I'm having a large concrete patio poured soon. I'd like to have a couple of anchors if you will placed in the concrete in strategic locations so I can just plop the umbrella in whenever I want and not have to deal the heavy metal bases.

My first idea is just PVC pipe set in the concrete, but here are my concerns:
How could I rig it to ensure umbrella doesn't just slide out the pvc from a strong uplift?

I'd like top of anchor/hole to be flush with concrete, as well as have a threaded cap to cover hole when not in use. So a sliding pin through the PVC and umbrella hole to solve problem one may be tough.

Also, how do I determine how far umbrella pole will slide down into the hole?

Should I take precaution and put a T with some extra pipe on it so the PVC itself doesn't slide out of concrete? Or just bury it into ground below concrete as well? Concrete will be about 4" thick.

Should I worry about water or debris filling up the PVC?

Any ideas on how to I should do this?

Make the bottom of the pole threaded to thread into the base.

You could also use some sort of lock pin with an engager/disengager.

I'm thinking dive bar bathroom latch lock.

slide over and up or down...

in this case it'd be vertical so slide down and over.

[This message has been edited by OnlyForNow (edited 6/18/2013 1:47p).]

Do umbrellas come with threaded poles? I don't know that I've ever seen one. I'm not fabricating the umbrella.. just an off the shelf one.

The PVC will not just slide out of the concrete. It takes a little bit of effort to pop a PVC sleeve loose, especially if you use some sandpaper and roughen the outside of the PVC sleeve. If you are that worried, use some galvanized pipe nipples with a coupling holding them together - the larger OD of the coupling will act as an anchor in the concrete. You can do the same with PVC as well.

As far as depth, your concrete is 4" thick - but that doesn't mean your sleeve needs to be. I'd make it 8" or 12" and put a cap on the bottom side of it. Just dig a little hole around where the sleeve will be set and thicken that area a tad with concrete. Set the top flush with the concrete.

OFN has a good idea with using a female threaded sleeve and a male threaded umbrella pole so that you don't have to worry about uplift pulling it out. For a temporary cap, you can get either a male plug (think of something like a cleanout) or a drop in cap like you find on patio tables with holes for umbrellas through the middle. You are going to get water in the sleeve regardless.

You could set an eye bolt anchored into the concrete and drill a hole through the umbrella pole and insert a linchpin through the umbrella and eye bolt to keep it in place.

Using a female threaded sleeve embedded as mentioned before and a male threaded sleeve that you could remove and replace as needed with the umbrella being locked into the threaded male sleeve with a cotter pin or something similar.

another option is to use galvanized, threaded metal pipe. Threads will last longer and not get torn up as easily.




[This message has been edited by Corps_Ag12 (edited 6/18/2013 2:27p).]

[This message has been edited by Corps_Ag12 (edited 6/18/2013 2:32p).]

Like this


slip that on the end of umbrella pole with some pvc glue.

Down in the ground below grade would be the female threaded pvc to screw in to. It would be below grade because if that was screwed in at the surface it probably would snap with weight of umbrella leaning on it.

between the female end and grade would have to be another pvc piece slightly bigger for it to slip into and for concrete to pour around...


MKF: I would def. have this below the 4" concrete slab.. I agree it needs more stabilization.



[This message has been edited by 62strat (edited 6/18/2013 2:20p).]

yeh I thought about this too.

Main purpose of umbrella will be blocking sun in evenings. Patio is back of house which faces due west. So the seating area doesn't have to be below the umbrella.. just east of it. I don't forsee any issues with walking below it. It will also be near edge of concrete, not right in center of seating area.

But to remedy.. female/female slip on pvc piece on umbrella pole, then 8" piece of PVC, then slip on/threaded like above. Basically just extend length of pole with pvc.

[This message has been edited by 62strat (edited 6/18/2013 2:25p).]

Seems not at all worth the headache

just stick in some galvanize pipe 12" deep... and flush with the surface

As much as we'll be sitting out there, it will be worth it. It's just some pvc fittings.. not that much headache really.

It's in middle of backyard, about 15' away from house, so umbrella is easiest really. I was gonna just buy one with the big base, but figured this would be a good feature since we are about to pour the concrete. I wouldn't have to mess with dragging around that heavy base like my neighbor (the one who suggested the idea.)

you could make it two piece.

Put a threaded pipe into the concrete, and then create a 6 or 12" piece of pipe with threading on one end that goes above the concrete and screws in. This piece is what the umbrella will sit in, and you can add in a cotter pin or screw handle to hold the umbrella in.

When you are done you take the umbrella out and store it, then take the above grade adapter out and store it as well, then cap your hole.

I do like that idea. But I wonder the strength of a pvc threaded fitting at grade with a heavy umbrella screwed into it. Seems like it could easily break, telling me to have the threaded part below grade several inches to have any forces on the pole and not the threaded connections.

but metal pipe would be sufficient strength I guess.

[This message has been edited by 62strat (edited 6/18/2013 4:13p).]

If you are going to go with anything threaded as the connection, stay away from PVC and even galvanized.

Galvanized eventually rusts out. Sometimes it takes a long time to do so, other times it is surprisingly fast. 304 sstl is not much more expensive, and will last a hell of a lot longer. And with what little material wise you are talking about, the cost is pretty insignificant.

listen to schmelba..

Does lowe's/home depot sell 304 pipe/threaded connections? Or should I hop on mcmaster-carr asap to get those parts in?

McMaster or amazon would be a much safer bet. The big box stores typically don't carry anything stainless in pipe and only minimal in fasteners.

Schmelba's stainless threaded idea is a winner.

As an alternative suggestion, focus more on finding a piece of PVC pipe that has a very similar ID to your umbrella shaft's OD. If the tolerance is tight enough and your pipe is 10-12" deep, your umbrella will not uplift out of the ground. It would take a perfectly placed vertical force to pull it out of a tight sleeve and the wind will not provide that. Several wraps of electrical tape could take out any remaining play. Additionally, when setting the sleeve in the concrete, install a couple extra feet vertically above the surface of the concrete so you can effectively measure with a level for plumb, then cut it flush after the concrete cures. It will be very difficult to ensure your embeded sleeve stays plumb during the concrete placement and it will want to float on you with the bottom capped.

K.I.S.S.

place a pipe (roughly the same Inside Diameter of your umbrella) 24 - 36" into the ground and flush with your concrete.

Don't forget to place an end cap. You will get some water perhaps but if you either have the umbrella or a surface cap in place, it will be minimal.

Sleeve a thinner O.D. pipe down into your ground pipe and up into your umbrella.

No need for threads, no need for cotter pins.

Since you want multiple locations around the patio, you only pull the inner pipe and umbrella and move to the new hole location.

Ours has been working great since 1978 with the same two pipes.


* Sorry Schmelba, missed your post above.

[This message has been edited by duddleysdraw88 (edited 6/19/2013 11:56a).]

Yeh after thinking more about it (and after someone above mentioned it) I don't think I have to worry about uplift. The wind would have to be vertical which doesn't seem likely at all. So yeh threads are overkill. Thanks I like this last idea. Umbrella pipe over a smaller pipe. That way umbrella sits flush on ground.

Have you seen how a structural engineer would draw this up? Although I am not one, I estimated rebar for 5 years and saw it plenty times.

They increase the thickness of the slab in an approximate 12" square around the hole. Slab increases to approximate 12" thick. Usually add a little square of rebar around the hole.

Pool companys have a brass sleeve made especially for this purpose. We have one in the sundeck (or whatever it is called) in our pool. Ours is installed flush with the top of the plaster and has a cover that seats inside the sleeve and held with a small stainless screw. The sleeve is only about 4" deep and larger than most umbrella poles. I insert about a 1 1/2' piece of pvc into the sleeve and put the umbrella in this. I wouldnt worry about it blowing out. From experience, the umbrella will tear apart before it is pulled out of the hole.

We have three of these around our pool. They are for umbrellas or a volleyball net or whatever. We love them. We have caps that screw in making it flush with the patio when not in use.

Some notes from my experience:
- As mentioned, it does lower the umbrella. For us its over the pool so it doesn't matter. Compared to the bottom of the pool it's high.
- it's possible for them to blow out. Its happened to us once in three years. A big gust flipped one out. It landed upside down and busted. That gust was strong enough that if it would have stayed in the hole it would have bent anyways. Our fault for having open when it was too windy.