Preparing Your Tennis Court for Winter

Like most things, tennis courts last longer when they’re properly maintained over the years. Seasons come and go, and if you have a tennis court in an area where the weather gets downright cold with snow and ice, there are several things you can do to prep your tennis court for winter.

First, if you have windscreens attached to the fence system, take them down. Winter winds can severely damage windscreens, and since you won’t be playing on the courts anyway, you don’t need them to be up during wintertime.

Next, lower tennis nets to relieve their tension. If you know you won’t be using the court at all during the cold months, take the nets off completely and store them indoors. Otherwise, depending on your climate, you might be able to raise the nets if there’s a warm spell in February or March and get a game or two in when the sun is shining and the weather is pleasant.

Does your court tend to gather leaves from nearby trees each autumn? If so, rake those leaves off the court and get rid of them, and any other organic debris—unless you want a stained court with moss and mildew on it next year.

To remove stains on a tennis court, use a soft brush and cold water detergent solution first. If that doesn’t work, switch to a chlorine bleach solution of one cup of bleach to each gallon of water. Use a garden hose to rinse the solution off—a power washer might be too powerful for the surface and damage it.

Finally, at the end of the tennis season, before winter, it’s a good time to get cracks and holes fixed and filled by professionals, before snow and ice cause them to expand and mess up your future tennis games.

If you have specific tennis court maintenance questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Classic Turf Company of Connecticut.