ANNUAL MAINTENANCE COSTS

Annual budgets associated with clay court maintenance can be extremely high. The CLAY COURT GRINDER alleviates much of these yearly costs by keeping the court in prime condition throughout the year. If courts are properly maintained throughout the season, less expensive work is required annually.

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The CLAY COURT GRINDER allows approximately 40% savings of material by regenerating the old crusted clay back to its softer form.

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NOTE: We always recommend adding new HarTur clay material during yearly maintenance on green courts. Your first pass on the court (3mm) with the CLAY COURT GRINDER produces clay material that should be removed and replaced with new  HarTru clay.

 

See our GRINDER Tips page for more information on court renovation and Clay Court GRINDER tips.

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See breakdown and examples of cost savings that the Clay Court Grinder can achieve with regular maintenance and in-house court renovations

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Monthly scarification of courts cost using CLAY COURT GRINDER

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• Operate the CLAY COURT GRINDER at it’s lowest depth, 1mm (.04 inches)  It is not necessary to remove lines during this process. See video in GALLERY page.

• Groom court using Lute and the Court Brush

• Water and roll court.

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TOTAL COST – STAFF LABOUR ONLY (3 hours approximately)  

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The CLAY COURT GRINDER refreshes the clay surface and replenishes the packed down clay. Fresh clay can be added in as required.

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FACILITY CASE IN POINT

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FACILITY COURT DESCRIPTION:

The Daniel Nestor Tennis Centre (DNTC) is a 6 court indoor clay facility.     The HarTru courts were built in 2013. The court base includes 5 inches of Type A gravel and 3 inches of crusher dust and is entirely enclosed in a bubble year-round. These courts are not exposed to climate such as wind, rain or frost so loss of clay to wind or erosion is not a factor. All courts are watered by hand each morning so moisture is controlled.

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The DNTC is open year-round with the most activity happening from   October through May of each year. The summer is filled with junior camps   so the shoulder seasons are May/June and September.

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DNTC COURT MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS: Within two years the clay courts began to show their wear through hardening, a crusty surface, shallow areas, and depressions.  See the video on DNTC renovation and use of the CLAY COURT GRINDER by clicking on this link.

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Costs estimates to have an outside source come in and fix these issues ranged from $18,000 to $25,000 USD. After discussions with several indoor clay facilities in North America facing the same problem, various remedies were suggested including using a cement scarifier. These are about 10 inches wide and have rotating blades (diamond tip) that work similar to the CLAY COURT GRINDER but with a much narrower grinding width compared to the GRINDER at 16 inches. Cost for rental was $300+ per day USD. This machine was unsuccessful since it left many ridges and lacked control of depth scarification required.

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The decision to purchase the VENUS TERRAROSSA from Italy was made after reviewing the equipment and discussing with other facilities that had already purchased the machine. The CLAY COURT GRINDER is the North American version of the VENUS.​

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2015 RENOVATION BUDGET REVIEW

The following cost breakdown on the DNTC renovation of 6 courts is based on USD.

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1) VENUS TERRAROSSA purchase                                 $5,900   

            (This is a one time cost)                              

2) HARTRU Binder Clay (6 bags per court x 6)              $2,520

3) HARTRU COARSE GRAIN (3 bags per court x 6)       $1,260

4) Labour                                                                           $1,800

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TOTAL 2015 RENOVATION                                        $11,480 *

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NOTE: Original quotes from suppliers were averaging between $16,000 and $25,000 for the work detailed above. A savings of at least $4000 in the first year.

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*Shipping of HarTru clay material and VENUE MACHINE is not included in this cost. Labour was done by DNTC staff and small crew of part-time general labour help.

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2016 DNTC Clay Court Maintenance BUDGET

In 2016 the DNTC did MONTHLY court maintenance to all 6 clay courts. No outside source or equipment was required because of the VENUS TERROSSA (CLAY COURT GRINDER) purchase in 2015. 

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NOTE: This year court lines have been replaced so additional costs outside the scarification process are included for review.

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1)  HARTRU Binder clay                                             $2,520

2) HARTRU COARSE GRAIN Topper clay                $1,680

3) Labour                                                                     $3,700

4) Tennis court line replacement                              $2,340

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TOTAL 2016 RENOVATION                                 $10,240

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Within two years the VENUS (CLAY COURT GRINDER) has paid

for itself.

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For more information on CLAY COURT GRINDER shipping and costs please email export@paolonipesaro.it or fill out the form on our CONTACT page of this website. We will respond within a day to your request.