FAQ Series – What if it rains?

What if it rains on the night I am due to be setting off my fireworks??

Ahhhh, the great British weather! The Autumn generally brings with it rain and the weather in the UK can never be guaranteed! Thankfully there is plenty that can do to protect your fireworks from the effects of wet weather.

Make sure you place your order in good time. That way you have time to prepare the fireworks and ensure that, should it be wet on the night of your display, you have done all you can to prevent water ingress.

Because we spend the bulk of our time doing professional fireworks displays as Alchemy Fireworks, we are very well versed in the preparation of fireworks to withstand the most torrential downpours. We can, and sometimes do, leave the fireworks out in the damp and rain for days before a display and they fire absolutely perfectly.

Plastic bags are your friend. Don’t buy the thinnest available – they’ll rip far too easily. Instead opt for a medium density bag. Clear is best (essential if you’re hand firing!) so that you can see the fuse easily.

For cakes, roman candles and fountains, wrap the item in a bag that is large enough to allow you to fold any openings so that they are facing downwards. Any upward facing openings and you are asking for trouble. Using parcel tape or gaffer tape, wrap the outside of the bag all the way around to ensure that the bag is tight and weatherproof. At this stage you may find it very useful to put a little bit of tape close to the fuse and mark it ‘FUSE’ It is also best practice to mark any fanned fireworks with the word ‘FAN” and arrows to show what way the fan effect fires. This makes it far easier on the day to lay out your fireworks in the correct orientation.

If done properly, this method of waterproofing will allow you to set your fireworks out well in advance of the display during daylight hours when it is far easier to see what you’re doing and you’re not under as much pressure. The use of bags has the added bonus of them not having to be removed before firing. Simply locate the fuse of the firework (it should be easy if you’ve marked the location with tape – see above!) light the tip of the fuse and the firework will fire through the bag. There is absolutely no need to remove the bag from the firework before setting it off.

Wheels and rockets are a little different. These should just be covered loosely with a plastic bag and the bag removed just before firing to allow the wheels to spin and the rockets to rise freely.

Even if rain isn’t forecast, preparing your fireworks using the method above is still worth considering as the grass can still be very damp and the firework will soak up the moisture which in turn can effect the performance of the fuse. In cakes the fuse generally runs along the bottom of the firework which is close to where the water will start to creep up in damp grass! If burying fireworks putting them in a plastic bag is also worth considering. the soil or sand that you’re burying the fireworks in will most probably be damp and that will readily be soaked up by the paper and card of the fireworks.

If you need any help or advice about waterproofing your fireworks please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll be only too happy to help and advise.