Care tips for artificial turf
Essential weekly or regular care measures for artificial turf with sand or rubber backfill.
BACKFILL HEIGHT CARE
The blades of artificial grass can only be fully protected and achieve a long useful life when the system is backfilled in a lasting and optimum fashion.
>> The sand/rubber backfill must remain at a constant level approximately 20mm below the fibre tips.
>> The 5-metre areas are filled to a height of approximately 8-10mm below the fibre tips, which differs from the general filling height. Particularly in the areas around goals, during every training/match the backfill is removed from the artificial turf system in larger quantities and must be appropriately replenished. 2kg of rubber granulate per m² must be calculated for refilling over a two-year period.
REGULAR DRAGGING
Regular dragging (e.g. using a brush harrow) is the only way of ensuring that the prescribed backfill height is actually attained.
>> At the latest, pitches should be dragged or brushed after every 25 - 30 matches and/or training sessions. The perimeter areas should also be dragged regularly in order that no natural grass, moss or lichens can take root.
ONGOING CLEANING
>> Any plant growth must be removed mechanically (uprooted, cut off, washed out with high water pressure). In extreme cases a weedkiller can be employed.
>> In order to prevent a major invasion of plants in the peripheral areas, periodic cutting outside the field edges is recommended.
>> Standard foreign bodies on the surface such as stones, sand, soil, cuttings from adjacent natural grass fields, leaves, tree needles, etc. should be removed in order to protect the turf system against deeper contamination.
>> Chewing gum can be easily loosened and removed use an ice spray.
>> Oil and fuel should be completely soaked up by means of sand or sawdust and then removed. Other contaminants can be dealt with using, e.g. a spatula. Animal contaminants should be treated with a water and vinegar solution.
THOROUGH CLEANING
The backfill is removed from the dry artificial turf using a suitable suction sweeping machine. It is then cleaned by fine scraping (freed from fibres, rubber, shoes or sand) and is subsequently brushed back into the turf system.
SNOW CLEARANCE
>>In order to protect the artificial turf against mechanical damage, the snow covering is not removed entirely, but only to a depth of 2-3cm. The maximum axle load of the snow clearance machine may not exceed 1.8t.
>> Pitch markings are swept free and partly frozen areas are thawed using standard salt (please enquire at your local environmental protection office)
