Well-constructed tennis courts are durable and long-lasting but you can increase their lifespan enormously by avoiding unnecessary wear. There are plenty of ways to do this from enforcing basic rules to cleaning the surface – let’s look at some of the most important ways you can avoid wearing down the surface.
Set rules for your court
Everyone in the home and those who visit need to treat the tennis court with respect otherwise it can get worn down very quickly. That’s why it’s worth setting some rules for how the court is used. For example, if you have children or grandchildren make sure they understand that they should not use skateboards or roller blades on the court. It’s also best to limit access to the court for pets, small children and other animals. The best to do this is to have a proper fence constructed around the court, so that access can be restricted.
Install proper drainage
Drainage is vital on a tennis court so it’s well worth having proper drainage installed if you don’t currently have it. Water and damp can cause all sorts of problem with the court surface including moss and mildew, so this is one of the most important ways you can avoid serious problems.
Sweep regularly
The simplest things are often the most important – sweeping your court on a regular basis will do wonders for its longevity. For the best results it can be best to sweep once a week. Set a time of the week where you sweep the court to keep it free from debris such as leaves and pine needles. Removing this sort of detritus will ultimately give your court a longer lifespan as it will be cutting off the cause of many common court problems.
Clean the court
Aside from the weekly sweeping, it’s also important that you should give the court a thorough clean around once every six weeks, especially if it is being used heavily. Hiring a pressure washer can save you a lot of time. It’s also worth cleaning off any acidic substances as soon as you see them. For example, if bird droppings are left on the court for any length of time they can begin to eat away at the surface.
Remove standing water
Finally, remember that while it is often overlooked, it’s essential that you should get rid of any standing water as soon as possible. Good drainage will deal with most rainfall, but when you have a particularly heavy patch it can leave large puddles on the court. Brush away any standing water to avoid the worst of the problems.
