WHAT TYPE OF TRAMPOLINE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Our favorite season is in full swing! The sun is setting later and we’re all enjoying more time outside! If you’re like most of us, you’re working on your “summer-ready” checklist. And if you’re a superstar, you’ve already cleaned off the backyard patio, tuned up the BBQ grill, and are encouraging your kids to play outside on their backyard trampoline.
WAIT! Before your kids start jumping, it’s important to inspect your trampoline. You may be thinking. That’s a great idea, glad I’m a procrastinator and haven’t made a list much less gotten around to getting things done. 😉 But how do we “inspect” our trampoline? Excellent question!
Here is How to Begin Your Spring Trampoline Inspection
Begin your trampoline inspection with the foundation of the trampoline or what we call the trampoline frame. Like the foundation of a house, making sure your trampoline frame is in optimal condition before you begin enjoying your trampoline is very important. A trampoline frame that has significant rust, cracks, sharp edges, is broken or damaged in any way is not safe to use, and needs to be replaced.
The good news is that all Best American trampolines are made with premium quality American-made galvanized steel. This means that the foundation or frame of our rectangle trampolines is made with materials designed to withstand year-round outdoor use. If that wasn’t enough, we stand behind our backyard trampolines with a manufacturer’s warranty.
Trampoline Mat Safety Inspection
Once you’ve determined that your trampoline frame is in good condition, you can move on to the jumping surface (mat) inspection.
Pro Tip! We recommend that you inspect your mat when it is installed.
While it’s technically possible to inspect your trampoline mat on the ground, it’s much easier to look for damage if all the springs are connecting the mat to the trampoline frame.
Ok. Let’s get down to business! During your mat inspection, you want to look for holes or snags on the trampoline mats surface. You’ll also want to look at the stitching on the mat and check each of the rings that connect the mat to the frame. If the stitching is damaged or if you notice more than a few rings missing, it’s time to replace your trampoline mat.
Common Question! Can you simply repair our trampoline mat?
Before we answer this question, we want you to think about your favorite pair of jeans. You know the ones you’ve had for years that started out with a tiny hole that was patched, then a few washes later another tiny hole appeared and was patched. All was well with your jeans until the day you bend over to grab something off the floor and RIP! your jeans are now showcasing your behind!
Now, this shouldn’t be a surprise after our jean story, but just to be clear we’re going to answer the question about patching trampoline mats. Nope. Never. Not in a million years would we recommend that you patch or repair your trampoline mat. Trampoline safety is extremely important and a mat that is “repaired” simply isn’t as strong or safe as a new replacement mat.
Spring Time!
We’re not referring to the springtime! We’re talking about trampoline spring inspection time. It was a lame joke. Let’s move forward and talk trampoline springs.
Trampoline springs should have one hook on each end and be tightly coiled. If your trampoline springs are missing hooks, start “popping off” your trampoline, or are overstretched, it’s time to replace your springs.
Another reason that many trampoline owners replace their springs is that their trampoline isn’t bouncing as well as it did when it was new. An excellent bounce, you know like the ones Best American trampolines produce, is especially important to athletes and gymnasts who use trampolines for training. So, if you want to revive your trampolines bounce, simply replace the springs!
How to Replaced Damaged Springs
Now that we’ve identified when it’s time to replace your trampoline springs, let’s talk about your options. You have two choices when it comes to replacement springs.
Option number one is to replace the damaged springs only.
A quick note here, If you’re trying to revive the bounce of your trampoline, replacing a few springs probably won’t provide you with the bounce you want. This leads us to option number two!
The second option is to replace all your trampoline springs at the same time.
While the first option is the most cost-effective solution, it’s not always the best option. It’s been our experience that once trampoline springs start to show signs of wear, the rest of the springs aren’t far behind. At the end of the day, it’s your choice.
Just don’t be surprised when your kids say, “Mom! Another trampoline spring broke” shortly after you installed a few new springs.
Let the Good Time Begin
As always this has been fun! We hope you have an excellent summer and if you have any trampoline maintenance questions, contact us. We’re happy to answer any questions you might have about your backyard trampoline. Happy jumping!
