Pioneer Athletics

The sight of a new synthetic turf field after installation is very exciting. It provides a new look for your facility and generates excitement for the athletes who will be competing. But, during the first month or two after installation, it’s important that you are aware that paint may not be able to adhere to your field.

There are two main reasons why paint may not stick to a new field. First, when your turf was manufactured, the strands of fibers were likely treated with a lubricant. When synthetic turf is made, the fibers, which come on spools, are pulled through tubing where they are fed to the needles that stitch the carpet. The lubricant helps the fiber strands slide through the tubing so they do not break and interrupt the manufacturing process. The lubricant degrades naturally upon exposure to sunlight, weather and foot traffic and generally disappears within 60 days from installation. Until then, paint will try to adhere to the lubricant instead of the fiber greatly reducing performance.

Second, contractors that install your turf will often use a fabric softener or other anti-static agent to help settle the new infill material. Static electricity can prevent the infill material from properly settling between the fibers of the turf. An anti-static coating can greatly reduce the time and effort needed to install the infill. However, it will also greatly diminish the performance of any paint.

The lubricant and anti-static coatings will prevent the paint from adhering to the blade. Regardless of which paint manufacturer’s products are used, you will experience flaking and the disappearance of paint. It’s important that you keep this in mind and develop a plan before your installers begin their work.

So, if your contract calls for the field to be painted by the contractor, this usually occurs immediately after installation. In these cases, the paint often shows very poor durability. If you are responsible for painting soon after installation, we suggest that you use removable synthetic turf paint, such as Pioneer’s GameLine, and plan for regularly touching up the field during the first two months. Once the lubricants and/or anti-static coatings have had adequate time to dissipate, you may remove the remaining paint, reapply the original markings and add any additional logos.