Canopy Setup Instructions

Best Layout

• Before assembling a canopy, lay out all of the pieces on the ground. Arrange them as they will be placed during assembly; for example, place corner pieces at the corners.
  Build from the top down. For a 10-by-10-foot square canopy, put together the poles that will be the edge of the roof. Then attach them at the four corners with the corner pieces. Depending upon the your canopy (refer to manufacturer's instructions), either build the peak of the roof while putting poles together, or right after.
  At this point you should have the frame of the roof assembled on the ground. The legs of the canopy should be conveniently nearby.

Roofing

• Now is the time to attach the cloth or mesh ceiling to the frame. Most canopies require the use of small bungee cords to attach the edge of the tarp roof to the frame. Again, refer to manufacturer's instructions. The roof should be secure before moving on to the next step.

Height

• Your canopy either has four legs or multiple pieces that snap together to make four legs. Even for a 6-foot high canopy (which is relatively short) it is better to have two poles per leg.
  Place four short legs into the roof of the canopy first. Work your way around the canopy clockwise or counterclockwise (do not attach legs kitty-corner from each other).
  If building a 6-foot high canopy, you should now have a canopy standing 3 feet high. Work you way around the canopy a second time, snapping the second section of the legs into place.
  This is preferable to have four 6-foot high poles for legs because the canopy will become unwieldy as the third leg is being put in place.

Finishing Touches

• Now you can easily put up the sidewalls. Sidewalls may be attached with bungee cords, or better quality canopies offer roof and sidewall tarps that zipper together. When attaching sidewalls, start at the edge of the roof and attach to the top or roof tarp. Use a stepladder if necessary.

Last But Not Least

• Consider anchoring your canopy to the ground to prevent high winds blowing it over. If the canopy is assembled on a grassy area, tent stakes may do the trick. Anchor the stakes well in the ground, and use either long bungee cords or thick, strong rope to hold the canopy in place. Tie the rope around the horizontal pipes at the edge of the roof of the canopy.
  You may want to permanently weight your canopy by pouring concrete into four coffee cans, then placing the bottom of one leg in each can.