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4 Ways to Get Your Synthetic Turf Field Season-Ready Today
If you are a field maintenance manager or athletic director for a multi-sport field, you know firsthand that the key to preserving an award-winning field is in the maintenance. At Motz, we don’t just preach this idea, we practice it ourselves. Our Motz365 services know just how to keep your field in play year after year. So if you’ve been wondering where to start, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’re sharing four top care tips from our synthetic turf experts that will help you keep your field in pro condition (and get you feeling more confident about the process too.)
REVIEW THE SYNTHETIC TURF MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Before we jump in, we’d like to share a quick and easy assessment tool that will help you with turf maintenance. First things first, it’s important to remember that synthetic turf fields require routine maintenance to prevent unnecessary wear and tear. Putting your time and energy into regular maintenance will keep costs low and your artificial turf field looking tournament-ready.
Assess your field's health with the following questions:
- Have you inspected your field for debris and foreign objects?
- Have you determined that infill depths are satisfactory?
- Have you treated your field with a contact disinfectant to help tackle bacteria on the surface?
- Have you walked your field to ensure there are no seam tears or trip hazards?
If you answered a resounding “yes” to all four, we applaud you! But if you need a little more guidance, having these questions as your north star will help you stay on track with your field maintenance goals and preparation. They can also give you the guidance you need to plan your field care budget, learn how to protect your turf, and better understand what to do to create a high-performing turf surface.
And now – as promised – we’ll get into the four simple, Motz-approved steps to having a season-ready field!
1. Use a deep cleaning service for synthetic turf preparation
Consistency is king when it comes to keeping your artificial turf clean and ready for action. For example, did you know that grooming should happen after every 40 hours of play? We also recommend a weekly field sweep to clean any debris from the field. These practices are key for the health and cleanliness of the turf. (Oh, and a quick pro tip: Using a garden leaf sweeper to pick up trash that is left behind after the field is used can save tons of time and energy!)
We also recommend using a synthetic turf deep cleaning service once a year. This service will use industrial-strength equipment to remove debris that might be stuck in the turf, as well as fluff up the fibers. One of the things that sets Motz’s deep cleaning service apart is that we also include an option to disinfect the field. Take it from us – this extra step really does a lot to give peace of mind to the players, coaches, and staff, as well as to the fans. Check out this video to learn more about the Motz365 Synthetic Turf Deep Clean!
2. UNDERSTAND SYNTHETIC TURF TRAFFIC PATTERNS
The flow patterns (aka: traffic patterns) of your artificial turf field will let you know where high-wear areas are located. This is also where you will notice the low-wear areas on your synthetic turf field. The parts that typically have highest wear are the entrance of the field or the area that is closest to the locker room entrance. Other frequently used areas are based on sports type which include the following:
- Soccer goal mouths
- Corner kicks
- Penalty kicks
- Center of field
- Lacrosse creases
- 15-yard line / extra point line
- Left-field, center-field, and right-field of baseball fields where players are positioned (there might be a better way to say this)
- Grass/turf infield base paths (first baseline and third baseline)
To keep your synthetic turf field in good condition, rotate practice locations of the field and maintain a good infill depth. If you’re looking for a really polished, professional-grade field, these tricks will help you even out the wear on the turf and keep it in great shape.
3. Don't forget artificial sports turf infill maintenance & repairs
It might not seem like a big deal but, in reality, infill maintenance and replenishment are the MVP of artificial sports turf maintenance. Infill keeps the turf fibers standing tall and helps the system mimic the dirt profile found in natural grass. Every turf system installed can be different in terms of fiber height and density. The amount of infill and recommended infill level depths will depend on your overall turf system.
If you’ve never conducted a GMAX test, you are missing out on a really important part of maintaining an artificial sports turf. GMAX testing will give you the data you need to know for field performance, as well as helping to monitor your field’s health as it ages. It can also give you a good idea of whether or not you need a top-off infill. Adding more infill to your artificial grass field will keep your turf standing up, help prevent accelerated wear, and ultimately keep your athletes safe. What are you waiting for? Let’s get you scheduled for a Motz365 consultation today!
4. Get the pros to help with synthetic sports turf repairs
We know, no matter what sports your field hosts, your turf gets a lot of rough-and-tumble action. And that means there will be times you’ll need an expert’s help. That’s where Motz comes in. We’re not just high-quality turf specialists, we also provide fast and effective repair services to synthetic turf fields. Some of the more common issues you may recognize and want help with include:
- Inlay field markings
- Hash marks
- Panel seams
- Kick-offs
- Sinkholes
- Low spots
If you notice a spot where players are tripping, that is an indication that a repair is needed. These issues require an expert to fix your artificial turf surface and keep your turf field lasting long-term. Having a trained facilities team and maintenance plan are ways to prevent these issues from occurring. And, if you don’t already have a working maintenance log for keeping track of repairs, field conditions and special care notes, download this free Motz maintenance log today to easily keep it all in one place.
Year-Round Artificial Turf Preparation with Motz
We’re betting these tips and tricks already have you pumped about getting your field tournament-ready. But, buckle up – we’ve got even more where that comes from! Motz wants to partner with you in maintaining championship-grade turf all season long with Motz365. We’ll help you build a custom maintenance plan that will allow your team to play at peak performance with a durable, safe, and low-maintenance artificial turf field.
Our turf maintenance program gets you access to full-service, expert consulting. You’ll get condition assessments, maintenance training, and 24-hour response time on all repairs. We also include GMAX testing for free in our annual deep clean service. Contact us today to learn more about how we can up your synthetic turf maintenance game!
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