Typical Problems

Most problems are caused by improper design, improper construction and aged asphalt. Problems such as fading, peeling are results of age. Problems such as cracking and bird baths are usually caused by ground movements. If you have a problem with the asphalt or the ground under your court, you may want to look at replacing the asphalt.

Tennis Court Resurfacing

Step 2. Clean, fill and smooth all cracks. We use a modified concrete to fill them. You can also buy an acrylic patch to fill them as well.

We like to refer to it as filling a crack instead of fixing a crack as almost all cracks comeback. Almost every court I have seen has cracks whether they are hairline cracks or large cracks. They will likely reappear after they are filled/fixed usually they only come back as a hairline crack. But not all cracks come back. We use a polymer modified cement with silica sand to fill all our cracks. Some people use crack filler but we find it to expensive and not as effective.

Procedure:

Cracks that have grass or weeds growing out of them must be cleaned out first. (use a screwdriver or putty knife to scrape them out)

Use a grinder to V out the crack the give the cement more surface area to hold onto. Small hairline cracks can be left alone as the resurfacer will fill them in.

Mix up the cement and pour it into the crack. Use a trowel to smooth out the cement. Use a rub brick when cement is dry to knock off any high spots.

Step 3. Fix bird baths or low areas with a few layers of resurfacer or acrylic patch.

For deep low areas we use polymer modified cement. Depending on the depth of the low area you can use some pea gravel to help fill it. There is an acrylic patch that you can buy that will fill the low areas. We just prefer the cement.

Procedure:

1. Clean the surface with a power washer or use a grinder to scar up the surface for better adhesion.

2. Use a 2×4 to spread out the cement. Let it completely dry before applying resurfacer.

Note: We usually put an extra coat of resurfacer over a low spot to help smooth it out.

Not all low areas of a tennis court can be fixed. If the asphalt has sunken causing a bird bath (low area that collects water). Sometimes it will be to time consuming and costly to repair this. So we will put 2-3 coats of resurfacer on the area to help build it up.

Step 4. Apply acrylic resurfacer to tennis courts. Mix as per instructions. Varying amounts of clean silica sand added for increased durability and ball speed.

Base Coat

After all cracks and low spots are filled we apply a base coat acrylic resurfacer. Though a base coat is not always required. It does help since it contains more silica sand than the colored resurfacer There for it fills in more imperfections in the surface.

The base coat is applied with a squeegee. You must always keep a wet edge.

Tips: Make sure you have enough people to help so that you have 2 people with squeegees and at least 2 people mixing. Any less than this will cause the product to dry before it ca be evenly spread out.

Step 5. Apply two coats of acrylic color.

If you are a applying color coat to an old tennis court surface without putting a base coat down,(not suggested) make sure you power wash the surface for increased bond.

It is the most important as it will be the coat that you will see for many years to come. It is applied the same way as the base coat (with a squeegee). Make sure you keep a wet edge and have enough people mixing product for you.

A few tips:

Always keep a wet edge.

Mix the material the same way with the same amount of each product. This will keep the color consistent.

Apply it as soon and as quick (don’t run) as you can so that it doesn’t dry or the sand settles to the bottom. This will cause a color variation.

6. Stripe (paint) lines to regulation size.

Painting can be a very time consuming experience. We use masking tape to map out the lines. Using two people we mark out where the tape is to go. Then we pull out about 6-10 feet of tape and line it up with the next mark. This helps keep the lines as straight as possible. And you can get a court done in a couple of hours.

Tips:

They sell a product that you can paint over the line before you color them to stop the paint from bleeding under the tape. We find it to be a waist of money and time, just make sure the tape is good quality and is down good. When you paint don’t press to hard and use a good 2″ brush.

Have one person pouring the paint out while another is spreading it out. The third person will be touching it up. This will make sure you have even paint and you get it spread perfect before it dry’s.

Tennis Court Construction Cost

Without lighting costs between $25000 and $50000 depending upon where you live, the surface you want, (Asphalt or Clay) and the condition of the surface you intend to put it on. Indoor is a totally different situation with a much higher cost.

A few things to remember for proper tennis court construction are:

Make sure the ground is compacted with a well draining soil Use a crushed stone sub-grade of 6-8 inches to help with water drainage and for freeze / thaw. Asphalt should be 3-4 inches thick (usually done in two steps) It should slope slightly (1%) from side to side Acrylic resurfacer should be applied after the asphalt has cured (at least 1 coat resurfacer and 2 coats color).

If the ground is in a low area, you may want to dig a small trench around the outside to keep water from staying underneath and possible cause it to shift or crack when it freezes.

Tennis Court Surface

There are several different types of surfaces available. Some are best suited for indoor tennis courts and others for outdoor tennis courts.

Asphalt – A hard court surface that is made with between 2-4 inches of asphalt with an acrylic coating on top.

Clay – A natural product that requires daily and seasonal maintenance.

Determining if your surface is in good enough condition for resurfacing is very important.

Some may need to be re-asphalted. The more problems with the surface of the court will cost you more money to repair it.(cracks, birdbaths etc.)

* Remember that no tennis court is perfect, and you will most likely get cracks and small puddles in the surface.

1. How bad are the cracks? Is there a lot of cracks? If you have very large cracks or there are cracks all over the place. You may want to consider re-asphalting. If the cracks are reasonable they you will want to fill them. See filling cracks.

2. Are there any puddles in the surface? Puddles are fairly easy to fix. Small puddles are usually left alone and puddles in the non playing surface are usually less cared for.

3. How poor the original surface is? Is the surface peeling? If the surface is peeling at the cracks, it is usually OK. What happens is water gets under the surface and peels it up. If the surface is peeling in other spots it may be because the asphalt is deteriorating. This could be caused by water coming up through the asphalt. (poor drainage). If the courts drainage system under the court is failing water will deteriorate the asphalt.

Fact: Tennis Courts that have never been coated or are in bad shape have no protection from the weather elements. This causes the asphalt to dry out and deteriorate as the oil in the asphalt sinks away from the surface.