When installing a court, it is important to protect the surface from weather, stains, and other damage. Court surfacing is crucial to the longevity of your court and allows you to enjoy physical exercise for years to come. When you prepare courts for surfacing, you ensure that many sports can be enjoyed by players of all skill types and ages for many years. Whether you are looking to install a completely new court or need to resurface an existing one, here are the steps you need to follow for success.

Choosing An Optimal Location

For a new court installation, choosing the right location is crucial. Finding a sustainable location means finding a space with proper drainage, the right sun exposure, soil stability, slope, and enough space for safety. In order to prepare courts for surfacing, homeowners or city officials will need a lot of strategic planning and understanding the surrounding landscape.

Measuring the space is also important to keep everyone safe and protect your home. Mark boundaries and leave a buffer of space around your court just to keep observers from flying equipment. Ensure you have enough space for any sport you would like to play. Sports like basketball and tennis will need a larger court than sports like pickleball.

Clearing And Excavation

Once you have determined a location, you may need to do some landscaping to ensure the court is level and stable. Before installing a court or resurfacing your old one, clear trees, shrubs, boulders, and other debris that could make it hard to access the court. Clearing these landscaping elements will help ensure the longevity of the court material while also helping create a safer gameplay area.

Installing a draining system is another necessary step to prepare courts for surfacing. Preventing water accumulation keeps your court durable for longer. Preventing moisture build-up is also crucial for the coating to adhere to the surface.

Make Necessary Repairs

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Prepare courts for surfacing

Existing courts will need to be repaired before resurfacing if you want the coating to last. Repairing cracks, dents, or other issues should be done to prepare courts for surfacing. Doing research on appropriate patching materials and how to prevent damage to your court is essential to a durable court. Making the necessary repairs before a coating will make the investment last longer and thus, more worth it.

Apply Primer And Sealant

Just like other surfaces, using a primer will help paint and coatings adhere properly. Depending on what subsurface you choose, a primer is necessary to apply a coating at all. Once the primer is applied and dried, you can then seal the surface. Resurfacing a court involves multiple steps to ensure that the space lasts through heavy wear and tear.

Research Additional Coating Options

Additional coatings like paint or polyurethane coatings offer a smoother finish. These are applied after a primer and sealer as they are what should be visible to players. Some of the additional coatings add more shock absorption to the court.

For sealants and additional coatings, you may need to apply multiple layers to achieve the desired thickness and finish. Allow each layer to fully cure before applying another.

Line Marking

The final step in court surfacing is to paint marker lines. Lines are helpful when playing different sports when keeping score and knowing where to hit the ball. Measuring is important when painting lines to know where to install netting, fencing, and ensure safe gameplay.

The Surfacing Process From Pickle Court Surfacing

Our team of experts is here to help you restore your court with ease. Not only do we install regulation courts, but we also offer resurfacing for courts that are damaged. Many courts need resurfacing after 4-8 years, to help keep them usable. Pickle Court Surfacing can advise you on what maintenance you need for your specific court or if you are due for resurfacing.

Court resurfacing helps to prevent debris accumulation that can lead to injury on a court. Whether you have a basketball court or pickleball court, we can help upgrade your recreational space. Contact us to get started today!

When building a recreational court, there are many different court materials to choose from. Depending on the sport you want to play, different materials may need to be used in order to play the game effectively. Different court materials will feel different, look different, have varied bounce rates, and withstand different weather conditions.

Choosing the right material for your needs will require some research about the materials available. This blog will share more about popular material types and how they will serve your specific needs.

Rubber

Rubber is a popular choice for running tracks, playgrounds, pickleball courts, tennis courts, and more. It is a popular choice mainly because of its impact resistance. This helps improve the bounce rate and lower the risk of injuries because of shock absorption.

These courts are great for various outdoor weather conditions and stay durable for many years. Rubber is low maintenance and easy to clean which is often why they are featured in playgrounds and parks. Although they typically are placed outside, rubber courts can be used indoors as well.

Acrylic

Typically used for tennis and pickleball courts, acrylic helps courts to have a bright color with decent cushioning. Although acrylic is more expensive than other materials, it provides a more predictable ball behavior and enhanced durability.

Pickle Court Surfacing works with SportMaster Sport Surfaces, which offers acrylic resin for all courts. This material is resistant to sun damage and has high durability. Our team uses this material because it helps your court to feel professional-grade and last in Utah’s ever-changing weather.

Hardwood

Most indoor courts resort to a hardwood surface, especially for sports like basketball, volleyball, and racquetball. Hardwood offers the best traction for these sports while also offering shock absorption.

The major drawback of hardwood courts is that they are susceptible to moisture. Even if you use this material inside your home or in a recreational area, high humidity or water can cause damage to the court. Hardwood is not a material that should be placed outside where the weather elements can damage it quickly.

Asphalt

Different court materials will need to have some give while also staying durable. Asphalt offers a great balance between cost and optimal performance for sports like basketball or tennis and will reduce the risk of major injuries compared to concrete. Asphalt can also be recycled, making it a great option for homeowners who want to be more eco-friendly.

While asphalt is generally a cheaper court option, it will require more maintenance to remain in good condition. Periodic resurfacing is common for all different court materials, but it is especially common for asphalt because high temperatures can lead to surface damage. While resurfacing a court isn’t cheap, it is a wise investment if you want to keep using the space for years to come.

Concrete

Concrete is a popular choice for outdoor recreational areas because of its durability. The hardness and unforgiving nature of concrete is great for withstanding weather but isn’t great for joint stress or dampening falls. Concrete can be used for sports like basketball, tennis, pickleball, and more because it is so versatile.

Although concrete is durable and versatile, it is prone to cracking. Especially in places with temperature fluctuations, cracking is more common when your court is placed outside.

How Do Materials Hold Up In Different Weather?

Utah sees many different types of weather throughout the year so choosing a durable material is crucial. For the changing Utah weather, our experts recommend that you utilize acrylic or rubber for your outdoor court. Pickle Court Surfacing can coat both concrete and asphalt courts to help them have a barrier between them and the elements. Surfacing helps to improve the bond of your court and allows you to play sports all year round.

Different Court Materials From Pickle Court Surfacing

While customers can customize their court and choose any different court materials they want, our team can help you choose the best option. With SportMaster’s options, you can have a bold-colored court that will withstand different weather conditions.

We provide the highest quality courts in the state. We listen to your vision for your project and provide advice on how to keep your court looking new. No matter what activity you are looking to participate in, Pickle Court Surfacing can make it a reality without the need to leave your home. Improve your backyard or recreational space by giving us a call today!

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Is your backyard big enough for a court?

Many homes are implementing courts in their backyards because of the multiple benefits for their homes. Courts can increase your home value while giving you a space to entertain all kinds of people. But a common question we get asked at Pickle Court Surfacing is ‘Is our backyard big enough for a court?’

Not all backyards are created equal either. Ensuring you have the proper space for a tennis court, basketball court, etc. will ensure that you can fully enjoy your court. In this blog, we will share some measurements and considerations to keep in mind when installing a court for your home.

What Type Of Court Are You Looking To Install?

Determining if your yard is big enough for a court depends on what kind of sports you want to be able to play. Different sports will require different dimensions in order to play effectively. If your yard doesn’t have enough space for your preferred sport, it may be hard to install. However, if you want a basketball court for example, but only have room for a tennis court or pickleball court, you can have lines painted for a half court.

Other less popular courts like shuffleboard or bocce ball will fit well in smaller yards. Homes with smaller backyards can still install a court, but it may not be to the official regulation size. Each sport needs its own amount of space to keep players and watchers safe.

Working with a court professional can help you determine how much space you need for the court itself as well as gaps around the court surface.

Typical Court Dimensions

Before scheduling the installation of your court, you should know what they typical dimensions of popular courts are. This will help you determine if your yard is big enough for a court.

Volleyball

The official dimensions of a volleyball court are 29 feet 6 inches wide by 59 feet long. That is a total of 1,743 square feet. You must have a safe zone around the perimeter which should be a minimum of 10 feet for player movement and spectator safety.

Recreational courts can vary in size though. Typical recreational courts are around 30 feet wide by 60 feet long with a slightly smaller safe zone.

Basketball

A full-sized regulation court is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide. Half-court dimensions are 47 feet long by 50 feet wide. High school basketball courts are typically smaller, which could be a better fit for most backyard basketball courts. High school or junior courts are 84 feet long and 50 feet wide.

Tennis

Courts should be 78 feet long and width will change depending on single matches or doubles. Single-match courts should be 27 feet wide while doubles courts should be 36 feet wide. The service line should be 21 feet from the net.

Pickleball

Pickleball courts can also double as badminton courts because of their similar dimensions. These courts are some of the smallest at 44 feet long and 20 feet wide.

Install A Multi-Use Court

As previously stated, some sized courts can include multiple painted lines to allow homeowners to play multiple sports on one court. Since pickleball courts are smaller, you can install a basketball court and paint lines for pickleball. Volleyball and basketball courts can also be combined.

Pickle Court Surfacing offers multi-use courts to help you maximize the space in your backyard. Homeowners can have 2 or more sets of lines on their court when installed by our team. If your backyard is big enough for a court, you can maximize your investment by working to allow multiple sports to be played in one designated space.

Avoiding Large Trees

Working around existing landscaping is another consideration when installing a court. When you are using your court recreationally, you may be able to work around trees, bushes, or other landscaping because the play isn’t as intense.

Large trees around your yard can pose some complications for your court though. Not only can they take up a lot of space where your court could be placed, but their roots also spread through your yard. Large roots can come to the surface of your yard and lead to cracks in your court. Roots make the yard uneven which can limit the usable life of a court. Placing a sports area away from large trees will be beneficial to protect the large investment in a court.

Other Considerations To Keep In Mind

Working a court into your backyard is a complex task to take on. There are other rules and city regulations you will need to know before hiring a professional.

Courts of any kind can not be installed over septic systems.

Some cities and towns will not allow courts to be installed near a wetland.

Playing Sports With Family Midway UT Pickle Court Surfacing

Proper rain and water drainage will be needed to protect your court from damage.

Court Options From Pickle Court Surfacing

Get your game on with any type of court from our team! Pickle Court Surfacing offers tennis courts, basketball courts, pickleball courts, and multi-purpose courts. We understand different regulations, line spacing, and high-quality court materials so that you can enjoy your court for many years. Reach out to us to get started on your Utah court project today!

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Thursday	7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday	7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday	7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
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