A pickleball court needs maintenance. It needs to be kept clean, it needs to be swept on an almost daily basis, any rainwater or similar needs to be removed, and the lines should always be clear.
A pickleball court, once built, should last a lifetime, but touch ups and occasional maintenance needs to be done.
You can do pickleball maintenance on your own, especially the small things like sweeping and water removal, but for the bigger, more difficult issues, you might want to use the professionals.
This would include repainting of lines, fixing of fences, the lighting that might be damaged, or the surfacing of the course itself.
Table of Content
Cleaning a Pickleball Court
Let’s take a look at what you need to clean a pickleball court:
- A broom
- A water-broom or water sweeper
- A duster
The broom is an obvious one. You need to sweep a pickleball court from time to time, getting the leaves off it or cleaning it of dust. Like a tennis court, a pickleball surface can get dusty and dirty; nothing a good sweeping won’t fix.
The water-broom is a pretty obvious one too. After a rainstorm, you need to get rid of the excess water. It works on exactly the same premise as a water broom for a tennis court.
You sweep up the water and squeeze out the excess, while also sweeping the water to the edges and outside of the court.
You will also find you use a rag or duster from time to time to clean the net poles and the door handle, if there is a door leading into the court. Using a damp cloth is just fine.
The above are all really easy to do on a DIY basis. Sweep your courts daily, or pay someone to do it for you. And as soon as a rainstorm has stopped, get rid of the excess water with a water broom or water sweeper. This way your court surface is not going to get damaged.
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Painting The Lines
The lines will fade on a used pickleball court, not immediately but over time.
If you had your pickleball court designed and laid out by professionals, it should last you for years or even decades. If you did your own court, the lines (and surface) might need repainting every now and again.
Make sure you use the right paint! There are generally a range of colours to choose from, but stick to your original paint colours unless they don’t work for you.
Use specific paint, and if your hardware or paint store does not know what paint you need, go to the specialists. You do not want to use ordinary paint, or the wrong paint.
Before you paint the lines, or over the lines, ensure there is no dust, dirt, debris or any kind of outdoor material (leaves) on the lines. You want to get the lines as smooth as possible.
Resurfacing Your Pickleball Court
You only want to do this on your own if you designed your own pickleball court in the beginning, painting over concrete or asphalt, making a kind of ‘make-shift’ court.
If you did make your own court, you may find you need to paint over your surface fairly regularly. Or you might just decide to get a specialist in to make you a court from scratch!
Either way, if you are doing your own surface painting, use the right paint. You will need to fix the surface problem areas that may have developed over time, cracks and so forth, before doing any maintenance painting.
To fix the cracks (honestly, if your court has been built by the specialists, call them in to do the maintenance) you can use an acrylic paint that is a patch binder, a crack patch or a crack filter. Repair all your cracks and let them dry. Smooth them out before getting ready to repaint your surface.
And if you have put in a new surface, redone your asphalt or similar, let it dry for a good two to four weeks before you add a coat of paint. Use an acrylic resurfacer once you have done surface repairs, and let that dry properly too.
Then, and you are following the proper instructions because each paint is different and we don’t know which part of the maintenance you need to do, use the right court surface paint and apply it evenly.
Again, use a professional unless you did your own court in the first place. You do not want to mess it up!
When Does A Pickleball Court Need Maintenance?
- If any cracks have appeared
- If the lines are faded
- If your net has rusted or broken
- If the lights are broken or do not give enough light
You will find on a pickleball court, one professionally made, that the court starts ageing slowly. One crack appears, and another soon after. At the same time, the fence gets a bit old and wobbly.
The net appears to be weaker or more fragile. This is a good thing! It means you should get the whole court revamped at the same time. It’s a lot easier than doing one thing at a time.
Of course if it is only the lines that are faded and need to be repainted, and everything else is in pristine condition, get only the lines fixed up. And if the net is sagging while your fence appears to be in a perfect state, get a new net.
If your lights are wrong but everything else is fine, get the lights serviced or get new ones. Only do the whole court if it is necessary, or if everything seems to be going at the same court.
A pickleball court made and built by professionals should last you for a decade, minimum, much longer if it is well cared for. If you made your own court, makeshift, well, you know it is not going to be perfect. As long as you can play the game and play it easily, your makeshift court is just fine!
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Which Professionals Can Help with Pickleball Court Maintenance?
It all depends on which area you are in. Your first port of call should be the people who designed and built your pickleball court. If they are not available, or you don’t remember who they are, then do a bit of research.
Most pickleball courts have signs on the fence with the name and contact of the builder. Other times, the club knows who they used. Otherwise ask friends in the pickleball game for references.
Here are some pickleball maintenance specialists:
PickleballCourtSupply.com
They’re in Utah and will talk to you about Pickleball courts, lighting, fencing, accessories and supplies. They will also refer you to Pickleball builders or maintenance specialists in other states. You can submit a request online.
SportSurfaces.com
As per their name, they build all types of court surfaces and handle all aspects of the building, including the lighting and all maintenance. They’re situated in West Palm Beach, Florida. You can complete an online questionnaire and they should get back to you quickly.
SportMaster.net
They have a great product catalogue online and their site is clear and easy to use. The head office is in Ohio but they have product suppliers literally dotted around the USA. Chat to them and see what they can offer in your area.
LocalTennisCourtResurfacing.com
They too have distribution points around the USA and in Canada. They will give you free repair quotes and you can chat to them online. They fix up cracks, individually, or will do the full job for you, as per your request and needs.
EliteSportsBuilders.com
Part of the American sports builders association, this is a certified company with their head office in Phoenix, Arizona. They have an office in Las Vegas too. Join their mailing list or message them for a quote or advice.
All of the above are certified and there are many more too. We don’t have a favorite, and it’s also impossible to list them all. Get quotes, do a few comparisons, and in the end, always trust your instinct with who you should choose to work with.
Final Words on Pickleball Court Maintenance
It is important to pay attention to the maintenance of pickleball courts and one of the prime reasons for that is to ensure the longevity of the court. There are two ways to ensure the same – either look at maintaining the court on your own or you can hire contractors who can do it at a cost to you.
And because doing everyone on your own could become bit of a task, especially on a regular basis, it could make sense to hire a contractor, especially on a bit of a long term contract that might help bring down the costs and make it a hands off task for you.
