Make Your Printed Marquees Weatherproof and Waterproof: 4 Tips Each for 4 Seasons

Weather has the ability to “make or break” an outdoor event. On a good day, when the sun is perfect, the breeze is just right and there is no sign of dark clouds – the weather is most conducive for outdoor events. However, a blazing sun with high humidity on a summer day or very high wind speed or an overcast sky in rain or snow-prone areas – can become very stressful when organizing an event outdoors. 

Printed marquees are excellent shades that can help you ensure a secure outdoor structure for any event. However, even custom-printed marquees are not impregnable fortresses. Irrespective of the season, the weather vanes can shift anytime and turn the day around for the worse. Even a person who is always cool as a cucumber can become very jittery when the weather begins to misbehave. 

Nevertheless, there are ways to avoid such tension on an event day. The key is to plan ahead and weatherproof your shades. The first thing to do is to assess the specific requirements of your venue. Based on your location, there will be different aspects that would require attention when organising the weatherproofing of your printed marquee structure. For instance, in some locations the primary concern can be high wind speed, while for other places the main problem can be water (in the form of rain or snow). Learning about the dynamics of your locations will help you in ruling out the generic advice and focus on equipping your structure by targeting features fulfilling your requirement. 

We can already hear some of our readers saying – “That’s alright! But what about the different seasons ey?”  

Well! the next part will help you with planning seasonally…. 

Listed below, you will find all the tips to make your printed marquee waterproof as per the requirement of the different seasons. We will begin by giving you a universal tip to always follow when planning an outdoor event with a custom-printed marquee. Additionally, we will give you specific tips depending on different seasonal factors like heat, wind, water and snow.  

The Golden Rule to Get a Weatherproof Printed Marquee

The most important and fundamental requirement to make a custom-printed marquee weatherproof is to – (drum rolls please!) 

Always buy a waterproof Printed Marquees.

Don’t start to think of us as captain obvious just yet. This is the most important point to keep in mind while purchasing or hiring a custom marquee for an outdoor event. Many products listed as waterproof marquee for sale at a cheap price, are really not waterproof, as they claim. We always make it a point to highlight this to our readers and advice then to buy high-quality branded marquees made with materials that resist water damage. 

Aluminium or zinc coated steel frames will work the best to protect your printed marquee structure from corrosion. Whether you are buying a plane marquee in standard colors or a custom-printed marquee with your own logo or design, always choose a waterproof fabric for your folding marquee or event marquee. The best option is to opt for PVC fabrics or PVC coated polyester of at least 500 denier count. PVC coatings are most effective in protecting printed marquee fabrics from fading and getting damaged by water.  

The next step would be to look for additional requirements to weatherproof your printed marquee based on specific seasonal demands. You will find the same listed for you below.  

Tips for The Sunny Sweaty Days 

For the sunny days, when you know it’s going to be a scorcher, these tips should help you plan ahead better – 

Tip # 1 – The first and the most important point to remember is to get a printed marquee with a canopy fabric which provides UV protection. Some brands also offer fade resistant fabrics and it is always better to check them out as well. 

Tip # 2 – Get a printed marquee with roll-up or detachable walls to let the air in when required. 

Tip # 3 – Add a cooling mechanism to the structure like fans, coolers or AC units. 

Tip # 4 – Plan a tent layout with more spacing between the seating arrangements. Avoid clustering too many people together in a small space as it is bound to raise temperatures under the marquee. 

You can also extend your generosity by serving cold beverages or get creative and add items like hand fans or cold towels for your guests. 

Tips for The Windy Days

High wind speed can be very harmful to the stability and security of your custom marquee structure. However, following a few tips can ensure that the structure and your guests stay protected even on windy days. 

Tip # 1 – Use heavy-duty stakes and tie-down straps to anchor your printed marquee to the ground or other nearby structures. 

Tip # 2 – Add extra weight to marquee legs for extra support, by using sandbags, water weights, steel weights or even DIY buckets filled with water or sand. 

Tip # 3 – Don’t leave a partially erected canopy outside in areas where wind speed is generally high. 

Tip # 4 – If the custom marquee structure cannot be moved, then make sure to take down the fabric when the wind speed is high. The pole and connectors of the marquee frame itself will perform better at enduring high winds in the absence of the fabrics. 

Tips for The Rainy Days

Well! We have already told you that getting waterproof custom-printed marquees is the golden rule for making sure that your marquee can be made weatherproof. However, you need to also plan other arrangements for areas where rains are frequent and unpredictable.  

Tip # 1 – Get a printed marquee with centre-pole tensioning mechanism that provides easy water runoff. 

Tip # 2 – Add rain gutters to the roof to make sure that water does not get logged in. 

Tip # 3 – Get proper flooring arrangement which also has a drainage system. This will allow water to seep down from the floorboards to the actual ground and prevent water logging on the floor of the event marquee.   

Tip # 4 – Add a smaller gazebo or marquee at the entrance to keep raincoats, umbrellas and other wet items separate. 

Tips for The Chilly Snowy Days

During the cold winter days, a forecast for snow can become a challenge for outdoor events. Nevertheless, for all the adventurous Aussies out there, this is exactly what makes it all the more fun and exciting. There are, however, precautions you must take to keep your printed marquee weatherproof on such days.  

Tip # 1 – Get insulated sidewalls and canopy fabrics and make sure that the structure is completely packed. 

Tip # 2 – Ensure that you have put in a robust heating system and stored adequate amount of fuel. Also keep heaters running on low setting if there is a weather forecast for snow. This will help prevent the roof from getting logged in with snow and also avert condensation when you need to raise the temperature quickly. 

Tip # 3 – Do not forget to pack snow shovels in your outdoor event kit if there is any possibility for a snowfall.  

Tip # 4 – Always have a Plan-B ready, especially for areas that witness heavy snowfall. Keep all emergency contact numbers handy and also look in advance for other nearby places or permanent structures for shelter in case of dire need. 

Weatherproof Printed Marquees – Fun for All Four Seasons!

Australians love the outdoors in all seasons. We witness some of the most beautiful days and weather condition on the planet, with perfect sky and wind. However, we also bear some days when the weather is just not a friend. Nevertheless, it never brings down our indomitable spirit to seek fun outside.  

Marquee manufacturers in Australia have taken care in developing products to help their feloow citizens enjoy any and all weather (unless of course a risk warning is issued!) out in the open. Custom-printed marquees and custom printed gazebos from premium Australian brands provide you with the ability to have a reliable and multi-purpose shade for all outdoor events.  

If you are looking to buy a pop-up marquee in Sydney or any other place across Australia, we advise you to get a branded marquee online rather than a cheap product locally which may not serve you well. If you already have a custom-printed marquee, then our tips should suffice in helping you to enhance your product’s waterproofing and make it more weatherproof.  

So, go and get started quickly. From now on, no matter what the season, your printed marquee will always be ready for fun!