When to Replace Your Sports Padding
Wall and post padding is only as good as the protection it provides. It gets worn out when subjected to varying temperatures, extreme weather conditions, and the passage of time, resulting in tearing, separating, sagging, or deteriorating. Even constant impact can affect the longevity of vinyl covered foam padding, especially if the foam quality was poor to begin with. With this in mind, last season’s sports protective padding may not be in good enough condition to absorb the impact of a player this season. A physical walk-through and thorough visual inspection of the area will help you determine your needs. Here are some important points to consider during your inspection.
- The first question to ask yourself is, "Am I in compliance with current safety regulations? Do I have pads installed where they are supposed to be?"
- Is the foam thick enough to absorb impact, or high and wide enough to protect players of various proportions? Have you left any area, corner, edge, or object exposed?
- What is the condition of the foam? Look to see what's going on under the existing vinyl. If you see powder residue around the installation, your foam could be disintegrating beneath the vinyl. If you press on the foam and it doesn't bounce back to its original position, but remains depressed, it is time to replace it.
- What condition is the vinyl in? Is it torn or frayed? Do the treads show?
- How about the closures, are they secure? Look for missing grommets, ripped zippers, and Velcro that no longer holds.
- Is the post covered, but the hard base is exposed? Padding can be engineered to cover the base and the post in round, square, and even octagon shapes.
- Are the graphics faded and scraped off? If the foam is in good shape, then a new printed wrap over the existing cover will suffice.
- Is the mounting system secure or falling apart? Inspect both the front and the back of the existing padding. On systems that can be removed during the off season, attachments are often misplaced and left off to the point where pads are literally hanging by one bolt, instead of secured properly.
Basically, would you feel protected if you ran at full speed into the post wearing the protective gear your players wear? If not, it’s time to change the pads.
At Sports Venue Padding, we specialize in designing, manufacturing and installing vinyl covered protective padding and mats for standard and difficult to cover areas of physical activity. Our products cover walls, fences, posts, beams, gates, doors, floors, lifts, rotational signs, props, and pretty much anything else in any size. Beautifully display your team brand, logo, sponsors, or advertising with big, bold digitally printed graphics on almost any color of vinyl or vinyl covered padding. Every athletic sports facility has unique construction features and requires engineered solutions that go beyond manufacturing standard-size padding. Our team is most known for its sports padding technology, custom padding solutions, affordable patented innovations, attractive presentation, and exceptional on-going maintenance.
SportsVenuePadding.com - "We've got you padded!"
Call us if you need us: 562-926-0835
The Leader in Indoor and Outdoor Protective Padding - Innovation, Quality, Safety and Functional Solutions
Michelle Robinson is Co-Founder and Senior Vice-President of Sports Venue Padding by Artistic Coverings, a diverse manufacturer of sports protective padding and landing mats, in addition to custom padding solutions, facility signage, and early childhood learning products. With over 40+ years of engineering experience, her team installs and maintains protective padding with and without digitally printed graphics for stadiums, indoor gymnasiums and arenas, fitness facilities, and children's exercise and play centers. SportsVenuePadding.com.
