Tennis players hate cracks in their courts. Can you blame them? A bad crack in the tennis court is not only an eyesore but also a safety issue. No one wants to trip, fall and break their ankle because the tennis court surface was cracked. But it does happen, and that’s not good. Why do tennis courts crack?
Generally, hard surface tennis courts are made of asphalt or concrete, similar to our roads and driveways. They can develop surface cracks or structural cracks.
Asphalt Courts
Asphalt courts eventually crack because the surface becomes brittle over time. With roads and driveways, they get the nearly constant weight of traffic and vehicles on top of them, and this helps keep the asphalt pliable, delaying the development of cracks. Tennis courts, on the other hand, only get light foot traffic, so they’re more prone to cracks. Nothing in this world is truly static, and that includes the ground underneath a tennis court. If and when the ground shifts, that’s when cracks can develop, exacerbated by water in the form of rainy or icy days. Cracks get bigger when ice freezes and then melts inside of them. Extreme temperature changes can also help cracks flourish. Other factors include the quality and the ultimate composition of the materials used in construction of the court– lower quality mixes don’t last as long as customers would hope.
Concrete Courts
Compared to asphalt, concrete is a harder substance so it’s less likely to crack. That said, concrete can and does crack, eventually. However, if post-tensioned concrete is used, the compressive force that’s being applied to the concrete slab helps prevent cracks. Classic Turf uses this form of concrete for their courts, which come with a 20 year “crack free” guarantee.
While cracks will ultimately happen, they can be proactively dealt with, such that they’re not allowed to expand and wreak havoc on the entire surface area of a court.
If you’re dealing with cracks in your courts and want a better solution, contact Classic Turf and ask about our sport surface with post-tension concrete. Classic Turf of Woodbury, Connecticut, offers the highest quality, all-weather sport court on the market. Request information by calling 1-800-246-7951.
