How to Choose the Right Surface Material for a Multi-Sport Court

If you’re putting in a sport court, one of the first hiccups you’ll run across is deciding what type of surface material you need. If you’re talking about a dedicated court, the answer’s pretty simple; but what about your Philadelphia, PA multi-sport court surfacing?

Making Sport Court Surfacing Choices for Philadelphia, PA Multi-Sport Use

1. Player Safety Comes First

The first and most important consideration is the safety of the players. If you get the proper grip on the court surface, this will minimize slips and falls, especially after rain. But you also want materials that can absorb shock well enough to protect player joints. Whatever you decide upon, always keep safety as your number one consideration.

2. Weather Matters

If your court is outdoors, then it’s constantly exposed to weather and extreme changes in weather. During the summer, it might be exposed to intense sunlight, and those UV rays are going to degrade the surface.

You can mitigate this somewhat with the right tree cover, but what you can’t really mitigate is rain or frost. So whatever material you choose, it has to be able to handle these kinds of extreme conditions if it’s outdoors, and you’ll also want to be sure to put in proper drainage.

3. Consider Pros and Cons of Different Materials

Asphalt

Asphalt is a very popular choice. It’s cheap, it’s flexible, and it’s got good grip. On the downside, you will have to upkeep it constantly to prevent cracks, and if you don’t do this, those cracks will soon become holes, and pretty soon you’ll have a useless court.

Concrete

Concrete is another popular choice, especially for durability. It lasts, which is really its main plus, and if you put some protective layers over the top of it, you can get good grip. However, it’s definitely not good for impact sports. If you anticipate players using it for impact sports regularly, then you’ll want to add some cushioning layers on top.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is best for indoor courts. It’s not particularly suitable for the outdoors, but if your court is inside, this might be the best choice because of its shock-absorbing ability and overall durability and comfort.

Artificial Turf

Artificial turf is meant to replicate the feel of grass but without any of the intense care that goes into trying to keep grass growing. The downside is that artificial turf can sometimes be too grippy, and with the wrong shoes, your football, field hockey, or soccer players are likely to see more twisted ankles and damaged knees.

Getting the right shoes does help deal with this, and the good news is that turf is a very cushioned surface if you’re dealing with sports that involve a lot of falls.

Acrylic

Acrylic works both indoors and outdoors and is popular with tennis and basketball courts. It can be made in whatever color you like, it’s really quite durable, and it offers decent grip and pretty good cushioning.

For help in choosing wisely for your sport court, contact PowerSurge Plus in Lansdale, PA. We’ve been serving Philly, all of PA, and the larger tri-state area since 1998.

Tags: multi-sport court surfacing, Sport Court Surfacing, surface material
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