A Clever Fence DIY That'll Create Extra Shade In Your Yard

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Although most homeowners who love spending time outside live for sunny days, a little shade is often welcomed when spending lots of time in your backyard. If your yard doesn't offer an opportunity to escape the summer sun, you can always plant trees to add shade. However, that can take years to pay off. Fortunately, there are a number of DIY projects to add shade to your yard immediately, which can come in handy if planting trees isn't an option. They can also be beneficial during the time it takes for the trees to mature. Large umbrellas are often used to shade patio tables, but that's not the only way you can use them. Adding them to your fence is a clever DIY that'll create extra shade in your yard.

There are a number of advantages to using umbrellas for this purpose. For one, they come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, so you will likely easily be able to find a model to fit your needs. Additionally, they are relatively inexpensive, durable, and removable. Beyond providing shade, adding umbrellas to your fence is a creative trick to add privacy to your backyard. Best of all, attaching umbrellas to your fence is fairly simple and doesn't require any technical knowledge, specialized tools, or advanced skills.

There are several ways to attach large umbrellas to your fence in order to provide shade in your yard. Whether your fence is made of wood or metal, you can utilize U-bolts to secure it to one of the posts. All that's required is one or two U-bolts large enough to extend at least half an inch beyond the post with the umbrella in place. Once you have the umbrella positioned at the desired height, simply tighten the nuts of the U-bolt with a box-end or adjustable wrench.

If you wish to be able to quickly remove the umbrella, you can use a piece of PVC pipe that is slightly larger than the umbrella pole secured in place with U-bolts. On a wooden fence, you can also use large pipe straps to secure the PVC. Another option that is slightly more expensive is to purchase a product like the My Rustic Patio Umbrella Holder. This two-piece device also features a set screw to help securely lock the umbrella in place.

A no-tool method for securing an umbrella to a fence is possible by using a product such as the Love Your Deck Patio Umbrella Holder. This device, and others like it, features a large knob on the bolt head to allow for tightening without tools. It is designed to fit between the slots of a metal or wooden fence without needing to cut or drill. Holders such as these can easily be moved to different spots along your fence line throughout the season as the sun angle changes.