Asphalt, Concrete or Porous Concrete? The Perfect Slab for a Padel Court
Any padel club owner knows that the creation of the concrete slab on which the padel courts will rest is one of the most crucial steps of the entire installation, capable of determining the success or failure of the project. It must be executed to perfection, both so as not to compromise the later stages of the padel court installation but also and above all to ensure ideal playability as well as maximum safety for the players on the court.
In today's article we delve into this topic, trying to provide a 360-degree overview of the various scenarios that may arise.
What are the Measurements of the Slab of a Padel Court?
The slab of a padel court must measure at least 21x11 meters and be generally between 15 and 25 cm thick, depending on the calculations that the structural engineer have made based on the seismicity of the area, the Eurocodes regarding winds, and geological studies of the area in question.
What materials should the slab be made of?
Regarding the material to be used, a distinction must be made between the perimeter of the slab (where the court structure will rest) and the inside of the slab (where the mat will rest).
The perimeter, must compulsorily be made of reinforced concrete while for the inside of the slab you can use smooth concrete, porous concrete or asphalt depending that from the needs and the type of field (outdoor or indoor).
Let us see the differences:
Asphalt: asphalt is definitely the cheapest material for making the slab of a padel court, but since it is particularly prone to heat and needs constant care it is often not recommended.
Smooth Concrete: smooth concrete is by far the most common choice, especially on indoor padel courts. Its composition does not guarantee good drainage of rainwater and needs to be leveled to perfection to avoid depressions or bumps that would inexorably impact the rest of the installation and proper ball bounce.
Should the smooth concrete option for outdoor courts be chosen, it is good to give it the right slope in order to properly drain rainwater so as not to compromise the quality of the mat.
Porous Cement: this is by far the most recommended option although the most expensive, especially on outdoor padel courts. Due to its porosity, rainwater will drain perfectly and no slope will need to be provided for it to drain properly. On a mechanical level, porous concrete is also “softer” than smooth concrete, and this will provide players with more comfort and less strain on their joints.
This last option, is also the one that we at NXPadel, manufacturers of Fiberglass Padel Courts, recommend, as it matches perfectly with one of the three biggest innovations we have launched on the market.
We are talking about ZeroS, the world's first padel mat completely free of clogging sand.
One of its most salient features, lies in the fact that it is 100% permeable on every point of its surface. This is possible thanks to the fact that unlike traditional synthetic turf mats, ZeroS does not have the classic latex baking from which water drains through the special drainage holes, and this makes it possible for rainwater to filter through perfectly in no time, allowing the mat to dry faster and avoiding the stagnation of moisture that would damage it with mold or fungus.
How do we make the slab of our mobile Fiberglass Padel Courts?
One of the most important variations between traditional padel courts and mobile padel courts lies in how the concrete slab is made so as to bypass some of the red tape associated with building permits.
Our system involves the slab being made using sandblasted concrete slabs in such a way as to ensure perfect bounce and playability.
To find out the whole procedure in detail, we suggest you watch the latest video on our YouTube channel and subscribe so you don't miss any updates on our technologies.
Now you have no more excuses and you have all the information at your disposal to make an audience that will guarantee your padel courts a guaranteed success! All you have left to do is to trust the best professionals and then to come back here to NXPadel to choose the most innovative, safe and outstanding courts on the market! We are waiting for you!
