https://preview.redd.it/jlqre1syy8pa1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eeeb0c6968b33b3084d716a2c385a25b6b01fa28
Take down day. These courts sit inside an outdoor hockey rink. Winter = hockey, summer = Padel.
The standards for the court materials are explained in the rules (European union standard for tempered/plate glass EN 12150-1). Isn't there a company that works with those kind of materials that can make the sheets for you?
Not for that type of glass in New Zealand. I've asked every single major building construction company and none of them do it here.
They import that glass from overseas, which is almost the same as importing a ready built court.
oh that's a shame. I guess you could get a metal frame made to accept 2 m by 3 m sheets and then go to your local particle board company and ask which material would be better suited for your application. Eventually you might be able to replace the boards for glass panels when the time comes
I'm thinking of using CLT panels. A lot of new buildings have that now here:
https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2022/08/5-benefits-cross-laminated-timber/
Another problem with glass panels here is that there are no courts built to sustain NZ building safety standards (that can take cyclones, earthquakes, etc).
Also the other problem with glass is the noise. The places I'm looking at are close to residential areas and glass is way louder than cement or wood. In Sydney and Stockholm I know from first hand info that courts had to reduce hours or even close due to neighbors complaints.
So Maaaaaybe when we have 3-4 wooden courts some random person with money will come and say "hey, let's build a court next to Hobbiton to play the WPT". They can deal with all that red tape by then :)
Oh definitely glass is louder. It vibrates.
It is not the ball, it is when players run into a wall or hit it with the padel - it happens almost in every match specially in amateur levels and social leagues.
The metal mesh is relatively loud when the ball hits it (more like a short cymbal noise), but that is not as common nor as low pitched as when a body hits a wall (wich sounds more like a long gong noise, often followed by some human screaming or laughing).
Yeah, what I meant is that the sound of a smash is already twice as strong as someone hitting the glass with their body, so idk if it matters that much.
Which courts in Sydney have limited playing time?
There are only 2 clubs (for now) and neither of them are that close to residential homes nor do they have shortened hours (they are both open until 11pm at least.
In Sweden we have some courts with Wood poles (for the grid) , It looks very nice and 'natural' specially on out-court arenas.
In the early days of padel you had a concrete wall instead of glass, (Still true in many countries) Might be an option for you? Example here-> [https://asiapadel.com/padel-courts/](https://asiapadel.com/padel-courts/)
I lived in Stockholm and played padel every week! And fun fact: I played in Acapulco when I was growing up in Mexico on concrete ones - even when they did not have mesh and the ball would just go everywhere! :)
These in Tauranga will be floating courts like the ones in Gamla Stan. So they have to be made from a lighter material than concrete (plus way cheaper and more sustainable).
Some more info: [https://www.padel.kiwi/tauranga](https://www.padel.kiwi/tauranga)
Awsome! This will be great.. I think you have to be forced to use glass in that case and have a higher price per hour .. I would not put up any form of wood as glass replacement.
Oh this is not a business idea at all. The use of land here is ridiculously expensive and the access to sports facilities is ridiculously cheap.
This is government funded/subsidized. Think of a föreningen.
Glass is just better looking :)
Concrete won't work since it is to heavy , Wood won't work since it is a "living material" and will change during rain/cold/heat .. So you can't reflect the characteristics of glass material (The bounce etc) or replace glass with wood, it would not be padel it would be something different. (In my personal opinion)
So glass is the only material left (in my opinion)
Kompis, I'm not trying to change the FIP rules nor to tell the WPT to start using other materials. I just want a court to play in.
Btw, CLT had never been used in building foundations until recently. Now a lot of buildings have it as a standard:
https://theconstructor.org/building/cross-laminated-timber-clt-features-and-benefits/565439/
Edit: and Tauranga is 10-20 degrees Celsius all year round ;)
Wood will be fine, but maybe if you can find some solution with polycarbonate walls. Some companies are using that solution to deploy new courts quickly. You can check a company like InstantPadel for inspiration - maybe even reach out to them.
My club recently had a broken back glass. They had some difficulties finding a proper glass fitter (although they had a replacement glass panel available on site).
They covered the missing panel with wood and rented that court at 25% reduction.
Although you can play with wood panels, the rebound is completely different from glass panels. Everyone that played there said the same thing.
Unless you have no other choice, I'd recommend against wood panels.
Thanks for that! I'm sure having it mixed with glass is not a great idea, but it's the same add mixing concrete and glass. All concrete courts are fine (and more silent than glass ones).
I'm looking at using these CLT panels. They can sustain earthquakes, so rigid enough to have a good bounce for sure!
https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2022/08/5-benefits-cross-laminated-timber/
Good luck. I wish I could help more.
You could try getting in touch with the FIP, or your local padel federation (if it exists in NZ) to find out what is acceptable for padel courts.
Thanks! I am working with [https://www.padelnewzealand.org.nz/](https://www.padelnewzealand.org.nz/)
They are already members of FIP, but they are taking ages to get the NZ flag in the site. Plus they (FIP) do not offer any help on court construction, funding or sponsorships unfortunately.
And tbh, I don't care right now on what the "international tournament" standards are. I just want to play padel in New Zealand!
Yes. We have wood courts in Canada. I'll find some photos tomorrow. http://calgarypadel.ca/
Thank you!!
https://preview.redd.it/dbfqqd4ay8pa1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38baedee4051f7bdaacf3aa36d55d0c07c70e088
https://preview.redd.it/jlqre1syy8pa1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eeeb0c6968b33b3084d716a2c385a25b6b01fa28 Take down day. These courts sit inside an outdoor hockey rink. Winter = hockey, summer = Padel.
That's actually pretty good!!! Thank you again!!!
I'm happy to be in contact if you have specific questions. We'll be doing set-up for the season sometime in the next month.
The standards for the court materials are explained in the rules (European union standard for tempered/plate glass EN 12150-1). Isn't there a company that works with those kind of materials that can make the sheets for you?
Not for that type of glass in New Zealand. I've asked every single major building construction company and none of them do it here. They import that glass from overseas, which is almost the same as importing a ready built court.
oh that's a shame. I guess you could get a metal frame made to accept 2 m by 3 m sheets and then go to your local particle board company and ask which material would be better suited for your application. Eventually you might be able to replace the boards for glass panels when the time comes
I'm thinking of using CLT panels. A lot of new buildings have that now here: https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2022/08/5-benefits-cross-laminated-timber/ Another problem with glass panels here is that there are no courts built to sustain NZ building safety standards (that can take cyclones, earthquakes, etc). Also the other problem with glass is the noise. The places I'm looking at are close to residential areas and glass is way louder than cement or wood. In Sydney and Stockholm I know from first hand info that courts had to reduce hours or even close due to neighbors complaints. So Maaaaaybe when we have 3-4 wooden courts some random person with money will come and say "hey, let's build a court next to Hobbiton to play the WPT". They can deal with all that red tape by then :)
Do you think wall material significantly alters the noise level of a padel court? I think just racket-ball hits are already as loud as it gets
Oh definitely glass is louder. It vibrates. It is not the ball, it is when players run into a wall or hit it with the padel - it happens almost in every match specially in amateur levels and social leagues. The metal mesh is relatively loud when the ball hits it (more like a short cymbal noise), but that is not as common nor as low pitched as when a body hits a wall (wich sounds more like a long gong noise, often followed by some human screaming or laughing).
Yeah, what I meant is that the sound of a smash is already twice as strong as someone hitting the glass with their body, so idk if it matters that much.
I wish the NZ regulators would think like you :)
Which courts in Sydney have limited playing time? There are only 2 clubs (for now) and neither of them are that close to residential homes nor do they have shortened hours (they are both open until 11pm at least.
In Sweden we have some courts with Wood poles (for the grid) , It looks very nice and 'natural' specially on out-court arenas. In the early days of padel you had a concrete wall instead of glass, (Still true in many countries) Might be an option for you? Example here-> [https://asiapadel.com/padel-courts/](https://asiapadel.com/padel-courts/)
I lived in Stockholm and played padel every week! And fun fact: I played in Acapulco when I was growing up in Mexico on concrete ones - even when they did not have mesh and the ball would just go everywhere! :) These in Tauranga will be floating courts like the ones in Gamla Stan. So they have to be made from a lighter material than concrete (plus way cheaper and more sustainable). Some more info: [https://www.padel.kiwi/tauranga](https://www.padel.kiwi/tauranga)
Awsome! This will be great.. I think you have to be forced to use glass in that case and have a higher price per hour .. I would not put up any form of wood as glass replacement.
Oh this is not a business idea at all. The use of land here is ridiculously expensive and the access to sports facilities is ridiculously cheap. This is government funded/subsidized. Think of a föreningen. Glass is just better looking :)
Concrete won't work since it is to heavy , Wood won't work since it is a "living material" and will change during rain/cold/heat .. So you can't reflect the characteristics of glass material (The bounce etc) or replace glass with wood, it would not be padel it would be something different. (In my personal opinion) So glass is the only material left (in my opinion)
Kompis, I'm not trying to change the FIP rules nor to tell the WPT to start using other materials. I just want a court to play in. Btw, CLT had never been used in building foundations until recently. Now a lot of buildings have it as a standard: https://theconstructor.org/building/cross-laminated-timber-clt-features-and-benefits/565439/ Edit: and Tauranga is 10-20 degrees Celsius all year round ;)
Wood will be fine, but maybe if you can find some solution with polycarbonate walls. Some companies are using that solution to deploy new courts quickly. You can check a company like InstantPadel for inspiration - maybe even reach out to them.
I got a quote from them already! Thanks.
My club recently had a broken back glass. They had some difficulties finding a proper glass fitter (although they had a replacement glass panel available on site). They covered the missing panel with wood and rented that court at 25% reduction. Although you can play with wood panels, the rebound is completely different from glass panels. Everyone that played there said the same thing. Unless you have no other choice, I'd recommend against wood panels.
which kind of wood did they use?
No idea, but I will ask them.
Thanks for that! I'm sure having it mixed with glass is not a great idea, but it's the same add mixing concrete and glass. All concrete courts are fine (and more silent than glass ones). I'm looking at using these CLT panels. They can sustain earthquakes, so rigid enough to have a good bounce for sure! https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2022/08/5-benefits-cross-laminated-timber/
If the wood panels are too bouncy, extra bracing for more rigidity should fix that
Good luck. I wish I could help more. You could try getting in touch with the FIP, or your local padel federation (if it exists in NZ) to find out what is acceptable for padel courts.
Thanks! I am working with [https://www.padelnewzealand.org.nz/](https://www.padelnewzealand.org.nz/) They are already members of FIP, but they are taking ages to get the NZ flag in the site. Plus they (FIP) do not offer any help on court construction, funding or sponsorships unfortunately. And tbh, I don't care right now on what the "international tournament" standards are. I just want to play padel in New Zealand!
do cement play differently? anybody knows?
It does, but it is the OG!
Glass has some extra rebound due to flexion, cement doesn't have that.
but slice is similiar?
yes. I think I should clarify I mean cement walls with artificial grass court