Canopy tents are useful for companies that attend outdoor events. From trade shows to the local county fair, these tents provide protection from the weather while also promoting your brand. However, once winter comes around, people won’t use them as much since most events will take place indoors.
Some businesses still need to use their canopy tents throughout the winter, but most of them store them away for the season. While this might sound like an easy task, the reality is that a lot of preparation goes into it. That’s why we’re here to go over how to store a canopy tent for the winter. That way, you can rest easy knowing that it will be in the best condition possible come next spring.
Clean the Tent Off
Before you even think about packing up your tent for storage, you must start by thoroughly cleaning it. This equipment has saw its fair share of dirt throughout the year, not including other forms of debris like sticky tree sap or the always-unfortunate bird droppings. Regardless of the filth your tent has on it, putting it away dirty will only worsen these problems when you bring it back out next year.
Fortunately, plenty of tent cleaning products exist for you to spray onto your canopy that will do a good job of cleaning off the dirt and debris. If you don’t have access to any of these specialty cleaners, water mixed with mild, non-detergent soap will also work well. However, tree sap will be a bit more troublesome. You’ll need to ensure it’s completely dry before using mineral oil or an alcohol-based product like wet wipes to get the sap off your canopy.
Regardless of your chosen cleaning method, you must ensure that the tent is completely dry afterward. Any leftover water residue could become the catalyst for mold or mildew while in storage, which will be much more difficult to clean off in the spring.
Don’t forget to clean the other parts of the tent as well, not just the canopy top. If you have any sidewalls, follow the same process as above. For the metal poles, though, you don’t have to do too much. Simply run some water over them to remove any stuck-on dirt and leave them out to air-dry for a bit.
Check for Any Damages
While you’re cleaning the tent or during your inspection for any dampness afterward, you also need to check the tent for damages. Small rips and tears won’t be easy to notice just by looking at the material from a distance. You’ll need to feel around the canopy for them and look closely at the canopy and sidewalls.
Obviously, small cuts in the sidewalls won’t be as detrimental since they don’t leak all over you during a rainstorm. Still, any tear will become larger over time, so it’s crucial to repair them immediately. Putting the tent away and saying that you’ll fix them next year will almost certainly guarantee that you will forget until the following winter. Whether you use patches to cover torn sections or take it to someone who can repair your material professionally, it’s always best to do this right away.
Be sure to check the poles for damages, too. These will be much easier to spot. Tiny dings won’t be anything to worry about, but if any of them have a large dent or start, you’ll need to do something about it. Unfortunately, metal poles are difficult to bend back into place. Even if you do, it probably won’t be a permanent fix. The best thing you can do here is to replace your damaged poles.
If too many parts of your tent are past the point of repair, it might be better to buy a new one before next year. Here at Westshade, we offer all kinds of pop-up canopies for you to choose from, so be sure to check out our vast selection.
Find Something To Store It In
Now that your tent is completely clean and you’ve repaired the damage, it’s time to get into the details of how you should store your canopy tent for the winter. The first thing you need to do is find a box or bag that will fit the tent. Some canopies come with ones made specifically for them, so be sure to use that if you have it unless it packs everything together too tightly.
The reason why you want to avoid that is because it will wear out the materials quicker. If your fabric and ropes get pulled tightly together, it’ll stretch them out, leading to your tent either ripping or being too loose to set up properly next year.
Instead, you want a box or bag with enough room to fit the materials in more loosely. Plus, any remaining moisture that didn’t dry during the cleaning process will be more likely to evaporate.
Regardless of how you pack away the canopy and sidewalls, you should try to store the poles in a different container. Shoving these into a bag with your fabrics could lead to rips or tears that you could have easily avoided otherwise.
Look for a Good Storage Location
Finally, the last step is to find a place to store your canopy tent. Damp locations like a basement are never a good idea since that will add moisture followed by mold or mildew back into the equation. You should also avoid garages or any other unheated locations. Since most canopy tent materials cannot withstand the cold, spending the whole winter in a cold spot could result in cracks if the tent freezes over.
As long as your place of business has a temperate closet or storage room, you shouldn’t worry about it. However, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t bury your tent deep into one of these locations. Not only will you have to dig it back out come springtime, but if you ever need it during the winter, it will be an even bigger hassle. Putting it somewhere that’s easy to get to will ensure this problem never happens.
