The cross sections, or cross pieces, of a marquee are an important component of your marquee frame. They have the big job of holding everything together. It’s not a surprise then, that the marquee cross piece is one of the parts that would first see damage if, for example, it is not tied down properly and takes a bit of a tumble in wind.
When The Frame Breaks...
As much as we wish they were, all folding marquees are not indestructible. Even houses and buildings which have been properly engineered and adhere to safety standards can experience accidental damage or extreme elemental damage. As marquees are temporary structures, they are more susceptible to getting damaged, and this nearly always due to people not taking the proper precautions for securing their frame for the day's conditions.
You don't need to be a builder to understand the importance of hold down equivalence for temporary structures (i.e. using leg weights). The good news is, we have done all the hard work to ensure our marquees have been engineered to withstand tough conditions. If, however, your marquee gets caught out in a bad storm, or perhaps someone else's marquee takes off and damages your marquee (it surprisingly happens quite often!), you may find yourself in need of repairs.
Fortunately, cross pieces are easy and cost effective to replace. Once you have contacted us for your replacement cross pieces, we can show you how simple and quick it is to remove your old cross piece, and fit in your new one.
It is important to note that our cross pieces are made to suit our Technishelter marquees; they are highly unlikely to suit any other brand of marquee. Our marquees are made to our specifications, so if our marquee cross piece is too long or too short for your frame, it either won’t fit properly or it will put pressure on other parts of your frame and do further damage.
Replacing The Marquee Cross Piece: Step by Step
Once you have contacted us to order your replacements parts, there will be a few things needed to successfully change over your cross piece.
Tools required:
- New cross piece/s
- Phillips Head screwdriver (with cordless drill attachment preferable)
- Extra bolts (if existing ones require replacing)
Time per cross piece: 5 minutes
Clear The Area
Remove the marquee top and walls around the area with the damaged cross piece to allow for clear access (as shown). You don't need to remove the whole marquee top, just the section around the damaged crosspiece.
Unscrew Old Cross Piece
Each cross piece is attached at four connection points: one at the end of each crosspiece length. Undo all four points of the damaged crosspiece using a Phillips Head screwdriver.
Please note that the new cross piece will need to be installed in the same orientation as the old cross piece. Take note of which connectors the outside pole sits in, and likewise for the inside pole. The outside pole has the rivet head (that joins the two poles in the middle) on the same side.
Remove Old Cross Piece
Once you have removed the bolts from all four connection points, remove the damaged cross piece. Make sure you keep the bolts, as these will be reused for your new marquee cross piece.
Put In New Cross Piece
Now it's time to add a new crosspiece to the marquee frame. When facing your marquee (like above), ensure the top end of the outer pole of the cross piece fits in to the upper connector on the right side, and the top of the inside pole will sit in to the leg's corner connector on the left side.
If the cross piece is installed incorrectly, you will put strain on the new cross piece and risk damaging it.
Screw In New Cross Piece
Add bolts through the existing holes in the connectors and crosspiece. Fasten the bolts using the screwdriver.
Do not over-tighten the screws, otherwise you could damage the thread of the connector.
Finish Up
Repeat previous steps if you are replacing multiple cross pieces.
Once the damaged crosspieces have been replaced, refasten the marquee top over the frame.
Conclusion
Voila! Your marquee is as good as new and ready to get back in the action. It is worth doing regular check ups and maintenance of your marquee, so that you can ensure it stays in top shape. Cross pieces should not be bent, so if one looks out of line with the rest, we highly recommend replacing it, as it could very well be putting strain on other parts of your frame.
If you have anything in the article is unclear, or if you have concerns about replacing a marquee cross piece, feel free to get in touch with us. We can also provide you with a quote on replacement parts and services.
