A half parasol is a terrace or balcony parasol whose pole is moved to one side of the canopy so that it can stand against a wall; a wall-mounted parasol has no pole at all and hangs from an arm bolted to the facade. Both keep the floor of a narrow terrace, a balcony or a walkway clear. At BARAZZI, the wall-mounted parasol is the UMBROSA Paraflex, with a 230 cm square canopy or a 270 or 300 cm round one, and the half parasol is the Fim WALL, with a rectangular canopy from 100 × 200 to 200 × 400 cm.
Half parasol or wall-mounted parasol: two ways to free the floor
On a terrace laid out along a facade, a centre-pole parasol takes the place of a table and its base gets in the way of service. The two formats avoid that problem in different ways. The half parasol keeps a pole, set at the side of the canopy: the parasol stands against the wall and the rectangular canopy reaches forward over the tables. The wall-mounted parasol does away with the pole: an arm bolted to the facade carries the canopy and puts it where the shade is needed. The first suits a site where a base can stand on the floor or a low support can be fixed; the second suits a floor that must stay completely clear, on a balcony or in a passage. In both cases the canopy is acrylic, the frame aluminium, and the fixing is decided before ordering.
The wall-mounted parasol on an arm: UMBROSA Paraflex
The Paraflex, designed by Peter Leleu, works on the principle of the human arm: a 2 m arm, fixed to the wall by a 34 × 9 cm bracket supplied with its bolts, carries the frame and the canopy. There is no base and no support on the floor. The flexible arm puts the canopy where the shade is needed, and it is easy to handle and to store. The canopy is 100% acrylic (Dickson Sunbrella or Tuvatextil Agora), offered in 14 colours; the frame comes in aluminium or black RAL 9005. The warranty covers the extruded aluminium profiles for 15 years and the acrylic canopy for 5 years. The 230 × 230 cm square format suits the balcony of a flat or a hotel room: it shades a small table without reaching beyond the railing.
PARAFLEX 230 – Square wall parasol 230 × 230 cm – UMBROSA
Round 2.7 m or 3 m: which Paraflex canopy for which table?
The two round Paraflex canopies mount on the same wall arm. The 2.7 m canopy shades a table for two to four set against the facade of a restaurant or on the terrace of a room. Because the arm is 2 m long, the centre of the canopy moves away from the wall and sits over the table, with nothing standing on the floor.
PARAFLEX 270 – Round wall parasol 2.7 m – UMBROSA
The 3 m canopy adds 30 cm of diameter and shades a table for four to six or a lounge corner with two armchairs. It is the one to choose when the facade is high enough for a large canopy. A 2 × 2 m square format also exists in the range, on quotation, as do the Paraflex Duo, with two canopies on a centre pole, and the Paraflex Multi, with four canopies, both on quotation.
PARAFLEX 300 – Round wall parasol 3 m – UMBROSA
The half parasol against a wall: Fim WALL
The WALL from the Fim collection is a rectangular half parasol in graphite powder-coated aluminium. Its 5 cm diameter pole is set at the side of the canopy, so the parasol stands flush with the wall and the canopy reaches forward over the tables. It opens with a pulley, and each rib can be replaced without dismantling the parasol. Three canopies exist: 100 × 200 cm, 150 × 280 cm and 200 × 400 cm, on an 11.7 kg frame. The canopy is solution-dyed acrylic in 32 colours, or ecru acrylic; a special RAL colour for the frame is made on request. A 2,000 W heater designed for the WALL, a protective cover and the other sizes are on quotation; the product page shows the 100 × 200 cm version with its wall fixing.
WALL – Half rectangular parasol – Fim
Wall fixing or floor base: what to check
The question of the wall comes before the question of the canopy. The Paraflex arm bolts onto a 34 × 9 cm bracket, so the facade must take a bolted fixing. Where no wall is suitable, the same arm mounts on a 220 cm anodised aluminium pole, fixed to the floor, set in concrete or placed on a mobile base: that is the Paraflex Mono, a cantilever parasol in its own right. For the WALL, five fixings exist, all on quotation except the wall fixing included in the price shown: the wall-mount base with tube, for solid concrete walls only, fitted with four chemical anchors that are not supplied; the freestanding concrete base, 59 × 59 cm and 60 kg, with adjustable feet; the 73 × 73 cm, 50 kg steel plate; the 30 × 30 cm plate anchored to the ground; and the ground insert base set in concrete. A hollow wall calls for a base standing on the floor.
Balcony, restaurant facade, walkway: which one to choose?
| Situation | Recommended format | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Balcony of a room or a flat | Paraflex 230 square | Nothing on the floor, square canopy in line with the railing |
| Table for 2 to 4 against a facade | Paraflex 270 round | 2 m arm that places the canopy over the table |
| Table for 4 to 6 or lounge corner | Paraflex 300 round | 3 m canopy, no pole and no base |
| Row of tables along a wall | Fim WALL 150 × 280 or 200 × 400 | Rectangular canopy that follows the facade, pole flush with the wall |
| Fragile wall or no drilling allowed | Fim WALL on a concrete or steel base | Freestanding 60 kg or 50 kg base, no drilling |
| No wall at all | Paraflex Mono | Same arm on a 220 cm pole |
Both collections are European-made, UMBROSA in Belgium and Fim in Italy, with a two-year warranty, longer on some Paraflex components. They belong to the half parasols and wall-mounted parasols collection, itself part of the commercial parasols. For a cantilever parasol on a mobile base, our article Cantilever parasol: how much ballast does it need? covers the ballast.
BARAZZI, official and approved dealer for the UMBROSA and Fim collections, has worked in outdoor furniture for the hospitality trade for almost 20 years, with projects delivered in more than 40 countries. Send us a photo of the wall, the length of the terrace and the number of tables: the quote is free, the reply comes in your language and delivery is worldwide. Telephone: +33 2 52 44 52 58.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a half parasol and a wall-mounted parasol?
A half parasol keeps a pole, offset to the side of the canopy so that it stands against a wall: that is the Fim WALL, with its 5 cm diameter pole and rectangular canopy. A wall-mounted parasol has no pole: an arm fixed to the facade carries the canopy, as on the UMBROSA Paraflex, whose arm is 2 m long.
Can a wall-mounted parasol be fixed to any wall?
No. The wall fixing of the Fim WALL is reserved for solid concrete walls and is fitted with four chemical anchors, which are not supplied. The Paraflex arm bolts onto a 34 × 9 cm bracket supplied with its bolts. On a hollow wall, or where drilling is not allowed, choose a freestanding base of 60 kg in concrete or 50 kg in steel, on quotation.
What size of half parasol for a restaurant terrace?
The WALL comes in 100 × 200, 150 × 280 and 200 × 400 cm. The 100 × 200 cm canopy shades a table for two against the facade, the 150 × 280 cm a table for four, the 200 × 400 cm two tables for four in a row.
