To resurface a tennis or sports court, repair the cracks with Duromastic mixed with plaster sand or stone dust, resurface the surface with a squeegeed Duromastic-and-plaster-sand mix, prime it, then recoat with Rhino Court. Resurfacing restores grip, colour and a true playing surface without rebuilding the court. This guide follows the Rhino Court application method for each stage, and flags when a badly failed court needs a specialist instead.
How often should a tennis court be resurfaced?
A tennis court is usually resurfaced every 4 to 8 years, depending on use, sun exposure and how well it has been maintained. The coating wears in the busy areas first — baselines, service boxes and the net area — and fades in the sun over time. A court that is cleaned and touched up lasts at the longer end; a neglected one that has cracked and faded needs attention sooner. The signs that it is time are a worn, slippery or patchy surface, faded colour and lines, and cracks starting to open.
Stage 1: Repairing cracks with Duromastic
Repair court cracks with Duromastic mixed with plaster sand for fine cracks or stone dust for large ones. Clean the surface, open up small cracks and cut a "V" into large ones, and remove all loose rubble and dust. Brush 1 neat coat of Duromastic into the crack and let it dry about 4 hours. Then fill:
- Small cracks — a smooth paste of Duromastic and plaster sand in a 1:2 ratio, brushed in until level with the surface.
- Large vee'd cracks — a paste of Duromastic and crusher or stone dust in a 1:2 ratio, worked in and levelled with a plastic float. Do not overfill, or you get visible ridges.
When dry, check for shrinkage and re-fill if needed, and sand any ridges flat. Skim a thin coat of the Duromastic-and-plaster-sand mix over the repair to hide it. Depending on crack size, allow 24 to 96 hours to cure.
Stage 2: Resurfacing the court
Resurface a worn court by priming it, then squeegeeing a Duromastic-and-plaster-sand mix across the whole surface. First roll on 1 coat of Clear Bonding Liquid (or Duromastic Primer, on Rhinoluxe technical advice) and let it cure 12 to 24 hours. Then, in a large drum, mix 1 part Duromastic (20 litre, L) to 1 part plaster sand (20 L) with about 6 L of water. Spread it over the surface with a 2 metre (m) rubber-blade squeegee, working from the furthest corner, holding the blade at about 30 degrees and overlapping each pass by roughly 200 millimetres (mm) for a ridge-free finish. Do not re-squeegee a semi-dry area, or it lifts. Let it cure 48 to 72 hours in summer, or up to 5 days in winter, and sand any ridges smooth before coating.
Stage 3: Prime, then coat with Rhino Court
Prime the court before the colour coat: a new court takes Alkaline Plaster Primer, a previously painted court takes Bond & Key or Clear Bonding Liquid, each left 24 hours. If you have just resurfaced (Stages 1 and 2), you can skip this primer step and coat straight onto the cured resurfacing. Then apply Rhino Court from the furthest corner in straight strips, working wet-on-wet and overlapping each strip by about 200 mm so the film build stays even.
Marking the lines
Mark the court lines with taut string and a 50 mm brush, keeping the lines thin. Hold two lines of thick string taut at the correct spacing, paint between them, and lift the strings off cleanly after each line. Do not apply thick lines — a heavy line cracks. A tip from the application method: before resurfacing, tap a 60 mm nail into each baseline corner leaving about 10 mm proud, so you can find the exact line positions again afterwards.
Conditions and curing
Work in the right conditions and let the court cure fully before play. Rhino Court goes on best with a surface temperature between about 15 and 40 degrees Celsius (°C) — at least 3 °C above the dew point — an ambient temperature of 15 to 45 °C, and relative humidity no higher than 85%. After the final coat, leave the court about 1 week to cure completely before play. Rushing a court back into use before it has cured marks the fresh surface.
What is the best coating for a resurfaced court?
The best coating for a resurfaced court is a UV-stable, textured acrylic court paint that grips underfoot and holds its colour. Rhino Court gives the non-slip texture, durability and colour retention a playing surface needs over the sound base the Duromastic repairs create. For choosing colours and the full painting method, see the guide to tennis and sports court paint.
DIY or a contractor: what drives the cost?
What drives a resurfacing budget is the court's condition and size, not the colour: the more cracking and levelling it needs, the more material and labour go in. A sound court that just needs priming and a colour coat is well within reach of a capable DIY team with the right products. A court that needs full crack repair and a squeegeed resurfacing is more demanding work, and one with widespread structural cracking is often better handed to a court contractor. Price the product side from coverage on the price list, and weigh the repair effort honestly before deciding to do it yourself.
When to call a specialist
Resurfacing restores a sound court, but a court with structural failure — major heaving, deep foundation cracks or drainage failure — needs a specialist court contractor to assess and rebuild the base. A coating and a resurfacer fix the playing surface, not a failing sub-base. If large cracks keep reopening, water ponds badly, or sections have lifted, get the base assessed before spending on a new surface. For a sound court that has simply worn and faded, resurfacing with Duromastic and Rhino Court is the practical, cost-effective route.
Where to buy
Shop Duromastic, Rhino Court and the court primers with national delivery, or visit our paint shops in Table View, Cape Town and Edenvale, Johannesburg. For advice on a court project and primer choice, call +27 84 985 6141.
