The installation of this 7,200 sq ft indoor soccer and multi-sport field in Largo, FL confirms UltraBaseSystems® is the industry leader in field conversions.
When approached by the owner of Pinellas Indoor Soccer the goal was clear: convert the old worn out, unsafe field into a state-of-the-art UltraBaseSystems® panel-based field worthy of top caliber players. One minor detail, do it in a weekend!
After meeting with the owners, a plan was implemented. The team at UBS would oversee the installation of the panels, our good friends at TLI Sports in Clearwater, FL 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 8×120 ft glass wall; an ambitious plan but one that the entire team pulled off without a hitch.
The existing 7,200 sq ft field was completely worn out. The original turf was a glue down system on concrete and the fibers were all but gone.
The dasher boards were in need of re-facing and a new state of the art glass wall would replace the old scratched plexi wall.
The panels, turf and glass arrive to the job site right on time.
The panels are shuttled onto the field. We made the decision to build directly over the old turf as it was very low nap and made for a nice barrier between the concrete and the panels. It also saved a bunch of time!
The panels arrive attached together.
A quick hit on the corner will separate them into two individual panels.
First, the panels are cut on the table saw to remove the teeth along the starting point.
The cut panels are laid out along the wall and a temporary ¾” wood spacer is in place to assure the proper gap for turf tucking.
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.
The first several rows are always crucial to insure the panels are running straight and square. We realized the corner wall was not creating a true right angle with the long main wall, so all calculations and layout were based off the 120 ft outer wall and the other three sides of the rink would be cut to fit. Remember the panels will only install properly when all is square.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As the panel installation was occurring the owner and his team were hard at work demolishing the old glass wall and installing the prefabricated new glass wall system. This entire installation was performed with the preciseness of a military operation.
With the panels, turf, and most of the walls in place the infill process begins.
The system would require about 1.7 pounds per sq ft 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.
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.
We couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished over a weekend and proved once again that UltrasBaseSystems® is the industry’s answer to installation speed, quality, and safety.
Thanks to everyone that made this installation happen so perfectly, it was a great team effort.
