Resurfacing tennis courts

[aTotal360]

I'm (unwillingly) in charge of my communities amenities. We plan on getting our courts resurfaced for the first time in a couple weeks. I play tennis, but I know nothing about resurfacing. The company we are using supposedly uses the same process and color scheme as the contractor that handle the US Open's courts.

We have 4 courts (2 pairs). For $9k (a pair, so $18k total) they will resurface, repaint everything including fences and lights, new net, and install a smart timer on our lights. Seems cheap.

Any particular questions that I need to ask? What do I need to look out for?

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Not a bad price. Just make sure the condition of the concrete underneath is good. If not... DO NOT let them do some kind of self leveling patch on the playing surface. Cut out and replace the concrete in bad areas. I had a project a few years ago where a huge tennis complex for the city hired a contractor that used self leveling cement to make repairs on the court and then resurfaced over it.

Well, if you have ever seen self leveling compounds, they are nothing but a cement mix with some kind of plasticizer. This works okay for under tile floors in your house, but if you did it on your driveway, it would start to break up after a year or so. Same thing on the tennis court. All of these courts had the self leveling concrete everywhere and as it aged a year or two, it started breaking up, under the new tennis surface. It created dead spots everywhere. The ball would just die when it hit the area and the players would turn their ankles. The contractor was long gone by that time and the city spent another million dollars replacing everything a second time within a few years.

So no self leveling. If the concrete is bad, just gut that area out, insert some rebar dowels into the existing concrete, and repour.

 

[patdog]

No idea. I would call the tennis pro at the nearest tennis club or country club with a good tennis program and ask for advice.

 

[HotMop]

I dunno, I only play on Grass, Clay courts in a pinch.

 

[statedogg1]

That seems really cheap. We just finished a project building 6 courts and the surfacing cost was $9,100 each court.
If it is concrete courts, those are post tensioned slabs. There is no cutting and patching without X-raying the slab to locate tendons. PT concrete last a really long time, but once it is shot it's pretty much demo and re-pour time.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

They are post tensioning tennis courts slabs? I have not seen it, but I have only messed with a few. If post tensioned, definitely do not cut.

For the record... I am completely against post tensioned slabs in anything residential or light commercial. The only real benefit is saving a few bucks, but they consistently under perform rebar and if you have ever seen one fail you will not ever live in a house with PT cables under your ***.

 

[aTotal360]

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I dunno, I only play on Grass, Clay courts in a pinch.

Basketball or tennis?

 

[Badon]

If y’all are considering changing out the lights to something new, smart, and specific for tennis, send me a PM.