A BASIC OVERVIEW WITH BEST PRACTICES AND CURRENT INNOVATIONS
THE BENEFITS OF WINDSCREEN Provides a dark background so players can see the tennis ball Breaks up wind gusts on the tennis court A simple and cost effective way to dress up older tennis courts An inexpensive way to add branding to a facility
Standard Height Choices 9 High Enclosed look Maximum backdrop to see the ball Provides the most wind blocking Higher cost due to more material Requires more maintenance resources 6 High Cost effective solution Requires less maintenance resources Minimal backdrop to see the ball Minimal wind blocking *Custom size options available.
Windscreen Features Fabric Weight. (Standard range is 6oz -18oz) Construction (Typical 1000D weight) Shade Factor (69%-100% Closed) Tensile Strength (Varies based on material) Reinforced Hems (Typical is 3-Ply) Grommet size and placement (Most common is #2 brass every 12 ) Thread (Polyester with UV inhibitors) Center Grommet attachment types (Lip or punch through) Style of Vents (Most common Half Moon or Hemmed Window)
Material Types Polyethylene Closed Mesh Polyethylene Open Mesh
Polypropylene Closed Mesh Polypropylene Open Mesh
Vinyl Coated Polyester Open (Most Common)
Special Application Windscreen Solid Backdrop
Mesh-Solid-Mesh Combination Solid-Mesh-Solid Combination
Windscreen as the Fence Mesh
Recycled Content Windscreen Vinyl Coated 100% Post Consumer fibers made from recycled plastic bottles
Measuring Windscreen I recommend measuring outside tension bar to outside tension bar and subtract 3 Remember it is always better to be a little short than too long in your measurements Always provide a labeling system to help with installation Measure each area and never assume they will be the same size as other similar areas
Installing Windscreen 6 height I recommend break away ties (50lb) on all 4 sides 9 heights permanent attachment on the center grommet point (poly-rope or 120lb ties) and break away ties on all 4 sides This is the best scenario for windy areas and is what we recommend to prolong the life of the windscreen. Different Methods Observed in Different Regions. West Coast and South West use primarily permanent attachments like 120lb ties or hog rings. Rest of the country uses various options like permanent or break away attachments only or a combination of permanent and break away.
Best Practices to Extend the Life of Windscreen Educating your customer is VERY IMPORTANT! Most customers hope you can install the windscreens once and then not have to touch them again for extended periods of time. This is not the case as windscreen needs to be maintained regularly. Make sure all grommets are fastened to the fence at all times. One tie every 3 or 4 grommets is not a good practice as it puts a lot of pressure on the hem and the one grommet attached and will more than likely pull out under strong weather conditions. As soon as possible re-attach the windscreen to the fence when any ties have broken. If extremely strong weather conditions are forecasted, take down or at the minimum roll down your screens to avoid potential damage. 2/3rds of the wind load is at the top of the fence.
Damaged Screens The biggest offender of damaged screens is caused by Wind Whip. Wind Whip occurs when the windscreen breaks away from the fence and is allowed to beat back and forth against the fence causing damage to the fabric and finish. This is most visible by the horizontal white lines seen on the ends of panels. This type of damage is not covered by any Manufacturer Warranty.
WINDSCREEN LOGOS A BRANDING OPPORTUNITY
LOGO TYPES Hand Painted Logos Durable finish Cost effective branding Color matching available Typically pricing based on size and quantity of colors Limited to graphics that can be hand painted Digitally Printed Logos Able to print detailed graphics and photo quality images Print different shades and fading of colors Cost effective since mainly one cost for printing simple or complicated/photo quality graphics Price typically based on a sq/ft cost Logo can fade and be damaged by contact more so than hand painted logos
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