Artificial Sports Surfaces
It is a misconception that artificial sports surfaces are maintenance free. Lack of maintenance can drastically reduce the lifespan of artificial surfaces.
Many have problems of contamination and poor drainage through lack of routine preventive maintenance, simple drag brushing post-match is like washing a car, it is good for it but does not qualify as a service.
Regular drag brushing helps keep infill evenly distributed – it tends to naturally migrate from the middle (high wear areas) to the edges.
Your synthetic surface acts like a filter, trapping dust and debris as the water drains through - over time contaminants can clog - filtering at the surface means that contaminants get locked in the top half of the material, if you were to lift a corner and fold back the carpet, you’ll find the debris in the top half of the infill, the bottom part will be clean. (I do not recommend doing this!)
Warning symptoms of diminishing performance are usually silt like deposits, frequently to the outer edges of the pitch/courts. At this point specialist brushing will help to decontaminate. If left, and usually evidenced by pooling water following heavy rainfall, which is slow to drain away the entire surface may need to be replaced.
Before starting any treatment, we recommend that the areas with heaviest growth, should be brushed to remove any loose moss, dirt, leaves etc. A large amount of moss can be removed, which will reduce the amount of moss killing chemicals required - and save time. If courts are surrounded by trees or shrubs it will help to keep these cut back to allow maximum light onto the substrate UV also allows for quicker drying when wet.
GK PRO is designed to kill lichen algae and 99·9% bacterial growth and germinated spores – it requires no rinsing and should be left on the surface to evaporate naturally to help inhibit re-growth. Not only clean but sanitized as well – GK PRO is a natural disinfectant and fully biodegradable.
Many customers use GK PRO to both clean and maintain their artificial sports surface at six monthly intervals. This can be done by using a simple knapsack sprayer – but it does take quite a while as the surface requires saturating, sometimes it is worth seeking out a professional court cleaning company, we are happy to provide names.
Future treatments depend upon the surrounding area and prevailing weather. Some areas will show signs of fresh growth within 8-10 months especially if surrounded by trees, or have poor drainage allowing water to puddle. You may not see any fresh growth for 3-years after the initial treatment. Either way, keep the surface swept as often as possible, sweep away leaves and other detritus every couple of weeks.
It is quite usual for artificial surfaces to have moss around the perimeter but nothing in the middle. Why? normally it is not growing because the middle of the court has less shade, more air flow and players footfall over the surface. All of these will inhibit the opportunity for moss spores to flourish, it prefers damp, shady environments.
Tarmacadam tennis courts are easier and much lower in maintenance requirements, they usually have an “open” texture to allow good drainage – but not maintenance free, power washing to remove growths, combined with a sanitising biocide wash to kill off germinated bacterial spores of algae and other biofilms - which aren’t visible, will ensure the courts are free of bacteria and dangerous slip hazards. Tarmacadam courts also provide an excellent base for future conversion to artificial grass or artificial clay.
