Monday 30 September 2013

A Sporting Chance – Sports Field Maintenance

With the football season just getting into full swing up and down the country, most fans will hope they never have to see a ground protection mat on their favourite sporting field and fortunately most work that is conducted on these sports grounds is usually scheduled for the period between seasons. However, for various reasons during the breaks between sporting activities, many sports fields require maintenance and protecting the ground from heavy machinery or lots of trampling feet becomes very important.

In addition to routine maintenance procedures, many modern sports arenas and fields feature other special events such as concerts and festivals, especially during the summer months and if the pitches are not covered this can cause huge disruption and damage to the playing surface. With many of these venues needing to host other events in order to keep a steady stream of revenue, it has become more and more important for the organisers to find a suitable solution in order to protect the ground from serious damage.

That solution in many instances is the use of ground protection mats which form a protective barrier between the field of play and the machines and feet that will cross it. These sorts of mats have become really popular for these occasions largely thanks to their ease of use. They are light enough to be handled easily, yet strong and durable enough to be able to take significant amounts of weight.

They are not complicated and can be laid into position very quickly and removed just as efficiently, especially useful when wanting to return the field to its original purpose against the backdrop of a deadline.

Made from HD Polyethylene, the non slip surface ensures that they are really safe to walk on whilst also minimising the risk of tyres slipping on them. Briefly, here are some of the other features of ground protection mats:

They are rot proof – so it doesn't matter how long they are standing and in what conditions.

Plywood panels have been used in the past (and are still sometimes used) but they don’t provide anywhere near the amount of grip and durability.

Environmental damage is kept to an absolute minimum, meaning landowners are much more likely to accept their use.

Once in position, the mats look very professional which again means that they are quickly accepted and embraced by organisers.


If you are responsible for sports field maintenance, then please visit our main website at Ground Access Hire and we can supply mats for either short or long term hire.

Thursday 12 September 2013

An Alphabet of Ground Protection Mats: H – I

If you have been following our alphabetic blog series you will remember that in our last episode we tackled “F” and “G”, so that brings us up to the letters “H” and “I” for this instalment. Remember, these blogs are all about Ground Protection and the many places that it can be useful and the equipment that can be used in the process.

H

Hotel Events – Many hotels have become so much more than just a place to get a good night’s rest after a long journey. Many hotels are now fully set up to host a whole range of functions such as weddings, wedding receptions, parties, conferences and many other events. Very often, an event may need to be staged on the grounds outside and this is where the ground protection mats can prove very useful as they are laid across the surface to protect from any damage from both feet and vehicles (if vehicles need access).

I


We don’t really have anything for the letter “I” but if you require more information about what you have read above or more details about ground protection mats or the company Ground Access Hire, then please feel free to head on over to our main website, where you can also find our contact details.

Sunday 1 September 2013

An Alphabet of Ground Protection Mats: F – G

We hope you are enjoying our series of blogs that we have dedicated to looking at our Ground Access Hire business from the perspective of the alphabet. We have reached the letters F and G, so let’s just have a brief look at a few things associated with this part of the alphabet.

F

Funfairs/Fetes – At the time of writing, we are in the middle of the summer holidays and it’s the time when many towns and villages host their local fetes or even invite a travelling funfair to town for a few days. Of course, unless there is already a dedicated site, these events will normally take place on a local field and if the correct precautions are not taken, the farmer (whose field he has kindly allowed for use) will be very unhappy indeed, after hundreds of people have trampled upon it. The solution - Ground protection mats!

G


Garden Protection – Perhaps you are building a new water feature in the middle of your lawn, but to do so, you need to get some heavy machinery to the relevant site. Unless you protect the existing turf, you could end up with a muddy mess in addition to your new pond, so consider hiring a ground protection company to ensure this doesn't happen.