90 per cent of the playing courts currently produced are equipped with artificial turf. Although the first installations were built with concrete, it soon became evident that the game acquired a much more interesting speed, as well as a predictable and natural bounce.
Types of artificial turf
There are three types of artificial turf for playing fields:
Fibre turf
Requires regular maintenance to prevent sand build-up in high traffic areas. The fibers are wider than grass monofilament and cut at the top, creating a sort of feather from the same rib. Wears out faster than other types of carpet because the fibers are less dense.
Monofilament carpet
Carpet in which the fine fibers are arranged independently of each other. This means that each rib is routed separately. More durable than fiber turf, but requires more maintenance as the sand is looser.
Loop turf
Used during the World Padel Tour and considered the best padel grass on the market. The shape of the pile is crimped, which allows sand to get between the fibers (it looks like there is no sand in the grass). When played, the ball bounces very evenly, has much less bite than fiber or cord and is much easier to maintain.
Price of artificial grass
After many matches, the turf of a padel court inevitably wears out. While it is often possible to carry out an operation called “resurfacing” , which aims to restore the playing comfort and grip properties that the surface has lost due to use and lack of maintenance, sometimes it is necessary to replace the surface because its condition makes it impossible to repair the artificial grass renew.
When it comes to the price of renovating the surface of a paddle tennis court, there are a few determining variables that make the budget vary. The most important factor is the type of grass.
Fiber turf is the cheapest and is often installed in many sports clubs to save money. The suggested price per square meter is 8-9 euros/m2. Monofilament grass is the second most expensive with an estimated price of 12-13 €/m2, while curly grass used during the World Padel Tour, which requires less maintenance than the others, costs more than 16 €/m2.
Laying artificial grass on a padel court
Many of you are wondering if laying artificial grass on a padel court is too complicated and expensive. You are wrong, in only 5 hours you can have your lawn ready, no matter which model you choose.
First step
The first step is to remove and clean the remains of the base in order to unroll and clean the rollers.
Once this is done, the rollers are mounted, assembled and cross-cut at the white lines.
Gluing
The most important step is gluing the panels. First of all, we place the joint strip between the rolls and apply the appropriate glue, and not just any glue. Then we insert the white separating lines. In this way all panels and channels are well sealed and protected.
Final step
Once the grass and the contour lines are glued, we proceed to the adjustment of the perimeter. Cut the excess grass on the sides. We advise you to do this with a lawnmower.
Finally, we spread and brush silica sand over the entire area.
It is advisable to start from the centre of the pitch towards the edges, in order to remove any folds that may have formed in the grass during the previous steps.
What is the surface of a paddleball court?
An artificial turf surface for paddleball courts consists of three different elements:
The substrate or base: this is a surface consisting of one or two layers of polypropylene bonded to grass fibres or filaments. It is produced in 2-metre and 4-metre rolls (i.e. 2 4-metre rolls and 1 2-metre roll) to facilitate transport and installation of the artificial turf.
Fibres: these are the filaments of the artificial grass measuring between 10 and 15 millimetres. A few years ago, the material of these fibres was nylon, but due to its abrasive nature in contact with the skin, polypropylene was chosen, which is currently the material used.
Sand: to a greater or lesser extent, all artificial turf on a paddleball court must be filled with sand. The amount of sand varies depending on the type and height of the blades, the grain size and, of course, the requirements and playing conditions.