Artificial Surfaces
It is important to educate all staff, especially those who look after the booking of the facility, to ensure the footfall on the surface is well distributed
”
Take a picture of the surface on day one and use that as a benchmark
only purchased once - often with the installation - and should last the duration of the carpet’s life. With this in mind, always ensure that the machines selected are of a sufficient quality to do just that - stand the test of time.
Experience shows that budget constraints, and individual perceptions, make the purchase of additional machinery two or three years later a difficult task.
When it comes to cleaning a surface, again the little and often approach has proved to be most effective. This is the case for two main reasons; firstly, the statement of liability as any foreign bodies on the surface are the responsibility of the facility; and secondly, most material on the surface is natural debris and detritus which, if left, will invariably get trodden on and broken down into the surface. This material will then migrate downwards and cause drainage problems.
The only way this material reaches the bottom of the carpet is from the surface, therefore, if it can be removed, it is a far more efficient way of caring for the facility. Machines like the Verti-Clean™ have proved to be invaluable for this task; the machine is lightweight and fast to cover the surface. The process does not take long and should be done on a regular basis to protect the user and the surface.
Of course, brushing and cleaning is not the
complete answer to maintaining a synthetic surface. These facilities will also require more intensive cleaning to remove finer materials and particles that will have built up.
It is also the nature of synthetic surfaces to unintentionally work as a cleaning system for the water which passes through it, with the infill trapping dirt, dust etc. Until one day, the surface will no longer allow the water to pass through and reaches saturation point and the cry goes out; “our surface has been fine for the last five years and all of a sudden it has flooded”. There is an array of machinery for decompaction and deeper infill cleaning. These machines - the Verti-Top™ is a good example - sweep into the surface and lift the top layers of sand or rubber out of the carpet before seiving the material to separate larger pieces of debris, whilst a vacuum system collects smaller particles such as the dirt, dust and fibres from the surface, preventing the build-up of potential problems.
There are many considerations that can go a long way in the protection of the surface. For example, if boot scrapers/cleaners were not always painted the same colour as the fence, or placed out of the way, then they might be used more. When painted a bright colour, and relocated to a more apparent position, they will get used to clean the mud
The Verti-Art™ range of equipment is the most comprehensive on the market to keep your Synthetic playing surface in shape. For intense
Verti-Art™ products today. Designed for durability f
www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk | 01428 661222 PC APRIL/MAY 2014 I 81
off user’s footwear before they walk on the carpet.
In addition, access and wear is another consideration to educate all on. It is normal to have a ‘lazy-end’, invariably the half of the pitch nearest the gate. The team only need to train for twenty minutes, so they enter the facility and do what needs to be done - on the same area of the surface every day. This will certainly cause uneven wear across the surface and will not be conducive to maximising the lifespan of the surface. It is important to educate all staff, especially those who look after the booking of the facility, to ensure the footfall on the surface is well distributed. This can be done by locking nearside gates and opening gates at the far end of the facility.
The maintenance of different types of synthetic surfaces, whether it be sand dressed, sand filled or 3G, is fairly similar. It will always be necessary to ensure the infill and fibre is working in harmony together. There are training courses available to educate and empower those charged with caring for such surfaces, and give them the skill set required to move forwards with the facility. Charterhouse are always happy to offer free advice and make site visits to assist.
A final tip, take a picture of the surface on day one and use that as a benchmark to monitor the surface over its lifespan.
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