-safe solution that is just right for your family.
Here at Patio Heat and Shade, we pride ourselves on having an outstanding selection at the best prices you’ll find on the Internet… but what sets us apart is our experts. With years of training and decades of experience, our experts stand by to help you figure out exactly the right choice for your patio and provide you with years of uninterrupted enjoyment in the process
We’re here for you – just give us a call and we promise to treat you like family.