With winter underway, we’ve put together this quick and useful guide for preparing your sports facility and sports netting for severe winter weather.
Inspect Netting Condition
You’ll want to start by inspecting your sports netting for any noticeable discoloration, frayed threads, or weak points. Pay particularly close attention to net fasteners or any points of netting that bear weight. Small sections that are worn can be repaired with a repair or patch kit. Our team of experts can advise on which repairs require more in-depth repairs or new large installations.
Inspect Hardware Condition
Next, you’ll want to check any attachment points of the sports netting to hardware. Metal clips and bolts can become rusted and unstable over time. Check for loose or missing bolts and washers, as well. If your sports netting system has pulleys or netting that slides, now is the time to check that the net can move easily.
Storage Best Practices
The experts at Golf Range Netting have decades of experience in not only designing and building custom netting solutions, but in providing best practices and tips to lengthen the lifespan of those netting solutions. When the temperature drops below freezing, outdoor nets can take a beating. The fibers of the netting retain moisture and then freeze, making the netting brittle, weak and more prone to fraying. If you are not planning to use your sports netting for two or more months due to cold weather, we recommend storing the nets for safe keeping. Here are the top two tips to keep in mind when storing sports netting:
- Keep the netting dry – Find a cool, dry space to store your netting. Prolonged exposure to moisture or damp conditions will induce mold growth. If you’re in a coastal location where humidity in the air can become an issue, we recommend storing your sports netting in air tight containers.
- Make it pest proof – Rolled up netting makes the perfect nesting material for critters, including destructive rats, mice, and even squirrels. Every year in the spring, we field calls from distraught facility managers who don’t understand why their netting fell apart in storage. Upon closer inspection, we always find that rodents have chewed through parts of the netting. The number one defense against mice and rats are large heavy plastic bins with lids. These are thick enough to keep pests out, can be stacked for easy storage, and are found at most hardware or department stores.
If you’re not sure where to start or you’re looking for expert advice, give our team at Golf Range Netting a call at (866) 938-4448. We offer more than 25 years of experience constructing custom netting solutions nationally and internationally and provide free consultations.