Canopy Tent has become the most popular canopy these days because of its uniqueness, easy usage, and durability. Whether you plan for a weekend party or evening family time, the canopy tent provides a great shed and offers you a nice and cool breeze inside.
Thus, many people opt for setting up the canopy tent on concrete to enjoy a cozy evening. But they may not know how to hold down a canopy tent on concrete.
Luckily, there’re many ways that you can use to hold down a canopy tent on concrete. You can use quick fix weights for tents, use a bucket full of water or sand, and anything that adds weight to the tent and stops it from blowing away in winds.
How To Hold Down A Canopy Tent On Concrete
A nice-looking tent canopy adds both aesthetics and convenience to your lawn or any open space. You can arrange parties or simply enjoy some leisure time underneath the canopy away from the sun and feel the nice breeze.
But for all these benefits, firsts you have to know the art of holding down the tent on the concrete floor safely and securely. Since Highwind can blow away the tent easily, the key is to prepare a windproof canopy for maximum protection.
There’re multiple ways of windproofing the canopy and setting it up on the concrete floor. We will now describe them one by one.
Method 1: Use Tent Weights
The use of tent weights is perhaps the best way to secure the canopy on any concrete floor. It allows you to set up the tent without piercing the floor. Plus, these weights are heavy enough to keep the tent in its place even during storms without a doubt.
These weights are also available in various shapes and options. So, you are never short of options to use as the weight to quickly fix the canopy tent on concrete.
1. Using exercise weights:
If you are an enthusiast about gyms and have weights for lifting at home, these are surely your best friend to hold down the canopy on the tent. The exercise weights often lie around the corner of your home and can be a great solution for a temporary tent set up on concrete.
You have to stack a few pieces of the weights right on the tent leg. Align the holes of the exercise weights properly so that you can thread in the tent rope through them easily. Then tie it with the stacked weight. For advance protection, you may consider adding another weight over the knotted rope of the tent.
2. Using cinder blocks:
Another easy but effective hack to set up a tent canopy on a concrete floor is to use cinder blocks. These blocks are also made of concrete and work the same way as the exercise weights do.
A standard cinder block will weigh around 28 pounds or 13kgs. So, one cinder block for each leg of the tent is enough to securely hold it and make it windproof. First off, tie a strong rope around the newly built or purchased cinder block.
Then, tie the rope with the frame of the tent. You should tie it on the top corner for maximum safety during high winds. However, if you find reaching the top corner hard with the rope, you can always choose to tie it with the tent leg.
Moreover, you may choose both options at the same time. First off, tie the rope with the top frame and use a bungee cord to secure the tent legs.
3. Using tent weight bags:
Another great and highly effective option to secure the tent canopy is the use of a tent weight bag. These bags are manufactured particularly for securing tent canopies on any surface and enjoying the evening. So, you should find them easily in the market and online.
The bags come empty and so, pretty portable too. You can fill them with sand or anything weighty and tie the rope with the tent leg for securing it on the concrete floor. When you don’t need the weight bags, you can remove the sand or other weights and store them. Thus, it is also a great option if you plan to go outside with the tent canopy.
Method 2: Use sand or a water-filled bucket
This time we are introducing a simple DIY technique to hold down the tent canopy on concrete. We will show you how to use a bucket to simply make the canopy wind and stormproof without spending too much money on it.
Also, this DIY trick is super-easy and you will only need a few minutes to accomplish the entire job. The bucket can be reused in your home chores when necessary as well. Thus, its biggest benefit includes reusability of the bucket when necessary and easily fills it with gravel or sand or even water when you need to use it as the weight.
The steps include-
- You will need a medium to the large bucket for it. Ideally, take a 19L or 4-5 gallons bucket. Make sure the bucket is in good condition and may accommodate the weight you put inside it.
- Next, you will have to fill up the bucket with the required filler. You may use sand, water, or gravel for this purpose. For water, you must fill the bucket up to its neck. Thus, you will get around 18L of the water-filled bucket. For sands, filling it up to 2/3rd of its original length will work fine. It will need around 3.2gallons or 12kgs of sand. For gravels, you should only fill the bucket ½ of its capacity. It will still weigh 33kgs.
- If you want to use the bucket as a permanent solution to add weight to the canopy tent and secure t, you may fill it with concrete. You have to mix cement and water following the cement bag direction. Then, pout it inside the bucket and allow it to dry before use.
- Finally, you have to add a long rope or bungee cord with the bucket handle. The other end of the cord will be attached to the tent leg. When you connect the filled bucket with the tent make sure the rope is strong enough and won’t tear down during wind and rain.
- Finally, check the rope and make sure that you have tied them properly. This way you can either temporarily or permanently secure the canopy tent against the wind.
Method 3: Using concrete-filled PVC pipe
If you want to get a more permanent solution to securing a canopy tent on the floor against high wind, you may consider using PVC pipes filled with concrete or gravel. You will need a few things for it:
- 4 PVC pipes (101-12cm) diameter
- Fast-drying cement (20-25kg)
- Drilling machine, screws, and washer
- Bungee cords
- Eyebolts
- PVC primer and glue
The steps include:
- At first, prepare all the hardware in an open space. Make sure you work in a well-ventilated space and avoid indoors. It is because this is a messy job.
- At the cap of each pipe create a hole with the drilling machine. You may use a marker to point out the drilling right at the center of the cap.
- Use nuts and bolts to securely connect the eyebolts on these drilled holes on the cap. The eyebolt measurement is 16cm. You have to insert the nuts at both ends of the eyebolts to secure them with the bolts. Also, the inside part should contain a washer for added security.
- Then use glue to add the caps with the PVC pipes. You may use commercial glues such as 3M adhesives for the purpose. Also, use the primer before you apply the glue.
- Allow the glue to get hardened and get the required strength. Then, prepare the fast-drying cement mixture following the instructions on the bag. Once ready, use the mixture to fill each of the 4 PVC pipes properly.
- Now, turn your focus at the bottom part of the pipe. The bottom cap also needs drilling to create a small hole. It allows the drain of any water if there is after filling the pipes with fast-drying cement.
- Once ready, fill each end of the pipe with the caps. You can then tie them with the tent legs using ropes or bungee cords. The flat end will stay strong on the surface.
The approximate weight of these pipes will be 30-35kg each. So, it works brilliantly during stormy weather to secure the tent on the concrete floor. It won’t blow away easily.
Final Words
The next time you ask yourself about how to hold down a canopy tent on concrete you must remember that there are multiple ways of doing it. If you don’t want to spend additionally on it, the exercise weights at home will work brilliantly for a temporary solution.
The bucket with gravel or sand filling also is a temporary but effective solution. And finally, for a permanent solution, you may fill the bucket or PVC pipes with concrete. It would last for an entire life almost. So, you shouldn’t worry about securing the canopy tent anymore.
Just bring it home, use one of your methods to secure it on the ground, and enjoy some fun and leisure time.
Henry Jurk is an experienced architect with over 20 years of expertise in paving. He shares his knowledge and provides solutions through his blog posts at OkPatio.com. If you have any questions about patios, gardens, and outdoor spaces, you can find the correct answers from Henry. You can contact him via email at ar.henryjurk@gmail.com or through the website’s contact page.
