Turf war

A 10-year warranty is no help for Tigard High’s artificial turf field

By Jennifer Clampet

The Times, Jul 12, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

TORN TURF — A divot in the south-end penalty box in Tigard High’s soccer turf shows the condition of the turf fields at the school.

Jaime Valdez / The Times

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TIGARD – The artificial turf at Tigard High’s stadium was supposed to last for a decade. Now just five years after being installed and with $630,864 still to be paid on debt services, the field is literally coming apart at the seams.

For the last three years, maintenance staff at Tigard High have been maintaining the artificial turf fields at the school. The staff set aside an entire week at the end of the summer and use about 30 gallons of a specially ordered glue to “maintain” the fields and try to put back into place 5-yard-wide strips of Astroplay that when loose roll back like rugs.

Tigard-Tualatin School District officials and coaches agree, the field, which is used for PE classes and football, lacrosse, baseball and soccer games, is in dire need of repair or replacement.

School district officials said they believe the turf was installed correctly but noted that the turf material and glue aren’t lasting.

And while a warranty should have been enough to ensure the field’s life span, problems arose when the contractor that installed the turf went bankrupt less than a year after the field was completed. However, SRI Inc., based in Texas, still carries the press release on its Web site that touts the company’s installation of its registered trademark turf brand Astroplay at the Tigard High stadium.

Brad Hoskins, director of operations at the Tigard-Tualatin School District, said he has spent the last five years trying to get in touch with anyone from the company that installed the turf to ask about warranties, but he has been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the turf is coming unglued every year as sporting events pack the field’s calendar schedule.

With a commitment to avoid any turf-related injuries, the district is considering replacing the stadium turf possibly as soon as next summer. Superintendent Rob Saxton estimated that the project could cost about $750,000.

But some Tigard community members, especially those who helped pay for and are continuing to help pay for the existing turf, are afraid a new field could cost them a lot more than just money.

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