Should You Clean or Resurface Your Tennis Court?

Tennis courts are a common facility in many different locations. Ranging from homes to schools, many people have used them and enjoy playing the sport regularly. But if the court doesn’t look or feel good, then people will tend to avoid it. So how can this problem be avoided and solved?

It’s not uncommon for someone to think that the area needs completely resurfacing if it has fallen into disrepair. But this is not always the case. So, should you clean or resurface your tennis court?

Common Tennis Court Problems

Many people notice that their sport surface is degrading when common tennis court problems like these start occurring:

Moss/Algae coverage – The surface starts the have areas becoming infested with the contaminants which seem to be growing over certain time periods. See more about sport surface maintenance here for a detailed explanation.
Drainage of water failing – Puddles of dirty water seem to be forming with no drainage happening at all, which can lead to even more contaminants thriving.
Slippery surface – Whilst on the surface, people may notice that they can’t get a strong grip on it and end up slipping around quite a bit.
Weeds start growing – Even though most courts have a layer which prevents this, weeds can start growing through to the surface which can be a clear sign that some maintenance is required.
Fading of the paint – Being more of an aesthetic point, some people may start to notice their court is degrading once the look of it is becoming a lot more faded. This can also contribute to a loss of slip resistance.

Points like these are usually great indicators that the court needs to have a good clean to get it looking brand new and working at its full potential. If you do notice these issues, then don’t ignore them. Act straight away to avoid any more serious damage from occurring.

Get in touch with our team today to find out more about the services we offer and see how we can fix problems with your surface.

How to Clean a Tennis Court

Cleaning a tennis court varies depending on what type of surface you have and how badly it needs cleaning. Below are the three most common methods used by our team to make sure that your court becomes clean and fresh to use again.

Porous Macadam – One of the most common types of hard sports surfacing, many people have problems when it comes to keeping porous macadam surfaces clean. Our team will come equipped with power washers filled with a specially designed tennis courts solution, allowing for easy removal of debris. In addition, we can also apply moss and algae treatments if wanted. Regular brushing is recommended afterwards to keep dirt from getting stuck.
Polymeric Rubber – Another type of surfacing used for tennis, polymeric rubber is quite like porous macadam in terms of cleaning. View this post to find out about the differences between the two surfaces. A specially designed solution is used and is applied by power washers onto the surface. When a power washer is used on both surfaces, we keep the distance quite far and clean at an angle, so all debris can be targeted and that it doesn’t damage the floor even more. Brushing is also recommended to prevent dirt from building up.
Synthetic Turf – A different type of surface means a different type of cleaning process. Drag brushing is the common method for cleaning synthetic turf and removing dirt. After the surface has had a thorough brushing, a redistribution of the sand infill is started to make the pitch feel brand new. If the turf has become badly contaminated with moss, our team can perform a professional rejuvenation process to remove all traces of the contaminant.

As you can see, different courts require different cleaning due to how the specifications are unique from each other. You should take some time to analyse how dirty your court is and what type it is. By doing this, you save a lot of time just going for a random method and just wasting your time and resources. Check out this case study which shows our team cleaning and repainting a facility in Leeds.

The video above shows our team thoroughly cleaning and repainting a sports surface in Suffolk.

Benefits of Cleaning Tennis Courts

Tennis facilities that are regularly cleaned wield a lot more benefits than those that are just left to build up dirt and rot. These benefits of cleaning tennis courts include:

Increasing the lifespan of your sport surfacing
No unnecessary damage occurring
Risks of users slipping/getting hurt decreased significantly
Appearance looks great
No resurfacing needed
Great drainage

There are a lot more but these are some of the main benefits that people usually think of. Cleaning is incredibly important when it comes to making sure that your facility is working at its optimum and nothing less. After all, you only deserve the best when it comes to it so make sure that your court stays on top of all the problems and that it’s all clean. This is especially true if you are wanting to use the facility for LTA playing standards or other competitive events.

Resurfacing Your Sports Facility

In the worst-case scenario, your tennis court has become heavily contaminated with moss and algae. In addition, some of the courts is starting to degrade and have pieces coming off it. Not all hope is lost though, as there is still one course of action you can take to save your court. That being resurfacing the whole area and starting again.

Resurfacing is usually the last resort by many due to the requirement of a lot of time and money being required for this process. If the court has been badly affected by damage and lack of maintenance over long periods of time, it could be the only option.

Firstly, you must be able to provide details on what kind of problems the court has. Doing this allows us to understand the severity of the problem and to see if there is any other option we can offer to save you money and time.

If the court needs resurfacing, our team will organise a date where they will come to the location and perform either a resurfacing of tarmac or carpet (depending on the surface you originally had). You could also choose to have a completely new specification installed if you would prefer.

Once the resurfacing process is finished, you’ll have a completely new facility with the highest playing standards. For hard courts, we’ll apply a new coating of anti-slip paint in a colour of your choice along with line markings for a clear appearance.

Find Out More

If you are wondering whether to clean or resurface your tennis court, then get in contact with us here at Soft Surfaces. With over 20 years of experience, we will be more than happy to help with any questions or queries you may have about the sport surfacing. So, send us an enquiry and one of our team members will get back to you as quick as possible.

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