Horley Lawn Tennis Club, Surrey – Preserving a Wood Clubhouse for 10+ Years

Background

The Horley Lawn Tennis Club in Surrey has been an important part of the Horley community since 1894, when it was first established. The club became a charity in 2013 in order to provide a place for local residents to engage in sporting activities in an enjoyable and affordable way. The club has more than 200 members and is run entirely by volunteers.

New facilities were required as the membership grew and a new wooden clubhouse was constructed in 2015. Different sections of the building were constructed off-site and joined together in situ. The building is essential to the functioning of the club because it’s the location where members change, admin is carried out, and most of the club’s social events take place.

The Problem

The clubhouse was constructed using hardwood structural timbers alongside softwood cladded walls. The structural timbers were reasonably resistant to water but the softwood cladding was extremely absorbent. In order to ensure that the condition of the wood did not deteriorate due to the effects of moisture and to reduce the likelihood of warping, the club was recommended by the manufacturer of the clubhouse, National Stables, to apply a “weather shield” coating.

The Solution

Being a charitable organisation, the club has to operate on a limited budget and is dependent on both donations from benefactors and the generous efforts of its members to operate. Therefore, the clubhouse needed a weatherproof treatment which could be applied by the club members themselves. As such, the club was looking to find a treatment that would last for a long time and would not require multiple applications.

After extensive research, Roxil Wood Protection Cream was chosen as the preferred treatment. The unique paintable cream formula weatherproofs wood [1] for 10+ years [2] with just a single coat and without changing its appearance or texture. Roxil is simply applied to wood using a brush or roller. Once cured, the resultant water-repellent surface stops moisture ingress and significantly reduces mould and algae growth, keeping wood cleaner for longer.

Business Manager for the club, David Johnson, explains the reasoning behind the choice, “The big attractions of Roxil compared with other products is it’s 10+ year longevity because we don’t want to be doing this very often; many other products appear to require a biennial maintenance coat.

We also liked that it only required the application of one coat. It means that we only had to organise one work party. Had we been using a professional or paying someone, Roxil would have saved us a lot of money in labour costs.”

The application was carried out by a dedicated team of members in a single day. The protection provided to the clubhouse by Roxil Wood Protection Cream will ensure that this important part of the Horley community can function for years to come without damp issues!