Lost your trampoline to the wind this March? Or perhaps you’ve not been a victim; you’ve seen it happen, and you’re paranoid you might be the next. Well, you don’t have to be, especially when you’ve taken all the precautionary measures and anchored your trampoline safely. In today’s posts, I’ll show you how to keep your trampoline from blowing away, also I’ll be sharing some exciting pro tips with you too.
Nowadays, you can spot trampolines in most gardens and backyards, mainly because it makes for a great outdoor game, an actual outdoor that kids could enjoy with their parents. But with the increased popularity comes long video compilation on YouTube of trampolines gone wild. And it can be frustrating. Even worse, no one wants the hassle of fixing a trampoline from time to time.
Also, just so you know, no matter how much you spend on a trampoline or the quality, a wind anywhere above 60mph will blow it away quickly, except you anchor it to the ground. That being said, let’s look at some ways you can secure your trampoline firmly.
Ways to secure your trampoline from blowing away
Right now, the easiest way to make sure your trampoline doesn’t budge an inch during a big storm is to stake it properly to the ground, and you’ll need an anchor.
What types of anchor do you need?
Thee are a couple of anchors, and yes, their strength varies. We’ll be looking at the two and their advantages or disadvantages briefly.
Wind Stakes
First on our list are the wind stakes. Wind stakes are buried in a cement block as a permanent anchor for your trampoline; they’re more like a permanent solution to your wind problem.
Some advantage of this solution is that they’re most secure and generally less expensive. But if you don’t have a concrete floor or expect to change the position of your trampoline anytime soon, a wind stake is a big no.
Anchor Kits
An anchor kit a less permanent alternative to wind stakes. And they’ll be the best solution if you’re placing your trampoline o your garden or backyard, and not on a concrete surface. If installed well, they last through heavy storms and severe weather.
Anchor kits still come in two types: U-shaped anchors and Augers.
U-shape anchors are most comfortable to install, and they fit directly over the feet of the trampoline. They’re cheaper too, but the least reliable anchor system.
Augers are the most exciting type for gardeners; they’re reliable and can withstand many harsh kinds of weather than the U-shape type. They’re also a temporary solution, garden-friendly, and easier to install than wind stakes. Auger style anchors twist into the ground like a corkscrew, with an attachment on the top that allows you to attach straps.
Anchor kits come with fairly reasonable instructions, but for garden sake, I’ll be showing you how to secure your trampoline with an anchor kit in 4 simple steps.
Steps to securing your trampoline with an anchor kit.
Of course, the first step here should be to get a quality anchor install kit. We’ll be reviewing some of them later, but for now, you can hop on to Amazon to check the ones with excellent reviews.
A typical auger anchor kit should come with around 4 straps and stakes. And if your kit has 4 straps, then you’ll be installing the stakes on 4 of the 6 straps: that’s 2 adjacent legs, then your skip one to the next 2 adjacent legs.
Step 1: Make sure there’s no utility under your trampoline
Before you install any stakes, make sure there are no underground utilities like sprinkler, gas, water, electrical, or phone. Otherwise, you may be risking damaging the utilities, which is a big no. So if you have anything under the trampoline, you’ll have to adjust it first.
Step 2: Install the anchor stakes near the center of each leg
Like I mentioned earlier, most anchor kits come with 4 stakes, and you have to install each stake close to the center of the horizontal leg on the trampoline and the to horizontal leg piece as possible to allow the anchor strap to reach it easily. To install the stakes, you have to push the tip of the anchor against the ground with a ply bar, a large screwdriver, or if you can screw it with your bare hand; you don’t need any tool.
Pro Tip: When you’re installing the stakes, make sure it’s less than 1 inch above the ground. And make sure the open end of the eye faces away from the horizontal leg piece.
Step 3: Install the anchor strap at the center of the horizontal leg piece on the trampoline
An anchor strap should have 2 brackets, with a long and short side. You’ll have to wrap the longer part of the strap over the top rail of the trampoline and pull it over, so the bracket part is on the outside. The shorter side should go under the trampoline, and you have to pull it outside, the same side as the first bracket, so we have one bracket on top and the other underneath the trampoline.
After that, you just have to slide the strap through the top bracket and try to get it super tight.
Note: If you have a DoubleBed trampoline, wrap the long strap around lower rail only.
Step 4: Pass the strap through the stakes
Now you already have the shorter part of the strap underneath your trampoline, lose and close to the stakes you’re installed earlier. For the last step, you have to pass the short strap through the stakes before sliding it through the bracket and making sure it’s tight.
Caution: After the last step, make sure you recheck your anchor to make sure each bracket it tight. And you can trim if necessary.
Conclusion
Trampolines are the best, and everyone enjoys them, kid or macho man. But you don’t want trampoline over your neighbors after every storm or harsh weather. The best way to do that is to anchor your trampoline with the simple steps I’ve mentioned above.
But so that you know, anchoring your trampolines is not enough. You have to make sure it safe for everyone, especially kids. Get a net if you don’t have one already, and make sure they play with the trampoline only when the weather is friendly.
