Concrete Court Maintenance and Repair

By Bill Righter, Nova Sports USA

Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington, LA Completed April 2007 by Nova Sports. Novacrylic Ultracushion tennis coating system.

There are many problems that can occur on concrete and asphalt sports courts that need to be attended to to avoid further damages. Here are some of the common problems that occur on concrete sports courts and ways to address them.

Birdbaths

Birdbaths are depressions in the court that hold water after the rest of the court has dried. Birdbaths have to be repaired prior to resurfacing because any standing water on a new coating system will soften the acrylic coating and the surface will fail prematurely. A qualified tennis court contractor should be used. It is important that the contractor consult with the coating manufacturer to make sure that the materials used to repair the birdbath are compatible with the tennis court surfaces. The birdbath is considered repaired when the depression is smaller than a nickel.

Repairing a birdbath on a concrete tennis court.

Blisters/Bubbles

There are many reasons why blistering or bubbles occur on asphalt and concrete courts. Some common causes are:

 

Smoothing birdbath repair.

Iron Stains

Asphalt in certain areas of the country has a high iron content. Moisture will cause the iron to leave rust spots on your court surface. Over a period of time the asphalt will reject the iron pyrites and the courts will become pitted as well as rusted. There are different remedies to correct this problem depending on the severity. If the court just has a few rust spots the contractor may drill them out of the court and patch the areas. Some of the tennis coating companies manufacture rust inhibiting products to treat areas with this problem. If the court has a lot of rust stains and pitting then the courts should be repaved.

Cracks

Caused by many factors, most of which are not on the surface of the pavement. It is important that the crack repair method used is compatible with the surfacing system. Many of the repair systems used on parking lots and roads are not compatable with acrylic sport surfaces. That is why it is important for the contractor to consult with the coating manufacturer before making repairs.

Small hairline cracks can usually be repaired with a couple of applications of acrylic tennis court coatings.

Small cracks 1/4’’ or less (Several repair methods)

1. Acrylic caulks
2. Acrylic Patch Binders mixed with
   sand & cement.
3. Fabric repair systems.

Large Cracks over 1/4”

1. Fabric repair systems.
2. Acrylic Patch Binders mixed with
   sand & cement.
3. Asphalt overlay

Types of Tennis Courts

NOVA Sports Manufactures 100% acrylic rubber filled coating tennis court systems applied in multiple layers (the more layers, the greater shock absorbing quality)

There are four main types of courts depending on the materials used for the court surface: clay courts, hard courts, grass courts and indoor courts. Hard courts are usually made of cement or plastic with an acrylic coating, and considered ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Synthetic suspended courts are usually made of a polypropylene plastic interlocking tile. They are placed on top of a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete. These courts are softer (more spongy) and considered medium/medium fast. They are slower than acrylic and more similar to a clay court. The Australian Open is played on a synthetic hard court.

VersaCourt Pro?EUR??,,????'?????<

Ultimately the choice should be made based on physical conditions and player preferences.

Sports Court Resurfacing

By Chris Scott, Versa Court

BEFORE AND AFTER: Before laying the new tile surfacing the court had to be prepped. This involved cleaning all the loose material off the court, which consisted of paint, concrete and dirt. The next step was patching the low spots and cleaning and filling the cracks. The last step, which is optional, was the removal of the existing tennis poles and replacing them with multiuse poles.

If there are many severe problems on a sports court, resurfacing might be the only option. Here are some important tips on court resurfacing.

John Charles of Dermco-LaVine Construction, Minneapolis, Minn., says his company has assisted multiple municipalities in rejuvenating older tennis courts. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

In the selection of surfacing for a multipurpose court, there are a number of things to be considered.

1. Absorption ?EUR??,,????'?????<
2. Resistance ?EUR??,,????'?????<
3. Longevity ?EUR??,,????'?????<
4. Uniformity ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Both Nova Sports USA and VersaCourt manufacture tennis court resurfacing.

for more information, visit novasports.com and versasport.com, respectively.