Artificial Surfaces
Frozen artificial pitches - stay off them! “
Through their very nature, synthetic surfaces take longer to thaw than natural surfaces and, because of the very limited solar heat during the winter months, ambient ground heat will be the main source available to clear any snow or frost
tidemarks. Most of the time, the drainage under the pitch is okay, it is the carpet itself restricting the water flow. These pitches act like water filters, with dirty water entering the top of the construction, the sand and infill materials trapping the dirt and fines, and clean water draining through. This can only happen for a certain period of time before it stops draining altogether. The ‘tide marks in the morning’ phenomenon is often seen after rain at night, where the surface floods and the fines rise to the top of the carpet. When the water recedes slowly, due to poor drainage, the material is left on the top. This is a good way of identifying contaminated parts of the surface and an indicator that the surface needs cleaning. When the carpet and infill are wet, it is impossible to utilise a vacuum to extract the dirt, dust and fines. The type of cleaning and maintenance must be changed to accommodate a wet surface during the autumn/winter months. It is important that surface cleaning takes
place to remove rubbish and leaves from the top of the carpet as soon as they arrive; when fallen leaves are left in the surface, they seem to disappear - they get trodden into the carpet and break down, creating bigger problems later on. A machine such as the Redexim Verti-Clean™ will quickly cross
the surface and collect this type of material. This job can also be done with a leaf blower, gathering the leaves for collection, but be careful not to blow into the surface or move any infill around.
During the autumn, it may be necessary to blow the surface on a daily basis and time for this should be factored into your maintenance plans. Maintenance with a rotary (cleaning) brush, such as the Verti- Top™, is encouraged as it will collect the surface debris, whilst the turning action helps to alleviate infill compaction and keep the infill fluid and mobile. When specifying a rotary brush, use
caution to ensure the brush is not too aggressive (some are designed to sweep tarmac), as the principals of the machine means it will throw the infill material forward and off the playing area, rather than lifting and replacing it. Sand-dressed and sand-filled surfaces can also become particularly slippery at this time of year, so be vigilant to these hazardous areas - players will soon find dangerous spots. This lack of traction is normally caused by either flat fibre on top of compacted sand or the sludgy material which causes the ‘tide marks’ being brought up by rainfall. Flat fibres can be rectified through regular and effective brushing with, for example a Verti-
It is usually the carpet itself that restricts drainage 112 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
Frost can remain in shaded areas on an artificial pitch
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