Why it’s important to resurface your sports pitch

Once you’ve had a good-quality synthetic turf pitch installed, it will typically last for around a decade, depending on how heavily it’s used.

Resurfacing the pitch after this time is important if you want to maintain a high-quality surface for the smoothest play possible. If you leave it too late, the pitch could become waterlogged and unsafe to play on. To avoid this, it’s best to think about sports pitch resurfacing sooner rather than later.

How can I tell if my pitch needs resurfacing?

You’ll know when your sports pitch has reached the end of its life if you see any of these warning signs:

Surface looks worn and shabby
Seams are coming loose and splitting apart
Drainage is not working properly, leading to waterlogging

So, if it’s been several years since your sports pitch was installed and you notice any of these issues starting to creep up, it’s probably time to think about getting it resurfaced. Don’t wait until it’s on its last legs!

What are the benefits of sports pitch resurfacing?

Resurfacing your artificial turf pitch can benefit your sports club or organisation in many ways. For example:

It’s safer. When your pitch starts to show its age, the surface may get slightly lumpy, or the seams may tear, causing tripping hazards. Excess water on the pitch could also make play unsafe and lead to injury.

It looks smarter. A worn out and scruffy-looking pitch is going to appear less professional than a fresh, brightly coloured new one. Having it resurfaced will therefore make a big impact on the public image of your facility.

Play will be smoother. As the main purpose of your pitch is to allow sports to be played to the highest standard possible, having it resurfaced will ensure ball bounce, roll, and slide are working at optimum condition.

It allows you to incorporate new technological advancements. New designs and technology are always being developed to make artificial sports pitches as realistic and effective as possible. This means that incredible new surface types which could really benefit your club may have become available since you last updated your pitch.

Will this affect my pitch accreditation standards?

Artificial pitches will require re-testing on a periodic basis by an accredited Field Testing and Certification body, ensuring that the facility complies with mandatory governing body standards and that the pitch maintains its original classification.

Providing the pitch passes the required ‘re-tests’, the facility will be accredited once more to a specific governing body and classification, whether this is FIH, FIFA or WR Reg 22 standards. This establishes that the facility is still ‘fit for purpose’ and being managed and maintained to the required standards.

Once your pitch has reached the end of its lifespan, the Field Testing and Certification body will no longer be able to pass your facility. At this point, you will know that it is absolutely essential to arrange a refurbishment of the artificial carpet as soon as possible, and once completed, apply for a new test on the resurfaced pitch to obtain your pitch classification once more.

What can McArdle Sport Tec do?

We’ve delivered many sports pitch resurfacing projects for a range of clients, with great results. For instance, we’ve refurbished hockey pitches at Eton College, reconstructed and extended an existing sand-dressed hockey pitch into a full sized 3G sports pitch for for the Dorothy Hyman Sports Centre in Barnsley, and resurfaced a 3G pitch for Huish Episcopi Academy. For more detail on what we’ve done, read some of our case studies.

Whatever standard of sport you’re playing, we’ve got a first-class pitch to suit your needs. If your sports pitch is looking worse for wear and could benefit from resurfacing, it’s important that you get it sorted as soon as possible to restore it to a high quality. Get in touch with us today for a quote.