How To Prepare Courts For a Looming Hurricane or Tropical Storm

A detailed guide to preparing sport courts for a storm

Written by Rich Buerkle, COO, 10-S Tennis Supply

Storm-Prep-ImagesAs the 2017 Hurricane season moves in to full swing, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the best ways to storm-proof your sport courts.  For all properties, your sport courts or sporting facilities are an asset you want to protect.  The better you pre-plan when a bad storm is looming, the more likely you are to decrease the damage sustained and therefore minimize any expense incurred to get your facility back up to par.  Many of the tips shown here are very cost effective to enforce – it’s just a matter of taking the time to protect your investment before it’s too late.

As we’ve seen in year’s past, both tropical storms and hurricanes can pose a real threat in the southeastern coastal states especially, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.  Those threats include damage to all types of sport courts (tennis, bocce, shuffleboard, Pickleball, basketball, volleyball, etc.), their surrounding fencing, amenities and lighting.  It is recommended that you take the following steps to prepare for an impending storm.

Tips for Windscreens

  • Many of the most important storm preparedness tips surround the area of securing windscreens around your facility.  During heavy winds, windscreens can act almost as a sailboat sail, catching strong wind gusts and potentially damaging your fencing.  It is not uncommon for a windscreen to pull over a fence completely when bad winds are blowing through your area.  This is why this portion of storm preparation is often one of the most important for safeguarding your facility.
  • If your facility has windscreen be sure to order plenty of extra windscreen ty-raps, fastening rope and snaps before the storm season approaches.
  • As the storm makes it way towards your facility, remove, label and store your windscreen.
  • If it is not practical to remove your windscreen or you don’t have adequate storage, the following process will reduce stress on your fencing:
    • For 6-foot windscreens:
      • Cut the ty-raps along the bottom and sides of the windscreen.
      • Roll your windscreen to the top of the fence.
      • Fasten and secure with rope.
  • For 9-foot windscreens:
    • Cut the ty-raps along the top and bottom of the windscreen.
    • Roll your windscreen to the middle of the fence.
    • Fasten and secure with rope.

Tips for All Types of Sport Courts – these include Hard Courts (asphalt and/or concrete), Clay Courts & Synthetic Turf Courts

  • Remove all tennis and/or Pickleball nets.
  • Remove cabana awnings.
  • Remove all unsecured court benches, tables and chairs from cabanas or viewing areas and secure in a safe area.
  • Remove all court equipment from fences (liner brooms, squeegees, etc.).

Tips for Standard, Sprinkler Irrigated Courts

  • Roll the courts the day before the storm is expected to compact the Har-Tru as much as possible.  This will reduce the amount of material that is lost during the storm.
  • If high winds are expected, water the court before the storm to reduce the amount of material lost due to the wind.
  • If the irrigation system is on a timer, be sure to manually shut off the system so that it does not turn on during the storm.
  • Remember to turn the timer back on after the storm has passed.

Tips for FDC HydroCourt Subsurface Irrigated Clay Courts

  • Shut off water to the control boxes +/- 12 hours before the storm and open the drain pipe on the control boxes.  This will allow the system to fully drain and prepare the FDC HydroCourt to receive the torrential rains experienced with most hurricanes.
  • Remember to turn the water back on and close the drain pipe after the storm has passed – specifically after there is no longer any standing water on the court.

Please remember, 10-S Tennis Supply offers a full line of windscreen accessories to help get you through the hurricane season.  Visit us online at www.10-S.com for all of your sport court needs.  Fast-Dry Courts, Inc. is also available to help you get your sport facilities in top notch shape – regardless of the weather.  Visit us online to see more ways we can assist with making your facility even more desirable to new residents – www.Fast-Dry.com.

Article By Rich Buerkle

 

10-S Tennis Supply & Fast-Dry Courts
1400 NW 13th Avenue
Pompano Beach, FL 33069
800-247-3907
www.10-S.com

New Pickleball Products Available from 10-S Tennis Supply!

Top 5 Ways to Tell if Your Hard Court Needs Resurfacing

Here at 10-S Tennis Supply, we know the thought of resurfacing your court can be daunting, and you might not know if it’s entirely necessary.  Have no fear – we have developed a list of red-flags to help you make the right decision!  As time goes on, the luster begins to fade on your once brand new tennis, basketball, Pickleball or shuffleboard court.  So, how can you tell if the time has come to resurface your asphalt or concrete court? We are here to help!

Top signs your hard court needs to be resurfaced:

  1. Cracks and root damage are growing by the day
  2. Water stays on the court for hours after a rain
  3. Mold and mildew are starting to take over your court
  4. Paint is faded to the point you can see the blacktop or concrete underneath
  5. Lines are disappearing into the surface – you can’t tell if a ball is in or out


If any of the above sounds like your court’s current situation – or your courts look more like the “Before” image than the “After” image, it’s time to resurface!

For those “Do It Yourselfers” out there who want to tackle the resurfacing project at your facility, 10-S Tennis Supply can provide you with the tools and materials to get the job done right.  In fact, we have two primary products you should consider for repairing cracks and low areas – NovaCaulk and NovaBond.

Information about these products can be found at 10-s.com, or by giving a call at 800-247-3907 to the friendly and capable staff at 10-S Tennis Supply!

If you are located in south Florida and would like to hire a Certified Tennis Court Builder to complete your resurfacing project, consider contacting our sister company – Fast-Dry Courts, Inc. at 800-432-2994 or visit Fast-Dry.com for more information.

If you are located outside south Florida and would like to hire a Certified Tennis Court Builder to complete your resurfacing project, feel free to give us a call at 800-247-3907.  We may be able to recommend a company, or direct you to someone in your area through the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA).

Choosing the Best Windscreen for Your Court

We spend a fair amount of time each day working with customers to determine which Windscreen options are the best fit for their facility.  That’s because there are just so many different options to choose from.  

And the questions abound…  

  • What shade factor – or level of privacy – am I comfortable with?
  • What color is best for my court?  Do I want my “team colors” or a standard black or dark green?
  • What height is optimal for playability at my facility?
  • Windows or no windows?
  • Do we want our logo on the screen…and if so, how big…and in what color(s)?
  • Do I want a less expensive, “do-it-yourself” screen that may more often be in need of repair or replacement?
  • Or more durable, fully customized screen that is fit to my exact specs?

As you can see, the list of options goes on and on…leaving you stumped as to where to start.  Luckily, that’s where we come in to help!

There are four basic decisions that you have to make when it comes to deciding which type of windscreen to purchase.

  1. Open mesh windscreen or closed mesh windscreen
  2. Custom cut windscreen or cut-to-size rolled windscreen
  3. Material type/grade (polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl coated polyester or heavy duty vinyl coated polyester)
  4. Color (dark green, black or custom)

The first decision that you need to make is whether an open mesh windscreen or a closed mesh windscreen is more appropriate for your facility. Most windscreens are purchased in order to (a) provide a good backdrop to visually pick up the ball (b) provide some protection from the wind (c) provide a small measure of privacy for the court. For most tennis court applications, an open mesh windscreen is ideal. Open mesh windscreens provide 70%-80% visual and wind block and provide an excellent visual backdrop for the tennis ball. If you are purchasing windscreen to block out an unsightly area or to provide a high degree of privacy, a closed mesh windscreen is probably more appropriate. Closed mesh windscreens provide 90% to 100% visual and wind block. These windscreens will provide a higher level of privacy. However, they cannot be used in very windy areas as they exert too much pressure on the fencing.

The wide variety of Windscreen options available

The second decision you need to make is to decide if custom cut windscreen or cut-to-size windscreen is better for your facility. Cut-to-size windscreens are sold in rolls. These rolls are 6′ or 9′ in height by 120′ or 150′ in length. The advantage to cut-to-size windscreens is that you do not need to know the exact dimension of the fencing to place your order. You simply roll out as much windscreen as you need (10′, 20′, 30′ etc.) and then use a utility knife or razor to cut the windscreen. Some cut-to-size windscreens are available with grommets in the top and bottom of the screen to make installation easier. Cut-to-size windscreens are also less expensive than custom cut windscreens. Custom cut windscreens are made at the factory to exactly fit the dimensions of your fencing. You provide us with the height and the length of the screen you need and we have the windscreens manufactured at exactly those dimensions. The big advantage to custom windscreens is that they look fantastic and provide a very professional appearance to your facility. All four sides of the screens are bound and include brass grommets for easy installation. However, there are few downsides to custom windscreens. First, you need to take the time and effort to measure the fence before you can order your screens. We have included this easy to follow guide (link to how to measure windscreens page) to make this process easier, but it still takes effort. Second, custom windscreens are more expensive then cut to size windscreens.

The third decision you need to make is what material type/grade of windscreen is most appropriate for your facility. All cut-to-size rolled windscreens are made from the same type of material – polyethylene. If you have decided to purchase cut-to-size rolled windscreen, you simply need to determine whether you would like a 70% shade factor (Windshade), 73% shade factor (10-Shade) or 95% shade factor (Enviroscreen). The Windshade and 10-Shade products are generally used for typical tennis applications whereas Enviroscreen is generally used for privacy or block-out screen. If you have decided to purchase a custom-cut windscreen, you will need to choose between polypropylene, vinyl-coated polyester (Tenn-Air/VCP) or heavy-duty vinyl-coated polyester (ProScreen/Royale). Polypropylene is the lowest cost custom-cut windscreen available. It is very popular with cities and municipalities and works well in heavy wind areas. It is not as attractive as the higher grade vinyl coated polyester windscreens because the linear weave of the product is visible. Vinyl-coated polyester is the workhorse of the custom-cut windscreen class. It is very popular throughout the Midwest and in many resort and country club applications. These products look great and work well. The top-of-the-line custom cut windscreens are the heavy-duty vinyl coated polester windscreens – ProScreen and Royale. These windscreens last the longest and were specially designed to stand up to the sun and humidity experienced in the southeast, particularly Florida. This heavier material also hangs really nicely on the fencing and is the choice of most high end country clubs, resorts, condominiums and private homeowners.

The last choice you need to make is color. Most windscreens come in two standard colors – dark green and black. Dark green is the most popular color, but Black has made big inroads in the last few years as many new tennis courts are built with black fencing. Depending on the product chosen, other colors (blue, red, orange) may be available.

We have included the following diagram to give you an idea of which facilities generally purchase which types of windscreen. If you have other windscreen questions, please feel free to give us a call (800) 247-3907 or fill out an information request form.  For a look at the full line of tennis court supplies we offer, visit us online – 10-S.com.