When it comes to canopy maintenance, most people focus primarily on the fabric on top of the tent. While this is the most important element, the metal that holds everything together is just as crucial. If you don’t take the time to care for it, your tent won’t last. These tips for properly maintaining your commercial aluminum canopy will extend its life.
Perform Regular Damage Inspections
It’s usually obvious when your canopy fabric is damaged. Typically, there will be a hole or tear that leaks water or lets too much sunlight in. Damages to the metal won’t be as noticeable until it’s too late to fix them.
That’s why you must be proactive and regularly inspect your canopy tent’s frame. Looking over each piece of the tent individually is the best way to find dents or scratches that could become bigger issues. While you don’t need to fix every little imperfection immediately, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on them.
Use Aluminum Protector Sprays
If you want to make sure minor imperfections don’t worsen, you can use aluminum protector sprays on the metal pieces of your tent. These products will help repel water and prevent snow and ice accumulation in the winter.
By using an aluminum protector spray, you can prevent water damage to your canopy’s metal frame. While a spray can’t block all damages, it will prevent severe damage.
Avoid Harsh Products
Everyone knows that routine cleaning is a good way to maintain a canopy tent’s longevity, but not everyone knows that you can’t use any cleaner. Harsh or abrasive chemicals can damage aluminum. Not only will they remove any protective sprays you might have used, but they can eat away at the other layers of protection that manufacturers build into their products. Using a gentle soap is the way to go.
On top of that, you should never use salt to melt ice that’s stuck to the outside of your tent. Salt can corrode aluminum in a way that water never could on its own. This reaction is even worse in warm environments. Even though people only use salt in the winter, nearby heaters could worsen the issue. That’s why it’s best to avoid salt altogether.
Repaint Metal Parts as Needed
Repainting parts as needed is the final tip we have for maintaining your commercial aluminum canopy. It’s not uncommon for outdoor exhibit tents to have painted metal. This is what helps them stand out at events. That means you need to keep up with repainting when you notice the paint starting to peel or chip. On top of making your tent look better, paint also helps protect aluminum, so keeping it in good condition is vital.
