Pickleball Court Guardrail
Have you heard of the most recent sport that’s sweeping the nation?!
Well, if you have, you’re probably out playing it right now, or about to go play it with some friends. But if you haven’t, let me enlighten you.
Pickleball has become the fastest growing sport of 2023 with no signs of slowing down. It is very similar to tennis, it’s played with paddles, a ball, and on a similar court to tennis but it’s smaller and scoring is a bit different, but that’s the gist of it.
So, when Diadem Sports, one of the top growing pickleball brands, reached out to us about guardrail they needed for a new court. We were eager to get to work with them and provide the best guardrail solution for them.
Need for Pickleball Guardrail
As mentioned, Diadem Sports recently built a new pickleball court. This court is inside an existing auditorium/gymnasium that also has a stage that is used for plays and other concerts.
Diadem Sports worked together with Soderlund Architecture to design a multipurpose area that can be both a stage for performances, and a seating/lounge area for spectators to watch the pickleball tournaments on the courts.
For this space to be dual purpose, Diadem and Soderlund needed the guardrail to be compliant to the International Building Code (IBC) and for it to be fully removable so that they could still host plays and concerts on the stage without the guardrail being in the way.
After doing some research online for the best type of guardrail that could be both removable and IBC compliant, they found Simplified Safety and got connected with our salesman, Sean, who began helping them right away with their plans.
IBC Guardrail Requirements
When planning and designing the new guardrail for Diadem, Soderland and Sean knew they needed to meet IBC requirements because the stage space was going to have spectators for the games and needed to be able to protect those people from potential falls.
IBC has a list of requirements when it comes to handrails, a few to make note of are:
- Guardrail height must be 42 inches.
- Must support a linear load of 50 pounds.
- No opening can be large enough to allow a 4” sphere to pass through.
Designing Removable Guardrail
All of our material is manufactured to support the linear 50 pound requirement, so now it is a matter of making sure the guardrail is the correct height and not allowing a 4” sphere to pass through.
These wire infill panels match the industrial look of the guardrail and ensure the guardrail meets this requirement. These panels are easily attached by galvanized steel clips that make for easy installation.
Now the guardrail being IBC compliant is all well and good, but how do we make it fully removable?
That’s where the modular system of Kee Klamp pipe and fittings comes into play.
With Kee Klamp, there’s no welding. This means that everything that is assembled can be easily disassembled for easy removal either piece by piece or in sections.
“But how do you mount it into the stage and still remove it?!” I’m glad you asked!
This is where our salesman and technical team worked together to come up with this brilliant idea to make sure the railing was both secured to the stage, but then also able to be taken off the stage fully.
Using a through-bolt and backing plate, they were able to come up with a design that mounts underneath the stage, securing the railing above, while still making the railing fully removable.
Pickleball Guardrail Installation
Now that we have the perfect solution that is both IBC compliant and removable. It’s time for the installation.
Diadem and Soderlund hired a local contractor for the installation which works perfectly because our pipe and fittings system is designed where anyone can install it. There’s no special training needed and only requires a couple simple tools.
The local contractor had no problems with the installation and the team couldn’t be happier with how easy it was.
Diadem and Soderlund were instantly in love with the industrial aesthetic of the railing and were very pleased with how easy it is to assemble and disassemble the guardrail.
In Review
Getting to assist with the design of a guardrail that is both up to code and customized to the situation is our bread and butter.
Sean and our team were able to come up with the best solution for Diadem and Soderlund, who are still working with Sean to come up with an ideal safety railing for their steps leading up to this stage as well.
If you are ready to get started on your new guardrail, contact our team today who would love to assist you with your plans for your new project.
