Pop-up marquees and gazebos are amazingly reliable products to provide shaded areas for outdoor events or other requirements. Marquee manufacturers in Australia have made great leaps in the research and development of their products to fulfil the specific requirements for shades according to the weather of our country. Custom marquees available in the market today are made from high-quality durable materials and incorporate various features to suit different needs. They are designed to be portable and compact so that they can be folded into a carry bag, which makes them perfect for transportation and use in any location.
Nevertheless, custom marquees are not invincible structures. Despite all these qualities, there are certain factors that can greatly affect the stability of your pop-up marquee. Therefore, considering ways to secure your marquee is a very significant step while planning an outdoor setup. Though custom marquees can be set up almost anywhere, usability in a specific location would require assessment of the given weather conditions and ground surface availability. Depending on this, the pop-up marquee structure would require different components to provide additional stability.
Choosing the accessories and methods which suit your particular requirements can be rather confusing. Our readers have often reported that the confusion at this point has led them to make purchases which did not fulfil their requirement or were not even needed to begin with. We can completely relate to this. To invest so much time and energy into purchasing a product and to see the whole thing go down the gurgler – can be very disappointing.
Do not worry, mates!
We’ve got a neat little trick to avoid this conundrum. Instead of asking “how to secure your canopy?”, we think it is rather better to ask “what factors can cause your pop-up marquee to fall over and affect the stability and security of the structure?”
What Factors Can Threaten the Stability of a Pop-Up Marquee?
Broadly speaking, we have found from our experience that, there are chiefly five factors that are responsible for making a custom marquee unstable or unsecure for use. Thus, in our opinion, a quicker and fail-safe way to find out what needs to be done to secure your canopy is to first figure out what can make it unstable and then preparing in advance for these requirements.
In order to make this process easier, we have not just listed all the factors but also what needs to be done to secure your custom marquee setup against each of these.
- Low-Quality Marquees –
We are citing this factor in the very beginning because it requires consideration before you even purchase a product. Given the outdoorsy spirit of our country, Australian markets are filled with tents and marquees for sale. However, purchasing a generic, low-quality pop-up marquee is not a dependable option. They might be cheaper but they make no promises of stability. On the other hand, branded pop-up marquees are more reliable and come with a warranty. We always advise our readers to invest in high-quality custom marquees made with weather-resistant materials like aluminum or coated steel for frames and waterproof Vinyl fabrics for the canopy. You must also prioritize quality when purchasing the accessories to secure your custom marquees in various conditions.
- Hasty or Improper Pop-Up Marquee Set-up –
One of the most common factors that cause stability failure in custom marquee structure is not being set-up properly. In our opinion, the best way to avoid this is to opt for instant pop-up marquee models when purchasing a product. These models feature a no-assembly-required design. They can be turned into a full-fledged, functional outdoor shade in just five simple steps –
Ø Take out the canopy from the carry bag and partially expand the frame by pulling each of the four legs.
Ø After partial expansion, check that the canopy roof is attached properly.
Ø Fix the height of legs equally through the height adjustment connectors.
Ø Tie-down the structure with straps, hammer in the stakes, add weight to legs, anchor foot plates and ropes – as and when required.
Ø Add other accessories like sidewalls, marquee floors, awnings, promotional banners, green gutters, so on and so forth as per your requirement. Do remember to double-check all the tie downs and Velcro fasteners at this stage.
- Assessment of Terrain and Its Specific Requirements –
Most of our readers already know that any custom marquee which is set up on uneven terrain is bound to face structural failures. Therefore, assessment of the ground surface at your chosen location is a necessary prerequisite. However, you must not just look for an even ground but also make note of what type of surface it is, as it will determine what you require to make the custom marquee more stable.
For terrains with soft ground like parks or backyard, the best option to maintain stability of your marquee structure is to use stakes. Make sure you purchase stakes which are made of strong materials like steel and shaped properly with a head that attaches to the tent legs.
On the other hand, if you are setting up the pop-up marquee on a hard surface like asphalt or concrete, stakes would be utterly useless to stabilize the structure. The best way is to attach weights to each of the marquee legs. There are a few different varieties of weight options that you can go for, including sandbags, water weight or heavy-duty steel weight plates.
If you think that your structure still needs additional stabilization after adding stakes or weights, you can choose to further anchor the custom marquee. It is preferable to use heavy-duty tie down straps to anchor the tent to the states, nearby structures or both as per your need.
- Weather –
Weather is the most common and least predictable factor that can make your custom marquee set-up unstable. If the sun is your only concern when it comes to weather, well! aren’t you the lucky one? All you need to do is purchase a pop-up marquee with a roof fabric which provides good UV protection.
However, wind and water are usually factors that cause more damage to custom marquees and gazebos. Nevertheless, there are certain proactive measures that can be taken to prevent damage from both. In the regions where wind-speed is very high, you must use all accessories like stakes, straps and weights to prevent your marquee from falling over or blowing away. On the other hand, to prevent your custom marquee from water damage or toppling over due to water logging in the canopy, it is always better to purchase a product with center pole tensioning mechanism in the roof structure. You can also choose to attach rain gutters for areas with heavy rainfall or extendable awnings for areas with heavy snowfall, along with sidewalls and groundsheets to protect from both rain and snow.
- Crowd –
Well, in most cases, if you have performed all the safety measures listed above your marquee set-up should be secure enough to withstand damage from people. You must also make sure that your marquee is not blocking the way to avoid any possibility of collisions. However, if you are still unsure about this, especially if the crowd is particularly rowdy, we can give you another tip. In such cases, it is better to cordon off the area around the front legs of the marquee. You can add tables or even pull up banners in front of these legs. This way, a person is more likely to make the object fall over before they can even reach the leg of the structure. Keeping it relatively safer.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for printed marquees in Melbourne or Sydney or anywhere else, you can now find marquee manufacturers in Australia online delivering all over the country. Whether you’re looking for a large custom-printed marquee for business promotions or a small marquee for sale, it is better to check online brands rather than wasting time going from one store to another.
Premium online brands for pop-up marquees and gazebos also offer consultations over call. We recommend that you speak to a manufacturer and if possible, also get a free mock-up before you purchase the product and all the accessories you need to secure it under any condition.
We sincerely hope that our list above would have already helped you in determining your exact requirements. All you need to do now is order, implement and conduct your affairs outdoors with style and safety together!
