Many of you like to enjoy spending your leisurely time out in the sun, especially during the summer. But it does come with its share of consequences. You get exposed to the sun’s harmful rays which could not only damage your skin but also affect your health. But it doesn’t mean that you have to hide behind concrete walls and stay indoors. Instead, you can look at ways through which you guard yourself against UV rays.
One such measure is by using outdoor umbrellas. Large outdoor umbrellas are not just an aesthetic addition to your outdoor space but are highly functional when protecting you from the sun’s rays. The key, however, is to choose the right colour for your umbrella. This is because colour determines the amount of heat that a heavy duty outdoor umbrella absorbs. Much like the clothing that we wear, darker and lighter colour umbrellas draw and repel heat differently.
With so many colour options available in the online market, you need to carefully choose your umbrella. You must keep in mind that your umbrella should be able to reflect heat so that you can stay cool under the shade.
To help you learn more about how you can choose between different colours for your umbrella, we have prepared a guide. Read on…
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Are dark-coloured umbrellas best for UV protection?
As we have already mentioned, it can get a bit tricky to choose the best colour for your outdoor umbrella from so many colour options. But if it is UV protection that you are concerned about, you can go for darker colours like black. This is because darker colours absorb more light and heat than other colours. So if you have a black outdoor umbrella, you can relax under its shade on hot sunny days without letting the UV rays bother you. Apart from black, some of the dark colour options include dark blue, brown and dark green. They can be used both for practical and aesthetic purposes.
However, there is one drawback. Since dark-coloured large outdoor umbrellas absorb more heat but do not reflect any back, they tend to be warmer as the heat radiates off them. So even though dark colours can be good options for umbrellas, other colours can be better at reflecting light and keeping your deck cooler.
Do light coloured umbrellas reflect more heat?
Light-coloured heavy duty umbrellas can keep your outdoor space from becoming scorching hot spots as they tend to reflect more light instead of absorbing them. This makes the area under the shade much cooler as the heat is not filtered downwards. Good light colour options are sky blue, white or light pink shades. They are also a great addition to the aesthetic of your outdoor area as they render a clean, crisp and fresh look.
But you should keep one mind one crucial aspect. Since light colours don’t absorb much heat, they are not known to shield you from the harmful rays of the sun. Lighter colors are also more susceptible to stains, bird droppings and dust as they will be more visible.
Different colour schemes
Now that you understand how colours can make a difference in protecting you from the sun’s harmful rays, we wanted to tell you about the various colour schemes. This will help you in creating a nice aesthetic design in your outdoor space.
- Analogous or matching colours: It is a cohesive design made by using three adjacent colours on the colour wheel. For instance, dark blue-light blue-green and red-orange-yellow form a matching colour scheme. These are the most common combinations when designing a heavy duty outdoor umbrella because they create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
- Contrasting colours: Simply opposite to the analogous colour scheme, the contrasting colour scheme comprises colours that sit directly across each other on the colour wheel. However, colours are chosen in a way so that they complement each other. Examples include orange and blue, indigo and green, yellow and purple.
- Cohesive colour scheme: If you want to install multiple outdoor umbrellas, you can opt for a cohesive colour scheme. It is a process of pairing black or white with another colour to add a striking balance to your outdoor area.
- Natural colour scheme: Do you want to blend your umbrella with natural surroundings of your outdoor space? Then natural colour scheme is the way to go. For example, you can choose dark green umbrellas to fit in with your garden in the backyard or you can choose sky blue umbrellas or cloud white umbrellas to integrate them with the sky.
Conclusion
While there are multiple ways that you can choose umbrella colours for your outdoor space, the decision is ultimately up to your preference and taste. Although black umbrellas are best for keeping the sunlight from becoming too hot and shielding you from the sun’s harmful rays, you can also opt for shades that match the décor of your outdoor space or any colour that makes you smile every time you see it.We will leave you with one last thought though. You should keep in mind that whatever colour you select, it should be easy to maintain. So you should think about how well each colour is likely to hold up in your environment. While darker colours could fade over time and you might need a replacement a lot sooner than you’d expect, lighter-colour fabrics are prone to soiling. So you must choose an outdoor umbrella that is made from top quality, solution-dyed material.
