Tag Archives: Acrylic Resurfacer

Acrylic Resurfacer, Asphalt Sport Surfaces, Silica Sand for Coatings

What type of silica sand should be used in acrylic sport surfaces?

When sourcing sand for use in 100% acrylic sport coatings, it’s important to use quality sand.  There is a large variety of sand characteristics when sourcing throughout the United States & around the world.  Here are some important factors when researching sand for acrylic sport surfaces:

  • For acrylic color coatings, shoot for a sieve size of 70-90 mesh.  The higher the number, the finer the sand particle.
Round Silica Sand | 90 Mesh for Colored Tennis Court Surfaces
Round Silica Sand | 90 Mesh for Colored Tennis Court Surfaces
  • The ideal shape for color coating sand is round.  Angular sand can be used for a grittier texture, but it can also increase wear on the pickleball or slower play with tennis balls.  Angular sand can increase wear on pickleballs and create more ball fuzz with tennis balls.  Angular sand can also result in more visible application, or squeegee marks.
  • Since the standard method of coating application is a soft rubber squeegee, the size of the sand sets the coating thickness.  The larger the sand, the thicker the coating.  This also affects the coverage rate.  More coating is used with larger sand and less with finer sand.
  • Look for sands with low-to-no dust.  Dust in sand can lead to less vibrance and more chalky appearance of the color coatings.  It can also diminish the UV resistance of the color and lead to earlier fading of the finish.  When looking as a sand sieve analysis, look for low percentages in the “Pan”.  The pan holds fines that fall through all of the sieve “screens” and lands in the pan at the bottom.
Dusty coarse sandDusty coarse sand
Clean sand vs dusty coarse sandClean sand vs dusty coarse sand

Are finer and coarser sands acceptable for use in color coatings?

When looking at a sand sieve analysis, there is never 100% of a certain size in any lot of sand.  There is a range of particle sizes in various percentages within all sands.  Most technical data sheets for sand will include the sieve analysis, and some of them will provide the average (or AFS).  So if a specification calls for 100 mesh sand, it would be acceptable to use something close like a 80 to 90 mesh sand since it likely has particles within the mix that are over and under this range.

What is the best type of sand to use in Acrylic Resurfacer?

Acrylic Resurfacer is an industry-standard product that is used as the base coat(s) under colored acrylic playing surfaces.  Acrylic Resurfacer is used for the following:

  • Filler coat.  Fills voids in asphalt or concrete pavement surfaces.
  • Helps to hide crack repairs, low spot leveling and other surface repairs
  • Provides texture on an existing smooth acrylic surface to prepare for consistent application of new textured color coatings.  This helps to ensure the proper mil thickness of the color coatings, which leads to longer wear and superior hiding.
  • Excellent primer coat for adhesion of the surfacing system.

The size and shape of the silica sand used in acrylic resurfacer is directly attributed to the performance.   Thus, it is recommended to use a larger & angular shaped silica sand somewhere between 40 to 60 mesh (clean and dust-free).  This helps to create a thicker hiding coat which is also perfect for filling voids in pavement.  If a finer sand is used in Acrylic Resurfacer, the filling and hiding capacity is greatly diminished.

Angular Silica Sand | 50 Mesh for Acrylic Patch Binder and Resurfacer
Angular Silica Sand | 50 Mesh for Acrylic Patch Binder and Resurfacer

Recommended sand for Acrylic Patch Binder

Acrylic Patch Binder is another common repair product that is used on acrylic courts.  Patch Binder is a 100% binder that is mixed on-site with portland or hydraulic cement, and silica sand.  It is used to fill and level birdbaths, or low areas where water puddles on a court surface.  Patch Binder mix is also used to fill cracks on asphalt and concrete athletic courts.  Since we want to fill low spots and cracks, it is ideal to also use a 40 to 60 mesh angular silica sand.  This should be the same type of sand that is used in Acrylic Resurfacer.

Summary of Sand for acrylic sport surfacing systems

The correct sand shape and size is very important, when sourcing for acrylic sport surfacing systems.  Contact your local SportMaster representative for more information & the best sources of silica sands.  If you’re having trouble finding a good local source, you may want to consider buying factory-mixed coatings.  SportMaster produces Acrylic Resurfacer and Color Coatings in both non-textured and factory-textured options.

Acrylic Resurfacer, Tennis Court Repair, Tennis Court Resurfacing, Tennis Court Surfaces

How Often Should Tennis Courts Be Resurfaced?

Tennis courts should be resurfaced every 4 to 8 years.  This is a standard range with quite a few variables, as you could imagine. Lets go over some reasons why the same resurfacing process would last 4 years on one court and 8, or double the amount of time, on another.

Tennis Court Construction Methods | Surface Longevity

Tennis courts, and other sport surfaces, should be properly built. There are important differences between a parking lot or driveway, and a tennis court surface.  The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) maintains construction guidelines for tennis courts and even has a certified tennis court builder program.  If tennis courts are not built correctly, they could require more frequent repairs and resurfacing.  Here are just some of the common construction problems influencing the decision of how often tennis courts should be resurfaced:

  • Improper slope = ponding water and premature breakdown of acrylic surfacing system.
  • Insufficient compaction  = susceptible to deforming, moisture damage, cracking, etc.
  • Incorrect or missing drainage system = backup of water and a long list of problems like surface bubbles/blisters, premature surface wear, and more.

Environmental Conditions and Surrounding Issues | Resurfacing Cycle

Acrylic tennis court surfaces require very little maintenance, but here are few important tips in extending the life of color coatings:

  • Surface debris removal – Don’t let leaves, pine needles, or any other organic debris build up on the court surface.  It will hold moisture and rot on the surface.  This is cause faster wear of the tennis court surfaces.
  • Trim edges – Be sure to keep grass, vegetation, and dirt trimmed down around the court edges.  This will help to prevent back-up of water that drains off of the court.  Puddled water will break down the acrylic surface coatings prematurely, and result the need for more frequent resurfacing.
  • Periodic washing –  Light to moderate pressure washing of the surface with mild detergents will help to extend the surface life and keep the court surface looking good.

Acrylic Resurfacer | Money Well Spent When Resurfacing

Many court owners want to skip the Acrylic Resurfacer step and just apply the color coatings.  Acrylic Resurfacer re-textures an old smooth court and helps to ensure the proper application rate of color coatings.  Since tennis court coatings are applied with a soft rubber squeegee, the colored surface coatings tend to “wipe off” when the surface is old, smooth and polished.  This results in thinner surface layers that won’t last as long, and definitely impacts how often the tennis court should be resurfaced.

Active Players and Busy Tennis Courts

Obviously, if there is good tennis programming and lots of players, it can impact the wear of the tennis court surfaces.  Active players and high traffic counts will speed up wear of the surfaces.  If this is known before resurfacing, talk to  a SportMaster representative and they can offer recommendations or prepare a custom scope tailored to your facility.  Extra coats may be recommended to extend the life of your tennis court surfaces.

Is It Time To Resurface Your Tennis Court?

Click on the “Contact Us” button and we can put you in touch with a factory-authorized tennis court contractor.  They can provide free estimates and make sure your tennis court is resurfaced properly. SportMaster Sport Surfaces are stocked and supported world-wide, and are ideal for all climates from extreme heat to frigid cold.

 

Acrylic Resurfacer

Does My Tennis Court Need Acrylic Resurfacer?

Acrylic Resurfacer is a product that is commonly used when resurfacing tennis courts and other sport surfaces. All major manufacturers of acrylic sport surfaces produce this product and recommend using it on both new and existing court surfaces. Even though many installers think of Acrylic Resurfacer as a primer, it serves specific purposes not entirely related to good adhesion.

First of all, Acrylic Resurfacer is a filler coat.  It is designed to suspend large amounts of silica sand for the purpose of filling minor voids in the surface.  Asphalt is a common pavement used for tennis court construction.  Mostly comprised of asphalt binder and rock, asphalt can exhibit a wide variety of porosity from one location to another.  Many factors can influence the pavement porosity, from available regional and local sources of aggregate to project specifications.  Acrylic Resurfacer can fill the surface voids to produce a tight surface without voids and pits that show through the pigmented surface layers.  If the surface voids are not properly filled, they can lead to some of the following problems:

  • Pitting on the playing surface
  • Surface pinholes that are created from air in the voids during application of tennis court color coatings
  • Poor coverage rate on the pigmented surface coatings
  • Premature wear of the color coatings (surfaces)

When asphalt voids, or a heavy broom pattern on concrete, are not filled with the heavy sand load in resurfacer, it can leave high spots throughout the entire court surface.  The high spots, top of the rock or broom pattern, are taking all of the wear and the coatings can wear and polish off the high points showing premature wear.  So, not only is it important to use Acrylic Resurfacer, but it is also very important to use the manufacturer’s recommended size and amount of sand in the product.  Applying resurfacer without the correct sand type and load can defeat the purpose of that step in the process.

Secondly, Acrylic Resurfacer creates or restores texture to the surface prior to application of the colored surface coatings.  Existing acrylic sport surfaces tend to become smooth with years of wear.  The fine silica sand that was in the coating eventually rolls out and the acrylic color surface becomes polished and smooth.  The resurfacer uses an angular sand to create a sandpaper-like texture to better accept the color coating layers.  The colored tennis court surfaces contain a very fine, rounded sand to minimize surface streaking and application marks.  If resurfacer is not applied to create proper texture, the color coating can be applied too thin by the application squeegee.  An example for comparison would be cleaning a glass window with a squeegee.  Since the window is very smooth, the liquid glass cleaner is wiped almost completely off.  If there is no texture on a tennis court, the surface coatings will not be applied in an adequate thickness.  This will minimize film solids and shorten the life of the court surfacing system.

With its heavy body, one or more coats of Acrylic Resurfacer can also be used for shimming rough surface repairs, and hiding patches from depression or crack repairs.  After application, resurfacer dries to a firm, hard film and can be scraped and sanded prior to application of the acrylic color surfacing coats.

Finally, the only situation where Acrylic Resurfacer is not required is when you have an existing acrylic surface with adequate texture.  This occurs when the courts have been properly maintained and resurfaced before the original texture is lost.  Visit SportMaster for a tennis court maintenance manual and for further care instructions on extending the life of the sport surfacing system.