Artificial Futsal Field Care – Protecting Your Investment

As experts in repairs, maintenance and artificial Futsal field care, Sports Clean is often called out to inspect and service facilities which require significant repairs and have aged much more than they should have.

Challenges a Futsal surface has to contend with:

  • Futsal play puts more stress on a synthetic grass sports surface than any other sport;
  • Futsal is played in a small area with 10 players on it, so it’s fast-paced with dramatic changes in direction and there are multiple football studs digging the infill out and harassing the fibres
  • We often find there is repetitive use of a particular spot on the Futsal court.

Artificial Futsal Field Care Tips to ensure longevity

We understand you’ve made a significant investment into your Futsal court, so it’s important to understand the ways you can make your investment last.

Build Your Futsal Court Right

  • Ensure there is a good quality base
  • An elastic layer/shock pad should only be installed if using long pile synthetic grass
  • Use long pile synthetic grass, preferably 50mm or greater, with a proven quality tuft lock performance (‘grass’ tufts must be difficult to pull out of the backing fabric)
  • Confirm the very best installation techniques are being used, including additional glue to ensure the seaming tape is adhered to the carpet backing and not just to the synthetic grass stitch back only. Quality installers will use a deeper notch trowel. Prior to installation, test to ensure the grass fibres are well locked into the backing of the carpet, and that the glue is holding well.
  • Most synthetic grass Futsal fields have a mix of sand and rubber particles which infill between the blades of grass. Within the sand/rubber mix, it’s important the infill is heavy on sand because sand is heavier and provides the ballast which protects the field, ensuring greater protection for the grass.
  • Standard fencing will not survive the rigors of this sport. At Sports Clean, we suggest sidewall up to at least 1.2m.

Carry Out Regular Maintenance

  • Record the hours the field/s are being used and provide maintenance accordingly;
  • Keep the field clear of debris such as leaves, grass clippings, gum and players rubbish;
  • Regularly (twice per week) brush the surface to stand up pile and even out the infill levels;
  • Infill top up the high wear areas daily, such as penalty spot and goal mouth;
  • Keep infill levels on the high end of what is recommended. At Sports Clean, we suggest you budget for a large infill top up in year 3;
  • On a quarterly basis, schedule Sports Clean to carry out a specialty equipment deep clean and report on your court;

More information can be found on our ‘Long Pile Tips Sheet’  or contact us to discuss your facility.

Prompt Repairs Save Bigger Issues

Regardless of your attention to installation and maintenance, your synthetic Futsal field care regime will include repairs at some point.

Below are some examples of issues you may encounter with your synthetic Futsal field’s surface. Sports Clean has the experience and relationship with manufacturers and installers to assist in addressing all necessary repairs.

Failing-seams-on-a-Futsal-surface

Failing seams on a Futsal surface

Blading-on-a-Futsal-surface

Balding on a Futsal Surface

At the time of writing this blog post, we consulted a number of installation experts in the synthetic grass industry to gain their perspective of what makes a well-built artificial Futsal field. These experts include: John Loughlin, Daryl Sidman, Rob Kirkwood, Greg Heaps, and Hayden Garn. Our sincere thanks to them for their valuable input.

For further information or expert advice on artificial Futsal field care, contact our team at Sports Clean on (02) 9420 1200 or email: info@sportsclean.com.au.