Bouncy Castle Modifications & Repairs
After our inspection and testing day last month we decided to book some time with our preferred bouncy castle repair man to have some changes made and alterations to a few inflatables. These where voluntary and not a requirement, but the inspector did point out some early warning signs that could turn into minor issues further down the line. Rather than wait and hope things stayed safe for another year, we took the inflatables out of action and off the website for online booking until we could have the issues resolved.
The big XL Jungle Activity bouncy castle that we primarily use for our inflatable fun days had a slight stress on one of the seams. This particular inflatable has four rows of stitching due to it's heavy duty nature, so one row starting to show signs of wear isn't a particulary pressing issue, but we do use this inflatable for our inflatable days as it is so popular with children, so we took it in for a repair just in case anything developed further.
The inspector had passed our brand new 100 foot long assault course, but recommended that additional anchor points be added. Technically it did meet the criteria laid out by the HSE and met the conditions of the relevant BSEN code, but to be safe the inspector suggested an additional two anchor points as it is was so large to mitigate any risk. With wind speeds being unpresdicatable at times we take his advice seriously and chose to have the recommendations made before it ever made it's debut on a hire. It's over-kill really, to move the inflatable the wind speeds would have to be so high that roof tiles would be flying off homes and there would be met office weather warnings across the country, but we always believe it's better to be safe than sorry.
We also chose to have some modifications made to our grand carnival stall. This is a very impressive inflatable, but it isn't meant to be bounced on. As such, the air pressure never needs to be that high, it can afford to feel a little softer. However, we felt it was a little too low pressured and wanted the balls on the air jugglers to lift with real force rather than idle and float just above the cones. The manufacturer has placed an inflatation tube that was quite narrow, which throttles the airflow and consequently the air pressure. We asked the inspector the make the alterations required and are pleased to say that the carnival stall now feels firmer and the balls float exactly how we wanted them to.
Lastly, we had a small hole in a bounce and slide bouncy castle that was made by a fox on an over-night hire. These things sadly do happen from time to time and it's no ones fault. However, we always maintain our equipment to the highest standards. A small hole won't cause too much of an issue; Bouncy castles have a constant air-flow system because air is constantly escaping through seams, zips, chambers and other areas, so depending on the size of the hole and where it is, it probably wont cause too much of an issue. However, it's un-sightly, will progressively become worse and doesn't give a great impression t customers that the equipment is well looked after; It will also cause a drop in pressure, which results in a less bouncy inflatable; And after-all, what good is a bouncy castle that isn't all that bouncy? The repair man made quick work of the issue, colour matching the material and type of grain and then un-picked the entire seam to replace the panael rather than apply a patch. It's longer work and more expensive, but the end result is far better.
We take pride in all of our equipment and safety is always our number one priority. It is our hope that sharing posts like this provide confidence to our customers that we take their safety and their experience very seriously.
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