A warped or bent trampoline can ruin your enjoyment and even cause accidents in many cases. If your trampoline is out of shape, you may naturally wonder what’s causing it. So, why is my trampoline bending?
Many reasons can cause the trampoline to be bent, including too much jumping, severe exposure to sunlight, strong rain and snow, forceful winds, improper installation, uneven ground, and manufacturing defects. Keep reading this guide to learn more about these issues.
You’ll also learn how to fix a trampoline once it’s bent. We’ll also discuss how you can prevent the trampoline from getting bent in the first place. We have a lot to unpack, so, without any further ado, let’s dive in!
What Causes a Bent Trampoline?
Trampolines are meant to withstand a lot of force. It’s not normal for a trampoline to be bent. Here are the most common reasons behind a trampoline being bent and losing its original shape:
Too Much Jumping
All trampolines are made to handle a certain amount of weight. When too many people jump on the trampoline without regard to how much weight it can handle, it starts to wear out and go out of shape.
Of course, there are a few trampolines that are poor in quality as well. To cut down the costs of those trampolines, the manufacturers use cheaper materials that don’t last very long. Using a poor-quality trampoline can make it bend quickly, especially if you’re going over the weight limit.
Severe Exposure to Sunlight
As the frames of a trampoline are made from metal, they are expanded in hot weather, and they become contracted during cold weather. So, too much sunlight can cause the frames of the trampoline to expand and bend.
The frames can also become brittle due to constant exposure to sunlight and be permanently bent. Moreover, the UV rays coming from the sunlight can cause significant damage to the jumping mat of your trampoline.
Strong Rain and Snow
When there’s heavy rainfall or snow, water can accumulate on top of your trampoline. It will put unnecessary stress on the jumping mat and the frames and cause them to go downwards.
The build-up of excess moisture in the trampoline can also cause the formation of rust in the frames as they’re made of metal. All these factors, put together, weakens your trampolines’ structure and cause it to get bent.
You’re not likely to face this issue if you have a high-quality trampoline in which the frames are made with galvanized metal. Frames with such metal won’t rust anytime soon. But if you’re using a trampoline of poorer quality, heavy rainfall could be the issue behind your trampoline bending.
Forceful Winds
While many people may find it hard to believe that forceful winds can cause a trampoline to become bent, it does happen in many places. If you live in an area like that, you know exactly what we’re talking about.
In fact, the wind can be so strong that it can blow away the entire trampoline at times. Let alone the jumping mat and the frames. Secure your trampoline in its place with an anchor or choose an in-ground trampoline if you live somewhere where it’s common to have strong winds.
Improper Installation
Another common reason behind a trampoline bending is not installing it correctly, to begin with. If you set up your trampoline yourself, it’s likely that you have messed up somewhere in the installation process and that has led to this severe issue with your trampoline.
The most common mistakes people make when installing the trampoline themselves are misaligning the springs and not putting the frames in the correct position. These mistakes create too much stress on the trampoline and cause it to become bent.
Uneven Ground
It’s paramount that you keep your trampoline on a level surface. It not only makes sure that your trampoline functions well but also prevents accidents. Installing it on uneven ground can create all sorts of problems.
If you’ve installed it on a spot where the ground below it isn’t even, it’s obvious that the frame will bend when you jump and put pressure on it. The damage will be slow, and you might not even notice it before it’s too light.
Manufacturing Defects
If you saw your trampoline bending right off the bat when you bought it or in a short period, it’s likely that your trampoline came with a defect. More than half a million trampolines are manufactured every year. Every once in a while, a few of them can get past quality control despite having defects.
How to Fix a Bent Trampoline?
You should avoid jumping on a bent trampoline as it can force you outside and cause accidents. Before you decide to throw out your trampoline or hire an expert repairer, try fixing it yourself.
The trampoline being bent could be a result of missing springs, the legs being bent, the poles, or the poles’ net going out of shape. The fix for it will depend on the particular reason that’s causing it. Here are some tips that will help you fix your warped trampoline:
Replace the Springs
The first step in your self-diagnosis process to find the issue with your bent trampoline is to check the springs. You may think that because the frame is bent, there are no issues with the springs.
But, in reality, it could very well be the case that your frame is alright, but it’s the springs that are damaged and causing the frame to become bent. Although springs are capable of withstanding a lot of force without breaking and making you bounce, they’re not unsusceptible to damage.
So, be on the lookout for both missing and damaged springs. If the springs are damaged, they can cause injuries to the people jumping on the trampoline. Replace them as soon as you can to fix the bending issue of your trampoline. The same goes for the missing springs.
Tighten Loose Bolts
When you have a bent or warped trampoline, it’s common to see that a few of the bolts or screws will be loose. The solution is simple. Identify these loose bolts and tighten them using a torque wrench.
If the screws are loose, you’ll need to use a screwdriver. If the bolts have too much rust and you think that they’re damaged beyond repair, you won’t be able to tighten them, and you’ll have to replace them with new ones.
Make the Bent Area Straight
We’re moving on to pretty serious stuff now. As long as the bend on the trampoline isn’t too severe, you should be fine handling it on your own. The legs of the trampoline usually support the entire structure of the trampoline, and that’s what you should be looking at first.
The main tools you can use to fix the legs of the trampoline are a sleeve tube, a squeezer tool, or an adjustable spanner. The idea is to bend the legs back to their original position with the tool of your preference.
Remember that you’re taking a big risk by trying to bend it back in place, as the whole thing can break because of it. If you notice any cracks while you do it, stop immediately. You can either hire an expert repairman at this stage to fix the issue or order replacement parts if you’re still keen on solving the problem yourself.
Replacing Your Jumping Mat
Sometimes, the mat can be off-center from the spring it attaches to and cause a warped effect. In that case, replacing the springs will do the trick. But if you notice that the mat itself has worn out and the poles are fine, you need to replace the mat.
You can replace the mat using a spring tool and a new mat. Pick one spring at a time and detach it from your current mat. Repeat the process for all the springs and take off the old mat. Next, put the new mat and this time, install it in the reverse order of how you uninstalled the previous mat.
How to Prevent a Trampoline from Being Bent?
Taking proper care of your trampoline and maintaining it well can increase its lifetime by a long margin. You won’t have to do repair work every now and then if you take good care of it from the start. Follow these tips to make sure that there are no issues with your trampoline:
Stay Below the Weight Limit
When too much stress is put on the trampoline’s structure, it will surely get bent. You must know the weight limit that your trampoline can handle and make sure that you’re staying under it at all times.
Use a Protective Cover
As excessive sunlight can damage both the jumping mat and frame of a trampoline, protect it with a tarp or some sort of cover when you’re not using it. You can get your trampoline to last much longer by following this simple step.
If you don’t feel like getting a readymade cover, you can also make one yourself. Follow these steps to make your own homemade trampoline cover:
- Get any durable material like duck cotton or canvas, and make sure it’s big enough to cover the entire trampoline.
- Cut holes so that the legs of the trampoline can go through it.
- Tie a cord with a rope around the holes and the legs of the trampoline so that the cloth stays in its place.
- Add a few more holes and tie them as well if you live in an area where there are strong winds.
Cleaning at Regular Intervals
Your trampoline should be free of dirt and debris unless it’s raining. Clean your trampoline at least once a month or more if you live in a humid climate to prevent it from the formation of mold and corrosion.
Keep It at a Level Surface
If the ground beneath the trampoline is not level, it can cause a lot of issues with your trampoline. Make sure you keep your trampoline on a level surface to protect it from early wear and tear and get good use from it.
Weld Different Pieces Together
This is an extra step you can take to make the overall structure of your trampoline much stronger. Improve the stability of your trampoline’s frame by adding metal pieces to it.
Welding is a good option to fuse metal pieces together compared to soldering and brazing as the base metal isn’t melt during welding. So, there’s no chance of hurting the frame if you choose to weld.
Wrapping It Up
A good quality trampoline costs a lot, and it’s understandable that you want to get the most use out of it. But if it goes bad soon, it can be extremely frustrating. You’ll no longer have to wonder why is my trampoline bending as you’ve learned the main reasons behind it in this guide.
We hope you’ll find the exact reason that has caused your trampoline to get bent and fix it in no time so that you can get back to having a great time on your trampoline. Maintain your trampoline to avoid facing issues like this in the future. Leave a comment if you have any trampoline questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When should you hire an expert to fix your trampoline?
If the bends or the cracks on the trampoline are too big, it’s not a good idea to try to solve that yourself, and your best course of action is to leave it to the hands of an expert.
2. How to prevent the trampoline frame to get rust?
While taking regular care of the trampoline frame will suffice if you don’t live in an area with heavy rainfall, you can spray the frame with rust-resistant paint to prevent it from getting damaged.
3. How long does a trampoline mat last?
The jumping mat on a trampoline usually lasts for two years on average. It can be more or less depending on how much you care for it. If you see the center of the mat droop, that’s a good indicator that it’s time to change it.
4. How to connect the jumping mat to the springs correctly?
When you join the springs with the jumping mat one by one, you’ll have a lot of difficulties pulling them once you go half the distance. So, connect the springs in intervals of 10, and after completing the whole lap, fill the gaps.
Last Updated on August 25, 2023
