- This includes complete teardown of our courts, new proper foundation, new asphalt, new surfacing, nets, posts and straps
- Signature Tennis did not recommend replacement of our courts
Option 2: Court Crack repair and resurface by Signature Tennis: ~$18,000
Option 3: Court Crack repair by HOA and resurface by Signature Tennis: ~$9,500
Additional Options:
Lights: $14,000-$15,000 which includes ~14 high efficiency lights, all electrical hookups, inspections, turn off timer and a total of 9 light poles. (no ripping up of courts for pole in center of court)
Court Situation:
Our courts, although not too bad are displaying a large amount of seam and non seam cracking (about +/- 900 linear ft). This means that our courts were not laid down to spec as a tennis court should have been and the foundation is settling over time enough to result in the cracks we see now. This same situation exists for about 90% of all residential tennis courts across the southeast as builders do not want to go the extra 10% to do it right and leave the HOA's to deal with the problem 5-10 years after they move on. Our courts are no exception either.
Is our foundation terribly laid down? no (our situation is endemic of most residential courts in the southeast.)
Is the cracking catastrophic? No, but it does need to be remedied soon at least before week roots or freezing water do work their way into the cracks and make a moderately bad situation really serious and force a complete tear down and replacement.
Do we repair or replace? We can do either at this point but they exist at two "very" different price points. Roughly $10K-$18K to repair and resurface vs $45K for replacement.
Why the $10K-$18K variance for repair and resurface? We can cut the price almost in half by performing the crack repair labor, using a product called Crack Span, ourselves with step by step advisement from Signature Tennis. $10K = Us installing the CrackSpan and Signature Tennis performing the resurfacing.
What is CrackSpan? CrackSpan is a product developed for the very problem we are having with our courts. Luckily we do not have any vertical displacement in our cracks showing that while our foundation is not perfect, it is settling evenly thus far and should continue to do so. The product consists of a base filling agent to fill the crack, an expandable membrane to cover and hold the crack in place and a top coat to secure and blend the edges of the membrane. Vaguely similar to taping a sheet-rock seam but this solution expands and contracts with the court during heat and seasonal cycling.
Will CrackSpan be visible after patching? No, not when accompanied by a resurfacing.
Will it stop cracks from growing? It will stop cracks from widening and may slow growth, but the cracks will continue to grow as the foundation continues to settle. At that point the crack can be filled with acrylic if small enough or additional crackspan will be used to patch it until the crack stops.
How long will the crackspan last? indefinately as long as the courts are resurfaced every 4-6 years or as when the surface requires it.
How often will we need to reapply crackspan? every 1-3 years depending on severity of cracks
Will resurfacing need to be applied every time we repair cracks? only on the location of the crack repair
Can we perform the crackspan ourselves? Yes, with advisement on each stage by a foreman from Signature Tennis
How long will the crackspan application take? 2 complete days
How many of us will it take? Approximately 4-6
Do we need lights to participate in ALTA, USTA, Ultimate Tennis? yes, our courts do not grandfather in under any clause
How much is the ongoing cost of lights? 2$ to 3$/hr. Bulbs are a couple hundred a piece I believe and you can just put them on a replacement rotation after their first 4 years.
Will the lights disturb the residents across the pond? Possibly, however the lights are specifically designed for neigborhoods where there is minimal dispersion of light outside the court, this can be further allieviated by adding windscreens to block light and sound reflection off of the courts. Also cyprus trees could be planted on the backside and pond side of the courts and will block most all light and sound after several years of growth. Furthermore, the lights installation will include a turn off timer we can set at any point in the evening.
Can we install pay as you go lights? those have been out of use since the advent of the high efficiency lights...about 20 years, but I will look into it.
What color will courts be resurfaces? Any color we want... Chartreuse anyone? However, the latest rage in court color, and the standard set by the USTA is green surrounds with blue court. Like it or not our courts will be looked down upon by the tennis snobs if it is not. The classic red outside with green courts are considered "old school" now... I guess we stay with the times and go blue and green.