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Structural
For millennia, volumes have been written regarding the ability to successfully engineer structures of all shapes and sizes to stand up and serve the needs of humanity. Though our tents and tipis have not the scale of office buildings or automobiles, we still know that they are just as important investments to you as they are for us. Regardless of scale, we ensure that nothing but the best goes into each and every one of our hand-crafted products and as you might see, we want you to feel comfortable choosing Four Seasons for your needs. Though we will not discuss things like dampening, torsion, bending moment, modulus of elasticity etc. here, we want to inform our Customers of the most basic structural needs and how our products meet and exceed them.
Your Tent is a Major Investment!
A pavilion is possibly the largest investment you will make that directly contributes to your full participation and comfort in your activities. You want a pavilion:
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that looks "Right" or "Period" |
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that is comfortable to inhabit for a weekend or even a month |
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and that is prepared to protect you from rain, wind, cold, and heat (types of weather that may all come in one week at your event). |
You may be considering the possibility of making your own pavilion, or you may be comparing costs from merchant to merchant. At Bill Walter Four Seasons Tentmasters, we want you to be an educated buyer. If you choose to purchase from us, we want you to realize that you are buying a quality product - and we want you to enjoy your pavilion with no doubts.
Here are a few important points you should consider before making an investment into a pavilion:
Fabric Type
Not all fabric types are created equal. You should be shopping for a natural fabric that can breathe. Medieval tents and pavilions were made from a variety of natural fabrics - wool, silk, felt, cotton, and natural blends. Man-made fabrics can't breathe, and they reduce the air circulation inside a tent. Just as you may have already found out in your medieval pursuits - Newer is not always better. AVOID SYNTHETIC FABRICS. You make some sacrifices in care (for example, you must let a tent of all-natural fibers dry completely before storage) but you are more comfortable and better protected in the long run. We recommend a good, cotton canvas. It breathes, it doesn't look "plastic" like many synthetic fabrics, and it is an inexpensive sturdy alternative to wool or silk.
Fabric Weight
Not all "canvas" is created equal. The word "canvas" can apply to a variety of fabrics, very few of which are suited for outdoor use. It can mean all-cotton, synthetic blends, or even all-synthetic. You want a fabric that has a weight of 10 ounces of fabric per square yard. Heavier fabrics are not always better fabrics due to the thread count.
Fabric Thread Count
Be aware of the thread count, looseness or tightness of the weave, and two ply or one ply weaves. The thread count is the number of threads per square inch going both directions. Some fabrics are 40 threads by 20 threads, which means that one direction is two ply and the other is one ply. This is an open weave fabric that has no dimensional stability. It will pull on the diagonal and sag badly when it is wet. It is also not a water tight weave which means it can not repel water naturally. Some of these loose-weave fabrics are not even treatable to repel water! Fabrics that are two ply one way and one ply the other way usually stretch out of shape or shrink. They are totally unsuitable for outdoor shelters.
You should look for a thread count that is 40 by 40; double ply both ways, which is a tight, stable weave. It won't stretch out of shape; it will provide better protection from both cold and wind.
Fabric Width
Canvas can come in widths from about 36 inches to 60 inches. Wider is not always better. The 60 inch canvases are usually the 40 by 20; two ply by one ply, loose weave fabrics. Go for the BETTER fabric, not the wider fabric. 36" fabric can also vary in actual width, anywhere from 34" to 36". This is due to pre-shrinking, which is desirable. If you see a pavilion made from many narrow panels, it is probably made from 36" fabric, and it will be a better shelter. A pavilion with more seams on its "walls" and canopy is a stronger pavilion - seams give it better tensile strength, takes the tension off major stress points in the construction, and reduces sag. Medieval tent makers used narrow panels and many seams - hence the the stripes and gothic-arched pavilions.
The advantage of narrow panels is only this - narrow fabric means more seams, and more seams means more sewing time. But it is time well spent when it means a quality pavilion.
Fabric Sizing
Fabrics from most sources are "sized", which means they are treated with a weak starch or glue to make the fibers lay flat, and makes the fabric more attractive to the buyer. Sizing is generally dissolved in one or two good washings, however the threads are then exposed and this can cause later shrinkage (in the second or third washing). The moral of the story here is never trust fabrics from any store for any kind of sewing project unless you've thoroughly washed a sample and seen what the fabric will do when all the sizing is removed.
Many unknowledgeable people will make a pavilion while the fabric is still sized, which means that the result is a misshapen shelter which literally has washed away all the engineering that went into it. Some mass-produced canvas tents are made with sized fabric because sizing makes it easier to work with the fabric and cut the pieces. These people don't care about the product they sell. Beware of them!
Fabric Water Repellency
Your pavilion will need to be "treated" so that it will keep you and your things dry. There is a difference between "water repellant" and "waterproof". These are important terms when shopping around for a pavilion or trying to treat it yourself. "Waterproof" means that the fabric is sealed and is so impregnated that no water can get in our out. This sounds ideal, but it means that not only does the fabric not allow water transference but it also allows no air transference. The interior atmosphere quickly becomes dank and stuffy. In addition, moisture inside the structure cannot get out, and mildew begins almost immediately
"Water repellant" means that the fiber repels water away from its surface, but allows air transference through the fabric weave. This "breathability" means that your pavilion will dry more quickly (reducing the chances of mildew), and the interior air is still breathable too. Also, "water repellant" treatment allows the fabric can be multi-treated to be mildew resistant and flame retardant. This type of treatment is lighter by weight than waterproofing, and you will NEVER have to treat the pavilion again as long as you own it.
Some people buy untreated fabric and plan on treating it themselves. Before considering this route, read the labels carefully. What will the treatment do to the fabric? Will the fabric be able to breathe? How many square feet does the treatment cover, and how many cans will be required to treat the whole surface? How often will the treatment be need to be reapplied? And finally, are you sure that the fabric has been pre-shrunk and has no sizing in it at all? If you treat the pavilion with sizing still in the fabric, the sizing will dissolve, dirty streaks will form on the surface, and the treatment will need to be applied again.
Designs © Doug Fullerton and Bill Walter Four Seasons Tentmasters, 1977-2009.
