How to Store a Trampoline

Need to store a trampoline? If you live somewhere with especially hot summers or very cold winters, the extremes in temperature can cause serious damage to your trampoline. Moisture, either from rain or humidity, can cause the metal parts of a trampoline to rust. Summer heat can cause fibers in the bouncing mat to break down and tear. Trampolines do best in milder weather, so during the more extreme seasons, it’s a good idea to put yours in storage.

To get yours ready for storage, you’ll need to disassemble it. At first glance, this may seem tough, but fear not. The task is a bit time consuming, and it takes some strength, but overall, it’s pretty easy.

What You’ll Need

To take apart your trampoline, the tools you’ll absolutely need are a Phillips head screwdriver, a damp towel, and a dry towel. You’ll also need a small box for the springs, and a plastic bag for the screws. A spring tool, which will have come with the trampoline, is also handy, but if you don’t have one, a strong pair of pliers will do.

A Quick Clean

Start by wiping the mat down with a damp towel, then drying it with a dry towel. The idea is to have it fairly clean for storage, so it won’t have anything on it that might attract pests.

Removing the Top Poles

The safety net will be held in place with a series of poles. Pop these free, one at a time, from the ring and lay them away from you in the center of the trampoline. Next, remove the net from the poles one by one by undoing the pins at the top of each pole. Once you’ve removed the net, screw the pins back in place on their poles. Bundle the poles together with packing tape and set them aside.

Removing the Safety Padding

Next, you’ll remove the safety padding, the soft, donut-shaped fabric section on the ring. Get under the trampoline and undo the ties. Then, fold them padding in two to three foot sections until you have it in a large bundle. Set this aside.

If you find loose ties, tape them in place. When you eventually take your trampoline out of storage, you’ll want to fix these. If any of the tie knots are particularly tight, use a house key to loosen it by pushing the key into the knot.

Removing the Springs

Time to remove the springs! This can be tricky. Attach the spring tool to the first spring at the mat end. Pull it in the direction of the trampoline mat and lift it free. If you don’t have a spring tool, you can use that strong pair of pliers to remove the first spring.

There’s a trick many trampoline owners use to easily remove the rest of the springs. Instead of continuing to us the spring tool or pliers, the first spring removed becomes the tool. Take the more open end of that spring, hook it onto the next spring at the frame end, and pull the second spring free.

Remove the springs in order and put them in the box. Be especially careful removing any rusty or broken springs, which can snap and hurt you. Set them aside so you know how many faulty springs you have, and replace them before you reassemble the trampoline.

Folding the Mat and Net

Now, the mat, with the attached net on top will be free of the frame. Lay the mat flat on the ground and fold it in half. Fold it again from the round section, then fold it again from the same direction. You’ll have a long, flat folded mat at this point. Fold it the other direction twice, and it’s ready for storage.

Disassembling the Frame

You’re nearly done! Now, it’s time to disassemble the frame. Here’s where you’ll use your Phillips head screwdriver, or a drill with a Phillips head attachment. Unscrew the top screws around the frame and put them in your plastic bag.

The trampoline should have attached pairs of base poles. Stand on the inside of the frame, place a foot on one of the ground bars, and pull up the ring. This may take some strength. The top ring should become detached there. Go around the ring, pulling it up at each section, until you’ve removed it.

The ground section of each pair of poles will be dirty, so wash them off with a towel and hose, and dry them well. You can then pull apart the ring in sections. Bundle the poles together, and the ring sections together.

Bringing the Trampoline to Storage

Now, put it all in your car, and bring it to your storage unit! If you don’t have a unit already, we recommend getting one with climate control. You’re storing your trampoline to protect it, after all, so make sure your unit won’t get overly hot, cold, or humid.

That’s the entire process. When the next season with favorable trampoline weather rolls around, you can retrieve yours and set it up in your yard once again.