FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
At Sports Venue Padding, we specialize in developing and installing custom padding and mats for your difficult to cover areas. We are known for our sports padding technology, along with a series of patented innovations, guaranteed to make your facility stand out!
1. How is your digital printing different from silk screening or placing vinyl decals on top of the vinyl surface?
2. What are the advantages of digital printing on colored vinyl compared to screen printing or digital printing on white vinyl?
3. How do I measure to request a cost estimate for manufacturing and installation?
4. What type of artwork file is required for the best image production of my ad, corporate logo, or team mascot?
5. What's the difference between using oriented strand board (OSB) versus plywood backed wall padding?
6. What is foam density?
7. What is a foam's intention load deflection (ILD)?
8. What is the difference between your gate padding and what is currently available through other padding manufacturers?
9. Do you offer replacement padding for home plate rotationals and scorer's tables?
10. Do you have a solution to alleviate having to paint a yellow home run line on our field padding?
11. What if I have angled "I-Beams" or columns in my facility? Is it possible to make a pad to cover these areas?
12. I have outdoor light poles with electrical conduit and boxes attached; could you pad this type of area?
13. How do you build a pad for an outdoor pole/post with a large concrete base?
14. What if I have to pad something unique or unusual?
15. What is CA Proposition 65 Warning?
1. How is your digital printing different from silk screening or placing vinyl decals on top of the vinyl surface?
Because our digital printing is an environmentally conscious process that provides UV Curable CYMK (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, and Black) with the addition of "white" ink, we are able to print directly onto a colored surface like the green you often see in stadiums. We are able to print on all colors of vinyl.
Whereas, vinyl DECALS applied on top of the vinyl surface with adhesive tend to crack, peel and tear during the sports season. Even when you order SILK SCREENING, you are generally receiving only one or two colors.
2. What are the advantages of digital printing on colored vinyl compared to screen printing or digital printing on white vinyl?
Silk screen printing is generally expensive and limits your ability to see all the colors in your sponsor logo, team logo, or mascot. Digital printing on white vinyl will fade in the sun. It will also fade indoors under fluorescent lighting. And, if a ball hits the white vinyl surface, you will see ball marks. Eventually, the white color will show through.
The advantage of Integrated Digital Printing directly to the colored VINYL is that the image adheres to the vinyl and is extremely durable. If a player or ball hit the printed surface, it will not scratch, peel or tear. If the image endures a lot of trauma, you will eventually see the original fabric color behind the damage. You will not see white coming through because the base vinyl is a color other than white, allowing the graphic presentation to last considerably longer.
3. How do I measure to request a cost estimate for manufacturing and installation?
For indoor padding, we send you a measuring template with guidelines on how to measure your walls and areas that require cut-outs. A digital photo of the wall/s is very helpful to prepare the most accurate quote and allows us to address concerns that might have been missed.
For outdoor field padding, we need the total lineal feet and height of the padded area on the outfield and/or baseline wall.
For rail and upright post padding, we have a measuring template that will help you determine the correct lineal feet for estimate preparation.
The best way to measure posts or rails is to wrap a string around them, measure the length of the string, which will provide us with the circumference of the post or rail, and advise us of the desired height. 6' height is standard.
We also offer an onsite visit to take measurements, identify areas where we can provide improvements, and show samples of our materials and digital printing. Our INSTALLATION page provides helpful information, and a link to our MEASURING GUIDE is below:
4. What type of artwork file is required for the best image production of my ad, corporate logo, or team mascot?
A photograph (jpg, tif, bitmap) can distort or lose resolution (become fuzzy) when enlarged because it consists of dots (pixels). A vector file, however, is made of clear lines and angles and can be enlarged without distortion. Although we have a large selection of school/university logos and mascots in our library, most likely we will need you to send us your artwork or unique font, especially for sponsorship advertising.
Format: All digital files must be in PC Format.
We prefer image files saved as vector files, such as:
File Type: Hi-resolution (300 dpi) PRINT READY in ACTUAL SIZE or vector image in...
* .EPS (Adobe Photoshop)
* .AI (Adobe Illustrator)
* .CDR (Corel)
* .TIF
* .PDF
You may need to supply unique fonts with your image file. And if unable to do so, please convert all fonts to "outline" or "curves."
5. What's the difference between using oriented strand board (OSB) versus plywood backed wall padding?
Good question. OSB and plywood are similar in many ways, but where they differ can cost you. We use OSB for indoor installations and plywood backing for outdoor applications. All six leading world-wide manufacturers of OSB confirm that their product is "NOT recommended for outdoor long-term use," even when resin or sealant is applied. OSB is susceptible to swelling, bowing, and buckling from moisture and under extreme weather conditions, and the damage is irreversible. In addition, OSB weighs more than plywood and puts more pressure on hardware, causing it to split and chip. There are certainly reliable applications for it, just not outside.
Make sure you are quoted apples-to-apples in the bidding process.
6. What is foam density?
Foam density is independent of foam firmness. Density relates to the comfort, support, quality, and durability properties of the foam. You can typically expect foam with higher densities to be heavier and more solid, whereas foam with lower densities are lighter and easier to move around. With higher densities, you can also expect the increase in the compression of material to provide better durability.
7. What is a foam's intention load deflection (ILD)?
Indentation Load Deflection is a measurement in firmness level. The higher the number, the more firm the foam is and vice versa for lower numbers. ILD tests help give us a general impression of what to expect when applying full body weight on the foam. There are always variables to consider such as foam thickness, temperature and humidity (foam softens up in the summertime), and a person's weight and force on the foam.
9. What is the difference between your gate padding and what is currently available through other padding manufacturers?
If you look at standard gate pads, they either cover the top, sides, and bottom of the gate or they cover the gate, but leave the hinge exposed at a 45◦ angle.
Our baseline Sliding Gate Pads cover the hinges and have a mechanism that allows the gate to be easily opened into the field of play without scrunching up the padding. From the field view, you can't tell the difference between a regular wall pad and a gate pad.
Our patented Automatic-Wedge Gate Pad has a wedge built in that automatically lifts out when the gate is opened and automatically resets against the hinge when the gate is closed, leaving a flush-looking presentation.
Both the sliding and hinged gate systems were designed by our engineers to address customer concerns and are patent protected. To view our gate systems, refer to our GATE and DOOR PADDING page.
9. Do you offer replacement padding for home plate rotationals and scorer's tables?
Yes. We use special connection hardware that stretches the vinyl taut and smooth - and allows for replacement when necessary. It makes an attractive presentation that is more durable than using Velcro connections, which can break-down quickly and are commonly used by other padding manufacturers. Our integrated digital printing services make it easy and economical to change out sponsorship advertising on the vinyl cover.
10. Do you have a solution to alleviate having to paint a yellow home run line on our field padding?
Yes. We developed two products that solve this issue.
a. If the home run line is along bullpen fencing, we offer a wood-backed L-shaped fence-top pad with yellow fabric that is welded at the top of your standard stadium colored vinyl.
b. If the home run line is along your outfield wall, we offer a yellow line that is welded to the top of the wall pads, which is seamless. In either scenario, there would be no need to paint the home run line again to refer to our CUSTOM SOLUTIONS page.
11. What if I have angled I-Beams or oddly shaped columns in my facility? Is it possible to make a pad to cover these areas?
Yes. We ask you to take a measurement at the top (72" height) of the I-beam/column and one at the bottom which allows us to capture the angle required to build the padded box to cover it. We are also able to incorporate cut-outs in the column pads as well. Please refer to our COLUMNS & I-BEAMS page.
12. I have outdoor light poles with electrical conduit and boxes attached; could you pad this type of area?
It will be very helpful to send a digital photograph with your quote request and we will advise what measurements are necessary to design a custom solution and provide an accurate estimate. Typically, we build a box around the electrical components and a round pad to cover the pole. The two fit together. Feel free to refer to our CUSTOM SOLUTIONS page.
13. How do you build a pad for an outdoor pole/post with a large concrete base?
We build a pad to cover the concrete base and a round or square pad for the upright. We ask that you provide a photograph accompanied with the circumference and height of the concrete base along with the circumference of the pole. We also need the measurement from the outer edge of the concrete base to the pole. We provide a CAD drawing for your approval to confirm the measurements prior to fabrication. Feel free to find more information on our POST PADS page.
14. What if I have to pad something unique or unusual?
You'd be surprised at what we protect with padding. Send us a picture and measurements, and we will design a custom solution for you, removable, temporary, or permanent. We have padded dispensers, MMA cages, bike racks, camera wells, stadium seats, bleachers, television and motion picture props, machinery, and pretty much everything else. We welcome all custom padding work as this is our specialty. We also offer plain or graphically printed windscreen for shade or privacy, and vinyl covers for pads, chairs, or entire seating sections. Take a look at some of our special projects on the CUSTOM SOLUTIONS page.
15. What is CA Proposition 65 Warning?
Proposition 65 ("The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986") became California state law by direct voter initiative in 1986, carrying a 63%-37% margin. Its goals are to protect drinking water sources from toxic substances that cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm and also to minimize or eliminate exposure of any type to those chemicals by requiring advance warnings of their presence. Please follow this link for more information. CA Proposition 65
