Winter care for your club's nets: An expert's guide

With bad weather in full swing, here's Dura-Sport expert Tim Laxton’s essential checklist for keeping those practice nets in top condition

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

We've all been there. It's January, you're firing up the clubhouse heating, keeping your fingers crossed that the trusty 60-year-old roller will somehow survive another season, and wondering what state the nets are in after months of wind and weather. Sound familiar?

A little attention now will save you headaches (and expense) come spring, so here’s Dura-Sport’s essential winter maintenance checklist:

Sort out the netting

First thing’s first - get that netting lifted or removed and give it a proper once-over. You're looking for holes, tears, or any weak spots that could become bigger problems. Take down your batting curtains, give them a good clean, and tuck them away safely until next season. Same goes for vermin skirts - they are fastened using our tensioning system onto the tension wires and are easy enough to remove and reinstall when the time comes.

Keep on top of the surface

Here's the golden rule: little and often beats a massive job later. Weekly or monthly brushing and debris removal prevents organic matter building up in the carpet pile. Keeping on top of things to avoid needing a specialist clean is super important and can be kept to a minimum with regular care.

And those autumn leaves? They're sneaky. They'll find their way into every netted area and pile up before you know it. Keep clearing them out regularly. Pro tip: lift the netting slightly off ground level so leaves can blow straight through rather than getting trapped. This also helps protect your netting from curious wildlife looking for shelter.

Take down those banners

If you've got banners or extra curtains attached to the steelwork, winter's the time to remove them. Wind loading during the colder months can damage the banners themselves or, worse, the steelwork they're fixed to. Better safe than sorry.

Do your pre-season inspection now

Winter gives you breathing room to properly inspect everything - the surface, steelwork, and netting. Spot any issues now and you can schedule repairs well before the mad rush of pre-season preparation. You'll thank yourself in March when everyone else is scrambling.

Remember: the clubs with the best facilities aren't always the ones with the biggest budgets - they're the ones that look after what they've got.

Need a hand?

Dura-Sport offers full in-house repair and maintenance services, plus plenty of options for surfacing, netting, and accessories. Every installation comes with comprehensive maintenance documentation - make use of it!

Want to know more about Dura-Sport's ECB-approved non-turf cricket pitch systems? Visit www.dura-sport.co.uk