Weatherising not Winterising

Here we are in October, blink and you would have missed the summer. Over the last decade it seems like the seasons have been turned on their heads. Springtime sees a period of roasting hot sunshine and we’ve had floods in the middle of summer. There are also greater extremes seeing prolonged freezing cold spells and gales are even more severe causing more and more structural damage.

Due to the unpredictable nature of the weather it’s so important to ensure your trampoline set is protected against the elements at all times. Battening down the hatches in winter is now more like an all-year round chore. However, there are a few simple things you can do to make sure your set will stand the test of time:-

Anchor kits – the most obvious item to use when the strong winds and gales are around. They come with corkscrew style stakes to turn into the ground and ratchet straps to go up and over the circular trampoline frame. It’s not sufficient just to weight down the flat part of the leg as strong winds could still pick up the rest of the set leaving the legs on the floor.

Safety netting – the biggest catcher of the wind on a trampoline set is the netting of the safety enclosure which can act as a sail. If the forecast shows the wind picking up it’s a good idea to lower the netting onto the bed of the trampoline. For some trampoline models this is pretty awkward 20 minute task as it involves dismantling the safety enclosure. For those lucky enough to have an Atlantic Trampoline it’s only a 30 second job to flick the top net loops off the poles and involves no tools!!

Weather cover – if one of these came with the set you bought the biggest tip is use it. It normally gets tucked in a corner of the shed and forgotten about but can really help to prolong the life of the set if used correctly. Not only does it stop bird’s mess and leaves from soiling the trampoline bed it stops the safety netting and spring padding flapping around in the gales and potentially ripping.

Springs – a great tip is to put a smear of petroleum jelly on them. Not only will this help prevent rust forming it will lessen the squeaking noise made when the trampoline is being bounced on.

Some parents religiously dismantle and pack away their trampoline set over the winter months but, if your garden is fairly sheltered, the children would still love to play on it no matter what time of year it is. Snow, cold and drizzle isn’t enough to put children off their trampoline!

Author: Bob Bounce