Last month, the UK was battered by heavy downpours and strong winds of up to 80mph, as Storm Ashley – the first named storm of the season – swept in. And unfortunately, it’s unlikely to be a one-off event.
That’s why it’s worth being prepared.
If you’re tired of chasing your patio table every time the wind blows, or your home has been recently damaged by an airborne bistro chair, you may be wondering how to secure your outdoor furniture – so the same thing doesn’t happen again. And here at RopesDirect, we have the solution.
Bungee cords.
There’s no need to pay for storage, invest in an expensive heavy-duty furniture cover or swap out your rattan seating for a wrought iron alternative. From a light breeze and drizzle to strong gusts and torrential rain, these simple stretchy ropes are all you need to hold down your garden sectionals – causing no damage to the furniture itself and making sure it stays firmly in place.
And the best bit? They’re super affordable – starting from just 23p a metre.
How to secure garden furniture with bungee cords
When it comes to securing your patio furniture, there’s safety in numbers.
Rather than having several individual chairs and tables, which the wind can easily whip up into the air, the trick is to somehow bring all the furniture together – into one large unit. The combined weight will then act as a natural anchor, preventing it from blowing away.
There are two ways that elastic bungee cords – or shock cords – can be used to do this:
- By tying smaller pieces together
Simply stack furniture in one pile and, to hold it together, wrap a bungee cord around its entire circumference. Additional cords can then be used to attach the whole unit to a permanent structure in your garden – such as a strong tree or fence.
- By securing all furniture under a sheet of tarpaulin
Tying furniture under a tarpaulin is another effective way to stop it from taking flight. Affordable tarp sheets that are pre-fitted with grommets can be purchased online, in a variety of sizes, and you can easily secure them down with bungee cords using a quick three-step process:
Step 1: Cover the furniture
Arrange the furniture evenly so that it’s as flat and uniform as possible. Then cover it with the tarpaulin, taking care to leave an equal amount of material on each side.
Step 2: Attach bungee ropes
Attach one bungee cord to at least every other grommet, along all four sides of the tarpaulin. You can either tie them to the tarp using a tight knot or use fixings, such as hook ends or the ball loops that we sell.
Step 3: Secure the cords into the ground
Finally, take the other end of each bungee cord and secure it into the ground using a metal stake. Ensure the stake is heavy-duty and long enough to grip the soil firmly. Spiral ground anchors are particularly effective, as they twist into the ground and are unlikely to lose their hold.
Prepare for the next storm with our quality bungee cords
If you’d like to stay ahead of the next windy weather forecast and wish to tie down your outdoor setup using bungee cords, you’re in the perfect place.
Here at RopesDirect, we stock high-quality shock cords in a broad spectrum of sizes, ranging from 3 – 16mm in diameter. These can be bought by the metre or wound on 100m reels. And due to the durable materials from which they’re made, our cords are suitable for prolonged outdoor use and will hold down your garden furniture – come hail, rain, wind, snow or shine.
If you plan to use a tarpaulin, we also stock high-quality shock cord spiral hooks and heavy-duty spiral ground anchors to help you secure it firmly in place.
So why not take a look?
Invest in a couple of cords and make sure your garden is prepared for the next named storm.
If you’re not sure which type or size to buy, have a look around our website. You should find the information you need to help you make a decision. But if not, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Just send an email to info@ropesdirect.co.uk and we’ll be more than happy to help.
We also love to see our bungee ropes in action. So if you do use them to tie down your airborne outdoor sectionals and patio set, be sure to send us some photos. We’ll post a couple on our social media pages, to show other customers how easy it is to do and how effective this simple solution can be.