To enjoy a patio situated in the open you need patio umbrellas.  But open spaces allow the wind to blow right through.  And the umbrellas blew with it.   Umbrella stands of metal, plastic water-filled stands…nothing worked.  The first good breeze and over they went.  Finally, a large metal covered cement stand on sale for $150 worked well, but the metal pipe rusted out quickly.

A thrifty solution was at hand however.  Interiors ReImagined toured the local big box home stores and found a 50 lb. concrete deck support with a 2″ round hole molded through it, price $5.16.  Insert a 2 foot section of PVC pipe, price approximately $1.50, into the hole and put the umbrella pole inside.  For less than $7 a solution to a over blown problem.