How to Fix a Patio Umbrella
Patio umbrellas are excellent for providing both shade and beauty to outdoor areas. Unfortunately, it is not usually a question of if, but when a strong gust of wind will topple the umbrella and send it crashing to the ground, damaging the ribs--the long wood or metallic rods that hold the umbrella shape and hold up the cover to the canopy--in the process. Don't throw the umbrella away if this happens to you. Repair it yourself, and you can make your umbrella stronger than it was when it was new.
Set the two broken or cracked pieces of the umbrella arm together in their original configuration and bond them together, using wood glue for wooden umbrella ribs and JB weld for metal ribs. Allow the bond to dry completely.
Hold the two pieces securely and wrap the repaired area with Gorilla tape. When wrapping the arm of the umbrella, do so with the tape under tension.
Select a hose clamp of appropriate size to fit over the diameter of your umbrella rib. Open the clamp and place it directly over the break, on top of the tape. Tighten the clamp down snug, but not so tight that you damage the rib further.
Make another three to four wraps around the clamp with the Gorilla tape so that it is covered fully.
Paint the tape in a color that matches the rib of the umbrella.
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Writer Bio
Anthony Smith began writing for Demand Studios in May of 2009 and has since written over 1400 articles for them. He also writes for "The College Baseball Newsletter." He attended the University of New Mexico, and has more than 25 years of experience in the business world.
