How to repair an inflatable jumping castle / bounce house
We often get calls about jumping castle repairs and while we do repair our own inflatables when the need arises it is not a service we offer. However repairing your own bouncy castle can often be a fairly strait forward and by spending a little time yourself you can save a lot of money. If you are not confident your local tarp, canvas or tent manufacturer or repairer will be able to do the work for you however in our experience this is very costly especially for larger inflatables. There are a few different methods which can be used for your repairs and the location of the rip or tear often determines which method will be the best suited. Please see the below suggested methods.
Repairing with needle and thread:
Sewing seams that have worn and split is a very common an cheap repair however depending on the size of the damage it can be very time consuming. There are a few items that are needed for this type of repair:
- A denim or leather needle (we suggest have several) larger gauge with a large eyelet.
- Strong polyester cotton thread M12 or higher
- A set of pliers
- A stanley knife or scissors
For this type of repair you can either get inside the inflatable (depending on size) through one of the air vent zips or perform the repair from the outside. With the first option which will produce the neatest repair you can climb into the inflatable and re stitch the seams back onto the internal baffles. To be able to do this however there will need to be a clear path to the area of repair or you will need to cut the internal webbing and baffles to reach the area which makes a lot more work repairing these on your way out. The second option is to stich from the outside by pinching the separated area together and sewing through and over across the length of the damaged section. You will often need to use pliers to push the needle through the material and pull out the other side as there is often a few layers of PVC vinyl or canvas which is not possible to do with your fingers. We will always sew this repair in sections and tie off then stitch it back again over the new stitching also in sections. By completing this in smaller sections and doubling up your repair if any of the new stitching wears over time and splits it will not split the whole repaired section and will last a lot longer. After stitching we also will cover the repair by gluing a patch (optional) to give added strength which is explained in the next section.
Repairing with glue and patches:
Patching worn or ripped sections with glue and PVC fabric is a fairly quick and easy way to repair your inflatable jumping castle. While this method is not as strong as stitching it is an effective method for repairing any tears in flat sections or for a quicker fix. To perform this type of repair you will require:
- PVC fabric or canvas patches or off cuts
- PVC vinyl glue such as HH-66 or TEX-98 vinyl cement
- A brush
- A heat gun or hair dryer
- A small strait edge or roller
- Sand paper
The way to successfully perform this job you will need to cut out the PVC patch to the correct size (ensure all edges are rounded to avoid any corners that can lift). This needs to be at least 20mm larger than the area that needs the repair. Take the bottom surface of the patch that will be glues and rough up the surface with the sand paper and the wipe clean. Repeat this process with the surface on the bouncy castle around the torn area. Using the brush apply the glue liberally to the whole of the patch and make sure it is right to the edge. Brush the glue also onto the section of the inflatable where the patch will be placed. Using the heat gun or hair dryer heat up both sections until the glue is tacky and then place the patch in the desired location. Lastly with the heat gun again heat the top of the patch gently and use the strait edge or roller to push out any air bubbles and to ensure a firm bond, then leave to dry completely.
Repairing with tear tape:
The last method is most definitely the quickest and easiest and although not quite as neat as using PVC patches is surprisingly strong and durable. Tapes such as tear repair, tear aid and fix my tear can be purchased from most camping stores. These come in small packets which are perfect for smaller repairs. You can also purchase these tapes in larger rolls from commercial distributers which are much more economical. To use these tapes simply clean the surface, wipe dry and place on the tape making sure there is at least 20mm covered around the repaired area. There are two types of the tapes type A which is for canvas and fabric and type B which suits PVC and vinyl.
In Conclusion:
Repairing your own jumping castle or inflatable yourself can be a great way to save money and also depending on your location places that will take on the repairs can be very limited. With good preparation repairs can last and be just as strong as the original condition however high traffic and high impact areas are going to wear eventually. It is always best practice to purchase high quality inflatables from reputable manufactures especially for commercial use as with everything “you get what you pay for”.
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