Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to purchase a complete court system or can I just purchase selected materials?
You can purchase a complete “turn-key” court system installed by Allied Products or just selected materials without installation. We exist to be your resource for court materials and flooring in any configuration that you may require.
Q: What is the standard/regulation size of a racquetball court?
The inside playing dimensions of a regulation sized racquetball court are 20’ wide x 20’ high x 40’ long. We can also provide any size court to work with your design requirements.
Q: What is the standard/regulation size of an international sized squash court?
The inside playing dimensions of a regulation sized international squash court are 21’ wide x 20’ high x 32’ long. We can also provide any size court to work with your design requirements.
Q: How do I maintain my new high impact court panels?
Maintain the temperature and humidity in the court(s) at a consistent level in line with the specifications: i.e.: Temperature: 50-80 degrees F, Humidity: 40%-60%
Periodically clean the walls and ceiling(s) with a non-abrasive cleaner (409 works well for this) checking for stains and scratches. Be careful not to allow any cleaner or any other fluid to penetrate between the panels. A Mr. Clean magic eraser also works well for stubborn scuffs.
Q: How do I maintain my maple floor?
Maintain the temperature and humidity in the court(s) at a consistent level in line with the specifications: i.e.: Temperature: 50-80 degrees F, Humidity: 40%-60%
Sweep the floor using a regular soft bristle brush or untreated dust mop to remove dust and grit. Do not use any dust mop or cleaning rag that may have any type of cleaning residue. Wipe up any spills immediately. Do not use household cleaners as they could leave the floor sticky or slippery.
Weekly Floor Maintenance:
• Mix one pint of white vinegar to (3) gallons of lukewarm water in a five gallon bucket.
• Soak a towel in the vinegar/water solution then wring out any excess liquid so that the towel is damp (not dripping any solution).
• Lay the towel at one corner of the floor, place the head of a 2-foot push broom on the towel and fold the front edge of the towel up onto the broom head “wrapping the broom head”. Walk the length of the court, flip the towel to the opposite “clean” side and continue. Rinse towel and repeat process until entire floor has been cleaned. Depending on the condition of the floor prior to cleaning, you may need to change the vinegar/water solution several times.
• To remove black shoe heel marks, rub mark with rag that has been soaked in mineral spirits. Gum may be removed by using a plastic scraper and rubbing the area with a rag soaked in mineral spirits. (A back saving technique is to use a tennis ball cut in half soaked in mineral spirits and attached to the end of a broom handle).
• Periodically vacuum dust that may have collected in the expansion gap between the floor and the walls.
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Q: Can I buy the court materials and install them myself?
Yes, you can purchase just materials from Allied Products. They can be “self installed” as long as you have carpentry skills, skilled help and the proper equipment to safely install them. Keep in mind that each wall and ceiling panel is very heavy (for example each main hit wall panel is 165 lbs.). You will need scaffolding to reach 20’ high and a method for lifting the panels to that height.
Q: Can racquetball & squash courts be built outdoors?
No. These courts are designed to be installed indoors only.
Q: What options are there for lighting the court?
Typically each standard sized racquetball court uses (10) 2’ x 4’ flush mounted fluorescent light fixtures with impact resistant lenses. These light fixtures require a clear framed opening of 24-1/4” between the ceiling joists. We also have energy efficient fluorescent fixtures that are designed to fit between ceiling joists framed 16” O.C. 400 watt metal halide light fixtures are also available but the trend in the industry in recent years has been to change to fluorescent lights.
Q: What other games can be played in a racquetball court?
There are a number of activities the court can be used for in addition to playing racquetball. Some of the most popular are:
• Wallyball which is a game that we include with almost every court. This is basically a variation of indoor volleyball.
• We also offer a number of options for wall mounted basketball hoops.
• Another game is International Court Soccer. Click on the following link for more information on this exciting game: www.internationalcourtsoccer.com/brochurePATH.pdf
Q: Where should the heating and ventilation grills be located?
The ideal locations for the supply and return grills are in the upper rear (entrance) wall or in the upper rear corners of the side walls or rear end of the ceiling. Sometimes the design of the building will limit where the duct work can be routed and other locations in the court must be used. It would be important to avoid installing grills anywhere in the front (main hit) wall and keep them as high as possible in the court.
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Q: How much room do I need for building a racquetball court?
These courts are designed to be installed within the shell of an existing building. You will need to contact a local contractor to build the structure or “shell” of the building. The minimum “building envelope” for a racquetball court is as follows:
Width: 20’-1 ¾” wide plus the width of the wall framing or furring strips.
Length: 40’-2” plus the width of the wall framing or furring strips.
Height: 20’-2-1/2” plus the height of the ceiling joists (if ceiling panels are not to be installed directly to the second floor joists).
Note: These are minimum dimensions. Allowances must be made for any viewing areas or other areas outside of the court.
Q: How much room do I need for building a squash court?
These courts are designed to be installed within the shell of an existing building. You will need to contact a local contractor to build the structure or “shell” of the building. The minimum “building envelope” for a squash court is as follows:
Width: 21’ 2-1/4” wide plus the width of the wall framing or furring strips.
Length: 32’ 2-1/4” plus the width of the wall framing or furring strips.
Height: 20’-2-1/2” plus the height of the ceiling joists (if ceiling panels are not to be installed directly to the second floor joists).
Note: These are minimum dimensions. Allowances must be made for any viewing areas or other areas outside of the court.
Q: What framing options are available?
The ideal framing materials are steel galvanized studs/and studs as ceiling joists since they will not warp or rot >>(see our specifications). However, wood framing or engineered wood studs are perfectly acceptable.
Q: What options are available for viewing into the court?
Allied Products can supply and install virtually any size impact resistant racquetball, squash court or gymnasium glass viewing window/wall that you need. From small 3’ x 5’ windows to 100’ wide x 20’ high glass walls with glass doors. All of our viewing systems are made of ½” thick tempered glass. Plexiglas is never used because it will scratch too easily. Individual all glass doors are also available (in standard and custom sizes) with flush hardware on the court side and wood frames clad in plastic laminate to match the court walls.
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Q: Do I have to use a maple floor system for my racquetball or squash court?
Maple flooring with a padded sleeper underlayment is the accepted standard in the industry for racquetball and squash courts. These floor systems provide just the right deflection and coefficient of friction to minimize injuries and maximize play and are accepted by the International Racquetball Association. A double layer of plywood underlayment with either 3/8” or ¾” thick rubber pads is recommended when the courts will also be used for basketball play. Ask about our Tru-Maple Cush and Tru-Maple Sports floor systems for these applications.
For gymnasiums and aerobics use we also have a number of synthetic floors with excellent performance characteristics that can save you some money. Click on the following link to our “floor related” website: www.racquetball-court-installation-construction-builders.com for more information on these excellent floor systems.
Q: Can I get custom colored high impact wall panels?
Yes you can. While our standard white panels are preferred for racquetball courts we do offer any standard Wilsonart laminate color for our high impact panels. Projects where you may want to consider a custom color would be for lining gymnasium walls or multi-purpose athletic courts.
Q: I have existing racquetball and squash courts with walls that are in very poor condition. What can I do to improve the look and performance of these courts?
Allied Products has a system designed exclusively for renovating existing racquetball, handball or squash court walls. We can install new high density, high impact, tongue and groove, plastic laminate wall panels directly over your existing court walls. This involves installing a vapor barrier over the existing court walls and attaching furring strips over the vapor barrier and onto the wall. New plastic laminate wall panels are then installed onto the furring strips. The result is a brand new professional, championship quality court wall surface that will serve you for many years to come.
Q: What options are available for me to provide flexible use of my racquetball courts?
A popular way to provide maximum flexibility for your racquetball courts is to install a movable glass wall system. This allows you to easily (with 60 seconds) convert your racquetball court to a squash court. For example, Allied Products can install a 20’ wide x 7’ high movable glass wall system into the rear wall of your existing racquetball court(s). With the movable glass wall in the racquetball position you simply play racquetball. If you wish to play squash simply unlock the glass wall system and glide the glass wall forward 8 ft. to the squash position, slide the locking pins into place and play squash! Contact Allied Products to see how this system can work for your situation. |
