Ltd
ARTIFICIAL CLAY TENNIS COURT MAINTENANCE
Artificial Clay Tennis Courts consist of a rounded coloured infill installed onto and into an open synthetic grass stability mat. The idea behind the artificial clay court surface is that play is carried out on a layer of loose fill above the stability mat to simulate the characteristics of clay court play. As such the fill is continuously displaced during play and therefore it is imperative that the surface is properly dragged after each session of play to help return it to the playing area. There are numerous pieces of equipment to carry this out and we can advise you on the most suitable.
Although dragging after play will help, inevitably the clay infill will migrate off the surface exposing the stability mat. If left exposed the fibres of the stability mat will become crushed and the infill within it compacted which will lead to drainage, wear, and traction problems. Therefore regular, more intensive maintenance works are required.
The surface should be cleaned thoroughly at least once per annum but preferably twice. The cleaning process will decompact the infill, lift it, extract a degree of contamination such as tennis ball fluff, dead moss and algae, and other foreign debris, prior to returning it to the system. Infill that has migrated away from the main playing area is picked up and re-introduced to the main playing area prior to the entire area having its infill evenly redistributed. The infill levels are then checked and any areas that are low on infill are topped up.
The cleaning process is usually carried out by specialist cleaning machinery at times when the upper levels of fill are dry. SSP Ltd are able to carry out such works and are able to offer contracts for such works.
Handy Tip: Use an Independent Specialist Contractor to carry out Monthly and Annual Maintenance.
Annual Routine:
-
Fully Decompact Infill
-
Redistribute Infill Evenly Over Stability Mat
-
Extract Contamination (Tennis Ball Fluff, Foreign Debris etc.) From Infill
-
Check Infill Levels
-
Apply Moss & Algal Chemical Killer
Specialist maintenance should be carried out by trained operatives using specifically designed machinery on an annual basis. The maintenance should be carried out by an approved contractor using approved machinery. This type of machinery is best used during dry weather.
SSP Maintenance Ltd are able to offer both Annual Cleaning Services and regular Maintenance and Cleaning Services. Our Maintenance and Cleaning Services are based Annual Cleaning Agreements and three year agreements unless specified otherwise. The three year agreement simply guarantees the quotation price for the agreement period.
Annual Cleaning Agreements
Annual Cleaning agreements can be for either one visit or two visits per annum. The visits require the upper levels of the infill to be dry and that any live moss or algae to be dead prior to the process commencing. Where ongoing in-house maintenance is not available we can tailor regimes to suit each individual client.
The process consists of the infill being decompacted throughout the entire area. Areas where infill has migrated to, such as the perimeter of the enclosure or areas along the net line, can have the excess infill lifted and moved to more high play areas although experience has shown us that this fill can often be contaminated and unusable.. The infill is then lifted and the fibres of the stabilisation mat are opened up. A degree of contamination held within the infill is extracted from it prior to the infill being filtered back onto the surface. The infill is evenly redistributed over the surface. The infill levels are checked and any top up infill is applied to areas requiring top up*. The surface is checked for any damage and an annual report is forwarded to the client.
The amount of times a synthetic clay court requires cleaning within a calendar year does depend on the amount of use the surface is subjected to and the degree of regular maintenance carried out.
Annual Maintenance and Cleaning Agreements
Annual Maintenance and Cleaning agreements are designed for owners of synthetic clay courts who do not have the time or opportunity to carry out the desired maintenance regimes for their surface. SSP Maintenance Ltd are able to carry out a specified number of maintenance visits incorporating an annual cleaning service to ensure the surface is kept in the best possible condition.
Maintenance visits include the mechanical drag brushing of the surface to help keep the infill free moving and spread evenly over the area. The infill levels are checked with any perimeter build up moved back to the main playing area and any areas lacking in the required levels are topped up*. The stabilisation mat is groomed and checked for any faults. This service can be carried out monthly or bi-monthly dependent on the use of the surface, its location and the time of the year. The monthly maintenance service keeps the courts out of action for as short as time as possible and every effort is made to cause as little inconvenience as possible to players. The application of a moss and algal chemical to kill off any live spores and help prevent the establishment of such spores is carried out at least once during one of these visits.
Incorporated into the annual maintenance is a cleaning visit. The cleaning process consists of the infill being decompacted throughout the entire area. Areas where infill has migrated to such as the perimeter of the enclosure or areas along the net line have the excess infill lifted and moved to more high play areas. The infill is then lifted and the fibres of the stabilization mat are opened up. A degree of contamination held within the infill is extracted from it prior to the infill being filtered back onto the surface. The infill is evenly redistributed over the surface. The infill levels are checked and any top up infill is applied to areas requiring top up*. The surface is checked for any damage and an annual report is forwarded to the client. The amount of times a synthetic clay court requires cleaning within a calendar year does depend on the amount of use the surface is subjected to and the degree of regular maintenance carried out.
Footnote: Annual Maintenance and Cleaning Agreements are site specific and governed by the facilities location and use. The packages are designed specifically for each individual site and offered to clients under separate quotation.
* Top up infill is applied from clients stock free of charge if undertaken during other works.
