A Weekend Transformation
One of the big challenges indoor soccer facility owners face is what to do when the turf field wears out. This is what the owner of Pinellas Indoor Soccer faced. The worn out, 7,200 square foot turf field had been glued to the concrete floor and would be very difficult to remove. Ultra Base not only provided a method to cover the old worn out turf with a safer and better performing base, but it made it possible to do in a weekend...saving on direct labor costs while minimizing lost revenue.
The Process
1
Project Kick Off
After meeting with the owners, a plan was implemented. The team at Ultra Base would oversee the installation of the panels while TLI Sports in Clearwater would supply and install the turf and the owner and his staff of Pinellas Indoor would resurface the walls as well as install a beautiful new 8 x 120 ft glass wall.
It was an ambitious plan but one that the entire team pulled off without a hitch.
2
Preparation
The existing 7,200 square foot field was cleaned so that the new panels could be laid on top.
The dasher boards were covered while the new state of the art glass walls were being staged.
3
Materials Staged & Prepped
The roll of synthetic turf and Ultra Base panels arrive. The Ultra Base panels are shipped on pallets with each level attached together for ease in transporting.
Prior to transporting the panels, the ones that will be used on the edges are then cut on the table saw to remove the teeth along the starting point.
4
Laying the Edge
These cut panels are then transferred to the field area and laid out along the wall using a temporary ¾” wood spacer to assure the proper gap for turf tucking.
The placement of the first several rows is always crucial to insure the panels are running straight and square. In this case, the corner wall was not creating a true right angle with the long main wall, so adjustments needed to be made.
5
Placing Panels
The next several rows are carefully installed making sure the panels were running square and perfect. We left a slight 1/8″ gap between the panels to allow for any expansion. The likelihood of this happening indoors is remote but we would rather be safe than sorry.
6
Snap Panels Together
The team begins laying the panels in rows as the installer goes to work sliding the panels together. One supervisor is always following behind giving a kick here and there to make sure all panels are properly engaged and gapped.
7
Cutting Final Panels
Once all the panels are installed we began to cut the panels to fit the rounded corners and the goal areas. This is done with a jigsaw or circular saw.
We simply mark the lines, cut the panels and make sure there was at least a ¾ to 1-inch gap between the panels and wall. The outer row of panels was also cut to the exact dimensions prior to the new wall installation.
8
Turf is Laid
As we moved from corner to corner the turf crew was right behind us rolling out the 1.5 in monofilament turf and positioning it in place on the panels.
Once the turf was positioned and trimmed the process of seaming begins.
9
Seaming Begins
First the turf is pulled back and an impermeable seam cloth is installed. The glue was applied to the tape.
The glue was evenly spread on the tape and allowed to sit for an hour or so. Once ready, the turf was carefully seamed together and rolled to insure proper bond. The entire process of panels and turf installation and seaming was done in one day.
10
Infill is Added
With the panels, turf, and most of the walls in place the infill process begins. The system would require about 1.7 pounds per square feet of rubber infill. The process of infilling and grooming took the entire next day.
Once the grooming was complete the field was painted and ready for play.
Ready For Play!
This installation was started on Friday morning and the first game began at 7 pm Monday night.
The arriving teams were enthralled with the look of the new facility and once they entered through the glass and experienced the feel of this extraordinary UltraBaseSystems® field, they were all smiles. The teams raved about the ball roll, bounce, and most importantly how safe they felt on the new mini soccer pitch.
This first rate facility is instrumental in creating champions of tomorrow in the Tampa Bay area.
View the Transformation
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