Easily Choose The Correct Deck Size For a Bell Tent
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In this post, we take a look at the choices that affect your choosing of the correct deck size for a bell tent. Once all of these choices are considered, you will be well on your way to getting the size right and can move on to building the deck.
Tent Size
We’ve already looked at tent sizes and the pro and cons to the two front runners (5m and 6m) in our post The Perfect Bell Tent Size. The size of tent you go for will largely dictate the size of the deck relating to the tent’s footprint, but the following choices will affect this too.
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Available Space
If you’re pushed for space on your site you will likely select a smaller tent and so require a smaller deck. Do you really want to fill the entirety of the available space with decking, just so you can have a bigger tent?
Budget
Of course, a bigger deck is more expensive to build.
Space Required
When selecting the correct deck size for a bell tent, consider also how much extra deck space you wish to afford your glampers. Maybe you wish for the deck to provide extra outdoor space for your guests housing extras such as a hammock, b-b-q and tarp. Or maybe you wish to only build decks big enough to accommodate the tent.
Flush or Raised
Will you choose to build decks that are flush with the ground (and so pitch the tent with the guy ropes protruding out from the decks and going straight into the ground? Or will you choose to build raised decks (and so pitch the tent with the guy ropes fixed onto posts along the deck’s edges? If you’re building decks on a slope, you might have no choice but to build a raised deck in part. If building flush to the ground the deck need only equal the size of the tents footprint, but if building raised you will need some distance between the footprint of the tent and the posts onto which you will attach the guy ropes.
Always purchase, pitch and measure one tent before committing to building decks
The information below is a guide only, to help you to put a cost to the price of building the correct deck size for a bell tent. It does not account for manufacturer tolerances and variances, miss-described tents or the extra space required for guy ropes at the tents entrance (to name a few). Always check with your supplier first, and even then it is still better to check one of their tents ‘in the flesh’ before getting your tools out.
Minimum Deck Size If Pitching Flush To The Ground
In this case, the guy ropes will go straight into the ground and extend out from the deck itself. As a minimum, the deck should be built just slightly bigger than the tent’s footprint.
Bell Tent Size | Deck Size |
3 metre Bell Tent | 3.5m x 3.5m |
4 metre Bell Tent | 4.5m x 4.5m |
5 metre Bell Tent | 5.5m x 5.5m |
6 metre Bell Tent | 6.5m x 6.5m |
Minimum Deck Size If Pitching Raised With Guy Ropes Fixed to Posts
For this add a minimum additional distance as below, to each length. This will allow the guy ropes to function normally, given the size of the tent. Besides, it would look really odd to have the post directly next to the bell tent, without a small gap.
Bell Tent Size | Deck Size |
3 metre Bell Tent | 3.5m x 3.5m |
4 metre Bell Tent | 4.7m x 4.7m |
5 metre Bell Tent | 6m x 6m |
6 metre Bell Tent | 8m x 8m |
Minimum Deck Size If Pitching Raised With Guy Ropes Fixed Onto The Deck
This is the biggest deck option of all three. The deck would need to be bigger still, if you are hoping to include extras on the deck such as hammocks and b-b-qs.
Bell Tent Size | Deck Size |
3 metre Bell Tent | 6m x 6m |
4 metre Bell Tent | 8m x 8m |
5 metre Bell Tent | 9m x 9m |
6 metre Bell Tent | 11m x 11m |