Clearstone® permeable resin bound surfacing gives the press zone a championship-quality makeover. Originally paved with tiles that were outmoded and slippery, the outdoor press area of the UK’s leading lawn tennis venue was in need of renovation. Playing host to media professionals, it had to be totally safe underfoot – and it needed to look good, too. The search for an appropriate solution led to Clearstone Paving Ltd.

With sweeping views of the Wimbledon tennis courts beyond, the roof terrace is an ideal location for hosting members of the press, but time had taken its toll on its tiled surfaces. Not only was the old paving slippery after rain, but it had started to lift. Built over a suspended office ceiling, the terrace flexed due to heat expansion and contraction – but the tiles didn’t. A number of tiles had loosened, shifted or cracked, causing puddles to form. To make matters worse, the tiles were not fully vitreous and some had suffered frost damage. Where water had seeped under the surface, further cracking and blowing had occurred. Several areas had become stained
and discoloured.

Cornerstone Properties, property estate managers for Wimbledon, briefed Clearstone Paving, a Sussex based specialist in resin bound surfacing, to carry out a complete renovation of the terrace, steps and entrance gate using safer, more attractive and more durable materials.

Realising that looks were important to this project, Clearstone offered the client an extensive palette of natural aggregate colour mixes to choose from. They selected a particularly attractive, warm-coloured shingle called ‘Spiced Barley’. Clearstone’s technicians used this to create a seamless resin-bound surface that perfectly complements the dark green walls of the surrounding buildings. They also faced the steps with stainless steel risers and finished the treads with TrepE edging for a clean, elegant look that will not tarnish or corrode over time. The entire project was completed to deadline, and within budget.

Resin bound surfacing proved the perfect solution. With a non-slip surface that’s flexible enough to resist cracking, this innovative type of paving is also fully permeable, allowing water to seep away from the terrace to the surrounding drainage channels, long before puddles start to form. In this corner of the venue at least, rain will never stop play.