Outdoor Basketball Court Surface Options

What Are The Best Backyard Basketball Court Surfaces?

Exterior basketball court surfaces need to be hard wearing but ideally, they also need to be forgiving. The shock to knees and ankles from impacts on bare concrete playing surfaces can be tough on the body. Uneven old tarmac introduces the risk of trips and sprains. Choosing the right surface for outdoor basketball involves a number of factors.

Outdoor Basketball Court Surface Materials

The best basketball experience, especially for die-hard traditionalists, is a newly varnished spring-loaded wooden floor. Sadly, the superb ball response and shock absorption of high quality gym flooring won’t last long on an outdoor basketball court. What are the alternative materials to rock-hard concrete and fragile timber courts?

Macadam And Tarmac Basketball Courts

Cheaper and softer than concrete, macadam sports courts can play incredibly well when new. Tarmac’s porous nature is great for drainage, but can also enable biological forces to affect the surface over time. Cracks, bumps and holes in the court floor affect ball bounce and increase the likelihood of trip and fall injuries. Regular maintenance is critical for tarmac surfaces, plant growth between gaps in the gravel texture can be disastrous.

Polypropylene Basketball Surfaces For Outdoor Courts

Outdoor polypropylene modular sports tiles aim to mimic the ball bounce and shock absorbing qualities of spring-loaded gym flooring. The tiles can be used in all weather conditions making polymeric floors a great solution for outdoor games areas. The growing interest in short form half court basketball in outdoor settings has seen a huge surge in court tile offerings.

Advantages of Polypropylene Surfaces For Basketball

The addition of sports tiles will significantly increase the cost of any court project. The many benefits of modular surfacing can outweigh the cost implications. We’ll look at Versacourt modular sports tiles for a deeper dive into the advantages of polymeric surfaces.

Faster Draining Than Conventional Surfaces

Outdoor modular sports flooring is designed with a lattice network, enabling rapid drainage onto the sub-base below. As long as the sub-base is level, any standing water will remain below the actual playing surface, raised 19mm from the base.

Long Lasting Line Markings

Line markings can be printed onto Verscaourt tiles, rather than painted, ensuring accuracy and longevity like never before. The print technology also allows for greater complexity in design and colours for custom and branded event courts such as this basketball court installation at Canary Wharf featuring artwork by Yinka Ilori.

Resurfacing A Tennis Court For Basketball

Converting unused tennis courts into basketball courts or multi-use games areas can be as simple as resurfacing the existing space. The average tennis court in British back gardens is similar to the dimensions of a FIBA regulation basketball court. Before choosing a surface, we would recommend having a groundworks expert assess the need for spot repairs on existing hardstands. The performance of the surface is largely dictated by the quality of the sub-base.