Protecting your turf: a primer to properly maintain your synthetic playing field.

Unlike that famous infomercial that boasts, "Just set it, and forget it," the same cannot be said of a synthetic playing field. Much like the care and upkeep of a traditional grass field, there is maintenance protocol when it comes to artificial grass. Albeit limited.

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While specific guidelines vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, the message is clear: "It's all about grooming. That's the bottom line," says Crystal Parsons, marketing coordinator for Sprinturf. "You need to be able to groom the field in order to get the optimum playing performance."

Grooming basically consists of rejuvenating the synthetic fibers of the field and the rubber and/or sand infill that succumb to the constant foot traffic from events that run the gamut from football games to band practice, following by a general sprucing up of the playing surface itself. For schools and facilities making such a large investment in a field, it's a small price to pay to maintain that investment.

"I would be remiss if I didn't start out by saying that the maintenance is extremely minimal," says Jim Dobmeier, president of A-Turf. "Anywhere from one to four times a month would be within the normal range of what we call, grooming the field. It sounds a little ridiculous, but it's not unlike a person combing their hair. It gives the fibers a little bit of fluffiness and it touches some of the upper levels of the infill, without disturbing it."

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According to Shilpa Bakre, public relations manager for Sportexe, the company's synthetic turf system requires scheduled cleaning and maintenance to ensure the appearance of the surface. The frequency of the cleaning schedule depends on the desired performance, the type of surface and its uses, the hours of operation, and foot traffic volume of the facility. The closer this schedule is followed the better the appearance and performance of the synthetic turf system.

For outdoor installations, Sportexe says rain is considered the best cleanser. Rainfall gently cleans the fibers of dust, pollen, and airborne pollution. In areas where rainfall is scarce, or during prolonged periods of drought, an occasional watering is beneficial to soak and cleanse the surface.

FieldTurf, the industry leader in synthetic surfacing, suggests a complete grooming of the field should be done every four to six weeks. This is accomplished by a multi-purpose piece of maintenance equipment that sweeps the field of debris, aerates the surface, uses tines for a deep clean, and brushes the surface.

GreensGroomer Worldwide, the industry leader, manufactures one such product. Its Synthetic Sports Turf Groomer works with all fill material currently used, in both wet and dry conditions. The patented brush design lifts turf fibers leaving them in a plush, upright position and moves fill to low spots or depressions left after play. The company's complementary GreensSlicer Spring Tine Rake combs through the fill material, relieving compaction and assuring a soft, level playing surface.

"The brush is terrific for standing the turf fibers in their upright position, but the spring tine rake has huge benefits for compaction issues," says Tom Moore, national sales manager for GreensGroomer Worldwide. "It literally combs down through that fill level and really fluffs it up, if you will. It has an infinite adjustment for the desired level of aggressiveness. There's a carriage bolt on either end of the tines--there are three rows of 28 tines spaced 7/8 inch apart for thorough coverage. For each row you loosen the bolt on either end and swing it forward or back to whatever position you desire."

The products can be towed behind a utility vehicle or even a gas powered golf cart. According to Moore, GreensGroomer products are included by the turf companies in a field package, unless the client opts out.

Other than that, it's just a matter of picking up debris, leaves, branches, etc., which can be done any number of ways. Sportexe, for one, recommends using a tractor-pulled vacuum system may to remove leaves and other debris. Generally, a product like the Minuteman Parker Lawn Sweeper could be used for a similar purpose.

Manufacturers such as FieldTurf offer their own line of specialized maintenance products, including the FieldTurf Scrub, an enzyme-based cleaner used to remove stains. The product also can be used in conjunction with other products such as gum remover and liquid anti-static conditioner.

"An enzyme based cleaner can be used to remove bodily fluids and blood from the field," says John Gilman, CEO of FieldTurf. "These enzyme-based products outperform germicidal cleaners in that they digest the host, thus eliminating the source whereby germicidal cleaners kill bacteria but do not eliminate the host material. Enzyme based products are harmless to humans and animals. They clean and deodorize the FieldTurf surfaces."

Additionally, FieldTurf allows the use of a biodegradable weed killer to fend off weeds between the synthetic grass and the perimeter curb. A three-prong tool also can be used to remove weeds or moss from the affected areas. This is done carefully so as not to tear the backing and interfere with field drainage.

FieldTurf also advises that moss may grow on the field surface if the following conditions are present: the field surface has not been maintained or groomed over a long period of time; if there is an unusual amount of shade on the field, and the field has been neglected; if the field surface has been covered with vinyl tarps over a long period of time; and lastly, if there is sufficient moisture.

Following are a list of key questions we asked the experts regarding proper field maintenance:

How is the G-Max level affected over the course of usage and what can field owners do, if anything, to maintain the proper level?

(The G-Max threshold is a standard set by the Consumer Products Safety Commission using the test method approved by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) to make a synthetic field comparable to natural grass. Surfacing companies vary on the precise G-Max level, which is not to exceed 200 g's. A solid G-Max level for a natural grass field is between 127 and 140.)

Gilman, FieldTurf: "G-Max levels remain consistent over the life of the field given that the maintenance staff grooms the field once every 4-6 weeks. Grooming involves brushing the field to remove any excess and to solidify the infill encapsulation by the fibers."

Bakre, Sportexe: "G-Max levels of all infill systems--whether all-rubber or sand and rubber--will rise over time and use, as the infill settles and matures. As a result, Sportexe installs all their systems in the lower 80-110 G-Max range. The important thing to remember is to limit the amount of sand to a maximum 30% by weight. Sand is heavier than rubber that causes it to work its way to the bottom where it then compacts and gets hard. More sand content in the infill causes the field to get harder sooner which causes G-Max levels to go up. Test your field regularly to monitor your G-Max levels. Make sure your G-Max readings meet your original specifications during the warranty period."

Dobmeier, A-Turf: "A-Turf sells fields with and without a rubber underpad. When people decide to invest in the rubber underpad, they can basically ignore the G-Max for the rest of the systems life because it's always going to be at the optimum level. We have some advantages over our competitors when people opt to not use the rubber underpad because we have a very dense product. We tuft our fiber on a 3/8 inch gauge, meaning there is only 3/8's of an inch between each row of fiber. Some of our competitors tuft on a gauge that is as much as twice as wide. The reason that's important is, the wider the gauge is, the more room there is between rows, the more room there is for the infill to migrate. So you could end up with low spots that affect your G-Max. It would not be fair if I didn't say that everyone's G-Max will increase over the life of the system somewhat."

Are field owners responsible for replacing any loose rubber infill/sand over the life of the field?

Bakre: "Every Sportexe field is installed with the necessary amount of rubber or sand and rubber for that particular synthetic system, which is quoted in the contract. Many times there will be left over rubber or sand and rubber that Sportexe leaves behind with the client. In cases where a top dressing (more infill) is needed, that is the responsibility of the client."

Gilman: With proper maintenance, loose infill does not occur often at all. There are 10 pounds of infill per square foot compared to less than half of that for any other infilled turf company in the industry. Why is this so important? The designers at FieldTurf discovered that the only way to truly emulate natural grass is to combine all these elements into an integrated system. The tall pile, wide gauge design, and increased infill mass allows cleated shoes to penetrate the fibers, plant into the special sand/rubber infill, twist easily and release (with minimal torsional resistance)."

Parsons, Sprinturf: "We've had certain cases when that has been an issue, but that is only with some of our older fields. But that's part of our warranty."

How important is fiber density regarding field quality and durability?

Gilman: "FieldTurf's smaller denier--individual fiber weight--combined with a 100-micron fiber thickness provides the best fabric surface. It is a plush but 'open' pile that allows for proper cleat penetration of the fill or 'artificial earth'. This smaller fiber denier allows FieldTurf to offer a less heavy pile, without sacrificing fabric density. Because of FieldTurf's heavier sand content, its fibers do not mat or lay over like competitors fibers. This is a critical difference. This is because each FieldTurf fiber is surrounded and 'stabilized' by a heavy, stable mix of sand and rubber and physically cannot lie over. Competitive fibers are surrounded by lightweight rubber and lay over with use. Fiber 'layover' is the primary reason for accelerated fiber wear and afflicts most 'all rubber' or mostly rubber systems on the market today. Wear is accelerated when fibers lay over because the fibers are exposed to wear and sunlight on the whole shaft of the fiber, not just the tips of the fibers."

Bakre: "A higher fiber density value provides the following: stabilizes the infill so the field maintains its consistency, even through player cuts, impact, high traffic areas, etc., ensures the field maintains its integrity better over time and use, helps ensure true ball response and sure-footed traction in all directions, contributes to a more uniform, predictable place to play, and allows players to train and compete 'in' the grass rather than 'on top' of the surface."

Do various rubber infills have any impact on longevity and lack of maintenance, i.e., ambient vs cryogenic?

Gilman: "As seen in fields across the country and around the world, cryogenic rubber is much better to play on than ambient rubber. Cryogenic rubber has better sphericity than non-cryogenic rubber. This helps in many areas. First, it blends and stays in suspension with the similar shaped sand particles. This helps the long-term resiliency of the field. Second, it is also less abrasive by being more rounded. Third, ambient rubber is jagged while cryogenic rubber is rounded and smooth. Another reason is the flow through direction of the water going through the carpet backing and through the rubber and sand mix. The high permeability of the grass forms a one-way direction for the water to evacuate through the surface. Since our actual flow through rate is around 60 inches/hr., this means the surface evacuates water just about as fast as it comes down. We have yet to encounter any of our fields have serious water evacuation problems when all our specified factors are taken into consideration."

Bakre: "There is virtually no difference between ambient and cryogenic rubber. Both are a type of rubber called SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) that are simply processed differently. The chemical composition of the SBR materials is not changed whether frozen and processed (cryogenic), or processed without freezing (ambient). The most important characteristics to look for when choosing an infill system are particle size, distribution of the rubber if the infill is a sand/rubber mix, cleanliness, and cost."

Do fields/schools that have a lot of foot traffic (multiple usage) require more upkeep than a field with only minimal usage?

Bakre: "The amount and frequency of daily care required is dependent on the surface, volume of use, and the type of use. We recommend that every Sportexe synthetic turf system have routine brushing every 80 to 200 hours of usage. Routine brushing keeps the surface free from debris such as leaves, litter and dirt, ensures the exposed part of the fiber is uniform in it's direction and stays upright, and keeps the infill uniform in distribution."

Parsons: "That's more about constant maintenance, not so much having to do with grooming the field, but more along the lines of informing the public that pets should not be on the turf for sanitary reasons. High heels are a no-no. Because the more unsupervised activity you have on the field the more the chances increase of a potential problem."

Dobmeier: "Typically speaking, the more a field is used, the more it might be groomed. But even then, there are people who have different philosophies on grooming a field."

Tom Moore, GreensGroomer: "It really does depend 100% on use. If those fields stay unused for a long period of time, nothing occurs to them. It's a very static situation. Unless there's a reaction that causes the fields to impact or causes the infill to move, it's a perfect scenario. Saying that, it is difficult to recommend to a facility exactly what to do. We kind of give customers different scenarios depending on usage. For example, the University of Michigan's indoor field house is used about 10-12 hours a day, which is immense. So they groom very regularly. On occasion they may groom every week."

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In order to maintain optimum performance of a synthetic field, the following general guidelines are strictly suggested:

* Control access to field.

* Protect your surface from heavy staging and other events.

* Wear proper/clean footwear.

* Keep your surface free of litter, mud and debris.

* No glass containers or bottles.

* Post signs prohibiting smoking and carrying food or drink onto the field.

* Do not implant/embed any articles (posts, stakes etc.) in the surface.

* Properly monitor the use of motorized vehicles on your surface. Preferably one's with non-pneumatic tires.

* Repair minor damage promptly.

* Follow suggested maintenance and cleaning procedures.