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.

In cool-season turf grass zones, October and November provide an ideal time for turf establishment, renovation, overseeding, coring, and liming. In warm-season turf grass zones, this time of year is ideal for overseeding and liming.

Additionally, now is a good time for both turf grass zones to use preventative applications for the pre-emergence of winter annual weeds.

After any latex paint is applied, the drying process begins. This is simply the evaporation of water from the paint. The curing process starts once all of the water has evaporated. Curing involves the individual latex particles sticking together (coalescing) to form a continuous film. During curing is when important properties such as water resistance and adhesion develop. Sufficient curing occurs in a couple of hours under warm and dry conditions. However, complete curing can take up to 14 days. In general, paints will be easier to remove and less durable the less the paint has cured.

We have seen situations during high humidity when paint is applied late in the day and may be dry to the touch before night fall. Dew forms on the turf and the paint. Therefore, the uncured paint re-saturates as it is essentially underwater for up to 16 hours. The paint will take much longer to cure and perform properly under these conditions. The paint is less durable until it is sufficiently cured. Fans, heat and blowers can help speed up both the drying and the curing processes.

Companies selling grass paints as removable synthetic turf paints are hoping that the customers remove the paint before it cures too much. Once grass paints cure on most synthetic turf fields, it is incredibly difficult to remove. What is unique about a product like Pioneer’s GameLine is that this paint will dissolve with Blitz Remover Solution even after full curing.

Share your experiences, questions and comments.

Of course, there are many different types of fields from a variety of companies and each has its own recommendations as to how to maintain a field. But there are a variety of techniques that will help give you better results for the same amount of effort.

Grooming and Sweeping Synthetic Turf Sports Fields
For instance, we find that sweeping or grooming your field should be done when the field is at its driest. When the field is wet, the infill may clump together and the fibers lay flat. Therefore, a sweeper can pick up lots of excess infill and a groomer will not be able to redistribute rubber effectively. Furthermore, if you are using a magnet on a wet field, metal objects will tend to remain stuck in the infill. Sweeping and grooming in the rain can leave your field and your equipment a mess. Try grooming and sweeping from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm or when the field is warm and dry.

Disinfecting Synthetic Turf Fields
If you are disinfecting your field, ideally you’ll want to put down the disinfecting solution during the time of day when the least amount of evaporation is occurring. The longer the wet disinfecting solution is in contact with the plastic fibers, the more effective the treatment. Cool, overcast days with high humidity and no wind are perfect for disinfectant treatments.

Painting and Removing Paint from Synthetic Turf Fields
Warm and dry conditions are the best for painting synthetic turf fields. Cool and humid conditions are best for removing paint from synthetic turf fields. We try to remove paint when the field temperature is below 90 degrees (use an infrared thermometer to determine field temperature). As a rule, we recommend removing paint in the early morning and try be off of the field by 10 a.m. Further south, our customers may need to be off the field by 8:30 or 9:00 due to higher temperatures in the summer.

Following this recommended schedule, some customers may run into difficulties due to local noise or light restrictions (working before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.) In which case, you’ll need to notify the administration or proper authorities to get the clearance to work during these times. Working on removal between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. has proven to be a great option for those that can get approval, and should only be 1 night of inconvenience.

Resources for maintaining synthetic turf fields:

Grooming:

• GreensGroomer (watch GreensGroomer video >)
• LitterKat (watch LitterKat video >)

Disinfecting:

• Titan Turf Gard (watch Titan Turf Gard video >)
• 40-Gallon Boom Sprayer

Painting and Removing Paint:
(watch video of GameLine removal process >)

• GameLine – Removable Paint for Synthetic Turf Fields
• Blitz GameLine Remover Solution
• Blitz Remover Machine
• Backpack Sprayer – Battery Powered | Premium Sprayer
• WaterClaw (for fields with little or no drainage)

A few years ago, the STMA developed a series of Advisory Bulletins on synthetic and natural fields. The bulletins are sequenced to provide information and resources throughout the process of selecting and building a new sports field. From the decision of natural vs. synthetic turf, to project management, these bulletins provide information and guidance to help plan such a large, important project and keep you well organized throughout the process.

We thank the STMA for providing such great resources and we are glad to provide the links to the Advisory Bulletins below.

Advisory Bulletin 1
Determining the Right Sports Field for Your Athletes
Your organization has decided to build a new sports field. As a sports field manager, you are responsible for the quality of the new field. The answers to these Assessment Questions should help guide your organization to make the best choice for your athletes.

Advisory Bulletin 2
Suggested Equipment List
Specialized equipment is necessary to maintain natural turfgrass and synthetic surfaces on sports fields. Trained staff, using the right equipment on a sound maintenance schedule can positively affect the quality of the playing surface.

Advisory Bulletin 3
In-House, Architect-Bid-Contractor, Design-Build, Owner’s Rep… What works best for building your sports field?
Your organization has decided to build a new sports field and has determined which type of field is needed. Whether it is a single synthetic field, or a natural grass field, or a multi-use sports complex with both field types, one of your next steps is to determine the best method to get your project built.

Should your organization complete the project in-house? Should you hire a design professional, and when the plans are completed, bid it and subsequently hire a contractor? Or, is your project better suited to hiring one firm to design and build the project? Do you need to hire an owner’s representative?

Advisory Bulletin 4
The Fundamentals of Project Management
Ready to begin construction? As the sports turf manager, you are responsible for the quality of the playing surface long after the field is built. Good project management will provide a comprehensive process to help insure a successful outcome.

Advisory Bulletin 5
The STMA Collection of ASTM Standards for Athletic Fields
STMA, with the support of its charitable foundation, SAFE, has compiled the ASTM standards recommended for athletic field facilities into this convenient, at-a-glance collection.

Pioneer Athletics recently sponsored a Field Day put on by Pro’s Choice Sports Field Products. The event took place at WaterWorks Park in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Two days leading up to the event it rained and rained, leaving the baseball field quite wet and sloppy. The goal was to renovate the field using infield conditioner, so we had our work cut out for us considering the conditions.

In this video, Steve Ohnsman of Pro’s Choice explains what infield conditioner is, how it works and the process of renovating the field. He also explain the difference between calcined montmorillonite clay and vitrified clay. The attendees that day were put to work getting Pro’s Choice RED Infield Conditioner onto the field, spreading it out and working it into the soil. The conditioner will remain in the soil for years to come, absorbing moisture and later releasing the moisture as the field dries out.

The Pro’s Choice guys also rebuilt the pitcher’s mound, installing new mound clay and ensuring the proper slope from the mound towards home plate. We’ll be posting a video showing that process soon!

How do you maintain your baseball infields? Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?

Doug Schattinger, President
Pioneer Athletics

See Mike Hebrard’s article, “Logo and other field painting tips from a top pro” from the May 2009 issue of SportsTurf magazine.

Mike Hebrard - Abby's Invitational