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Repair Your Trampoline |
However well you look after your trampoline, it is inevitable that at some point maintenance or modifications will have to be made. Over time, it is unavoidable that springs may begin to break, frames bend or canvas wear. Whether you have exceeded your warranty or feel that only a small repair is required, a safe trampoline will keep your family happy and continue the jumping fun!
Of course, the best form of repair is to prevent. Purchasing a weather cover will protect your trampoline from any high winds, water or dirt that can accumulate over the years. It could also be used to indicate to young children not to use the trampoline without supervision or in poor weather conditions, avoiding any grazed knees as well as keeping your trampoline in top-notch condition!
Another worthy purchase would be a trampoline ladder if your trampoline did not supply one; they help bouncers to easily move on and off the trampoline without clambering and pulling at any of the safety padding in place. In this way any potential damage to frame, padding and canvas will be kept to the absolute minimum.
However if you do experience a mishap, your first port of call will always be the user’s manual. If a part of your trampoline is looking a little worse for wear, make sure it has been assembled correctly and check to see if it looks different or worn from the correct manual pictures. Similarly, take a note of the customer services telephone number, found in the manual or perhaps on the company website, as they may have information regarding replacement parts. That way you don’t need to traipse through several manufacturers attempting to find the correct replacement. If you are still within your warranty period, the correct manufacturer will probably replace for free, too.
If a spring snaps over time, they might leave a rip in the canvas they were attached too. The springs themselves are relatively easy to replace. Trampoline sets usually come with replacement springs for such a problem, but if not most manufacturers can supply you with springs strong enough to take the weight necessary. Some companies even make parts for outmoded models of trampoline. The rip wobbly springs might make in the canvas can be easily fixed with inexpensive thread like monofilament synthetic thread. Ask for advice from the shop in which you purchased it about how to successfully stitch it together and make sure you get a robust needle.
If your canvas develops a hole or a larger rip and you think it could be repaired without replacing the whole canvas, patching could be the answer. Before you do anything, make sure you prevent anyone from using it; a large enough hole, when jumped on, could become a major replacement job. To patch a hole, a small piece of trampoline canvas should be applied then stitched twice around its circumference. This should keep the hole from re-appearing and avoid any costly replacement of the total canvas.
It must be noted that like all things, trampolines don’t last forever and a trampoline’s canvas must eventually be replaced for safety reasons. Usually, trampoline canvas can wear out after approximately four to eight years of use. This scope is mainly reliant upon the location in which you have placed your trampoline and the level of exposure to UV rays it has had. Obviously the amount of use it has seen will also count towards its wear. Any canvas older than ten years must be replaced.
Sometimes, padding can become loose or weak. It is essential to check the padding regularly as it is needed to keep the frame protected and keeps and bouncers safe from injury. If padding does become loose or lost, it is usually relatively easy to find and mold into the correct shape. Attached it back securely to the trampoline with ties and, if you can get your hands on a high-powered epoxy, glue it back on.
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