Step-by-Step Canopy Installation

Outdoor canopies are without doubt the best way to transform playgrounds and make great use of otherwise wasted space to create versatile areas for outdoor learning and play. Here's a step-by-step guide to how a 4m x 4m POCCA Qube with a peak roof is installed...

Step 1 - Footings
The team establish where the fame should be installed according to the instructions provided by the sales advisor, checking drainage and marking out the placement of each base plate with chalk. Once these have been marked, a disc cutter is used to cut around the edge before the conctrete can be broken into pieces with a breaker. This process depends on the surface - for example, a grass surface will be dug and slabs will be lifted on paved surfaces. In this case, the breaker is used to cut through each layer until the hole for the footing is at least 500mm deep. Each footing is then filled with a mixture of concrete and ballast before being covered and secured to make the area safe.

Step 2 - Roof
The following day, the team will remove the safety cordon and lay the roof beams and corner knuckles on the footings which are now dry. The corner knuckles are fitted upside down and each beam is turned the right way up before the corner brackets are fitted and secured. Once the roof beams have been assembled, a Genie lift is used to raise the beams to a more suitable height in order to fit the roof comfortably and temporary legs are attached to secure it. A piece of carpet is then laid on the ground to protect the roof sheet, as it is unpacked. The roof is then attached to the frame using nylon roads; these are fed through a pocket in the hem of the fabric, which is in turn fitted into the specially designed groove in the roof beams.

Once the roof fabric has been attached to the beams, the fixings needed to tension the fabric are attached to the corner brackets before the cables can be secured and attached to the bottom of the centre pole which supports the peak. The cables are tensioned with a ratched spanner until the roof is complletely taut like a drum skin and the balance of the roof is then checked using blocks and the position for each leg can be marked on each footing. Once the roof has been balanced and the leg positions are marked, sealant is used to make the roof completely watertight and make sure that passage for the drainage of rain water into the integral guttering is clear.

Step 3 - Frame
While the roof is being made watertight, the excess is cut from each leg extrusion according to the surface of the area (i.e. if the surface is sloping, certain leg will need to be left slightly longer to accomodate it) and te base plates are attached before drainage holes are made in the appropriate legs. The temporary legs are then removed from the roof frame and the Genie is used to lift it so that the actual legs can be fitted and bolted to the roof beams.

Once the legs have been secured to the roof, the strucutre is "waked" into its footings and levelled, then holes can be drilled in the base plates according to where each leg needs to be positioned and chemical sealant is applied.

Step 4 - Finishing
After around 20 minutes the sealant will have dried and the base plates are bolted to the ground and will be completly secure. The installers will then paint the edges of the footings with adhesive and fill the holes (in this case with sift play) before levelling each one to make good the ground.

Our unique 20-point safety check is then carried out beofr ehte site is cleaned and tidied. Once this is complete, any optional extras (such as leg pads) can be fitted and the canopy is ready for use, providing year-round protection from rain and harmful UV.

This installation is just one example offered by Inside2Outside, but our advisors and installers can help you plan and achieve a canopy or shelter to meet your exact needs and make the absolute most of your outdoor area - you can choose from a variety of colours, shapes and sizes and optional extras to customise the space to your school's requirements.