When talking about paddle courts, the aspects to be considered regarding the control and maintenance to be performed on each component must be taken into account. In this way being able to offer a better product on the market it will be much easier to get more customers through word of mouth.
Here are the main points to keep in mind for the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of a padel court.
CARPET IN SYNTHETIC GRASS
It is the business card of a club. Good maintenance is essential to ensure that a padel player returns to play. The first element to consider is the sand, which, if evenly distributed, allows the ball to bounce consistently.
In a new court with 12 mm tall artificial grass, 120 25kg bags of sand should be sprinkled; that go to fill 2/3 of the carpet. Italian Padel decided after numerous tests, to use only silica sand which is considered by padel professionals to be the best material in the market.
However a new padel court comes into effect fully at least after 50 hours of play. The players, in fact, running and moving around the court will move the sand causing it to fall below the grass surface. In fact the conciseness and thickness of the grass of a new court, at the beginning, acts as an obstacle to its penetration. The carpet lasts about 5000 hours of play.
The elements of the carpet
Its ordinary care is essential for aesthetic reasons, for safety reasons, for game quality and durability. It has been shown that poor or inadequate maintenance causes the floor to deteriorate faster.
Each of these elements has a different associated problem:
- Backing: this part of the synthetic mantle can be broken mainly due to shear stresses, due to the presence of plant elements (such as tree roots) that can tear it, due to expansion / contraction movements of the material in the joints. To avoid this type of break it is important to make continuous assessments of the joints to repair the defect as soon as possible and immediately solve the problem to prevent a small tear from getting bigger.
- Fiber: to ensure that the fiber has as little damage as possible, it is recommended to place warnings regarding the shoes to be used for playing padel at the entrances to the court. Under no circumstances should be allowed to enter in the court with iron-heeled shoes, aluminum or non-sports shoes.
- Filling: the use of the field can cause a bad distribution of the filling, preventing a correct development of the game. Moreover it must be taken into account that any defects in the drainage can lead to the deterioration of the paving of the court.
Carpet maintenance
The maintenance operations that are carried out on the carpet of a padel field are the following:
- Cleaning: elimination of leaves, seeds, weeds and other types of residues that can decompose to facilitate the formation of fungi on the surface is very important. Cleaning must be carried out with a broom or a soft rake with rubber / plastic teeth. You can also use a blower, being careful however not to scatter the sand and to make some points of the playing court devoid of it.
- Redistribution of the sand: it will be carried out using a broom with medium hard bristles. Firstly the aim of this operation is to distribute the sand evenly, avoiding that in some areas the fiber remains completely covered or that in others it remains too free. With the passing of hours of play, in fact, the sand tends to accumulate along the perimeter walls and near the net. The redistribution of sand on the synthetic grass mat can be done in two ways: by using a classic and cheap mop or by purchasing special machinery equipped with rotating brushes, which we can find on the market at 600-700 euros.
- How to eliminate fungus and moss: in the shady and less used areas of the field (mainly the perimeter area) it is possible that fungus and moss appear. You can prevent or eradicate these events by using a fungicide that does not contain an oil base (be careful with use and always ask the sellers for advice).
- Addition of sand: based on the use of the field by the players, wind and other factors, a slight reduction in the sandy surface may occur. To remedy this, just add washed and dust-free silica sand with a grain size of 0.3 / 0.5 mm.
PERIODICITY OF MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
The following table shows the frequency of maintenance operations mentioned:
| MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS | PERIODICITY |
| Cleaning | Weekly |
| Redistribution of the sand | Daily |
| Elimination of funfus and moss | Every six months |
| Adding sand | Weekly |
STRUCTURE MAINTENANCE
THE GLASS PANELS
The glass panels are among the fundamental components for the sport of padel, not only because they are essential for the bounce of the ball, but also because they allow spectators to enjoy the game to the fullest. For these reasons, to guarantee maximum resistance and longevity, you should choose only quality products. Italian Padel proposes 18 panels in tempered glass whose thickness is 12 mm or 6 mm + 6 mm stratified glasses which are formed by two glass plates and a layer of intermediate PVB, which remain a single piece even after the glass has broken. They fully comply with current regulations and are UNI EN 12150-1 certified.
The maintenance of the windows consists of a periodic check to ascertain any cracks, paying particular attention to the areas where they are anchored and a daily cleaning of the glass to eliminate dust and dirt.
NET AND POLES
It will be necessary to check that the nets and poles have been tightened and adjusted according to the instructions by checking the critical points (fixings, fencing, poles and nets). The material must be replaced if you see a break or deformation.
SCREWS AND NUTS
It will be necessary to check periodically that the screws and nuts of the structure and of the anchorage are correctly tightened, otherwise it will be necessary to tighten them.
LIGHTING
The maintenance operations recommended for the lighting in the padel courts are the following:
- periodic cleaning (every two months) of the reflectors and headlights;
- control of the electrical circuits to avoid overheating due to loose or deteriorated connections.
daily control of the eight lights that point in the court, in case one of them does not work, replace it.
How long does a Padel court last?
Making an excellent padel court is essential for a club to make the movement grow in its structure. However, people often tend to invest in courts of standard quality just to save money during the initial investment. However, after the first few months one would realize that there will be immediate costs not only to maintain the court, but also to re-evaluate it.
Italian Padel has always offered its customers a solid and reliable field, which can have a life cycle of at least 20 years (Click here to learn how to build a quality padel court). This is why it has subjected its products to thorough testing and analysis by instructors and players, offering products that have passed tests lasting 1000 hours in salt fog, anti-abrasion profiles, anti-corrosion welds and total zinc plating.
Regulations of the Padel
Italian Padel is the first and only company in the world to offer CE marked courts according to mandatory EN 1090-1 and referred to the EU regulation No. 305/2011.
The CE marking allows a guaranteed and mandatory durability of at least 10 years on the structural parts and ensures that the product on which it is affixed has been built in compliance with all the regulations in force in the context in which it will be used.
ITALIAN PADEL: PROFESSIONAL AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
Italian Padel is a group of professionals specialized in the production of padel courts. We take care of the design, construction and turnkey installation of certified padel courts, designed and manufactured entirely in Italy.
Among our most important works are the courts of the International Tennis Paddle 2016 in the Foro Italico of Rome for Officine del Padel.
We have built more than 250 courts in Italy and our clients include both private individuals and sports centers.
You can take a look at our portfolio in the section Our fields and please contact us by mail (info@italianpadel.it) or phone (+39 0309686073) if you want more information.
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