Ensuring your sports areas & sports surfaces, whether it’s a football pitch, tennis court or school playground, are kept in the best possible condition has numerous benefits for users. Not only will it provide the maximum performance, helping to enhance the performance of the athletes or team using it, but it will improve safety, by keeping the area level, even and free from dangerous cracks or holes that could cause trips or falls mid-game.
Good maintenance will also ensure longevity, helping you to save money on replacement surfaces and repairs, as well as keeping your sporting areas looking great and making a good impression on users, visitors and opposing teams!
There are two types of maintenance that you will need to consider:
Reactive Maintenance
This type of maintenance is only necessary if you let your court or pitch fall into disrepair, long periods with no attention, wilful damage or vandalism and heavy or aggressive usage can all result in the necessity for repairs and maintenance. The extent, cost and type of maintenance cannot be predicted, but you can help to avoid the majority of it with regular checks and routine or proactive maintenance.
Proactive Maintenance
This is the type of maintenance that is carried out regularly to keep the surface from deteriorating quicker than it should. There are different things you can do for different surfaces, and these include daily, weekly and monthly checks and tasks that you can do yourself, and yearly routine work that should be carried out by approved contractors.
For both Macadam surfaces and artificial grass the maintenance you can carry out yourself is simple and effective. Check the surface for foreign objects that could damage the surface (and cause health and safety risks!) every day and brush clean with a large broom every week. You should also check the surface for the first signs of damage every month – if you can catch it quickly it could be a simple repair. With artificial grass it’s also a good idea to brush sand in at least every month to keep it in the best possible condition.
Longer term maintenance will differ in both cost and application, and for this it’s always best to contact a professional surfacing company to ensure it is done to the highest standards.
Surface Types:
Macadam Surfaces
Every year you should check the surface for signs of wear and damage, check the drainage and apply an algae treatment that will keep it clean and free from slippery moss. You should employ a contractor to undertake a deep clean and wash every 3 years or so, and they will again be able to check that it is properly draining and apply an algae treatment.
Additionally every 6 years you will probably need to have the condition of the paintwork checked and redone, although this will vary depending on the amount of use your MUGA receives. Macadam surfaces usually last between 10-15 years, so if yours is reaching the end of its life, contact a professional to plan a resurface at the next suitable time. If you wait until it has completely deteriorated it may need to be taken up and re-laid, which will be more costly, and it will begin to present hazards to users.
Artificial Grass Surfaces
Every year you will need an expert contractor to thoroughly clean the surface and de-compact the sand. They can also check it is draining properly and apply an anti-moss treatment to stop it getting slippery. Every 3 years get your contractor to assess how long your artificial grass has left and repaint the lines. After roughly 8-10 years you will need to start looking to replace your artificial grass and the sand.
Whichever MUGA surface you have, yearly maintenance is very often best carried out over the colder winter months, while they are usually out of use. That way they will be restored and ready for another sporting season. Simply contact us today to discuss your requirements and we will arrange the appropriate winter maintenance for your MUGA.
And Finally…
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all valued customers, suppliers and our dedicated team a very merry Christmas and a happy and successful new year!
