Get Your Synthetic Sports Surface Ready for Summer Now
The summer Revite® programme from Technical Surfaces has gained in popularity over recent years, with many customers realising the benefits of introducing an annual or bi-annual Revite® to complement their existing maintenance programme. Jonathan Gunn, Technical Manager at Technical Surfaces answers some of the recent questions he has been asked.
Q. My synthetic sports surface seems ok at the moment: why should I order a summer Revite®?
A. As with Power Sweeping, a Revite® should be viewed as a preventative measure, to essentially halt the spread of contamination within the surface infill. If your surface is starting to show signs of dark patches, silt, standing water and slower drainage, this indicates a deeper-rooted problem that can be addressed by a summer Revite®. If left unattended, the situation will only worsen as autumn and winter approaches, and you run the risk of your synthetic facility being out of action, losing revenue and costing more to fix in the long run.
Q. Why is the Revite® only available in the summer?
A. The idea behind the Revite® is that contamination is separated from the sand infill and removed from the carpet. To achieve the best results, conditions must be as dry as possible, which is why the Revite® is generally carried out between April and September each year. However, that said you can't guarantee the weather even in the summer, so there is only a limited window of opportunity available.
Q. When should I place my order for a summer Revite®?
A. The summer Revite® has gained in popularity over recent years, with many customers realising the benefits of introducing an annual or bi-annual Revite® to complement their existing maintenance programme. Every year our clients are strongly advised to place their orders early due to high demand and the limited window of opportunity, but while customer awareness of this is certainly growing, we do appreciate that such foresight cannot always be applied when running a busy school, university or leisure centre. Flexibility, however, is the key to a successful summer schedule, both for Technical Surfaces and for our clients, especially when relying on factors beyond our control.
The labour intensive nature of the Revite® requires extra manpower and machinery, and as the process can take several days to complete, our NVQ-trained teams work quickly and effectively to reduce a facility's downtime as much as possible, helping to minimise disruption.
Due to the high demand for this specialist process every year we invest in extra machinery and resources; however, we honour our customers' orders on a first-come, first-served basis, so if your dates are limited, get in early as once they're gone, they're gone.
Q. How much planning is required for the Revite® season?
A. From the customer's point of view, placing your order as early as possible will help to ensure that your Revite® is completed, particularly as we are at the mercy of the British weather, which is not always kind. For example, last July was a wash-out, with the fewest number of orders fulfilled. Luckily, September came to our rescue, and with 23% of all orders completed during this month our summer programme was undoubtedly saved. A degree of flexibility and accommodation on the part of our clients is therefore vital to a successful summer programme.
On our side, investment in machinery, transport and labour begins in January, when summer operations are first planned. For almost a third of the year our timetable is dominated by Revite® orders, so forward planning and contingency measures must be in place in plenty of time to allow us to fulfill our obligations and pre-empt any potential delays. It is this approach has helped us - and our clients - achieve the most successful summer Revite® season in our ten-year history.
For more information on implementing the right maintenance programme for your synthetic sports surface, visit www.technicalsurfaces.co.uk or call their National Office and speak to a Technical Manager on 08702 400 700.