Who doesn’t want to relax in nice, warm water without being burnt by the UV rays? Well, this problem has been more or less resolved by pool umbrellas. They not only provide ample shade, but have an undeniable aesthetic appeal.
The challenge here, however, is getting to fit them in the pool sleeve. You can only make the most out of a pool umbrella if it stands perfectly in the sleeve, allowing it to withstand some degree of push, pull and resistance. Otherwise, the umbrella can turn out to be a complete nuisance.
If you are having trouble with your mismatched pool umbrella sleeve, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will tell you all you can do to solve this issue.
Pool Umbrella Sleeve Too Big?
If the pole of your umbrella doesn’t stand firmly in the umbrella sleeve, it means that the sleeve is too big for your umbrella. The most obvious indication of an oversized sleeve is that the umbrella tends to be displaced every now and then, and needs to be readjusted frequently.
If you have figured that the sleeve is too big for your umbrella pole, it is suggested to fix it immediately. A large empty space can result in frequent misplacement of the umbrella, causing it to tilt towards any one direction.
Even worse, there is a high probability of the umbrella falling out and causing serious injuries if it hits someone who is lying under it. A loosely placed umbrella means that one strong gust of wind, and it’s gone. You definitely don’t want this!
What To Do If the Pool Umbrella Sleeve Is Too Big?
If you’ve diagnosed your pool umbrella sleeve as being too big, there are a few basic things you can do to fix the problem:
- Wrap the bottom of the umbrella pole with any easily available water proof material. You can use fiberglass or a pvc pipe for this job. Just measure the empty space and make sure your fiberglass or pipe is of the correct dimensions and poof, you’re good to go!
- Dip the bottom of your umbrella pole into plasti dip. Once the layer is dried, dip it once again and leave it to dry. Repeat the process until the thickness of the pipe is enough to fit into the umbrella sleeve. This not only allows your umbrella to stand perfectly, but also protects it from rusting.
- Get an umbrella cone wedge. It is a small hollow structure that holds the pole tightly and fills in any empty space in the umbrella sleeve.
Pool Umbrella Sleeve Too Small?
An equally troubling alternate problem to the umbrella sleeve being too big is, well, it being too small. Even a slight mismatch of as little as a few centimeters can result in the pole not entering the sleeve at all.
A pole will not enter the umbrella sleeve if it is too small. Since a pole sleeve is the only way to get a pool umbrella to stand, this will result in a total wastage of your bucks.
What To Do If the Pool Umbrella Sleeve Is Too Small?
If you are having trouble with a pool umbrella sleeve, this is what you can do:
- Fit an exhaust reducer at the bottom of the pole. Reducers are tiny objects that have one wide and one narrow end. The wider end is attached to the pole while the narrower end is snug into the umbrella sleeve.
On a slightly different note, if you’re looking for a pool umbrella, check out our recommendations list for the best pool umbrellas.
Complete Pool Umbrella Sleeve Size Guide:
Finding a perfectly sized sleeve for your pool umbrella can be a lot harder than it seems. With a huge variety of pool umbrellas available with only minute differences in size, it is easy to get confused about the best sleeve size. To make matters easy for you, here is a complete sleeve size guide for popular pool umbrellas:
Choosing an umbrella sleeve that fits your umbrella pole and base ideally depends upon its height and diameter. Furthermore, there are many types of umbrellas available in the market that make selecting appropriate sleeves even more complicated.
Height of sleeve
The appropriate height of the sleeve depends upon the mount you use and the type of your umbrella (tabletop, self-supporting, or Free-standing). Different Umbrellas require different high sleeves.
A 9-inch sleeve is a perfect choice for a tabletop umbrella, whereas free-standing umbrellas require more oversized sleeves ranging from 12 to 21 inches.
Giant free-standing umbrellas require much longer sleeves to accommodate their massive sleeves, both in-ground and above-ground.
Diameter of sleeve
The diameter of an umbrella sleeve is the next most important thing you need to be aware of when shopping for it. Diameter tends to be directly proportional to the height of the sleeve; the longer the sleeve, the bigger the diameter.
Typically, a volleyball umbrella requires a 1.9-inch wide sleeve but, a 1.5-inch sleeve can also be used. Most household patio umbrellas can be accommodated using 1 1/2 inches, 1 3/4 inches or 2 1/4 inches wide sleeves. The OD (outside diameter) for giant umbrellas can range from 3-4 inches. For such umbrellas, a maximum of 18 inches in-ground sleeve can be used.
Some other commonly encountered pool problems: