www.stma.org October 2015 | SportsTurf 31
may or may not have the time and/or expertise to accomplish
the desired results.
WHAT MATERIALS?
When selecting infield materials, it can be found regionally
or nationally depending on your scope of work or your level
of play. A few things to ask about the material to use are:
Is the product tested regularly by an approved testing
facility? (Sand/Silt/Clay)
Is the material screened? If so, what size are the screens?
Some companies might "screen" the material, but, if it is big-
ger than a ½-inch screen, then you might have debris found
throughout the product.
What is the SCR (Silt to Clay Ratio) of the latest report?
What are the sand particle sizes? This will help deter-
mine if the infield mix will "chip" out or you will get good
"cleat in, cleat out" fields.
How readily available is the product to be added to the field?
It is best to ask these questions, even if the company has
been in business for years, to make sure that the money
invested in material is money well spent. Be wary of just the
local dirt pit that can provide material for free. If you are
investing money into your infield, then free might not be
the best option. You pay for what you get and if it is free, you
might not a quality product.
THE PROCESS
As with any renovation, there has to be a process.
Recommended are the following steps necessary to establish-
ing a complete renovation on the infield.
1. Edge the entire skinned area, pulling up the base
anchors and using strings to measure for the correct edge
distance. If using the bases for measurements is not correct,
that can lead to more work in the future to get your field
edged properly.
Be wary of just the local dirt pit
that can provide material for free. If
you are investing money into your
infield, then free might not be the
best option.
