WAG What to do with beam?

[LJL07]

A friend of ours very generously gave us a balance beam for DDs to practice on at home. It's an 8 foot beam that has metal risers about a foot off the ground. Due to space, we can't keep it inside. It's sitting in our garage now, but the girls can't use it in there. We would like to put it outside. Is there anything we could do to the beam to prevent it from getting weathered outside? Any suggestions welcome! Thanks!

 

[iwannacoach]

I don't think there's anything you can do to prevent the effects of weather. Cover it to protect it from the sun's UV rays and keep rain from getting to it. That won't stop the outdoor humidity from getting to it, and any glued joints will suffer from the moisture and frequent expansion and contraction caused by 3o degree temperature swings between day and night.

Otherwise...... they are completely impervious to the elements.

 

[Ali'sMom]

We have a low beam (barely off the floor) that, unfortunately, lives in our living room between couch and coffee table. Best place where DD can get it out the front door herself (most of the time). But then it comes back inside.

Sometimes she pulls it between the dining room and liviing rooom and will practice on it, but with my china cabinet "right there", we've prohibited feet in the air... so now it goes outside more often.

 

[iwannacoach]

Sometimes she pulls it between the dining room and liviing rooom and will practice on it, but with my china cabinet "right there", we've prohibited feet in the air... so now it goes outside more often.

Geez, if you understood that many of the best gymnasts come from China........ and you're restricting your dd's access to some of the best that China has to offer??

 

[LJL07]

I just hate seeing it wasted in our concrete floored garage. I also picture a broken foot or something practicing in the garage. I was wondering if throwing a tarp on it would keep it from getting ruined from rain (at least the beam part--I'm sure the risers would get rusty). As you mentioned keeping it in your living room, I'm thinking that we have a play area upstairs. We could squeeze it in. It just takes up so much darned space! Thanks anyways

 

[BlairBob]

I don't see that big of a deal as storing it in the garage and pulling it onto the grass for use.

We move, err get the kids to move the equipment all the time in the gym. Unless their boys, because you'll never get things moved around quickly unless they are older. They are either young boys or boys who are kind of runts (and young) versus having small armies of girls to move stuff.

 

[COz]

That made

... Unless their boys, because you'll never get things moved around quickly unless they are older. They are either young boys or boys who are kind of runts (and young) versus having small armies of girls to move stuff.

That made me laugh lots I haven't seen boys move equipment.

The little girls look alternately like small armies of ants moving equipment or ducklings in a line following their coach around.