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

Custom VS. DIY Tennis Windscreens

Tennis windscreens – whether for function or for fashion – are a great asset to any court or facility.  They provide privacy, allow you to see the ball better while in play, and just look darn good on your fences! However, as many of you probably know, once you have decided that you cannot live without windscreens, you must then decide on whether to have custom screens tailored to your facility, or to roll up your sleeves with a Do-It-Yourself option.

IF YOU WANT LOGOS OR COLOR OPTIONS

If you want logos, then you must have custom screens measured for your facility or court(s).  There is no such logo option available on the rolls of DIY windscreen.  Your screens will look fantastic with the logos or names of your club/community, but please be prepared to wait a little longer to have your order delivered to your doorstep.  Additionally, some of the custom windscreens might be available in colors other than the standard green and black, giving you more control over the finished look of your court.

We recommend the Tuffy windscreen with its Chroma-Bond Imprinting option for your logo’d screens!  As the Official Tennis Windscreen of the USPTA, it is our most popular option by far for custom screening, has the longest warranty, and is an all-around quality option.  This brand of screen is also available in 20 different colors, allowing you to match school/team colors, or make your courts stand out with a brighter hue!

IF YOU ARE UNDER A TIME CRUNCH

If you are under a time crunch with no time to wait for custom screens (even without logos, it can take a couple weeks), then perhaps you should look at the DIY options available to you right away!  For tennis courts, 1o-S Tennis Supply offers a roll of 120′ long screening, called 10-Shade Plus, that features grommets along the top and bottom, with the option to cut along the sides to create pieces which will fit the fence sections of your court or facility.  It is offered in rolls either 6′ or 9′ high, with color options of green or black.

In case you are unsure on the process of properly cutting and installing this windscreen option, we have an instructional video to help you out!

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT

If you are not excited at the prospect of cutting your own windscreen pieces, you might be better served with custom-cut screens.  This way, each portion of the fence has been carefully measured and each piece of windscreen cut to those specific dimensions before it gets to your door, with no guesswork in sight.  These pieces of screen will be grommeted on all four sides, and most screens even have the option of including standard half-moon flap vents, or bound/hemmed windows.  These vents can be very helpful in high wind areas, or for those facilities that like to have some visibility through the screen.

For help on properly measuring for [any type of] windscreen, and installing the custom screens, our videos can be found below!

IF YOU NEED AN ECONOMICAL OPTION

Custom-cut windscreens (especially with logos) look great on any court, but will usually cost more than a roll of DIY windscreen.  If you are in need of a more economical option for the windscreens at your facility, you might need to choose the roll which you will cut yourself.  If you are more concerned with having the best-looking screens possible, or have just a few small pieces to replace, you might consider the custom cut screens.  If you are unsure which option might suit you best cost-wise, the friendly staff at 10-S Tennis Supply would be happy to provide you a free estimate!

If you are local to the South Florida area, and are interested in getting your court(s) professionally measured for windscreen, or to have those screens installed, 10-S Tennis Supply may be able to help!  For a better look at these instructional videos (as well as other product and instructional videos), or for more information, please visit our website at 10-s.com, or call 800-247-3907.  

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.