Surface for Outdoor Strip?

I moved to a new home last summer, and one of the big selling points was
the presence of a fencing strip in the backyard. The seller muttered
something about "shuffleboard", but I know a fencing strip when I see
one...

The strip is asphalt, and it must be fairly thick, because it's been
around for many years with no signs of deterioration. I'm sure it's not
regulation size, but it's plenty wide & long enough to practice on.

Having fenced on concrete, I know how tough a hard surface can be on
one's feet. I'm wondering if there is any sort of weather resistance
covering I can put on the strip. Home Depot has interlocking foam rubber
tiles, but I doubt they would stay together under the side thrust of a
good lunge. A roll of indoor outdoor carpeting would have too much
traction, but something similar that could be rolled out might be good.
I don't have the time & energy to build a wooden covering that would hold
up to the weather in New England.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Doug White

You may want to consider using the material that is used to surface running
tracks. It is composed of crumbled recycled rubber (usually tires). This
surface does very well in helping to absorb the impact of running and
jumping (much better than plain asphalt). I don't know where it can be
purchased unfortunately. You may want to either do a search on the internet
or ask a local school or college that uses this surface on their tracks what
it is called and what companies sell it. Home Depot is not a bad place to
start either. For all I know, they may sell it. Another place to ask is a
company that produces specialty asphalts for athletic surfaces. Good luck
with your search.




> I moved to a new home last summer, and one of the big selling points was
> the presence of a fencing strip in the backyard. The seller muttered
> something about "shuffleboard", but I know a fencing strip when I see
> one...
>
> The strip is asphalt, and it must be fairly thick, because it's been
> around for many years with no signs of deterioration. I'm sure it's not
> regulation size, but it's plenty wide & long enough to practice on.
>
> Having fenced on concrete, I know how tough a hard surface can be on
> one's feet. I'm wondering if there is any sort of weather resistance
> covering I can put on the strip. Home Depot has interlocking foam rubber
> tiles, but I doubt they would stay together under the side thrust of a
> good lunge. A roll of indoor outdoor carpeting would have too much
> traction, but something similar that could be rolled out might be good.
> I don't have the time & energy to build a wooden covering that would hold
> up to the weather in New England.
>
> Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Doug White

Doug White writes:
> Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

Cow mats. About $40 per 4'x6' .75" thick mat (used ones are cheaper).
There are also 1.5" mats made of a slightly softer rubber.
--
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org (John Hasler)
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI

Doug White wrote:
> I moved to a new home last summer, and one of the big selling points was
> the presence of a fencing strip in the backyard. The seller muttered
> something about "shuffleboard", but I know a fencing strip when I see
> one...
>
> The strip is asphalt, and it must be fairly thick, because it's been
> around for many years with no signs of deterioration. I'm sure it's not
> regulation size, but it's plenty wide & long enough to practice on.
>
> Having fenced on concrete, I know how tough a hard surface can be on
> one's feet. I'm wondering if there is any sort of weather resistance
> covering I can put on the strip. Home Depot has interlocking foam rubber
> tiles, but I doubt they would stay together under the side thrust of a
> good lunge. A roll of indoor outdoor carpeting would have too much
> traction, but something similar that could be rolled out might be good.
> I don't have the time & energy to build a wooden covering that would hold
> up to the weather in New England.

You didn't say what length and width and if you plan
to move it to storage for winter. But something that
I've been doing for my jump rope training - admittedly
california but it does get wet in winter while in a
much smaller area - I take a pallet and attach a piece
of OSB (oriented strand board) or heck even plywood
would work - to the top.

For your strip I can see a row of pallets with a plywood/osb
mounted on top of them. You could fix it to the asphalt any
number of ways. Cheap, renewable and it gives as nicely
as the best of wooden floors. Main problem is that it
is as noisy as a wooden floor.

J.

"John Hasler" <john@dhh.gt.org> wrote in message
news:871xkpsb5c.fsf@toncho.dhh.gt.org
>
> Cow mats.

What's a cow mat?

--

Dirk Goldgar

(to reply via e-mail, remove NOSPAM from address)

That's what you get after you wash the cow, when all the shine is
off the hide.

(Sorry, couldn't resist the pun. <duck> )

Dirk Goldgar wrote:
> "John Hasler" <john@dhh.gt.org> wrote in message
> news:871xkpsb5c.fsf@toncho.dhh.gt.org
>
>>Cow mats.
>
>
> What's a cow mat?
>

Keywords:
In article <BCEBE72C.1229%bjheidebre@comcast.net>, "Bruce J. Heidebrecht" <bjheidebre@comcast.net> wrote:
>You may want to consider using the material that is used to surface running
>tracks. It is composed of crumbled recycled rubber (usually tires). This
>surface does very well in helping to absorb the impact of running and
>jumping (much better than plain asphalt). I don't know where it can be
>purchased unfortunately. You may want to either do a search on the internet
>or ask a local school or college that uses this surface on their tracks what
>it is called and what companies sell it. Home Depot is not a bad place to
>start either. For all I know, they may sell it. Another place to ask is a
>company that produces specialty asphalts for athletic surfaces. Good luck
>with your search.

I checked, and the vast majority of vendors apply it on-site. Some is
sprayed, some is poured, but it all sounds expensive.

Doug White

Keywords:
In article <40c6b3d1$0$19879$2c56edd9@news.cablerocket.com> , Jonathan Jefferies <jonathanjefferies@alamedanet.net> wrote:
>Doug White wrote:
>> I moved to a new home last summer, and one of the big selling points was
>> the presence of a fencing strip in the backyard. The seller muttered
>> something about "shuffleboard", but I know a fencing strip when I see
>> one...
>>
>> The strip is asphalt, and it must be fairly thick, because it's been
>> around for many years with no signs of deterioration. I'm sure it's not
>> regulation size, but it's plenty wide & long enough to practice on.
>>
>> Having fenced on concrete, I know how tough a hard surface can be on
>> one's feet. I'm wondering if there is any sort of weather resistance
>> covering I can put on the strip. Home Depot has interlocking foam rubber
>> tiles, but I doubt they would stay together under the side thrust of a
>> good lunge. A roll of indoor outdoor carpeting would have too much
>> traction, but something similar that could be rolled out might be good.
>> I don't have the time & energy to build a wooden covering that would hold
>> up to the weather in New England.
>
>You didn't say what length and width and if you plan
>to move it to storage for winter. But something that
>I've been doing for my jump rope training - admittedly
>california but it does get wet in winter while in a
>much smaller area - I take a pallet and attach a piece
>of OSB (oriented strand board) or heck even plywood
>would work - to the top.
>
>For your strip I can see a row of pallets with a plywood/osb
>mounted on top of them. You could fix it to the asphalt any
>number of ways. Cheap, renewable and it gives as nicely
>as the best of wooden floors. Main problem is that it
>is as noisy as a wooden floor.

It's about 4 feet wide and maybe 35 feet long, so that's an awful lot of
pallets to fix up, haul & store

Doug White

Doug White writes:
> It's about 4 feet wide and maybe 35 feet long

Six cow mats. These are 4'x6' .75" thick solid rubber mats used in dairy
barns. They weigh about 90lb each and are tough enough to stand up to
having cows stand on them. I'd staple them together and leave them out
year around. Weather won't hurt them: they're made of old tires.
--
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org (John Hasler)
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI

Wouldn't that be a matte cow?

::runs away::

Phil Fites wrote:
> That's what you get after you wash the cow, when all the shine is off
> the hide.
>
> (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun. <duck> )

gwhite@alum.mit.edu (Doug White) wrote


> I'm wondering if there is any sort of weather resistance
> covering I can put on the strip. Home Depot has interlocking foam rubber
> tiles, but I doubt they would stay together under the side thrust of a
> good lunge. A roll of indoor outdoor carpeting would have too much
> traction, but something similar that could be rolled out might be good.


A couple of years ago at Sectionals the sponsoring club had a couple
of strips laid out for sabre, using thin rubber "runners", ie the sort
of long black rubber mats they lay down on sidewalks as nonskid
doormat-type things in front of large buildings. About 1/8" thick,
just about the right width, and the right length. They were great!
Didn't bunch or slide underfoot like copper strips, traction was good
but not excessively grabby, and easy on the fencing shoes. I highly
recommend them.

Keywords:
In article <dc7987e.0406092248.70151a42@posting.google.com> , trebuchet30303@yahoo.com (William Marshal) wrote:
>gwhite@alum.mit.edu (Doug White) wrote
>
>
>> I'm wondering if there is any sort of weather resistance
>> covering I can put on the strip. Home Depot has interlocking foam rubber
>> tiles, but I doubt they would stay together under the side thrust of a
>> good lunge. A roll of indoor outdoor carpeting would have too much
>> traction, but something similar that could be rolled out might be good.
>
>
>A couple of years ago at Sectionals the sponsoring club had a couple
>of strips laid out for sabre, using thin rubber "runners", ie the sort
>of long black rubber mats they lay down on sidewalks as nonskid
>doormat-type things in front of large buildings. About 1/8" thick,
>just about the right width, and the right length. They were great!
>Didn't bunch or slide underfoot like copper strips, traction was good
>but not excessively grabby, and easy on the fencing shoes. I highly
>recommend them.

I did some digging on-line, and there are a gazillion different sorts of
rubber runners out there. Any idea where they got them, or could you put
me in touch with someone from the group that set it up?

Thanks!

Doug White

Keywords:
In article <87oenspc3s.fsf@toncho.dhh.gt.org>, John Hasler <john@dhh.gt.org> wrote:
>Doug White writes:
>> It's about 4 feet wide and maybe 35 feet long
>
>Six cow mats. These are 4'x6' .75" thick solid rubber mats used in dairy
>barns. They weigh about 90lb each and are tough enough to stand up to
>having cows stand on them. I'd staple them together and leave them out
>year around. Weather won't hurt them: they're made of old tires.

This is an interesting idea. I did some digging, and they may have
equivalent stuff in rolls. Apparently there is a lot of rubber material
designed for athletic clubs that sounds very similar, but the price tag
is WAY bigger than for cow mats.

Doug White

I thought it was what the cow left behind while you washed it...

J
<hides behind Dirk>
"Phil Fites" <foxtrot_india_tango_echo_sierra_@at_rogers._dotco m> wrote in
message
news:FrHxc.145784$Ar.29671@twister01.bloor.is.net. cable.rogers.com...
> That's what you get after you wash the cow, when all the shine is
> off the hide.
>
> (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun. <duck> )
>
> Dirk Goldgar wrote:
> > "John Hasler" <john@dhh.gt.org> wrote in message
> > news:871xkpsb5c.fsf@toncho.dhh.gt.org
> >
> >>Cow mats.
> >
> >
> > What's a cow mat?
> >
>

I wrote:
> Six cow mats.

Doug White writes:
> Apparently there is a lot of rubber material designed for athletic clubs
> that sounds very similar...

I doubt that is the same stuff. Cow mats are solid rubber. All of the
athletic stuff I've seen is foam.
--
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, Wisconsin

gwhite@alum.mit.edu (Doug White) wrote in message news:<40c78e3a$0$11932$61fed72c@news.rcn.com>...

> It's about 4 feet wide and maybe 35 feet long, so that's an awful lot of
> pallets to fix up, haul & store


Thing is, this is a REALLY good idea, and fairly cheap. You only need
about 10-12 of these pallets with the plywood top. You can even make
the plywood overlap by 1" or so, and use bolts to secure them without
making any tripping lips.

Make sure you spray the whole thing and make it as waterproof as is
reasonably possible. Then lay it out, and level it--storage is as
simple as tilting it on it's edge, and covering it with a couple of
tarps.

The expense will likely be around $100-200, depending on how much
energy you want to put into it.

Now another solution would be runner padding, also at Home Despot. It
runs narrow, being only about 80cm wide, but is ~3/8" (stupid
non-metric measurements) thick, and comes on a roll...you just tell
them how many feet you want.