Acrylic Court Coating: Layers, Application and Price per m²

Acrylic coating is a sports surface system of liquid-applied layers, cured one over another, laid on top of an existing reinforced concrete or asphalt surface. The standard system has five layers: surface preparation, primer, two resurfacer coats, two coats of pigmented acrylic and line paint. Total thickness is 1.0 – 1.5 mm. In the cushioned system, rubber-granule layers are added in between, taking the count to nine and the thickness to 3.0 – 5.0 mm.

Yes — acrylic is by definition a system applied over an existing hard surface. The slab does have to meet four conditions: at least 28 days old, a fall of 0.5 – 1% in one direction, no puddle deeper than 3 mm after rain, and a surface that is not dusting. These are measured at the site survey and the result is reported in writing. A coating is surface work; it does not correct a hollow beneath it, it only covers it.

It can, and it is a common solution. Because asphalt is a porous surface the primer step can usually be omitted and the resurfacer coats bond directly. Newly laid asphalt needs at least two weeks, preferably a month, to weather before coating; bitumen oils rising to the surface cause staining and loss of adhesion under the coating. Where the asphalt shows rutting or undulation, the number of resurfacer coats is increased.

Standard acrylic coating runs at 190 – 390 ₺/m² and the cushioned system at 210 – 620 ₺/m² (as of August 2026, VAT excluded). These bands cover the COATING WORK ONLY: surface preparation, primer, resurfacer coats, colour coats and line marking. Excavation, fill and the reinforced concrete slab are not included — if you are building from scratch, the substructure is a separate item. What decides where you land in the band is the repair the existing substrate needs.

On a standard court, application takes 5 – 7 days, and 7 – 10 days for the cushioned system. That excludes the survey and material lead time. After the final coat the surface is left to cure for 48 to 72 hours; shorten that and shoe marks and line smearing remain. So handover is two or three days after the last working day. Duration depends on the weather: rain or low temperature extends the programme.

Surface temperature must be between 10 and 35 °C and rising through application; relative humidity below 85%, with 24 dry hours after application. In most of Turkey this compresses the coating season into April–October. It is not applied in winter — below ten degrees the acrylic film does not cure properly and the surface lifts in its first season. Winter is used for surveys and planning, with the work scheduled for spring.

At least 28 days. Until the concrete has cured, moisture inside it keeps rising to the surface; acrylic drawn over it traps that moisture and the layer blisters. The wait cannot be shortened, nor skipped with an accelerating admixture. If in doubt, run a polyethylene sheet test: tape a 50 × 50 cm sheet down for 16 hours, and if there is condensation underneath, postpone the work.

The standard system serves 8 – 10 years and the cushioned system 10 – 12 years. Three things set the life: intensity of use, sun exposure and the maintenance regime. Lines wear faster than the colour layer and are renewed every 3 – 5 years. Colour coat renewal comes every 6 – 8 years; where the lower layers are sound, primer and resurfacer are not repeated — only the colour coats are redrawn and the court returns to its first-day condition in a few days.

Intensity of use decides it. On housing-estate and school courts used a few hours a week, the standard coating is enough; the cost of cushioning does not pay for itself. On club and academy courts training several hours a day, in primary school yards where falls are frequent, and on projects where player health is the priority, the cushioned system is the right choice: knee and ankle fatigue starts noticeably later, and service life is two to three years longer.

They answer different questions. Acrylic is ahead on the balance of playing quality and cost: bounce is predictable, the surface dries quickly and the cost per square metre is markedly lower. EPDM is ahead on impact absorption, and where falls are frequent that safety difference is real. Choose acrylic for courts used for basketball and tennis by adults or secondary-school age upwards; choose EPDM for nurseries, primary schools and courts sharing space with play areas.

It depends on the type of crack. Surface shrinkage cracks closed with patching compound do not return. Cracks caused by settlement or movement keep moving beneath the coating and eventually telegraph through; a bridging membrane absorbs the movement for a time, but the lasting remedy is the slab itself. At the survey we measure whether a crack is moving and report in writing which method will be used. A warranty given without that distinction is not a realistic one.

A fully cured acrylic coating stands up to freeze-thaw cycles and does not crack of its own accord. Winter damage almost always comes from water and the substructure: water ponding on the surface expands as it freezes and lifts the coating from beneath. Fall and drainage are therefore more decisive than the coating itself. If snow is to be cleared, use plastic-edged equipment rather than a metal-edged shovel.

The regime is simple and largely a matter of cleaning. Weekly sweeping: sand and leaves left on the surface act like sandpaper and wear the colour layer. Monthly drainage check: the outfall points must be clear. Once or twice a year, low-pressure washing removes moss and dirt — a high-pressure machine is not used, it strips the surface texture. At the annual crack check, new cracks closed while small are a patch repair.

They can, and it is the most popular arrangement in school yards. One coating cost lets basketball, volleyball and badminton share the same area. To avoid confusion the primary sport is marked in white at full width and the others in paler colours. Each additional sport brings its own masking and painting round, so line labour rises; on a three-sport court this item can double.