Tennis Court Maintenance
Grooming, Cleaning, Maintaining
Check out our tips for keeping your court in top condition:
Har-Tru Clay Court Daily Maintenance
Brushing
Brushing a Har-Tru court redistributes the loose top dressing material and smooths it out after play. Brushing also dries the court out so it should only be done just prior to watering or if your court is too wet.
Watering
Water keeps a court firm and stable and ensures proper traction. Watering should take place as needed to keep court conditions optimal. At most facilities watering is done overnight and once during the middle of the day. Whatever the schedule, it should be designed to provide the court with enough water to keep it playing well until the next watering cycle.
Rolling
Rolling a court will make it firmer and faster. It also helps prevent too much loose top dressing material from building up on the court surface. Rolling is particularly important for tennis courts coming out of the winter in a freeze/thaw environment and should happen daily in this setting until the court reaches an optimal compaction. Subsequent rolling can be done as needed to achieve desired playing conditions. Rolling is most effective in the morning when a court has moisture in it.
Periodic Maintenance for a Har-Tru Court
Periodic maintenance on a Har-Tru court addresses court changes that occur over time. These should include repair of divots and low spots, inspection of tapes for areas where the lines are high or the edges are curled, elimination of growth around the perimeter of the court, scarification of any hard or slippery spots, and clearing drainage channels.
Annual Reconditioning for a Har-Tru Court
The reconditioning process includes four segments: cleaning, leveling, top dressing, and laying lines.
Cleaning — Remove the tapes and all leaves and debris and lightly scrape court to remove oversized particles.
Leveling — Scrape down high areas (such as where the lines were) and patch low areas.
Top Dressing — Add new HAR-TRU at a rate of two tons per court.
Laying Lines — Install new line tapes. Re-using tapes is acceptable if the texture has not been worn off.
Download the Har-Tru Mantenance Manual here.
Download the Indoor Har-Tru Maintenance Manual Here.
Watch Har-Tru president Pat Hanssen demonstrate how to use the Gator Rake line of grooming tools:
HydroCourt and HyQ Court Maintenance
Daily Maintenance for HydroCourt and HyQ Courts
A few simple daily routines will keep your court looking and playing great for years to come. These routines can take as little as 10 minutes a day and involve three things: brushing, watering, and rolling.
Brushing: Since HydroCourts and HyQ Courts stay at optimal moisture they require very little brushing. The brushing that does take place is most effective when using aggressive grooming tools such as the Gator Rake or the Steel Bristle Drag Brush. These tools will help keep an optimal amount of loose sliding material on the surface.
Watering: HydroCourt and HyQ Courts water automatically as needed. Water levels can be adjusted in the control boxes as necessary.
Rolling: Rolling is important for tennis courts coming out of the winter in a freeze/thaw environment and should happen daily in this setting until the court reaches an optimal compaction. Subsequent rolling can be done as needed to achieve desired playing conditions but is not typically required for HydroCourt or HyQ Courts.
Periodic Maintenance for HydroCourt and HyQ Courts
Periodic maintenance on HydroCourt and HyQ Courts addresses court changes that occur over time. These should include scarification to prevent and eliminate growth and to prevent and reduce hardening of the court surface, adding Coarse Blend to maintain optimum traction, and the clearing of drainage channels.
Annual Reconditioning for HydroCourt and HyQ Courts
The reconditioning process includes four segments: cleaning, leveling, top dressing, and laying lines.
Cleaning — Remove the tapes and all leaves and debris and lightly scrape court to remove oversized particles.
Leveling — Scrape down high areas (such as where the lines were) and patch low areas.
Top Dressing — Add new HydroBlend at a rate of one ton per court.
Laying Lines — Install new line tapes. Re-using tapes is acceptable if the texture has not been worn off.
ClayTech Court Maintenance
Daily Maintenance for a ClayTech Court
ClayTech maintenance is incredibly simple: Brush and water as desired.
Brushing: Brushing helps redistribute the top dressing material across the court surface. When wet, brushing will help lift more of the loose top dressing out of the fibers and dry the court out. Brushing can be done as needed before or after play.
Watering: Water will keep the court a rich dark color and will help keep the court cooler but won’t affect play very much. Watering can be done just prior to or even during play as desired.
Rolling: ClayTech courts do not need to be rolled.
Periodic Maintenance for a ClayTech Court
Periodic maintenance on a ClayTech court addresses court changes that occur over time. These should include the addition of material where needed (we recommend keeping the court filled to the top of the membrane to prevent accelerated wear), the elimination of growth around the perimeter of the court, and the clearing of drainage channels.
Annual Reconditioning for a ClayTech Court
ClayTech does not require much in terms of reconditioning. The lines should be inspected and painted or refreshed as necessary. New HydroBlend and/or Coarse Blend should be added as needed. We recommend keeping the court filled to the top of the membrane to prevent accelerated wear.
