Each type of sports facility requires one type of maintenance or another.

Before starting to detail the care required for each type of installation, it is advisable to draw up a special maintenance plan for each surface. If your sports facility has different areas such as a running track, tennis court and a soccer field, you will have to have a maintenance plan for each of these areas. In this post we will tell you about the different types of maintenance that exist.

Below we detail the different surfaces in sports facilities and the maintenance work they require

1. Earth pavements

The sports that are practiced on this type of surface are usually tennis, long jump pits, football, petanque and maintenance gymnastics circuits.

Common care is as follows:

Irrigation

The amount of irrigation will depend on the sport that is going to be practiced. Each requires different surface qualities.

Decompaction of the surface

Helps prevent the loss of surface properties: hardness of the ground and problems of puddles and / or lack of drainage. After de-compacting, you have to pass the mat or brush to re-level and pass a machine to compact the soil.

Clay court contribution

Over time it may be necessary to add more soil for optimal conditions.

2. Natural grass

The sports that take place here are usually soccer, golf, rugby, baseball and tennis. To choose the grass species, you must take into account both the climate of the place where it is going to be planted and the sport that is going to be carried out there. This type of flooring is one of the most maintenance-intensive. Common cares are.

Analysis of the terrain and irrigation water

Being a plant, we can obtain information on the needs it requires through the analysis of the composition of the soil, the degree of humidity, pH, salinity, permeability, etc. With the results obtained, the maintenance to follow can be planned.

Fertilization. Depending on the needs of the land indicated by the analyzes, you can know what type of fertilizer you need and how often to fertilize the area.

Irrigation

It will be based on external conditions: rainfall, soil moisture, the degree of evaporation, among others. Irrigation must be done evenly and preferably at night to avoid evaporation.

Mowing

The cutting height varies according to the type of sport The recommended thing is:

Football: summer (25-38 mm), winter (12-38 mm)

Rugby: summer (25-50 mm), winter (50-75 mm)

Tennis: summer and winter (10 mm)

Golf (Greens): summer and winter (3-5 mm)

Golf (Tees, outings): summer and winter (10 mm)

Airy

It serves to unpack the soil and oxygenate it.

Scarified

It is used to eliminate the felt (a superficial layer 1 or 2 cm thick that is formed with remains of leaves, roots and loose soil). Prevents the proliferation of fungi and impermeability

Recebo

It is the contribution of sand that is made after the aeration and / or scarification actions.

Irrigation network disinfection

Cleaning the water helps prevent salmonellosis.

3. Artificial grass

The sports that take place on this surface are football, rugby, baseball, hockey, tennis and paddle tennis. This surface is easier and cheaper to maintain than natural grass. The tasks that require this type of lawn are:

Cleaning and removal of elements

It is advisable to clean the track regularly as papers, pipes, dry leaves, etc. can accumulate.

Cleaning the drainage channels

This surface is waterproof so the drain has to be cleaned periodically so that it fulfills its function correctly.

Decompaction

This action avoids the loss of cushioning and shock absorption.

Brushed

This operation prevents the fiber from caking and losing elasticity. Premature aging is also prevented.

Recebo

It must be done at least once a year so that the field continues to maintain its mechanical characteristics.

Irrigation

If the field is wet, it improves the player’s friction with the grass, thus avoiding possible burns. In addition to increasing the useful life of the field and reducing wear.

Irrigation network disinfection

It is done to prevent the appearance of legionellosis.

Board review

Rolls of grass are joined by stitching or gluing. It is important to check these joints to avoid injury from tripping or snagging.

4. Concrete and resin flooring

The sports that are practiced on this surface are futsal, handball, basketball, tennis, paddle tennis, ball, roller hockey, skating, skateboarding or BMX. Within this category, there are three differentiated surfaces: porous concrete, screeds with some type of surface hardening treatment or synthetic resin floors. The care to take into account are:

Polishing the surface

They are usually made on hockey or skating rinks to avoid irregularities caused by the wear and tear of their use.

Cleaning the surface

Most of these tracks are located outdoors so accumulation of dust and dirt is normal.

Repairing small holes

The sooner this defect is corrected, the better since if it is left alone, it will be extended in a short period of time.

Flooring made of plastic materials and linoleum

The sports practiced here are futsal, handball, basketball, volleyball, multi-purpose sports halls, athletics, fencing and weightlifting. The main characteristic of these surfaces is their great damping capacity. These pavements are elastic, absorb energy and then restore it by returning to its original state. The most used materials are PVC, linoleum and rubber. The maintenance operations are as follows:

• Do not allow the use of street shoes or unsuitable sneakers.
• Control as far as possible the use of resins or magnesia in Gymnastics or Handball sports.
• Protect the sports flooring in the event that the installation is used for any type of non-sports event (concerts, meetings, etc.).
• Place mats in the access areas to the pavement.
• Do not leave heavy loads on the same spot on the pavement for a long time.
• Cleaning. Depending on the type of surface, use a damp mop or pressurized water but always with neutral soap.

5. Wooden flooring

These surfaces are used for futsal, handball, basketball, multipurpose sports halls, squash and fencing. Wood offers a demanding energy restitution and shock absorption response and can be used for almost all sports where plastic flooring is used. In addition to the maintenance required for flooring made of plastic and linoleum materials, there are other tasks such as:

Slashed

It is used to remove the varnish from the surface and open the pores to later apply a new layer of varnish.

Varnished

Performed after stabbing. You must use a varnish that meets the sporting properties of the DIN 18302 standard on sliding.

Protective coating application

This action lengthens the duration of the varnish.

So far the list of the most common surfaces for sports activities. If you want to delve into the subject, I advise you to read the Sports Activities Maintenance Manual. In addition to the maintenance staff, it is advisable that all users of the areas dedicated to sports practice know the basic rules of care: do not eat or drink in the area or wear the appropriate shoe, for example. For this, posters can be placed informing of the rules of use at the entrance of each space. All these good practices help the correct development of the activity with the plus of increasing the durability of the facilities.

Another complementary option to the maintenance plan is to know the opinion of the users about possible improvements. Thus, you will have first-hand knowledge of the possible incidents that may exist in the event that personnel dedicated to it have not noticed, and you will increase the satisfaction of your customers when attending their requests.

We hope this information is useful to you and you start creating your own maintenance plan. To stay alert for tips like this, subscribe to our newsletter, and you will receive content 100% dedicated to sports clubs.