All our cantilever parasols are delivered with a cross base. To install your cantilever parasol, two solutions are possible: adding weights or anchoring it to the ground.
WEIGHTS
Option 1: Grécale or Kona wheeled bases
The Grécale and Kona wheeled bases allow you to weigh down the parasol directly without adding extra weight plates. They are suitable for hard, stable ground such as patios, concrete slabs, or tiled floors. Once filled, they are more difficult to roll on soft surfaces like damp lawns, soil, or uneven gravel. Depending on the model, the base can be filled with sand, gravel, or water. Please note: the Grécale base must never be filled with water.
Important notice: For Ostro plates, the Grécale cantilever base, or the Kona base, in case of high wind exposure (e.g., on a rooftop) and mandatorily for 3x4m parasols, filling with sand or gravel is required (wheeled bases only). The sand used must be dry and salt-free. Therefore, do not use beach sand. You can use sharp sand or builder's sand, available at any major DIY store. Generally, three 35kg bags are enough to fill our bases. For gravel, choose a fine-to-medium grade to maximise weight. Here too, three 35kg bags are usually sufficient.
Tip: If you use the Grécale base for a cantilever parasol and need to remove the sand regularly (for instance, to store the base vertically for winter), you can distribute the sand into 4 sturdy bags, such as heavy-duty shopping or garden bags, before placing them inside the base.
Option 2: Ostro weight slabs
Ostro slabs are designed to weigh down our cantilever parasols. They can be filled with water or sand, depending on the size of the parasol and its wind exposure. For a 3x4m cantilever parasol, we strictly recommend filling them with sand.
The slabs must be positioned straddling the crossbars of the cross base supplied with the parasol. This setup distributes the weight evenly and keeps the base securely in place.
You can also use standard commercial slabs, usually 50x50x3cm in size. The cross base of our cantilever parasols, with a height of 6cm, can accommodate up to 8 of these plates, stacked in two layers. In this case, you should aim for a minimum of:
- 100kg of ballast for a 3x3m cantilever parasol
- 120kg of ballast for a 3x4m cantilever parasol.
Warning: Unlike Belveo slabs, which are engineered to lock onto the cross base, most standard commercial slabs do not secure to the frame. They can therefore slide off and release the cross base.
GROUND ANCHORING
Option 1: Bolt the rotating base directly to the ground
It is possible to anchor the rotating base of the cantilever parasol directly to the ground. The center-to-center distance of the 4 fixing holes is 160mm. This solution requires ensuring the quality of the concrete slab and the anchors used. The advantage is that the anchoring base is already included with the parasol: you only need to choose the appropriate fixings for your ground type. The only downside is that when the parasol is removed, the rotating base remains fixed to the ground and stands about 60cm high.
Option 2: Use the Plug & Play accessory
The Plug & Play base is a discreet and practical ground anchoring solution. The part fixed to the ground is less than 2cm high and 35cm in diameter. It stays in place when you remove the parasol. This solution is particularly suited for commercial patios, especially in restaurants, as it allows the rotating base to be removed daily without tools, while minimizing the visual impact on the ground.
