Your new Frankford umbrella has arrived! Before you start setting it up (and celebrating its arrival!), there are a few things worth knowing.
There’s something satisfying about seeing a new Frankford umbrella show up at your door or jobsite. Naturally, you want to get it out of the box, into place, and provide shade as quickly as possible. Who could fault you for that?
But before the packaging starts flying, give yourself a few minutes to get acquainted with everything that arrived with your umbrella. Particularly with our larger and more technical products, a little preparation can make installation considerably easier—and help ensure you have everything you need to enjoy your umbrella for years to come.
Here’s where to start.
1. Before You Throw Anything Away, Find Your Owner’s Manual
We’ll begin with perhaps the simplest—and most important—advice in this entire article: keep the manual.
Frankford provides dedicated owner’s manuals for the Aurora, Eclipse®, and Nova, with important product-specific information about assembly, installation, operation, care, and more.
It can be tempting to set that booklet aside and start assembling. Resist the temptation.
Frankford umbrellas are thoughtfully engineered products, and some components may work a little differently than you expect. Taking a few minutes to review the manual before installation can answer many of the questions that otherwise tend to pop up halfway through the process.
Pro Tip: Keep your manual somewhere accessible even after installation. You may want to reference it later when operating, maintaining, moving, or storing your umbrella.
2. Take Inventory as You Unpack
Depending on the umbrella you purchased, your shipment may contain mounting hardware, accessories, protective components, or other pieces in addition to the umbrella itself.
As you unpack, keep everything together until you know exactly what it is and where it belongs.
That includes the small stuff.
A bolt or piece of hardware that doesn't immediately seem important may be essential later in the installation process. Similarly, certain components included with your umbrella—such as a protective cover or wind stabilizer bar—may not be needed to get the umbrella standing, but may be important for maintenance and product longevity.
Your safest bet? Unpack deliberately, take inventory, and compare what you've received against the information provided with your umbrella.
3. Keep the Packaging Around, Too
The giant cardboard box taking up half the floor space in front of you might seem like the first thing that needs to go. Give it a little time.
We recommend keeping your original packaging until your umbrella has been completely assembled, installed, and inspected.
Not only does this help prevent smaller components from accidentally disappearing with the recycling, but it also gives you a safe place to keep everything organized while you work. Also, in the rare case it needs to be returned, having the original packaging helps keep it safe on its way back to us.
Once your umbrella is successfully installed and you’re confident everything is accounted for, then you can reclaim your floor space.
4. Don't Assume Something Is Wrong If It Doesn't Immediately Fit
Occasionally, a part that seems like it should slide, screw, or bolt right into place doesn't.
Your first instinct might be to apply a little more muscle. Your second might be to assume you've received the wrong hardware.
Before doing either, check the manual or review the appropriate installation guide video for your product.
Some Frankford products include components that need to be removed, adjusted, or positioned in a particular way before installation can continue. These small details are easy to miss if you're assembling the umbrella based solely on what looks intuitive.
If something isn't fitting the way you expect, don't force it. There's a good chance the answer is already sitting a few feet away in that owner's manual.
5. Don't Forget About the Pieces You'll Need Later
Installation isn't the end of the story.
Depending on your product and configuration, your shipment may include items intended for use after the umbrella is installed. Place those components somewhere safe and make sure anyone responsible for operating or maintaining the umbrella knows where they are.
A protective cover, for example, isn't particularly useful while you're assembling your umbrella. Later, it can become an important part of protecting your investment.
The same principle applies to the documentation itself. Installation may be the first time you consult your owner's manual, but it doesn't have to be the last.
6. When in Doubt, Ask Us
The instruction manual is meant to help you get your umbrella up and open; it does not mean you can’t have some help if you need it.
One of the things that has defined Frankford for generations is our commitment to service. If you've reviewed your instructions and something still doesn't look right, stop before forcing, modifying, or improvising with any components and contact us.
We know these products inside and out, and we're happy to help you get yours set up properly.
Our goal isn't simply to get your Frankford umbrella delivered. It's to help you enjoy exceptional shade for a very, very long time.
Five Minutes Now. Better Shade for Years.
We design Frankford umbrellas to perform season after season. And just like choosing the right umbrella, base, fabric, and accessories all make a difference, proper installation and care play an important role in getting the most from your investment.
So when those boxes arrive, enjoy the moment. Then slow down. Find your manual. Keep your hardware together. Take inventory. And give yourself a few minutes to understand the exceptional piece of shade engineering you’re about to put to work.
Your future self—and perhaps your Frankford sales rep—will thank you.
Looking for more how-tos and tips or a digital copy of your usual manual? Check out our customer resources page next for these things and more.
