Cleaning Tennis Courts Just Got Easier
How to Kill Moss Mould and Lichen on Your Tennis Court
Tennis Court Maintenance is inevitable but the good news is that when you use Wet & Forget or Rapid Application - the job takes very little time or effort to achieve amazing results just like the picture above clearly shows. It is a very easy DIY job!
Choose Which Product To Use
Wet & Forget (use with a garden sprayer) or Rapid Application have exactly the same active ingredient and are absolutely safe to use on tennis court surfaces and are most definitely your best options. We recommend Rapid Application (needs a hose connection) because it is so much quicker to apply and you get a better saturation because of the Reach Nozzle spray ability.
Prepare the Surface For Moss Mould or Lichen Removal
It’s a good idea to clean off any surface debris. By this we mean, dirt, pine needles and leaves, twigs etc. This is easy to do with a blower or a broom. If the area is under cover from trees or in the shade of buildings, moss, mould and lichen growth can take over. If you leave these nuisance organic items on the surface, it can stain your court but worse still, it can create friction with people walking and contribute to premature wear and tear of the tennis court surface.
Check How Much Product is Needed
The general 'playing' area of a tennis court itself is about 260m2 If you then add in the outside surrounding area, then it typically gives a completed area of around 670m2
Helpful Hints
- We want the product to penetrate totally into the sub surface for best results so the initial clean up is really essential. The more debris on the surface - the more product you end up using so get rid of all the surface gunk first.
- To prevent evaporation, apply when it is cool and dry - either early in the morning or late evening if the day is hot.
- Spray the whole court thoroughly so that there is no re-contamination of any areas. The mould spores are very hardy and love to travel!
Two types of surfaces.
- Hard Courts - concrete and asphalt
- Artificial Courts which are sand based.
Hard surfaces (asphalt or concrete)
You can apply either Wet & Forget or Rapid Application to either asphalt or concrete tennis courts. Most people allow for the complete clean up of the whole playing area of 670m2 - this seems to be the norm.
Allow for 6 x 2L Rapid Application or 6 x 5L Wet & Forget for any surface that just shows black or green mould on these hard surfaces (as this is the most common problem). However, If lichen or moss are more prevalent (ie the contamination is really bad) then more Wet & Forget or Rapid Application would obviously be required in order to penetrate through the growth. Remember also that concrete is reasonably porous.
If you are cleaning the nets as well - you will also need more product. Always err on the larger quantity of product as you will not be happy if you run out of product before the job is complete. Both products have an unlimited shelf life so use any left over product for future spot spraying.
Artificial Surfaces/Synthetic Grass (sand based)
Artificial tennis court surfaces are sand based and often have moss around the outside of the courts. If a particularly large moss build up is prevalent, we suggest applying Wet And Forget or Rapid Application on the moss to kill it, wait a couple days and then rake or broom the dead moss off before re-applying Wet And Forget or Rapid Application.
IMPORTANT:
The courts need to be watered down first prior to applying Wet and Forget or Rapid Application. Otherwise the Wet And Forget or Rapid Application is absorbed immediately and directly into the sand and is ineffective.
There has to be enough water applied so the Wet And Forget or Rapid Application sits on the surface and attacks the moss and mould from the top down. As a guide, we suggest wetting the surface to the point of puddling - as soon as the puddles subside, begin the application of Wet & Forget or Rapid Application.
Working on the above basis of 670m2 we would allow 10-12 packs of either Wet & Forget or Rapid Application per court as it is still much more porous than concrete. (even with the water applied)
The courts need grooming with a hard bristled broom 5-7 days after application or once the moss and mould becomes brown and proud on the surface. If the courts are in a poor shape with lots of mould, repeat the application and process again in 6 months
Length of time for Clean Up
This is impossible to predict as it is totally dependent on the level of contamination and the weather conditions ie the more rain and wind the quicker the clean up. The weathering process gently removes the decomposing growth over time. If it is green growth, the clean up will be quicker. However, black mould will take a lot longer.
Long term Maintenance
- Keep the surface clear of debris as much as possible
- Remove any overhanging trees or bushes that create moss and mould growing environments.
- Apply Wet & Forget or Rapid Application on an annual basis to keep your courts in pristine condition