Cars And Bounce Houses
A dream shared by children all across the country and all over the world is one day getting their driver’s license. Being knowledgeable and responsible enough to have their own car, in addition to the freedom of being able to go wherever you want, are what all those without licenses fantasize about. Now, children and anyone with a passion for bounce houses can at least partially bring their dreams to life in their own backyard. Bounce houses and inflatable devices with car themes are among some of the more popular today, and the amount of inflatable products with an automotive theme grows every single day.
Cars are beloved by all kinds of people of all ages. They are, after all, the major form of transportation in this country. Automobile repair is a major industry in this country, and tuning and fixing up old cars is a hobby shared by so many of us, many of us next-door neighbors. While it’s plain to see why adults love cars, with children, it’s mostly in the mind. A frequent daydream that many children share is what it would be like to drive their own car. The freedom of speeding down the highway with friends, traveling wherever they please, without having to ask permission from others is often the main motivation for imagination. Miniature toy cars are always among the highest selling toys year in and year out because of these fantasies. Beyond any good imagination, children fantasize about being able to drive because it means that they’ve become responsible enough teenagers to be allowed a permit, and later, a license. Anyone with children of their own can see these feelings and dreams present all of the time, and bounce house designers and manufacturers have taken note.
Because of their massive appeal, bounce houses that resemble or involve cars are often among the best-selling inflatable devices each year. The majority of car-themed bounce houses are often combo bouncers, allowing for more people to use them and their varying features simultaneously. Bounce houses with a car theme often share similar features and concepts to appeal to as many people as possible at once. With car-themed inflatables, you will frequently find that they have been designed to look like a racetrack. Cars racing for fame and trophies, as seen in NASCAR and the Indy 500, among others, is widely acknowledged and holds massive appeal and interest all around the country and world. For instance, the Race Car Inflatable Combo Jumper allows its users to imagine speeding around a race course while bouncing and sliding within the inflatable walls.
Other forms of automobiles are represented by inflatable products, as well. Anyone who loves the thrill and the spectacle of monster truck rallies can bring that passion and excitement to their backyard. There are multiple monster truck bounce houses out there for purchase, such as the 13ft x 13ft Inflatable Monster Truck Jumper or the combo jumper of the same theme promise the excitement of a giant car rally, all while managing to withstand even the rowdiest, excitable group of car and bounce house enthusiasts.
The Many Types Of Inclement And Torrential Weather
While having a bounce house can be a tremendous way to entertain yourself and your friends, it is not without potential risks. Inclement weather, also referred to as torrential weather by those in the business, has always been a threat to inflatable devices across the country. No matter where you live, there will always be at least one day of the year when a storm strikes, making the set-up of a bounce house out of the question. While there are several ways your inflatable bouncer may become susceptible to weather damage and risk, there are also ways for you to counter and prepare for each possible worst case scenario.
One of the most common weather-related problems you will encounter when trying to set up any inflatable device is rainfall. Rain can often strike without warning, and while a large and long thunderstorm is certainly dangerous, even a drizzle can potentially put a bounce house at risk. If you leave your bounce house fully inflated out in the rain, it can potentially weaken the quality of the inflatable’s fabric. In addition, leaving your bounce house soaking wet at any point can cause the formation of mold and mildew on your bounce house’s surface, which can be very difficult to clean and can also lead to structural decay. Use weather forecasts to your advantage when setting up your inflatable devices. If there is a significant chance of rain that will strike your area in the coming hours, set up should be avoided and postponed. A “significant chance” can refer to anything higher than a 25% chance of rain.
If there’s rain in the forecast, there’s a good chance that wind will accompany the storms. While wind may not initially seem like a major threat to you and your set-up, all it takes is one good gust to completely dismantle your day. Any time the wind around your house is blowing faster than 15 miles per hour, the stakes and string that hold your bounce house in place have a legitimate chance of being blown out of the ground. Especially strong gusts of wind can even have the power to pick the bounce house up off the ground while inflated! If significant amounts of wind start to blow through your area, either accompanying a thunderstorm or as its own windstorm, tree branches and other outdoor appliances can be knocked down and carried across the yard by windstorms, potentially colliding with and puncturing your bounce house. Setting up your bounce house indoors is a widely recognized way to avoid damage from both the wind and the rain, providing that you have an appropriate amount of space. You can avoid immediate contact with natural debris by not setting up your bounce house directly beneath a tree, or beneath power lines.
The prime time for using your bounce house over the course of a year is during the spring and summer months, with some possible time in early autumn. Because of this, snow should rarely be a problem you will encounter if you’re ever planning to set up your inflatable device. However, freak snow storms have been known to occur in parts of autumn and spring, depending on your location. If snow were to somehow strike your area while the bounce house, avoid any thoughts of setting up your bounce house until it all melts away. Since snow and ice are made of frozen water, they will eventually have the same decaying and mildew effects as rainwater. No matter what sort of torrential weather hits your area, a legitimate problem may appear if you have rented your bounce house, as well as any additional equipment, and poor weather is more than likely to strike your part of town the day. Remember to keep in contact with your bounce house supplier to reschedule and avoid further complications.
Sand Bags Are For Indoor Use
Bounce houses are far and away one of the best entertainment devices you or anyone you know will ever come across, appealing to the masses year after year. One of the features of an inflatable device that allows them to thrive and last over the years is their ability to be used inside or outside. If you are in the possession of sandbags, you will gain the ability to use your bounce house inside during the colder autumn and winter seasons, provided that your indoor location is large enough to house a moonwalk. However, you should be aware that these sandbags, while versatile and very handy, are only for indoor usage. If they are used outside, it can lead to potential damage and injury.
One of the most important rules that you can remember when setting up and securing your bounce house for usage is that stakes are to be used outside, sandbags are for use inside. As big and powerful as bounce houses and inflatable devices may seem, they are not completely indestructible or resistant to nature. Strong gusts of wind have the power to pick up and move a bounce house from its set-up site with relative ease. Because of this, they need to be weighed down to the ground, which is why each and every bounce house available ships with a series of stakes. Each are pounded into the ground through a tie-down loop located at every corner of the bounce house. These stakes are strong enough to hold the inflatable device against the ground without any trouble.
However, if poor weather were to strike your bounce house’s set-up site, you would need to move the entire inflatable device and its users inside to avoid potential injury and risk to the quality of the vinyl bouncing material. Securing the bounce house inside is a separate matter. You clearly can’t use stakes or ground spikes indoors, because trying to drive a stake into the hardwood or cement floor would create a noticeable hole in the ground that would require additional repair. This is where sandbags come in so handily. Because they can hold about 50 pounds of maximum weight, the bags are strong enough to hold the bounce house in position against the floor. Without any serious gusts of wind indoors, the bounce house will stay in place with relative ease.
If you were to use a sandbag outside, on grass or pavement, the bag would merely rest on top of the ground. There’s no way to pound or drive a bag into the ground and expect it to have the same resisting power as a thin metal piece. If the wind were to pick up while the bounce house were in use, there is a chance that the bounce house could start to blow off of its intended set-up location, regardless of how much sand was present in each bag. With a growing source of bounce house-related injuries involving the bounce house blowing away, you want to take all the precautions you can to prevent injury to your guests and to the bouncer itself.
In some special cases, bounce house sand bags might be able to be used in addition to the standard stake in the ground. Large inflatable devices like obstacle courses will require more stakes in the ground than one for each corner. Depending on the respective sizes, the course will likely require an additional stake in the ground on each of the longer walls. In theory, you could secure all the tie-down loops to the ground using stakes, and then tie sandbags to the loops over the stakes in the ground. This would allow extra pounds weighing down each spike, making the inflatable device harder to move. If you were to attempt a set-up like this, be aware that it requires the presence of stakes. All outdoor set-ups must have stakes in order to properly secure any inflatable device.
Lawn Care And Bounce Houses
When you’re looking for fun and exciting entertainment during the spring and summer months, your best bet is to seek out a bounce house as soon as possible. A bounce house can endure varying levels of usage and natural elements, provided that it is cared for and not improperly used. The most common location for an outdoor bounce house set-up site is on a patch of grass, commonly either a backyard, front lawn, or public park or field. Even with these commonplace set-up locations, there is still the occasional concern for health and safety, regarding both the bounce house and the grass underneath it.
Bounce houses are not exactly considered hazardous to nature or its elements. When inflatable devices are set up on a lawn or a field, the bounce houses merely flattens the grass rather than killing it. The only way a bounce house or a tarp set-up would kill a patch of grass would be if the bounce house was to remain inflated or deflated upon the site for days at a time. With the vinyl or oxford cloth material on top of the grass for so long, no oxygen could reach the plant life, so the grass would begin to suffocate. However, if the bounce house was left in an outdoor location like that for multiple days straight, it would just as likely be at risk of structural decay and weather damage, so the chances of such a scenario playing out are minor.
You should always attempt to find a healthy plot of grass when searching for a bounce house set-up location. The healthier the grass, the more likely it will be able to withstand a giant inflatable device on top of it. Grass that has lost its green color and has become more withered will likely wither faster when a bounce house is set up upon the site. As mentioned, it is always a good idea to lay down a tarp on top of the ground and underneath the bounce house in order to preserve both.
In addition to these tips, it can’t hurt to provide some extra care to the lawn before and after you’ve used the bounce house. Mowing the grass and providing the entire location with a healthy amount of water will preserve its lifespan and make the entire location more presentable, as well as making it more receptive to a bounce house set-up. If you have the time and expertise, try to pull any and all weeds that are currently growing on the property. This will add to the presentability, as well as keeping all the grass healthful. Always remember that the best type of land for a bounce house set-up location is on level, flat ground without many bumps or hills. How you treat the grass on top of it is entirely up to you and whoever owns the property.
Are There Age Limits For Bounce Houses?
Bounce houses are one of the most popular entertainment devices you can have, safe for use by friends and family alike. While the right inflatable bouncer can be enjoyed by thrill-seekers and jumpers of all ages, children are universally drawn to jumping and leaping more than any other age range. As a result, future parents are more and more frequently considering the purchase of a bounce house as their child’s first toy. A frequent question that many people interested in bounce houses and inflatable devices is: is there a specific age limit for using a bounce house?
While bounce houses can be enjoyed by all children, there is, in fact, such a thing as being too young to use a bounce house. This is a standard practice used throughout the industry, and applies for every bounce house, regardless of size, location, or intended purpose. The restriction is in place as a safety precaution more than anything else. Each bounce house will clearly state the recommended age for use on both the product’s instructional manual and web page.
Typically, all bounce houses, especially those targeted towards children, require their users to be at least three years old before being allowed to use a bounce house. This has been determined through testing by numerous bounce house industry leaders as the most sensible choice. Newborn children are too fragile to participate in such physical activity. Even if the child has taken their first steps and is able to walk, it still does not mean the child is ready to bounce and leap around inside of a bouncer without a serious injury risk. A bounce house is a physical activity that should be built up to. By slowly and steadily developing the child’s physical play exposure during their early years, wanting to jump high and often will be part of a natural progression. By the time a child reaches three years old, and can definitely be considered a toddler, the child should be able to handle more exciting physical games and activities. In fact, the kid will likely be in search of such behavior on a daily basis. By that point, a bounce house will be a terrific venue for the child to achieve valuable outside play, whenever and wherever they want to.
You now know that a child can be too young for a bounce house adventure, but you may be wondering: is there such a thing as being too old for a bounce house? Honestly, the answer is no. Few bounce houses, if any, will have a specific restriction on their packaging or in their manual that state a certain age as being “too old” to use the device. If you, as a responsible adult, feel that you are physically fit enough to bounce and jump without a chance of injury, and you can safely fit within the weight restrictions of the bounce house (which are also clearly labeled on the bouncer’s web page and manual), there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying the thrills of a bounce house.
Signs Of Good And Bad Bounce House Rental Companies
For giant festivals, events, and celebrations, bounce houses can be among the best and most popular entertainment devices available. Bounce houses can be an incredible responsibility, and if the event is large enough, it may be necessary to rent at least one bounce house from an inflatable device rental company in order to be able to entertain all your guests. However, while rental companies exist in practically every state, there may still be potential uncertainty. There are some companies out there who are inexperienced in their chosen field, or only in the inflatable device industry for the profit, and should be avoided if at all possible. Although these companies exist, there are several ways for you, the consumer, to inspect and analyze whichever rental business you come across to see if they are legitimate or not.
Make sure that the company you choose to rent from remains in frequent contact with you, especially if and when the day of the party or event is fast approaching. Good rental companies will always attempt to stay in touch with you and your associates, while sub-par or overworked companies may seem distant. Search for a company that will help to plan out the schedule for the day, or days, that you want to utilize a bounce house. Once you’ve chosen a style and type of bounce house, and have locked in a day or weekend for renting, a top-notch bounce house company will keep in contact with you to check if any changes have been made to the schedule. The best bounce house companies will also stay in touch if the weather forecast for the days planned for the events suddenly appears potentially dangerous.
In addition, most bounce house rental companies will send a team of operators, commonly referred to as a rental crew, out with their bounce house to handle the set-up and function of the inflatable device during the day’s events. Now, depending on the size of the company, they may or may not be able to send a crew out to assist you. However, a questionable company will likely not tell you beforehand what their policy is, instead opting to have you merely pick up and operate the bounce house yourself.
If your rental company does send a crew out to assist you during the celebration, make sure that the crew knows what they are doing and can use common sense. Granted, if the company is resourceful enough to maintain a crew of operators for each job, they will likely be smart and experienced enough anyway to know what is right and wrong, but it can’t hurt to be sure. For instance, every so often in the news, you will either see or hear about a bounce house that’s been blown away, likely due to the fact that the people in charge of operating the bounce house had attempted a standard set-up, despite the almost guaranteed risk and danger involved. This will likely be due to not wanting to delay or deviate from the plans made in advance. However, such rash actions can threaten lives, and should be objected to and noted to later inform the company of poor judgment. You should not be considering a set up of a bounce house when the wind is blowing faster than 15 miles per hour, and any rental company that tries to do so, in spite of the fairly obvious risks, should be considered irresponsible at best.
The best rental companies will give you several options for features and favors regarding your bounce house, or will at the very least clearly state what their limitations are (essentially, what they can and cannot offer at this time). The more you hear from a bounce house rental company, the more helpful and friendly they’ll end up being. Once you’ve found the best company in your area, be sure to tell your friends about them so they know who to go to for future celebrations.
The Great Inflatable Device Races
One of the best things about inflatable devices, regardless of their classification or intended use, is their inherent ability to entertain anyone who uses them in a variety of ways. Two different households with the same bounce house may end up using them in different ways: for instance, one may use their bouncer for indoor relaxation on a hot summer day, while another may compete to see who can jump the highest. The “dual purpose” concept is most definitely true for inflatable devices with complex designs and themes, such as water parks or combo bouncers.
Bounce houses with elaborate constructions are notably well-equipped to hold races and competitions among friends, which can lead to some of the greatest amounts of fun one can have in an inflatable moonwalk. A game that we’ve all played with friends at one point is having a race with each other: for instance, “to that tree and back”. The thrill of trying to beat your friends to the finish line is an exciting feeling that all people around the world can appreciate. Bounce house and inflatable device designers have taken notice of this, and are beginning to more frequently incorporate this into their ideas and creations.
The class of inflatable devices most suited to racing is the obstacle courses. These inflatables are widely popular at large camps, parties, and public gatherings due to their ability to hold and entertain more people at once than any other inflatable. Part of what makes an obstacle course unique is how it users will be able to make it from the starting gate to the end of the course. Some potential obstacles you will find in one of these inflatables include hurdles, ball pits, mazes, tunnels, and climbing up and down ladders. As a result, trying to safely make your way through the path, while at the same time racing through the traps and hurdles against friends and family members adds a whole new level of fun to the action, and can lead to months of entertainment. After all, once you’ve finished the course, there’s nothing stopping you from running to the start and trying it out again.
Water-themed inflatables are another wonderful source of racing fun and entertainment. This can clearly be seen in certain water slides, which can be constructed with multiple lanes. The presence of side-by-side slopes is just begging for users to slide down together, in a contest to see who can reach the pool at the bottom the quickest. Another potential source of water racing fun can be found in inflatable water parks. Like the combo bouncers, which they are noticeably similar in style to (only adding a spout for hoses to attach to and a shallow wading pool), water parks have multiple different activities built into their design in a relatively small amount of overall space. If users choose to, they could potentially hold races with each other across the water park, traveling through each activity in a specific order before reaching the end. It should be noted that every race that is held in or on a water inflatable should be done so with a great deal of care and safety in mind to avoid accidental slipping, colliding, and other such injuries.
Tear-Aid Patches And Water Slides
Having an inflatable water slide can be one of the greatest sources of summertime entertainment and leisure you could ever have. The combination of downward thrills on the slide’s slope and the cold water provided by a nearby hose make inflatable slides one of the most essential inflatable devices you can find. However, just like all other inflatable devices, a water slide can just as easily become susceptible to an accidental tear in its fabric. All owners of a slide should know the proper way to repair their product before any other accidents may occur.
If the fabric on your inflatable device does end up accidentally tearing or ripping, there is no need to panic. Use a Tear-Aid patch to repair any damage that appears on your water slide’s surface. These patches are highly regarded in the bounce house and inflatable device industry as the best devices for repairing any tears, holes, or rips in the fabric walls. They will work just as well in repairing your water slide as they will with bounce houses. When selecting a Tear-Aid patch for your water slide, be aware that there are two types of patches: Type A and Type B. The type that you need will be determined by the materials your inflatable slide is made of. It will likely be polyvinyl chloride, necessitating the use of a Type B patch, but double-check with your owner’s manual to confirm the materials.
However, when repairing any inflatable device that also uses water, there are certain measures that all owners should be aware of. An improper repair job can actually end up hurting your inflatable water slide in the long run. Like all inflatable devices, you should deflate the slide before attempting a repair job. This will allow the patch to be applied smoothly and evenly, without any interference from the air or other elements. You should make sure that the area of the tear is completely dry before applying the Tear-Aid Patch to the torn surface. While the patch may be strong enough to hold any amount of torn fabric in place, a wet piece of fabric may cause the patch to come loose after the fact. Because of this, a smart way to go about repairing the water slide is by completely drying it off, as if it were part of a standard deflation. This way, no water can interfere with your repair job, and the process can go as smoothly as possible.
One of the most important steps during the repair of an inflatable water slide is to make sure that the inside of the slide is completely dry before sealing the tear hole with a repair patch. If the rip in your bounce house’s fabric occurred when the water slide was fully inflated and the hose was attached to the spot, sending water flowing down the device, there is a very good chance that some of that water found its way inside of the slide in the process. If a significant amount of water seeps into the slide, and the tear is sealed before the device is fully drained, then the water may begin to settle inside of the device. This can lead to the formation of mold and mildew inside of your bounce house, which is assuredly more difficult to trace and remove than particles on the outside. You may still be able to drain the water slide through the air tube that connects to the blower, but there may already be damage done. Basically, make sure that your slide is dry before repairs are attempted. It can save you a great deal of trouble in the long-term. Repairing your water slide within minutes of a tearing will save your slide from greater damage.
Do Not Confine Your Bounce House
One of the great things about owning and operating an inflatable bounce house is the amount of locations you can set it up. Each bounce house, regardless of size and style, is more than capable of being set up outdoors or indoors. Of course, if you do choose to inflate a bounce house inside, there are certain guidelines that you should be aware of. All bounce houses that are set up inside must be held in place by sandbags rather than stakes or spikes in the ground. In addition, make sure that you give your bounce house a fair amount of extra space so that it is not crowded in any way. Confining your bounce house into a cramped location can be one of the biggest mistakes an owner can make.
If you’ve seen a bounce house in action, you know that regardless of its set-up site, inside or outside, the inflatable device slightly moves around while in use. Even if the device has been properly secured to the ground by either stakes or sandbags, the device will still slightly move up and down, or side to side. The answer to these movements is a simple case of cause and effect. All the air that the blower pumps into the device needs to be strong enough to support the combined weight of all of the bouncing users inside of it, yet soft enough to allow said users to freely leap and soar, all while providing a safe landing to jumps gone awry. When children, teenagers or adults bounce up and down or side to side inside of the bounce house, the device moves along with them in the direction of the jump; this is a result of the air pressure and the flexibility of the bounce house’s materials.
If a bounce house is outside, this movement is rarely an issue, as a wide-open field at a festival or everyday backyard typically has a lot of open space available to spring back and forth. When a bounce house is indoors, however, extra space becomes a bit of a liability. Before you start to set up your bounce house indoors, the very first step you should take is to measure out the area of your proposed bouncing location. Provide at least 1-2 feet of empty space around each wall so that the bounce house has room to move about without bumping into anything or anyone. This includes the ceiling, as well. If your bounce house were to accidentally scrape the walls, ceiling, or other household objects such as appliances, tables, or countertops, the device could potentially be scratched and torn, requiring immediate repairs and delaying further bouncing. If an owner attempts to shove and inflate a bounce house in a location that cannot support an inflatable device, it can become cramped and prone to injury, regardless if people are even in the device.
The amount of available space that you have inside is easily measured and tested. Once you have measured out the plan for your bouncing area, begin the set-up of your bounce house. Tie the sandbags that you have in your possession to each tie-down loop once the device has been rolled out flat onto the floor. Plug in the blower and allow the materials to inflate. If the bounce house is taller or wider than you planned for, and appears to be somewhat cramped or close to the walls or ceiling, deflate the set-up and search for a new room or location to begin set up. There are several different indoor locations that a bounce house can safely be set up without issue or incident. We have complete confidence that you will find the location best suited for you, your friends, and your family.
Preventing Mud And Mold From Forming
Summer is here, and in full swing! All across the country, people of all ages are finding new ways to relax or experience incredible thrills every day thanks to inflatable devices. Inflatable water slides are specifically designed to provide excitement and fun during summertime; they’ve been doing so for decades, and show no signs of stopping anytime soon. However, there are concerns involving inflatable water slides regarding the safety of the water slide’s walls and floors, either due to user error or threats from nature. All potential elements that could pose a problem to the well-being of your water slide have been addressed and can be easily solved. The two most common threats from nature that can seriously affect your inflatable slide are mud and mold.
All inflatable water slides are easy targets for mud because of the high amounts of water that are required to power and provide the slide with purpose. When you take water from a garden hose, water flowing down the slope of the slide, and the water forming in the shallow pool at the foot of the slide, and then place all of those water sources on top of grass and dirt, the creation of mud is all but a certainty. Unless you were to set up your water slide on pavement or concrete, a wet piece of land underneath your blow-up slide is inevitable. However, the fabric that makes up your inflatable water slide is by design more capable of standing up to wet elements from nature. Mud will only start to harm your inflatable’s fabric if you allow it to become caked onto the materials. At the end of the day, once everyone has had their fill of the slide, complete the deflation process. Then, thoroughly wash all sides and faces of your slide’s walls. Follow standard cleaning procedures during the sanitation process and you should be free from your worries. You can also set down a tarp between the slide and the ground during initial set-up to avoid most direct contact with mud.
Take extra care to completely dry off your inflatable water slide after it has been sterilized and hosed down. If you neglect to finish the sanitation process or simply forget to hose down the bounce house, mold will more than likely begin to form in the folds of your water slide’s fabric. Although your inflatable water slide’s walls may be able to stand up to large quantities of water every single day, the presence of mold will wear down the quality of the walls, weakening the materials and more than likely leading to permanent decay. Use an assortment of towels or rags to completely dry off every square inch of your inflatable water slide. If necessary, seek help from your friends and others who were using the slide during the day.
Cleanliness is of the highest importance when handling any inflatable device, whether it is a water slide, a residential or commercial bounce house, or even a giant obstacle course. As long as you can maintain proper sanitation, natural elements will not stand a chance against your bouncer. As a result, your inflatable device will last far longer than the average, and will provide thrills and entertainment for many years to come.