3) With a new tennis court surface, it takes a minimum of four weeks for the oils in the tar to oxidise and allow the courts to be painted. With courts that have lost their paint, the tar around each grain eventually oxidises and hardens, and the grain loses its hold on the next and comes away. Distressing of the court then occurs. Distressed courts can be successfully repaired by the infilling of the holes and spraying the surface with a binder prior to painting, which links the grains of tarmac together again. The application of the binder will only extend the lifetime of the current surface by a few years, and is NOT an answer to a distressed court which is in desparate need of resurfacing!!

4) Holes in the surface can easily be filled with a cold-rolled bitmac, however larger areas would need that area of the court removing, and a new surface put down.

Your court needs as much attention as your garden. If looked after properly, then it will last for many, many years.

What to look for and expect

1) Moss is mostly everyone's greatest problem, and comes in different forms. If the court is treated at the beginning and end of every season, with a gentle wash 2 weeks after application, then there should be no problems. However those with the moss, will find that after pressure washing, there will be small holes where the moss has lifted the grains of bitmac away. It is only possible to repair the larger holes however.

2)Moss killer can be applied prior to pressure washing, but it is sensible to have killer applied immediately afterwards as well, as this will ensure all the moss spores have been treated.

3) White lines. Ask what paint they are using for the white lines- multiple sports such as basketball/ netball have a recommended colour and grit content in the paint. If you are informed it is chlorinated rubber -beware! The co-efficient of expansion between the chlorinated rubber paint and the tarmac on each side of the lines will cause the tarmac to literally split away from the lines -I am sure you will have seen this happen on other courts where there are cracks down the side of the white lines- this is the paint causing it! The lines should not deviate by + or - 25mm down their length. I constantly try to achieve +or- 10mm or less.

4) As mentioned, additional sports such as netball and basketball often join forces with the tennis courts. However these sports, because of the twist and turn of the players, require a different quality of paint to those of the tennis players. If the correct paint is used for these other sports, then the extra grit in the paint may initially strip the "fur" covering off tennis balls.

5) Each paint manufacturer has their own recipe for the paint, however some qualities are not as good as others and may have only chalk as the grit, which soon wears off. All paints should be at British Standards.

6) Paint sprayers have their own technique to paint a court. It is imperative they cross-hatch the court with the two coats. This means they spray one way, then spray 90 degrees the next and final coat. If the court is sprayed only in one direction for both coats, it will mean that the tarmac will not have been evenly covered. The paint will not last the duration, and bare patches will occur -very noticeable when the court is pressure washed! So if possible, have someone around to check that the painter is using the correct method. If not, tell them and demand they cross-hatch the second coat. It is very rare that the paint needs to be thinned down -the manufacturers have already done this, and further thinning will only decrease the micron thickness of paint on your court.

7) The sprayer should also place boards or other material to stop overspray onto the netting surrounding the court.

8) The mark of a good sprayer is to also spray the inside of the lids on the post sockets. They are always face down when being sprayed, but the underneath is permanently on display when the posts are installed -is yours painted inside, or has it still red oxide paint on it?

9) Please do not leave the nets taught after play. There is a tremendous strain put onto the concrete plinths holding the posts. If the nets are constantly left fully up, the posts will lean inwards which moves the concrete, which moves the tarmac. A repaired post hole never makes the court look the same again until it needs re-surfacing again. Remember it is your court that is at stake. There are so many courts out there which have been ruined by painters, where the pores of the tarmac have been clogged, bad paint used for the lines, not pressure washing the court properly, and not cross-hatching when spraying.

I hope the above is of some use and assistance. Should you have further enquiries about your court or need advice please contact-:

Richard Bray