Painting sports fields and equipment

Q. We have a concrete tennis court with Resene Tennis Court paint which was applied about 20 years ago. It now has some algae or mould discolouration. Can you suggest the best product to clean up the algae please?

A. Resene have 2 options:

1. Apply Resene Deep Clean every six months. This is a slow-release active cleaner and will keep micro biological growth at bay. This is a more proactive cleaner.
2. Apply Resene Moss & Mould Killer in accordance with the data sheet. It may require a second go if not all growth has disappeared. This is a more reactive cleaner.

Option 1 is best and easiest. Option 2 is fast acting but more work.

September 2023

Q. I have an asphalt tennis court and wish to repaint the white lines. What do you recommend?

A. We recommend Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen.

March 2023

Q. I want to repaint a carbon fibre paddle board. It currently has a sanded back brushed carbon finish. I wanted to give it a proper topcoat finish – gloss or matt. I was thinking white for the hull bottom and maybe some contrast colour on the top.

A. The only product we have that may be suitable is Resene Uracryl 403 UVS Clear.

March 2022

Q. I need to paint an 80 square metre small concrete tennis court and I intend to purchase green and white Resene paint. The paint will be applied (sprayer/roller) to a new concrete pad. Is there a durable purpose designed paint for a court and what prep needs to occur beforehand?

A. Resene Tennis Court Coating is formulated to give a slip resistant surface texture for tennis courts. Resene Lumbersider can be used for white line marking.

The court paint is not designed to be spray applied, apply a full seal coat of Resene Sureseal before applying the two coats of topcoat paint.

Check using the water splash test, for the presence of a curing membrane, water splashed onto the concrete should immediately darken the concrete and be absorbed. If the water is not immediately absorbed and the wet concrete does not darken, then this indicates the presence of a curing membrane. Then diamond grind to remove the curing membrane to achieve a uniform surface profile, similar to 180grit sandpaper. Ensure all grinding dust is removed, this may require wet mopping.

Q. I am working with youth on a local initiative, to paint their local basketball court and I am trying to source the paint for the youth to use. What paint is needed and do you supply this? They would ideally love a maroon and gold court, but this is open to conversation if the paint colours are not available.

A. We recommend Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path.

Q. What paint do I use to mark artificial grass tennis court?

A. The easiest option would be two coats of Resene Lumbersider thinned however it can be difficult to get uniform line delineation when coating this substrate.

Q. I am looking for the best coating, to apply to a concrete basketball court we have just had installed on our property. The court is concrete and has only just been completed, so no weathering as yet. I see you have a range of coating for tennis courts and I would imagine this would be the same, but just want to check if there are any alternative options I should be looking at?

A. We recommend Resene Tennis Court Coating or Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path.

Q. I am seeking advice regarding spraying Resene Tennis Court Coating. I am looking for the best way to get an even coating. Three coats have been applied using a squeegee and high solids roller sleeve.

The roller sleeve has left lap marks and I think the squeegee is spreading the paint too thinly. I have noticed this coating can be sprayed and wondered if this is a better option for future applications.

A. The application issues to date, results from not maintaining a wet edge and an even wet film during application. Spray application of Resene Tennis Court Coating requires a large specialist spray unit, which are not commonly available in the local market.

Q. Our tennis club has two dark blue Plexipave tennis courts that have white netball court lines on them. The netball lines are no longer needed and they make distinguishing the white tennis court lines difficult.
What paint and technique do you recommend to paint over the netball lines in order to hide them?

A. As far as I can ascertain, the court surface is a rubber aggregate bound with an acrylic resin. Given this, I would expect any of our exterior waterborne paints to adhere to the surface however; I do recommend you undertake a test using a Resene testpot to confirm this. Allow the paint to dry for at least four days then check adhesion before continuing.

Q. I am a member of a Croquet Club and the hoops we use require repainting. Normal enamel is too soft and comes off on the balls. I am looking for a white paint that will withstand the impact of the croquet balls striking the hoops yet will not mark the balls.

A. An interesting challenge. The only possibility would be a two component pigmented polyurethane paint but this would need to be tested to see if it does overcome the issue you have.

Q. I would like to repaint playground markings on asphalt. The old markings are still visible but are probably 10 years old. How should I prepare the surface and what sort of paint should I use?

A. Clean down using Resene Paint Prep and Housewash diluted and used to label directions. Then Resene Lumbersider is probably the easiest paint to use and is available in a wide range of colours. If slip resistance is required then add Resene SRG Grit at 500 g/L to the first coat of Resene Lumbersider then apply a second unmodified coat.

Q. I have been asked to paint game layouts on concrete at a school. Can we get paving paint in small bright colours , or can any paint be used?

A. The most successful coating for this is Resene Lumbersider, which is self-priming, available in our Total Colour System and easily applied, dry in 2 hours, wash up with water and if only a tiny detail, use a Resene testpot.

Q. I repainted a putter head. It has been overcoated, with some runs. What might I do to fix up the overcoat and blemishes?

A. Sorry but sanding (wet and dry) is the only way to address this.

Q. What should I use to paint HDPE plastic? It's what the skis on my dog sled are made of. I want to paint them the same colour purple as the wood. I tried using spray paint but it isn't sticking so if they get knocked it just peels off. I also want a clear hardener type topcoat. What products do you suggest?

A. It is very difficult to get paint adhesion to this plastic. We have found that by heating the plastic surface to just melt using a gas flame that this chemically alerts the surface and allows for paint adhesion.

Q. We would like to paint some line markings on concrete within our school grounds. What type of paint are we best to use?

A. For foot traffic Resene Lumbersider would be suitable.

Q. I want to paint some horse jumps made out of new treated timber. The jumps will get knocked by the hooves of horses and will sit outside in a sand arena, exposed to all the elements. I therefore need a tough paint. I will also stack them, and have so far found that the two surfaces of paint stick to one another. The first experimental jumps I made were painted with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and then topcoated with waterborne low sheen. I was considering placing a metal plate on one of the surfaces, where two painted surfaces touch. Are you able to advise me on the best system of paints for these jumps?

A. The sticking you have encountered is because the paint used has no block resistance and will stick if the painted surfaces come into contact particularly under pressure. The only way to resolve both issues is to either use a traditional solventborne enamel system or a two component paint system. The traditional enamel system will chalk relatively quickly and as it ages will become brittle but you need to balance this against the cost and use of two pack paints.

Q. I am looking at painting some horse jumps and was told to get a white Resene exterior house paint. What would you recommend?

A. Resene Lumbersider.

Q. I am wanting to paint a fibreglass play slide at the school I work for. What is the best way to go about this task and what is the best paint to use?

A. Degrease then apply a coat of an epoxy primer and finish with a two pack polyurethane.

Q. We have a rural tennis court badly in need of an update. It is concrete painted with acrylic sports paint (with sand mixed into it) about 15 years ago. Do you have a product suitable?

A. Resene Tennis Court Coating should be compatible with the existing court paint.

Q. Are grassmarking paints different?

A. Most grass marking paints are diluted acrylic (waterborne) paints as this does not interfere with the photosynthesis of the grass which if a fully blocking paint was applied would see the grass die.

Q. I would like to convert my concrete garage floor to a tennis court surface, to be able to play tennis against a volley board in the garage. The current floor is glossy. Can you please let me know what I need to do to get a 'tennis playing' surface?

A. Prepare the surface by diamond grinding to achieve a surface profile of 180 grit sandpaper. Seal with a coat of Resene Sureseal then apply two coats of Resene Tennis Court Coating. You can also use Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path instead of Resene Tennis Court Coating for this application.

Q. Can I use marine paint on normal timber (ply sheeting) that has already been painted with standard paint. I am wanting to waterproof a playhouse?

A. Unless the ply is thin it is unusual that water ingress is occurring through the face of the ply sheeting. Not sure what your understanding of a marine paint is but most cannot be applied over a conventional acrylic paint such as the one you have in place. If we are talking about the roof then the only option would be to apply a high build acrylic paint such as Resene Thixalon 5 and lay in a layer of chopped strand fibreglass mat while the Resene Thixalon 5 paint is wet. Then apply another coat of Resene Thixalon 5 to seal off the mat layer. You can then repeat the process with another layer of chopped strand mat as above. This is the approach taken to make plywood decks weathertight.

Q. The glare from the concrete on our hard court is so great it is making the area unusable. The cost of a colour wash is prohibitive and would probably leave an ugly surface. Any suggestions?

A. A solid paint finish on concrete can be slippery when wet. You might be best to look at a product like Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path which has a lightly textured finish and reduces the risk of slipping. It's available in a wide range of colours so you could either paint all the same colour or create a decorative effect by varying the colours. The product covers 2-6 square metres (first coat) and 4-6 metres (second coat) so you may only need a bucket or two for your project.

Q. What paint type would you recommend for painting concrete stormwater pipes used in a children’s playground as adventure tunnels?

A. We recommend Resene exterior paints, such as Resene Lumbersider low sheen waterborne paint in two coats.

Q. We are back at school and ready to start painting our ground games. I was wondering if you can tell me is the ground temperature an issue when painting the ground? We are concerned that painting on the surface in summer will be too hot for the paint and it may cause blistering? Can you shed some light on this?

A. Where possible it's best to paint out of direct sunlight so that the paint doesn't dry too fast. A good idea might be to consider using a tarpaulin to create a shaded area - which will be good for the painters to keep out of the sun and help with the paint application by keeping the ground and paint cooler. We've never had any reported problems with these sorts of games, but most people do tend to paint earlier in the day to avoid the hottest part of the day and avoid painting onto overheated surfaces.