Laykold

Laykold
Name	Laykold
Type	Acrylic-based hardcourt
Manufacturer	Advanced Polymer Coatings, Inc.
Introduced	1970s
Surface	Multilayer acrylic on asphalt or concrete
Uses	Tennis, pickleball, multipurpose courts

Laykold Laykold is a brand of acrylic-based hardcourt surface used for tennis and other sports. It is applied as a multilayer coating over asphalt or concrete and is specified for professional tournaments and recreational facilities worldwide. The product is associated with prominent venues, governing bodies, manufacturers, contractors, and high-performance athletes.

History

Laykold emerged in the late 20th century amid innovations by companies and suppliers active in court surfacing and polymer chemistry, paralleling developments involving Wilson Sporting Goods, Slazenger, Tretorn, Dunlop (sports brand), Prince (company), Babolat, Yonex, Head (company), Tecnifibre, Mizuno Corporation, Adidas, Nike, Inc., Puma, Fila (company), K-Swiss, Asics, New Balance, Converse, Reebok, Skechers USA, Inc., Under Armour, Lotto Sport Italia, Diadora, Salomon Group, Ellesse, Etonic, Princeps, Dunlop Slazenger, Grays International, Carlton Sports, Slazenger Masters, Fila Marathon, Yonex Open, ATP Tour, WTA Tour, International Tennis Federation, United States Tennis Association, Royal Tennis Court, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, French Tennis Federation, Australian Open, US Open, Wimbledon, Queens Club, Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Madison Square Garden, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Roland Garros Stadium.

Product evolution tracked alongside athletic performance research at institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University, University of Florida, University of Texas at Austin, University of Melbourne, Loughborough University, University of Bath, Pennsylvania State University, Ohio State University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, Technical University of Munich, ETH Zurich, Leiden University, University of Tokyo, Tsinghua University.

Composition and Types

Laykold surfaces are constructed from acrylic polymers, synthetic resins, mineral fillers, and colorants, similar to materials used by 3M, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, Sherwin-Williams, PPG Industries, AkzoNobel, Sika AG, Lonza Group, Bayer AG, Covestro, Huntsman Corporation, Royal DSM, Clariant, Evonik Industries, Wacker Chemie, Solvay, Sasol, Brenntag, BASF Construction Chemicals.

Variants include cushioned systems, rapid-dry systems, tack-free tops, and textured finishes, analogous to other surfaces such as those at Australian Open (Plexicushion), US Open (DecoTurf), Wimbledon (grass), Roland Garros (clay), Har-Tru (green clay), and synthetic turf installations used at Sloan Park, Estadio Azteca, Old Trafford, Camp Nou, Wembley Stadium, Anfield, Signal Iduna Park, Stamford Bridge, Allianz Arena, San Siro, Maracana Stadium.

Manufacturing and Application Process

Manufacturing involves polymer formulation, pigment blending, and quality control in facilities comparable to those operated by Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu, John Deere, Bosch, Siemens, ABB Ltd, Schneider Electric, Honeywell International, Emerson Electric Co., General Electric, 3M Company, DowDuPont, BASF SE. Contractors use heavy equipment and materials sourced from suppliers like LafargeHolcim, CRH plc, HeidelbergCement, Vulcan Materials Company, Martin Marietta Materials, CEMEX, Aggregate Industries for base layers.

Application proceeds by surface preparation on concrete or asphalt, crack repair, primer coats, base leveling with acrylic layers, cushion application where specified, and final textured topcoats. The process is performed by specialized firms such as A-Turf, Sport Surfaces, Inc., Conica AG, Mondo (company), Gerflor Group, Tarkett, Mapei, SBR GripCo, FieldTurf, AstroTurf, Collinson Group working with project managers from entities like Turner Construction Company, Skanska, Bechtel Corporation, Fluor Corporation, Kiewit Corporation, Jacobs Engineering Group, AECOM, Arup Group.

Performance and Durability

Laykold surfaces are rated for ball bounce, friction, and player comfort and are tested under standards set by International Tennis Federation and used by tours such as ATP Tour, WTA Tour, ITF Junior Circuit. Performance comparisons are frequently made with surfaces at Australian Open, US Open, Madrid Open, Cincinnati Masters, Miami Open, Indian Wells Masters, Rogers Cup, Monte-Carlo Masters, Rome Masters, Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell, Stuttgart Open, Queen's Club Championships, Halle Open, Dubai Tennis Championships.

Durability depends on climate, UV exposure, maintenance schedules by grounds crews from venues like Arthur Ashe Stadium, Wimbledon, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Roland Garros Stadium, and traffic volumes at municipal sites managed by agencies such as New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, City of London Corporation, Los Angeles Recreation and Park Department, Sydney Olympic Park Authority.

Environmental and Health Considerations

Materials sourcing and lifecycle assessments draw attention from regulators and organizations such as Environmental Protection Agency, European Chemicals Agency, World Health Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, International Labour Organization, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, WWF, The Nature Conservancy, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM, ISO 14001, ISO 9001.

Concerns include volatile organic compound emissions, microplastic runoff, recyclability, and worker exposure managed under standards by NIOSH, OSHA, EU-OSHA, CDC, EPA Superfund, REACH Regulation, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement, EU Green Deal.

Major Installations and Notable Uses

Laykold has been installed at professional venues and municipal courts worldwide, including tournament sites connected to events like US Open, Miami Open, Citi Open, Wimbledon Championships, Australian Open, Roland Garros, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Hopman Cup, Laver Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games, Asian Games, Universiade, World University Games, Goodwill Games, Mediterranean Games.

High-performance athletes competing on Laykold-like acrylic courts include Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem.

Market and Competitors

The market for acrylic hardcourt systems includes competitors and alternative technologies from companies such as DecoTurf, Plexicushion, GreenSet, Fast Four, Har-Tru, Sisalation, MondoGroup, Gerflor, Tarkett Sports, FieldTurf Tarkett, AstroTurf, Conica, Mapei Sport, Sika AG, Sport Court (Consolidated Courts), Sport Surfaces International, Resilite Sports, Nordic Sports Solutions, Kiefer USA, Advanced Polymer Coatings, Inc., RPM International, Sherwin-Williams, PPG Industries.

Adoption decisions are influenced by tournament organizers such as USTA, Tennis Australia, Lawn Tennis Association, Fédération Française de Tennis, All England Lawn Tennis Club, and facility owners including municipal councils, private clubs, universities and corporations like IMG (company), Live Nation Entertainment, Aegon N.V., AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), Tennis Channel.

Category:Sports surfaces