Most people these days have desk jobs with long working hours. A sedentary lifestyle and excessive work pressure have resulted in lifestyle disorders like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension in people. Since it is not possible to take time out for physical activities like hiking etc. playing a sport like a tennis can be a great way to keep you fit. Playing tennis offers various advantages including losing weight, burning calories, reducing the chance of heart disease, strengthening bones, muscles, and heart, better hand-eye coordination apart from improved social skills and developing positive behaviour like sportsman spirit and teamwork. Playing sports is an excellent way to keep stress away and increase brain power. However, for playing a decent game of tennis, you need to have a well-maintained court.
How to maintain a tennis court?
There are different types of tennis court surfaces, namely, clay, hard, grass and surface. However, those that are built at residential or office spaces are generally acrylic hard surfaces. If properly built, they are relatively fuss-free and require very little time and effort for maintaining them. If they are built as per specified guidelines, the natural slope helps in minimizing debris and water accumulation. Despite the sturdy looks, tennis courts eventually get damaged and need timely repair. Here are a few steps that can help in the regular maintenance of your tennis court:
- Use a blower and broom to clean the tennis court surface, preferably every week or fortnight. This helps in removing debris accumulating on the court surface which can not only stain the surface but also create friction which might cause wear and tear of the court surface.
- If there are trees surrounding the court surface, there are chances of mold and mildew growth, since low temperature and slight moisture promotes the growth of these microorganisms. You can use a solution of bleach and water to kill these organisms and disinfect the surface.
- Pressure washing is another way to clean the court, but it has a detrimental effect on the court’s surface. This method is to be used only if you plan to get the surface resurfaced. A soft brush, cleaning solution and moderate pressure are good enough to remove dirt, and debris from the court without damaging the color or surface of the court.
Alternately, you could also take some preventive measures to reduce the wear and tear. These include:
- Use of non-marking tennis shoes
- Avoid damaging the playing surface by riding bikes, skateboards, etc. on the surface
- Keep food and water off the court
- Keep perimeter drains clog-free to avoid damage due to water accumulation
- Avoid using chemicals like fertilizers or weed killers near the court surface
How often should the court be resurfaced?
Generally, tennis courts need to be resurfaced every 4-8 years depending on their condition. Some factors that affect this duration include:
- Slope – an improper slope leads to water accumulation that can cause the breakdown of the court’s acrylic surface.
- Compaction – if the surface is not compact enough, deformation, moisture damage, and cracking can occur.
How much does the Tennis Courts Repair cost?
Tennis Courts Repair can be a costly affair if adequate care and timely intervention are not done. The cost of repair varies from $50 for small cracks to $15,000 for the entire resurfacing of court. Generally, on an average home owners pay somewhere between $681 and $3,250 for Tennis Courts Repair. Here is an estimate of what you will end up paying for different problems:
- Cracks: $50-500
- Damaged windscreen: $0.35-0.40/sq. ft.
- Damaged net: $100-200
- Faded colour: $5,000
- Land levelling: $500-9,000
- Perimeter correction: $8-70/linear foot
