More than just racquetball or squash courts?

As we commence into the new year, I thought I’d keep our blog simple for this start to 2012. Obviously, if you are visiting our website then you are here for a reason – you are looking for information on our racquetball and squash courts. Our website contains product information on both types of court systems with information related to our prefinished wood wall panels, athletic wood flooring, impact resistant glass walls and windows, impact lighting and court accessories. But, did you know that we also offer other recommendations for sports that can also be played in a racquetball or squash court or that we can assist with materials that can be used in a different type of athletic space?

Probably the most exciting product to hit our industry in the last 10+ years is the introduction of the Auto Hoop® retractable basketball assembly. What is cool about this newer product is that it can easily be installed in a racquetball or a squash court while maintaining the requirement for the flush surface of the court walls. The Auto Hoop® was originally created as a way to help a home owner play basketball outside of their home without affecting the guidelines of their local Home Owner’s Association (HOA). From there, the Auto Hoop® became a perfect fit for a court space and the need for a concealed basketball assembly. Even though we promote the Auto Hoop® as part of our court package or as an exterior option for a homeowner, it can be installed in just about any type of athletic space.

If you are not building a racquetball or squash court but you are looking for materials to use in another type of athletic environment, our same impact materials can be used in other types of spaces. With AthleticRooms.com the same high impact wall panels, durable athletic floor surfaces, basketball/volleyball/badminton accessories, and impact resistant glass can also be integrated into any type of athletic space. Basically, if you need it, we can probably provide it for you. So, the door is open when it comes to planning out the finishes of your athletic room.

Even though our forté is racquetball and squash courts, as you can see, we can offer assistance with other areas of construction. If you cannot find what you are looking for on our website, give us a call to discuss your needs in more detail. We look forward to working with you and creating the perfect court environment for your project.

www.racquetballcourts.com
www.squashcourts.com

Are You Getting What You Pay For?

I read somewhere once that “quality is remembered long after price is forgotten” and thought how true that is. For some reason it sounded much better than “you get what you pay for” but they both have the same sentiment. We’ve recently heard back from a few of our projects, projects that we lost based on price, and realized how true these sayings can be. As I am sure with many of us, we have all encountered situations where we did get what we paid for and it made a big difference in the long run as well as other situations or products that might not have affected us as much.

It is understandable in this economy to be careful about the money you are spending on products. I am sure that you have to consider if certain aspects of your facility, building or home are “wants” or “needs” . Our types of products can easily turn into something on a wish list and can sometimes be deleted with regret and we understand that each big ticket item needs to be carefully evaluated based on its rate of return. We understand that which is why we try to give you the best value for your dollars. With this in mind, we recommend that you do your homework and evaluate what you are buying, what the end product should be, and what the process of the installation will be like. Our portion of the project should run smoothly, thus, giving you a quality end product to look forward to.

So, as you are starting to work on your project, make sure to consider all aspects of the company you are choosing:

• How long has the company been in business? Keep in mind if they’ve been in business less than their warranty (e.g., 10 years on the panels) then how can you expect them to stand behind a warranty that is older than their company?

• Can the company provide you with legitimate references whether that includes projects you can go visit or owners whom you can speak to? Remember that nobody is ever going to give you a bad reference so it may be challenging to find somebody to say something negatively but hopefully you can gain better insight via the references.

• Can the company meet or exceed your expectations regarding scheduling or other promises? I’m sure that we can all attest that actions speak louder than words so bear witness to the actions of the company and use them as a good (or bad!) sign of what could come.

• What is the level of communication on the front end of negotiating the project? If the communication is good in the beginning with all persons involved it is likely to stay that way, but if the communication is a little iffy than it is unlikely to improve over time.

We are not in control of your pocketbook and budgets but we are in control of how we respond and respect our prospective, current, and past clients. Hopefully in knowing that we are here to be your partners for our scope of work will help the process become easier for you. We may not always be the cheapest company in our industry but we do have top of the line products and the best customer service. We do hope that as you make your decision that you remember the quality of the products and the company knowing that sometimes you do get what you pay for.

I Choose The Court Company!

It's always nice to receive positive feedback from one of our many construction projects. Below is a reference from another satisfied Court Company client:


The City of West University Place installed two of the Court Company’s new racquetball/squash court systems in our recreation center. I offer the following testimony in regard to your specific inquiry:

• All of our racquetball and squash players love the performance of the courts, walls and floors.

• The quality of the installation was outstanding – we have had no issues.

• The laminate panels and the flooring is very easy to maintain, if done on a daily schedule and the suggested cleaner is used.

• The court systems look as good today as they did when they were installed.

Another important consideration with us is the customer service philosophy and policy of the Court Company. Erika and her technical support folks have been very responsive and most helpful in regard to all of our questions – this includes pre-purchase, during installation and post-installation. We had an issue regarding the replacement of a return air cover in one of our courts, installed by our HVAC contractor and not the Court Company, and Erika provided us with an effective solution within a matter of twenty-four hours. I highly recommend the Court Company, Erika and the entire Court Company support team – we are very satisfied customers!

Here’s wishing you all the best.

Tim O'Connor
Director of Parks and Recreation
City of West University Place, Texas

Are you ready to begin construction on your new court?

So, you're ready to begin construction on a new racquetball or squash court. What next? The key is to make sure that the court space is ready for the installation to commence in order for us to ensure a quality court installation.

Below are a few items to help us complete a quality installation of The Court Company’s panelized court system:

Rough Opening Dimensions
If you are providing the court framing or furring, please ensure that the rough opening dimensions for the court are within the dimensions listed below. Also ensure that the framing and furring members are straight and plumb since variations in the framing can affect the installation. A vapor barrier cannot be installed over the face of the framing or furring; insulation can be installed between the framing and furring without a problem.

If we are supplying and installing the court framing or furring, please make sure the court space requirement is adequate to accommodate our framing members. Below are the finished dimensions and rough opening (face of stud to face of stud) dimensions for our standard racquetball and squash courts:

Racquetball Courts
(Finished) 20’0” x 40’0” x 20’0” (ROs)20’1-3/4” x 40’2” x 20’5/8” a.f.f.*

WSF Squash Courts
(Finished) 21’0” x 32’0” x 18’6” (ROs) 21’2-1/4” x 32’1-1/8” x 18’6” a.f.f.* (min)

Squash ceilings are out-of-play. The above finished height dimensions for squash is to the lowest point at the ceiling. Our ceiling panels are not required in a squash court so figure the RO ceiling height based on the thickness of your ceiling finish. The above RO length for the squash court is from the front wall surface behind the panels to the face of the glass rear wall.
*a.f.f. = Above Finished Floor

Refer to the specifications outlined in the court proposal and/or shop drawings for any variations or comments pertaining to your specific court construction.

HVAC Requirements
Products will not be delivered until the court space is thoroughly dry, the heating and ventilating system is operating, and the inside conditions are maintained for at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the installation. The wood court materials must be placed inside the court to climatized prior to the material installation unless otherwise advised. Temperature and humidity shall be maintained during storage, installation and thereafter as follows: temperature range is 65-78° and humidity to be controlled between 40-60% at all times.

It is highly recommended that areas above and behind the panels be evaluated to ensure the wood panels will not be affected by other conditions once installed. Take every precaution to eliminate moisture, temperature fluctuations, and other circumstances that could cause movement in the panels. We cannot control expansion of the panels during and after the installation.

For racquetball, HVAC openings are typically located in the rear 16’0” of the ceiling and/or above 12’0” at the rear wall. For squash, the HVAC openings are typically anywhere in the ceiling and/or above the wall play lines.

Concrete Slab & Wood Flooring
The industry specifications state the concrete slab is to be 1/8” over 10’0” throughout the court with the concrete steel troweled and smooth. It is important to ensure that the concrete slab is within this tolerance to avoid dead spots, gaps or an uneven floor surface – such challenges are beyond our control.

Make sure to check the levelness of the slab within the swing of the door inside the court since any variance could keep the door from opening properly.

Permanent lighting must be in operation before the sanding and finishing of the court floors can commence. In addition, 220V power is required for the operation of the floor sanders.

When it comes time for the installation of our court system, we will work with you through every step. We want you to be another satisfied Court Company client!

Our Products are Featured on HGTV!

We're on TV!

We are excited to announce that one of our racquetball/squash courts installed in a residential project was recently featured on HGTV Million Dollar Rooms 3. You will see our high end court system along with the Auto Hoop retractable basketball assembly featured within the first 4-1/2 minutes of this episode.

So, what does it take for us to be able to help you build a high end racquetball or squash court for your dream home? Contact us to find out.

Squashing our Competition

The Court Company is proud to announce that we are an authorized supplier and manufacturer of squash courts accredited and approved by the World Squash Federation (WSF). Although we have been supplying WSF certified squash courts for years, we’ve worked with different suppliers to complete our court system. The new step that we have taken with the WSF will give us more control over our products vs. the need to rely on other suppliers in our industry.

So, how does this change what we are currently doing? You as the end user will not notice a change – we will continue to supply and install the highest quality, prefinished wood panel system in our industry. This change does, however, open up the opportunity for us to supply court wall panels in any color or pattern as required for your project. Many squash court facilities like to see the court walls in a color other than white and The Court Company Panelized Squash Court system enables you to install other wall color options in your facility.

In order to comply with the WSF certification process, we will continue to ensure that you only receive the highest quality system to include WSF certified wood wall panels, wood flooring and glass walls. We want you and your fellow squash players to know that the court you are playing on meets the high standards of the World Squash Federation and that of our company. We hope that you will revisit our website in the near future to view our updated squash information. In the mean time, if we can answer any questions related to squash court construction, please let us know.

Why Should You Work With The Court Company?

Why Should You Work With The Court Company?

I know this isn't something that many people ponder too much, but what makes a good court construction company? Heck, I'm sure that many people reading this blog or visiting our website may only require a racquetball court, squash court or an athletic room only once. Since it's a lot of money to invest and it is potentially a "one shot" purchase, why not go with the best company out there.

Building any type of athletic court is not cheap so the decision should not be taken lightly. The best thing that you can do is to do your homework and try to educate yourself on the products. If you don't have time to work on the background work then team up with an expert in the field and let them do the work.

In order to select the best company for your next racquetball or squash court construction project, here are a few things to think about:

How long has the company been in business? The typical warranty on a prefinished wood panel system is 10 years so make sure to work with a company who has been around longer than their warranty and who works in this industry; afterall, how can a "short lived" company stand behind a warranty older than their company?

How long have the installers been in the industry and working for the same company? In construction, I'm sure that you understand how unusual is it to find a company who still has the same installers working with them year after year so if you find a company with long term crews, that's to your advantage.

Do the representatives of the company quickly address your questions and provide the required information? Team up with a company where court construction is their forté since you'll have their undivided attention.

Ultimately, it's up to you who you want to work with and how you want to spend your money so why not consider spending it wisely. Make sure to work with a company who has your best needs in mind and who can stand behind what they say. The old rule of "you get what you pay for" applies in our industry, too. It's great to learn from mistakes but selecting a good qualified company no matter what your product requirement is a mistake you don't have to make.

Keep in mind that quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten! We're here to help provide you with that quality whenever you're ready.