ColourWorks
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| Painting | Refurbishment | Specialist | Sports Lines | Technical |
| Technical - Intro | Paint & Specs. | Slip Resistance | Constraints | Maintenance |
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Slip Resistance - Providing the Required Grip |
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Slip Resistant Colour Coatings The Lawn Tennis Association(LTA) recommend a minimum Slip Resistance value for Tennis & Mini Tennis of 60. The surface of Netball, Basketball and MUGAs Courts usually require a higher slip resistance due to the characteristics of the dynamic nature of play involved. Therefore, they usually have a higher recommended value of 75.
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Recommended Levels All England Netball Assoc. (AENA). recommend minimum slip resistance 75 on TRRL Slip Test. |
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Augmenting Slip Resistance Recommended that only Water Based or Solvent Based Polyurethane paint is augmented with aluminium oxide aggregate as these have the required strength to hold the additional grip in situ on the sports surface after application. They will also strengthen the surface and provide a durable coating able to combat heavier use, whilst incorporating the increased level of slip resistance needed. Slip Resistance When a coating is applied it reduces the friction of the surface. If the reduction is too great the court can become slippery and hazardous in damp and wet conditions. To control the reduction in friction, paint manufacturers incorporate texturing agents such as silica or aluminium oxide in the paint formulations. These are designed to provide a textured finish to the paint coating that, in conjunction with the inherent texture of the surface, provides adequate grip in dry, wet and damp conditions. The level of slip resistance properties of the paint coating is primarily influenced by the size of particle used to form the texturing agent. The larger the particle, then the rougher the coating and the higher the slip resistance. Whilst high slip resistance may initially be considered desirable this is not always the case. If the slip resistance is too high players of some sports, particularly Tennis, may object to excessive grip that causes difficulties in turning, especially in dry conditions. Excess wear of the felt covering of tennis balls will also result. Sports such as Netball, however, actually require high grip in order to give players the confidence they need to move and stop according to the way the sport is played. This means that different sports have different requirements for the coatings. It is important to appreciate that the level of grip required for Netball will result in quite an abrasive finish to the court surface. The paint film encapsulates the texturing agent. The rate at which the texturing agent wears and becomes smooth will influence how long the court has an acceptable level of slip resistance. The rate of wear is influenced by many factors including:
Whilst the use of paints with a texturing agent has overcome many of the problems of slippery courts that used to be associated with painted courts, there is a limit to their ability to provide high levels of grip in damp conditions, particularly after drizzle or heavy dew.
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Measuring Slip Resistance The measuring device consists of a pendulum and rubber foot that is allowed to slide across the court surface. The resistance to the foot sliding across the surface is recorded and expressed as a Measure of Slip Resistance. Criteria should be met when the court surface is dry or wet. The friction or slip resistance of the playing surface is measured using the test procedure described in BS EN 13036 Part 4 (a similar test is also described by the International Tennis Federation in their Initial ITF Study on Performance Standards for Tennis Court Surfaces)
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| Stephen McLaughlin Colourworks Coatings (North) Ltd. Mob: 07799 472 214 Tel: 01896 833 099 Fax: 01896 833 099 north@colourworkscoatings.co.uk |
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