stadium
Artificial Pitch Maintenance

Why maintain your Artificial Pitch

The main selling point of Artificial Turf surfaces was always the fact they require no maintenance, this however is not the case. Artificial grass surfaces that are maintained regularly have an increased life expectancy of up to 50%.

Those surfaces that have been neglected are now suffering from premature ageing. Many surfaces which have not been regularly maintained have had to be completely replaced.

The difference in real grass and artificial grass is that instead of spending time looking after your surface HB Sports Surfaces are able to put into place a regular maintenance programme for you allowing you to enjoy your sports surface year round.

Why maintain your Artificial Pitch

A fully comprehensive maintenance programme from the day the artificial pitch is installed will maximise the longevity of the surface and in fact some synthetic grass manufacturers state that unless the surface has a regular professional maintenance regime the carpets guarantee will not be valid. So it makes sense to be able to prove that your artificial grass has had the professional maintenance it requires should you encounter any manufactures problems.

Regular surface brushing is recommended to help keep the infill distributed evenly and reduce surface compaction, incorrect infill levels, and debris blocking the surface can lead to algae, moss and weed growth. Mud and general dirt from around the artificial surface can carried onto the surface from sports shoes.

One way in which contamination of the artificial pitch is prevented is by Rotary Sweeping, fibre dust and debris is removed, this keeps the surface clean and ensures it drains well.

The regularity of which such maintenance would be required is dependent on the position of the artificial surface. A shaded surface which is close to deciduous trees will require more frequent maintenance than one that is out in the open with no nearby vegetation around.

A pitch can become quite dangerous if it is left uncleaned, bad surface drainage can render it slippery. Periodically, surface repairs may be required if seams or cut-in lines become damaged or detached.

Regular chemical treatments and power washing minimise these issues.

Artificial grass maintenance regular and intensive programmes

A regular Professional maintenance programme carried out on your synthetic sports pitch will significantly extend the life of your surface by as much as 50%.

A comprehensive maintenance programme will depend on the type of artificial sports pitch but can include:

Artificial grass maintenance Seam and patch repairs

Over time, seams and joints can fail, excessive use and high wear areas sometimes around goal posts, penalty spots etc can affect your artificial surface causing it to under-perform. Adverse weather, freezing temperatures can cause breakdown of glues can result in weakening joints, so as soon as problem joints are spotted they should be repaired before creeping sand and debris accelerates the wear. Trip hazards can make surfaces unsafe for play. Some damaged areas may also require sub-surface attention.

Artificial grass maintenance Line marking

Line markings can wear over time so your artificial sports pitch will require over marking after a time. It maybe that you wish your synthetic sports surface to accommodate an increased number of sports; this can be achieved by adding extra sport lines. This will open up your sports surface facility to more people. Our 2 part paint is durable and long lasting and all paint products are made from the highest quality acrylic and polyurethane materials which are tested to ensure durability.

Artificial grass maintenance Part/Full pitch regeneration

Any artificial sports surface may develop muddy patches and/or there may be a problem with standing water especially after rain. This usually indicates contaminated infill is slowing down the drainage of your surface. In order to rectify this part/all of the contaminated infill will need to be removed.

Summer regeneration - Dry weather is required

All artificial sports pitches require maintenance to ensure they do what they were designed to do. Over time such sports surfaces can suffer from ingrained dirt and grime which adversely affects the surface. Algae, moss and detritus causes the pitch to become slippy. If this problem is present for a length of time the surface will become compacted and drainage will inevitably be lost. At this stage the artificial sports surface will require regeneration/restoration. Extraction and removal of contaminates and contaminated sand is most effective, the sports surface may require new sand to be installed in order for it to be playable again. Intensive de-compaction, infill filtration with a fine filter to remove contamination will revive the sports surface back to a new lease of life. Contaminants can be vacuumed from the surface, jet washing or air compression cleaning are also used in order to decontaminate an artificial sports ground.

Winter regeneration

Without the correct maintenance regime in place, contaminants can build up within your artificial sports surface and stop it draining, leaving deposits of silt on the surface. The pitch becomes very slippery and compacted. Winter regeneration radically improves pitch drainage and increases the time term the pitch is playable on .


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