Playing Courts

Artificial grass, or synthetic turf, has many advantages such as low maintenance and extended usage time.

When undertaking maintenance activities at playing courts, always ensure you:

• Wear protective clothing and any other protective equipment required
• Avoid undertaking outdoor maintenance activities in the middle of the day during summer months
• Always incorporate correct manual handling techniques when undertaking any physical work such as sweeping or lifting

If line marking is required check that the line marking equipment is in good working order before commencing the activity, and work in accordance with the relevant equipment operating instructions.

Hard Courts

Hard courts are the easiest to maintain but very difficult to repair. The first part of maintenance is to make sure the court is kept clean and free of debris as loose pebbles and rocks can create cracks and divots in the surface. One minor crack can impair ball movement, trip players or increase court damage.

Allow only non-marking soles on the court to prevent scuffs and marks. Repaint lines as necessary to keep them easy to see and marking clear boundaries of play.

Synthetic Courts

Artificial grass, or synthetic turf, has many advantages such as low maintenance and extended usage time, which can make it an attractive option for not only yards and grounds but also for sporting surfaces like tennis courts.

Today, most synthetic turfs have a drainage layer to help improve drying time after rainfall and "grass" blades that are in-filled with a granular filler to make it look like natural turf. In-filled means that the blades are interspersed with topsoil made with granulated tire rubber and/or sand to make it uniform, stable and resilient.

There is little maintenance required for sand-filled synthetic turf courts. It's a good idea to regularly check the surface for any standing water, which is an indication that the court isn't level, or isn't draining properly. If this is the case, consult a contractor and advise Council.

If you find algae on the surface, kill it by watering the area and spreading salt on the spot, or scrubbing the area with a soft brush and a mild bleach solution. Removing the killed algae is important to prevent new growth.

Petanque / Clay Courts

Clay courts need to be raked, regularly using a lute-scarifier. This loosens and levels the clay by removing loose granules. It floats over the clay with a concave blade to smooth it out.

A drag brush further levels the surface and can remove any other debris from the court. Line scrub brushes remove anything that is caked onto the lines. Rollers are the final component that compact the surface. Watering the court prior to any maintenance will keep the clay moist and prevent additional cracking.

Page Last Updated: 16 May 2014