Climate Cover System – protecting your investment

4th September 2015

The cricket fraternity is really beginning to appreciate the importance of ‘getting the game on’. Increasing the likelihood of play – despite the great British weather – is a key factor in retaining players, bar sales and even (maybe) the league trophy!

Flat sheet covers are now seen as a cost-effective way of quickly covering large areas of the playing surface; helping to avoid loss of games and, with it, revenues and players’ interest. As such we have once again seen high demand for our Climate Cover System™ across all levels of the game.

The reason that even grass roots clubs are choosing to invest in a cover that is by no means the cheapest option is down to a combination of functionality and proven performance. The advanced design is waterproof yet both lightweight and breathable. When used correctly, the covers will provide many years’ service.

We consider them to be the world’s best natural surface sports cover and are prepared to put our money where our mouth is – the system comes with a three year guarantee. But you don’t need to take our word for it – Climate Cover System™ is in use at first class grounds including Lord’s, Edgbaston, The Oval, The Swalec Stadium, Trent Bridge, Old Trafford, The Rose Bowl & the ECB National Cricket Performance Centre.

Protecting your investment
So, when you’ve decided to invest in a system of this calibre, you want to make sure it lasts, right?

A favourite aspects of my role is getting around the grounds and meeting the club reps and groundsman in their natural habitats – chatting with them, seeing how I can help them and advising on how to best use our products. I’m always mindful to advise on practices which are known to enhance and maximise the serviceable lifespan of their Climate Cover System™ – as well as advice against practices which don’t.The following are some of those considerations:

Always anchor during use
Mother nature is a powerful woman – and it’s important to ensure the covers are properly pegged out with a suitable peg at the anchor points and eyelets. We manufacture our own galvanised (9mm thick x 250mm long) steel pegs, available through thecricketgroundshop.co.uk.The covers have been designed so that both anchor points and handles can withstand incredibly high breaking strains.

Handle with care
Climate Covers have excellent handling properties that enhance safety and helps minimise labour and storage. The volume of rain water on top of the sheet will determine how difficult it is to handle – our advice is to always pull the cover over to shed the surface water away from the protected area and to reduce overall weight – NEVER be tempted to move the cover with machinery! Larger covers may benefit from an in-built inflation tube – videos & more information available here.

Get to know your cover
Ensure you are using the Climate Cover with the correct surface ‘up’, as the advanced manufacture of the material incorporates two very different surface treatments, top and bottom, giving the material its unique properties. The cream, smooth, laminated surface should always be underneath with the white, fabric surface on top. This correct orientation ensures the moisture vapour from the natural surface will be allowed to escape, whilst remaining impermeable to moisture from above. The cover’s UV inhibitors are also concentrated into the top surface, therefore it’s important to restrict UV exposure to the bottom surface.

Sensible storage
By storing your Climate Cover System™ correctly between uses you will significantly increase its lifespan. A primary cause of premature degradation of Climate Cover material is unnecessary UV exposure so, when not in use, the cover should be stored in a Protection Bag or Sleeve. This high density PVC not only prevents UV exposure but helps protect the cover from vermin, unwanted attention and also fielders’ spikes!

End of season care
Whilst it’s fine to store the Climate Cover away damp in-between use during the season, always clean and dry it before storing away for the winter or prolonged periods. Don’t use detergents when cleaning, just rinse with clean water – it’s as simple as that. This also provides an ideal opportunity to check for any repairs which may be required in time for the following season. Whilst a repair kit for small ‘on site’ repairs is provided with the cover, larger repairs can be completed by returning the cover to total-play. When storing away for the winter, always use the Protection bag or Sleeve and store in a dry, frost free environment and be mindful of any nesting vermin.

Do your reading
Uponsupply, Climate Cover Systems™ are accompanied by documents on warranty, care and repair and it is really important the groundsman reads and digest this information to ensurethe club gets maximum service from the product. If you haven’t seen these documents, or have misplaced them, simply get in touch and we can resend them.

Beware of imitations!
Finally, a note to those researching ground cover systems – Climate Covers are not derived from an ‘off the shelf’ material. We have committed a great deal of time and investment into the development into our unique base cloth; evolving the technique and prescription of waterproofing treatments to best perform under both lab testing as well as at the highest level of the game. Leading the market now for over 12 years, it’s flattering to appreciate many competitors have tried to replicate the Climate Cover without quite being able to achieve the same result.

Exclusively available from thecricketgroundshop.co.uk – click here for further details or feel free to contact us for a personal service.