Maintaining a Synthetic Grass Tennis Court

Maintaining a tennis court is similar to maintaining a motor vehicle. If left unserviced for long periods of time, can be costly and reduce the life expectancy of the vehicle.

With your tennis court, if maintenance is avoided or left too long, damage can result in the mat or to the surface, which can be costly to bring the surface back to how it should look and play. The process for cleaning a hard court or synthetic grass court are quite different, however the cost for regular maintenance is similar.

Issues Affecting the Life Expectancy of a Synthetic Grass Court

A synthetic grass court which has regular maintenance should last 15 to 20 years, however without regular maintenance the mat may deteriorate and need to be replaced in as little as up to 8 years.

Some other factors aside from lack of maintenance which may lead to the early onset of deterioration are;
• The quality of the synthetic grass
• The quality of the base works
• The quality of the installation works
• Inadequate draining around the court; water coming onto the court from nearby lawns, gardens, retaining walls and driveways
• Tree roots working their way under the tennis court surface
• Incorrect servicing techniques; water blasting and lack of machine servicing

Tips for Professional Synthetic Grass Tennis Court Maintenance

The key to keeping your synthetic grass tennis court looking great, is regular maintenance with a recognised service provider who uses approved and specialised machinery and processes.

Sportzing has been servicing tennis courts since its inception in 1990. From 1992 to 1994 Queensland University undertook extensive testing of the Sportzing ZingThing and proved it was effective in cleaning artificial grass courts, and it did not cause any damage to the fibres. In 1994 Sportzing was awarded an “National Approved Product” Certificate of Approval for the period of 1994 to 1996. No other Synthetic Grass maintenance provider to our knowledge has ever achieved this recognition.

To maintain your synthetic grass court to the highest standard using the safest technique previous tested and approved, Sportzing recommends;
• Always using the correct machinery and techniques
• Servicing your tennis court every 6 to 12 months for the life of the court
• Installing the correct sand and ensuring it is at the correct level
• Using quick and easy “in between” service processes
• Carrying out an annual chemical free Sportzing mould treatment
• Repairing joins and tears as they appear or occur
• NEVER pressure wash to clean your Synthetic Grass tennis courts

The Sportzing Maintenance Process

John Xavier manufactured the Sportzing ZingThing in 1990 when he saw a gap in the market in the effective maintenance of synthetic grass. The ZingThing was trialled in many countries as an end user product, however it failed as the users were unable to operate the machinery correctly to achieve the correct results.

All Sportzing Area Managers are fully trained to operate our machinery correctly to achieve the best results for your synthetic grass court.

A Sportzing Service;
• Works in the top third of the synthetic grass surface
• Removes the build-up of any mould or algae present in the mat
• Decompacts the mat which increases the life expectancy of the mat (decompaction occurs when the sand between the fibres hardens, and it is the single most destructive cause of deterioration of the mat)
• Decompaction prevents potential dangerous slip hazards
• Rebalances the sand for even play and over sanding
• Removes fine particles and debris that lead to mould and algae growth
• Carries out repairs to any tears or joins in the mat

A Sportzing service also rebalances the sand for even play across the court and maintains the correct sand levels. A good rule of thumb for determining the correct sand level is, the sand should sit just below the tips of the fibres, approximately 1-2mm below the fibre tip. This allows an even ball bounce and ensures the sand does not wear down the actual tips of the fibre.

Issues Affecting the Life Expectancy of a Hard Court

A hard court which has regular maintenance should last 10 years. However regular maintenance increases the life expectancy of the court and maintain a quality visual appearance of the court.

Tips for Professional Hard Court Cleaning & Maintenance

The key to keeping your hard court tennis court looking great, is regular cleaning and maintenance, using the correct process and the correct amounts of chemicals to adequately clean your court, but not damage the surface.

Some other factors aside from lack of maintenance which may lead to the early onset of deterioration are;
• The quality of the base works allowing for adequate construction joints
• The quality of the surface installation using a quality product
• Inadequate draining around the court; water coming onto the court from nearby lawns, gardens, retaining walls and driveways
• Tree roots working their way under the tennis court surface
• Natural movement in the ground leading to cracking
• Incorrect servicing techniques

Tennis Court Owner’s Maintenance

How can you maintain your Tennis Court?

Aside from a professional tennis court service from a tennis court servicing professional, there are several things the tennis court owner can do between services to ensure a great looking and playing tennis court.

Tips for a Problem Free Court
• Keep leaves and debris off the court to reduce staining, mould growth and slippages
• Use an Aussie Cleansweep to remove fine debris and filaments
• Lightly use a leaf blower to remove debris and contaminants

Remember, just like your swimming pool and motor vehicle, tennis courts need regular servicing, and regular servicing is the key to a beautiful, problem free tennis court.

Pressure Washing a Tennis Court

Using a high pressure water cleaner to clean a synthetic grass tennis court will;
• Cause damage to the fibres
• Destroy the adhesive beneath the mat
• Break open the joins in the mat
• Remove expensive sand
• Cause the fibres to fall over if too much sand is removed
• We have witnessed first-hand, many many courts that have been destroyed by water blasting.

In many cases we have been able to resurrect the court through regular servicing, carrying out repairs to the joins and replacing the sand, and in other cases the surfaces has had to replaced.

Servicing your court is easy with Sportzing. We can carry out a regular service in several hours, bringing your court back to new in no time.