Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 08/15/2002

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"You can take an industrial grade polyurethane caulking and fill in any gouge that may occur and get a putty knife and smooth that over so that the surface is completely smooth and adhered over," says Erich Hartmann, marketing assistant for Sun Ramp, Duluth, Minn. Skatepark manufactur- ers often supply a repair kit with their systems. The finish itself needs to be uni- form and consistent, and rough sur- faces s~ould be smoothed over as best as possible. Jim Spohn, marketing director for Spohn Ranch, City of Industry, Calif., says, "Depending on how it gets f~n~ ished we prefer that it have a smooth finish as opposed to a broom finish, because when kids fall on it the rougher it is the harder it is on the skin." So all surfaces, rails, decks and transitions need to be checked for gouges, flaking or cracked paint and loose fasteners, whether it's screws, nails or any other type of fastening system. Man and general checklist for modular-type sys- tems: "Do a daily walkthrough to check for vandalism and pick up litter. You'll want to check on any obstacles moved by the riders, but they're usually too heavy to move. On a weekly basis, if it's ~. ...... on asphalt, make sure the aluminum ~!::'i:!~i~:~'i~'?!.~i~ii!~[~:'a.re~properly placed under the .... i~g~: Tl~e'~lates are there so the equip- ment doesn't sink into ~~":~ ~~ ~.- the asphalt, which is ..... -' ~:~'~ ~-~ particularly important ~~ with new asphalt. gouges in the decks, transition plates, frame, side or back ~anels, and check for scrapes on transitions." ~_ ~ ~. _ ..... ~_~, . __ . ~'~ Skatepark manu- facturers also agree that ~ ........ ~ .................. skate areas should be Make sure afl fasteners are secure and transitions are absOlutely bone dry. tight as part of a regular maintenance schedule. Skate parks are general- ly impervious to weather, paAicularly power of sun and wind with a blower or the newer modular systems, but slick a mop. If possible, t~ to have someone surfaces and standing water can cause available after a storm to warn kids off- problems for skaters, the skatepark until it's dry. If that's not Unfortunately, there's, qot much possible, don't forget to add that:clause you can do except t~ to helP,t~e d~ing to your rules sign. ~,, Circle Reade~ Service #705 I www. pork,a.drecbusi ........ I Augus~ 2002 I PARKS&REC BUSINESS