About the service
I repair tents, tarps, awnings and event canopies — everything from a light two-person shelter to a big family tent with two sleeping pods. Every job starts with an intake check: I unfold the whole thing, hold the fabric up to the light, run my fingers along every seam, work every zip back and forth, and chalk-mark whatever needs attention before I quote a price or a deadline. The tent has to be dry and shaken out before it comes in — I do not take wet gear with sand and pine needles inside, because neither glue nor waterproofing will bond to damp fabric, and a day in a stuff sack is enough for mildew to start.
Zips are either replaced outright or rebuilt with new sliders and stops when the tape is still sound; on doors I add reinforced tape and tuck the zip under a storm flap so rain never hits the teeth. Tears are patched from both sides — an adhesive backing inside, a fabric patch outside matched for weight and weave, with the stitch line curved rather than straight so the load does not tear the edge again. Split seams get unpicked, resewn and sealed with tape. I also replace shock cord, guy lines and webbing, repair poles with a sleeve or a new section, rework grommets, and reinforce the corners and anchor points where fabric always gives out first. Replacing the floor of an older tent is a job of its own: I cut a new bathtub floor and bring the sidewall higher than the factory one.
Waterproofing is restored after washing and drying, with seams and the lower panels treated separately. I only apply these products outdoors or with the room aired right through, and I dry the item in the shade on a line — never by a fire, over a stove or on a radiator, because the fabric distorts and the coating dries in blotches. Before handover I pitch the tent and pour water over the ridge, seams and corners, then wait and inspect it from the inside. And I say this plainly before any work begins: fabric with mildew marks and a crumbling coating cannot always be saved — the stains and smell rarely leave, and once the coating flakes off it is cheaper and safer to replace the panel than to recoat it. Normal turnaround is three days to two weeks; April and May are the busiest, so the off-season is the better time to book.
What I do:
— inspection, damage report and quote before any work starts;
— zip, slider, stop and storm-flap replacement;
— inside and outside patches for tears, burns and worn spots;
— unpicking, resewing and taping of seams;
— new shock cord, guy lines, webbing, buckles and grommets;
— pole repair: sleeve, section replacement, new inner cord;
— restoring the water-repellent finish on fly and floor;
— new floor and reinforced corners for an older tent;
— a water test before the tent goes back to you.
Zips are either replaced outright or rebuilt with new sliders and stops when the tape is still sound; on doors I add reinforced tape and tuck the zip under a storm flap so rain never hits the teeth. Tears are patched from both sides — an adhesive backing inside, a fabric patch outside matched for weight and weave, with the stitch line curved rather than straight so the load does not tear the edge again. Split seams get unpicked, resewn and sealed with tape. I also replace shock cord, guy lines and webbing, repair poles with a sleeve or a new section, rework grommets, and reinforce the corners and anchor points where fabric always gives out first. Replacing the floor of an older tent is a job of its own: I cut a new bathtub floor and bring the sidewall higher than the factory one.
Waterproofing is restored after washing and drying, with seams and the lower panels treated separately. I only apply these products outdoors or with the room aired right through, and I dry the item in the shade on a line — never by a fire, over a stove or on a radiator, because the fabric distorts and the coating dries in blotches. Before handover I pitch the tent and pour water over the ridge, seams and corners, then wait and inspect it from the inside. And I say this plainly before any work begins: fabric with mildew marks and a crumbling coating cannot always be saved — the stains and smell rarely leave, and once the coating flakes off it is cheaper and safer to replace the panel than to recoat it. Normal turnaround is three days to two weeks; April and May are the busiest, so the off-season is the better time to book.
What I do:
— inspection, damage report and quote before any work starts;
— zip, slider, stop and storm-flap replacement;
— inside and outside patches for tears, burns and worn spots;
— unpicking, resewing and taping of seams;
— new shock cord, guy lines, webbing, buckles and grommets;
— pole repair: sleeve, section replacement, new inner cord;
— restoring the water-repellent finish on fly and floor;
— new floor and reinforced corners for an older tent;
— a water test before the tent goes back to you.
