Repairing and Resurfacing
An Asphalt or Concrete Court Is Not Rocket Science,
It's Just Common Sense!
So you have a few cracks in your court. Just about everyone has cracks in their court, particularly in the freeze/thaw parts of the country.
Hairline, Surface or Structural Cracks?
Generally, a crack is a crack and it will almost always come back. This is especially true if it is a structural or reflective type crack. If someone tries to tell you differently, ask him or her to complete the repairs and give you an unconditional guarantee for just one year. You won't get it.
Let's consider the cracks on your court and decide the best way to treat them.
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Are the cracks wide enough to fill with crack filler materials?
If the cracks are only "hairline, not wide enough to accept crack filling material, then forget about them. When the coating applications are applied, they'll be sealed and covered over.
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Are the cracks shallow in depth, or do they go all the way through the surface (about 2" to 3" thick) to the gravel base? (use a pocket knife, screw-driver or similar object, to determine the depth of the cracks).
Wide Cracks? Deep Cracks?
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If the cracks do not exceed 1/4" in width, are shallow in depth, and do not go all the way to the base material, you can flush the cracks with water. Allow the cracks to dry and fill them. If the cracks have penetrated completely through the surface (structural cracks) to the gravel base, then you can be reasonably sure that some of the water gathering on the surface is being drained off the court through the structural cracks. When this occurs, much of the fine gravel below can be washed away leaving voids and channels under the surface. The voids and channels in the gravel base need to be filled to prevent water from gathering under the surface like miniature lakes and rivers. In cold climates the water will freeze during the winter months and can cause heaving of the surface. In most cases, this situation can be remedied at a minimum cost and effort.
Important: In freeze/thaw areas where freezing does occur during the winter months, it is highly recommended to check the surface for cracks and fill them before the temperature drops below 50 degrees.
Preparation of Cracks Prior to Filling
Cracks must be cleaned of dust, dirt, mildew (if any) and debris including vegetation. Flushing out the crack with high pressure water will usually do the job. Apply weed killer if necessary a week before power washing.
Treating Surface Cracks to 1/2" Wide (Asphalt & Concrete Sport Surfaces)
For surface cracks up to 1/2" wide, we recommend filling the cracks with "
ElasticCrack" Crack Filler. "ElasticCrack" is an elastomeric crack filler that remains flexible even in extremely cold weather. "ElasticCrack" comes in 1-gallon pails and ElasticCrack-Pourable jugs and is ready to use. There is no mixing or addition of any other materials.
Treating Structural Cracks - 1/2"-3/4" Wide (Asphalt & Concrete Sport Surfaces)
Filling the voids under the surface and the cracks:
Place a bag of fine silica sand (or similar fine sand) on the surface near the cracks. Pour sand on the court surface near the crack and broom back and forth over the cracks.The fine sand will pour through the cracks (just like the hour glass our grandmothers used when cooking) until all voids under the pavement have been filled. Repeat this procedure until all cracks have been filled to the surface. When the cracks have been filled, use a broom to sweep along the cracks to establish a depth of the sand 1/2" below the surface. You are now ready to fill the remaining 1/2" with "
ElasticCrack-Fortified". Apply "ElasticCrack-Fortified" Crack Filler to be smooth and flush with adjacent sides of crack.
Treating Structural Cracks - Greater than 3/4" Wide (Asphalt & Concrete Sport Surfaces)
Filling the voids under the surface:
Place a bag of fine silica sand on the surface near the cracks. Pour sand on the court surface near the crack and broom back and forth over the cracks.The fine sand will pour through the cracks until all voids under the pavement have been filled. Repeat this procedure until all cracks have been filled flush with the bottom of the asphalt or concrete surface. Do not fill the crack with sand. Soak the cracks with a hose to settle sand. Leaving the sand at the bottom of the cracks will allow a solid filler to be placed in the cracks to within 1/2" below the top of the surface which wil provide a solid base for the finished crack filler.
After the gravel base has been restored under the cracks by filling with sand, we recommend filling the crack with Sacrete or similar sand and concrete mixture with pea sized stones to within 1/2" below the top of the court surface (Sacrete can be obtained from Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware or similar building supply). When the Sacrete has hardened, fill the remaining 1/2" with "ElasticCrack-Fortified" Crack Filler to be smooth and flush with adjacent sides of crack.
"ElasticCrack-Fortified" comes in in 1-gallon pails and is ready to use. There is no mixing or addition of any other materials.
TIME SAVING TIP:
Wipe off excess crack filler from surface with a damp cloth. If you don't, intensive scraping will be necessary before starting coating applications.
Application of "ElasticCrack" and "ElasticCrack-Fortified"
Use "ElasticCrack" and/or "ElasticCrack-Fortified" from the pail as is. Do not dilute. Work material down into the crack using a rectangular trowel or hand held putty knife.
Coverage for "ElasticCrack" and "ElasticCrack-Fortified" in 1-gallon pails:
Approximately 125 linear feet of 1/2" wide by 1/2" deep cracks per 1-gallon pail.
Other Colors:
For courts other than red or green, ElasticCrack and ElasticCrack-Fortified (1n 1-gallon pails) is available in neutral and can be tinted to a desired color by obtaining the desired "Acrylic Color Pigment" from a local paint store. Add pigment to neutral and stir to desired color.
Clean Up
Wash all tools with water. If material has dried, use kerosene.
Cautions
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Read the container label before using. Follow label instructions.
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When applying, surface temperature must be a minimum of 50 degrees F. (10C) for a minimum of 24 hours. Do not apply if overnight temperatures drop to below 50 degrees F (10C). Do not apply if surface temperature exceeds 135 degrees F. (57C)
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Do not apply if night temperature will be dropping below 50 degrees F. Depending on the depth of the cracks, you may require two or three days and nights with surface temperatures in excess of 50 degrees F. for the waterbased crack fillers to thoroughly dry.
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Do not apply when rain is imminent or forecast
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When applying indoors, use with adequate ventilation during application and drying
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Close containers when not in use
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Do not store in direct sunlight or where temperature may exceed 100 degrees F.
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KEEP FROM FREEZING
After The Cracks Have Dried
After the cracks have dried, you will likely see that some of the crack filler has settled slightly into the cracks. This is to be expected particularly with wider cracks. ElasticCrack and ElasticCrack-Fortified are water soluble materials and therefore constitute part of the volume. As a result, when the filler dries (and the water content is no longer there) settling will occur in some cracks. Don't worry about it.
Fine Tuning Crack Repairs After The Base-Coat Has Been Applied
When you apply the acrylic base-coat, minor crack indentations will disappear. Remaining crack indentations after the base-coat has been applied can be easily treated by pouring a bead of the base-coat material (the same material and consistency that you applied over the entire court) along each still visible crack. This process can be repeated as many times as necessary for you to be satisfied before applying the 1st coat of color. We refer to this process as "fine tuning your crack repairs" before starting the color.
Please contact us if you have any questions about the resurfacing process described above and not answered by the above application guidelines. Your input is welcomed and greatly appreciated.
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