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Frequently Asked Questions
 

HOW LONG HAS CLASSIC CLAY BEEN INSTALLED?
The very first Classic Clay court was installed in Victoria, Australia over 8 years ago. The region was chosen due to its climate and court use. The court endures both high temperatures and dry conditions in summer months and cold very wet conditions in the winter. The court has never been repaired or had any reported complaints and is still used heavily today.

WHAT SUB-SURFACES CAN CLASSIC CLAY BE INSTALLED ON?
The Classic Clay system was developed as a solution for 2 categories of court application:

  1. As a clay surface over existing or newly constructed porous or non-porous sub base i.e. concrete, bitumen, Macadam, asphalt, painted hard court or equivalent materials.

  2. As a surface conversion for existing clay courts.
Category 2 requires a degree of surface assessment, testing, preparation and binding before the Classic Clay surface can be installed. Further information can be gained by contacting the Classic Clay representative in your area.

HOW LONG DOES AN INSTALLATION TAKE?
If the sub-surface is prepared to suggested guidelines, installing one complete court should take no longer than three to four working days for an experienced team of installers. Once complete, the court is ready for immediate play.

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS WITH CLASSIC CLAY?
There have been no reported problems with the Classic Clay surface in the history of the product in either commercial or domestic applications. Subsurface movement or saturation can cause the play surface to be affected, as with any court. The advantage of the Classic Clay system is the ability to simply roll back the area affected, repair the subsurface and simply reposition the playing surface when the subsurface repairs are satisfactory. This is an extremely cost effective means to repair a clay court.

NOTE: A small amount of mineral infill (clay) settling is to be expected as the particles work into the ‘binder’ pile and will require a small top up after installation in most cases. This settling will occur after initial watering or the first significant rainfall.

WHERE WAS CLASSIC CLAY DEVELOPED?
Classic Clay was first developed in Australia over a 6 year research and development process at a cost of AUD$1.23 million. Much of the ongoing development has resulted over many years of international collaboration and experience gained via hundreds of installations.

HOW DOES THE CLUB/OWNER CONDUCT MAINTENANCE?
Maintaining a clay court has never been simpler. The importance of maintenance is to achieve even distribution of infill and extend the playing life of the product. The mineral infill (clay) should completely cover the ‘binder’ surface. The slightly raised white lines will remain visible after using a drag mat.

DOES A CLASSIC CLAY COURT NEED TO BE WATERED?
The surface will require no water for play or maintenance.

DOES THE CLASSIC CLAY SURFACE COMPACT OVER TIME?
Compaction over time, even with the heaviest use is virtually impossible. The mineral infill (clay) is processed in a furnace to achieve an enamel-like coating. This treatment prevents the separate rounded granules from joining together, so the surface remains consistent overtime and drains rapidly.

DOES THE MINERAL INFILLWASH AWAY?
The surface will not wash away in rainfall as the binder layer is designed to stabilise the surface structure. A small amount of peripheral infill may collect at drainage points but can be recycled with the Classic Clay sieve and returned to the surface.

CAN THE SURFACE BLOW AWAY?
The binder layer effectively holds the infill mass together. There is very little dust present, so the surface will not displace unless subjected to extreme conditions.

WILL WEEDS, ALGAE OR MOSS GROW IN CLASSIC CLAY?
If recommended maintenance guidelines are followed the Classic Clay surface will be entirely covered by mineral infill, preventing algae and moss growth. Weeds may grow on outer perimeters due to the migration of external earth. It is difficult for any vegetation to establish in the mineral infill as it designed to stay separated and loose.

HOW LONG DOES THE CLASSIC CLAY SURFACE LAST?
The lifetime of the surface will vary depending on climate, usage and maintenance. In most global regions, the warranty provided with the Classic Clay surface is valid for 1 year initially and is extended to 7 full years with annual maintenance contracts. As mentioned previously, the maintenance focuses primarily on ensuring the mineral infill is kept at correct levels. This serves two purposes:
  1. The court is designed to slide and react like a clay court and is only possible with the correct levels of infill.
  2. Protection of the ‘binder’ layer fibres. If the court is used with the fibres exposed, damage and permanent bending of the fibre tips can be expected. This will cause the fibre base to compact, harden, lose drainage quality and affect the slide consistency.
With correst maintenance, the Classic Clay system could last as long as 15-20 years as is expected with other products from the same manufacturer.
 
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