Umbrella Sleeves - Any downside?

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pjt

pjt

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Jan 7, 2012
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The Woodlands, TX
Pool Size
21000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Any downside to installing umbrella sleeves in gunite? I'm planning on having a couple installed on a 12" shelf.

Are they hard to clean, do they attract dirt or harbor algae, etc..?

Would a strong wind cause plaster or gunite damage?
 
I find the sleeves are to shallow and any wind will pick up those big umbrellas and blow them across the deck or pool which is a safety issue. And yes wind will do damage to plaster or gunite if the umbrella is left in for an extended period. Look for an umbrella with the vents on top which help it stay down.
 
The biggest issue is that the umbrella poles are too short. Most holders are 1-2' deep, and the standard poles make the umbrella to low to the water, and the poles are made of steel and will rust. We found a 6' stainless steel pole to attach our umbrella and it is now a useful and safe height.
 
The diameter of our sleeves are too wide and we can't find any umbrellas with a fat enough pole to fit. We ended up using 1.5" PVC pipe as an adapter. That fits the sleeve better. Still have the issue of wind catching the umbrella with no good way to anchor it down.
 
No issues with mine. Most umbrellas are aluminum and won't rust. Height is perfect for our shelf we use the traditional deck table crank open type. We like the rectangle ones. We use ours every season but don't typically leave it in overnight. They do collect dirt but have a screw in cap. I think it matters if you get an actual umbrella sleeve as apposed to just a pipe.
 
Here's an idea on the umbrella height. My umbrella holder is 18" deep, tanning ledge has 9" of water, total from floor to top of deck is 15". Photo 1 is standard umbrella post (40") in holder, 2nd is 6' post in holder.

u1.jpgu2.jpg
 
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panic_button said:
The biggest issue is that the umbrella poles are too short. Most holders are 1-2' deep, and the standard poles make the umbrella to low to the water, and the poles are made of steel and will rust. We found a 6' stainless steel pole to attach our umbrella and it is now a useful and safe height.
Click to expand...

Where did you buy that? I’d like one but a little shorter. Maybe 4-5’?
 
The only time we use our umbrella is when we put the loungers in and...well...just lounge. For that, the standard height is fine since most of the time is spent sitting or reclining. It is a bit short when standing under it. We just use a standard issue Lowes vented patio umbrella...after 3 seasons it still looks new. We don't leave the umbrella ( or lounges) in the pool overnight or if not in use. I've never capped the sleeve, and so far, no issues at all.
 
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panic_button said:
We found it on Ebay, the seller has shorter versions - Stainless Umbrella Pole
Click to expand...

Your sundeck umbrella holder is 18" deep? That sounds like the builder just put a pipe in there and didn't use an actual umbrella sleeve. Mine is about 6" deep with a cap that can screw on. And I'll tell you it collects garbage and leaves and bugs and if not cleaned out regularly will rot and stink up the whole area. I suggest you fill in some of that hole to make it standard depth not sure with what though.
 
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PoolGate said:
Your sundeck umbrella holder is 18" deep? That sounds like the builder just put a pipe in there and didn't use an actual umbrella sleeve. Mine is about 6" deep with a cap that can screw on. And I'll tell you it collects garbage and leaves and bugs and if not cleaned out regularly will rot and stink up the whole area. I suggest you fill in some of that hole to make it standard depth not sure with what though.
Click to expand...
My neighbor has (had) the same insert as you have, the rocking of the umbrella in the wind cracked the plastic and the plaster around it. The PB ended up core drilling it out and replacing it with a longer PVC pipe for more support.

We've had little problem with garbage getting into the hole, when putting the pole in everything is flushed out.
 
PoolGate said:
........And I'll tell you it collects garbage and leaves and bugs and if not cleaned out regularly will rot and stink up the whole area. I suggest you fill in some of that hole to make it standard depth not sure with what though.
Click to expand...

We dont even remotely have any of those issues, though the sleeve does sit between 2 bubblers, so maybe that helps.
 
At my house the benefit of having the umbrella sit low is the wind goes over the top of the umbrella. That being said we have to duck in order to enter the tanning ledge water. I will try what @Shirker mentioned with 1.5” PVC to add stability and boost height a little.
 
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