Mapecoat TNS Cushion, a medium-elasticity, multi-layered system from Mapei Australia was installed at the Carrara Gardens Tennis Academy located on the Gold Coast to create professional quality playing surfaces.
Cactus and Hill Architects, together with Shiro Architects were engaged to provide a Landscape Master Plan and Landscape Architecture service for the Carrara Gardens Tennis Academy. The academy features a wide range of sporting and recreational facilities, including a new outdoor tennis centre consisting of twenty clay tennis courts laid using the finest quality clay from Italy. There were eight full size and one half size concrete tennis courts that required surfacing using MAPEI’s Mapecoat TNS Cushion System.
Mapecoat TNS Cushion is made from acrylic resin in water dispersion with special fillers used to create playing surfaces with high resistance to wear, UV rays and various weather conditions. Suitable for creating surfaces for professional-level tennis, Mapecoat TNS Cushion can be applied on existing painted surfaces or on new cementitious or asphalt surfaces.
Norm East Sports Surfaces, which was contracted for the application, enlisted the assistance of MAPEI to not only supply the products, but also to assist with on-site technical and installation advice.
Mapecoat I 600 W primer was first applied over the concrete base to ensure a perfectly sound substrate for the application of the subsequent Mapecoat TNS Cushion System. Once the primer was completely dry, a coat of Mapecoat TNS White Base Coat was applied to the 5501m² surface, followed by five coats of Mapecoat TNS Grey Base Coat creating the cushion base for the tennis courts. A coat of Mapecoat TNS Finish 1 was applied followed by two coats of Mapecoat TNS Finish 3, which gave the tennis courts the desired speed as specified by the client. Once the tennis court installation was completed and allowed to dry, the white line marking was created using Mapei’s Mapecoat TNS Line White product.
Norm East and his contractors completed a total of eight full size and one half size courts using the Mapecoat TNS Cushion System with outstanding results. When applied on surfaces, Mapecoat TNS Cushion forms a semi-elastic playing surface that offers excellent playing comfort and performance characteristics such as perfect bounce of the ball; quick, safe change in direction; and an excellent combination of balance and slide for players.
The Carrara Gardens Tennis Centre has already hosted the Special Olympics for tennis and will be enjoyed by social and professional tennis players alike.
