Playing basketball on your neighborhood court is a great way to spend time. Painting the basketball court lines will keep your game accurate and fair. The research is done with all you need to paint the lines for your basketball court.
The best paint for basketball court lines will be durable, weather-resistant, and clearly visible in varying light. On outdoor courts, you should use tough acrylic paint for concrete or asphalt surfaces. Choose a fast-drying water-based or solvent-based acrylic paint for an indoor court with a wood surface. All the paints should be anti-skid.
When you use the right paint on your basketball court, you will have a great place to play. The best paint will give you a safe surface that is easily seen in the heat of the game. Keep reading to learn more about the paints, court lines, and more about painting your basketball court.
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What is the Best Type of Paint for an Outdoor Basketball Court?
The best type of paint you should use on an outdoor concrete or asphalt surface is tough acrylic paint. A tough acrylic paint will be long-lasting with bright color. It can be easy to use, durable, and weather-resistant.
What Basketball Court Paint Gives the Best Traction?
A tough acrylic paint for the court lines and any painted circles or in the key will give the players firm traction. The acrylic paint will be a solid surface for quick step direction changes and for pulling up to shoot.
What Basketball Court Paint Gives the Best Bounce to the Ball?
A basketball should bounce to waist height. Paint your court with acrylic paint, which allows for great ball bouncing. The paint does not affect the direction of the bounce [no bounce slipping!].
What is Acrylic Paint?
Acrylic paint has a hexagon-shaped polymer [a form of plastic] suspending tiny colored pigments in water or a solvent [liquid chemical]. You roll the paint down, and the water or solvent dries. The polymer makes this a durable paint which is great for basketball courts.
What Are Some Great Acrylic Paints for Basketball Courts?
Two great acrylic paints to consider for your basketball court are:
Click here to Fixall Skid-Grip Anti-Slip Acrylic Paint on Amazon.
Click here to see Insl-X Sure Step Acrylic Anti-Slip Coating on Amazon.
What is the Best Type of Paint for a Driveway Basketball Court?
The best paint for your driveway is acrylic anti-slip paint for either concrete or asphalt. Buy the specific paint for the type of driveway you have. Choose quality outdoor paint so that it is weather-resistant and durable.
What is the Best Type of Paint for an Indoor Basketball Court?
You should choose acrylic paint for your indoor basketball court lines. The acrylic paint will give you the traction, durability, and bounce you need. The Fixall Skid-Grip Ant-Slip Acrylic paint will be a great choice inside and outside.
Water-Based or Solvent-Based Paint?
A key consideration when buying acrylic paint is whether or not it is water-based or solvent-based? Your basketball court wood finish will answer this question. Find a paint that complements the wood sealing finish on the court surface. Some solvent-based acrylic paint can harm the finish of the wood. Some water-based acrylic paint may interact with the finish to make the surface slicker.
What are the Lines on a Basketball Court?
The standard basketball court has the following main lines [all lines are 2 inches wide]:
- Baseline or End Line - the lines that form the ends of the rectangle of the court itself.
- Side Lines - the lines that form the long sections of the court rectangle.
- Free Throw Line or Foul Line - a line 15 feet from the backboard.
- Lane Line - The two lines connecting the Baseline to the Free Throw Line.
- The Key - the rectangle formed from the Free Throw Line to the Baseline. Junior High, High School, NCAA Men's, NCAA Women's, FIBA [Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur] use a 12 ft. wide Key. The NBA uses a 16 ft. wide Key.
- The Paint - Some basketball courts will color the area inside the Key a different color than the rest of the court floor. This is not required.
- Hash Marks - Small lines on the side of the Key showing where the players can be for free throws.
- Half-Court Line, Mid-Line, or Center Line - the line down the center of the court dividing it in half.
- Center Circle - the circle in the center of the court around the Half-Court Line. It has a 12 ft. diameter.
- Free Throw Circles - the two circles that have the Free Throw Line as their diameter. They may only be painted on the top half.
- Restricted Zone - a dotted half-circle below the basket found in NCAA and NBA courts for designating where a charging foul cannot be called.
- Three-Point Line [Circle/Arc] - The arc from the Baseline to the top of the Free Throw Circle that forms a perimeter between a 2-point and 3-point shot.
What Size is the Three-Point Line?
The Three-Point Line on a basketball court measures 19.75 ft for Junior High and High School. The line is at 22 ft. 1.75 in. for NCAA Men's and Women's and FIBA basketball. The NBA uses a Three-Point Line at 22 ft. 9 in.
What Color are the Lines on a Basketball Court?
The lines of a basketball court can be any color. The Three-Point Line, Free Throw Line, the Lane Lines, and the Center Circle must all be the same color. Black and white are common colors for these lines. White is more common outdoors for low-light play.
How do you Paint the Lines on a Basketball Court?
The tools you will need for painting a basketball include cleaning supplies, at least 50 ft. measuring tape, a Tape Machine, a level, paint, a string line, a stencil guide, and appropriate painter's tape. Follow these steps for painting your basketball court:
- Decide on the size court you want for the age of the people who will play on it.
- Decide on the need for primer and the type of surface paint.
- Fix any cracks or chips in the surface.
- Clean the surface.
- Give 24-48 hours for concrete or asphalt surfaces to dry.
- Measure out the basketball court lines and mark them using a Tape Machine that puts the painter's tape down parallel lines. Or you can use a stencil guide.
- Use the level to ensure the lines are straight.
- Decide on how you will roll the paint.
- For the Three-Point Line, measure from the front of the rim to the surface, make a mark and have a second person hold the end of the string from this point as you draw the arc using chalk or a pencil. Tape the arc.
- Paint your lines.
- Give the paint time to dry according to its instructions.
- Play Ball
Click here to see this stencil kit at Amazon.com.
Fill Any Cracks Before Painting Your Basketball Court
Check the surface where the basketball court will be painted inside or outside. Make sure you fill any cracks or chips on the surface. If you lay a new layer of asphalt on the surface, it takes 2-4 weeks for the asphalt to harden before painting.
What is Underneath a Basketball Court?
For indoor basketball courts, you will find a subfloor beneath the wood of the court. This subfloor can be made of plywood. For NCAA and NBA courts, the subfloor is often a specially designed cushioning system to give the floor more give. Most of the NBA uses maple wood for the court itself.
How Do Basketball Courts Change Paint?
Schools can change the graphics painted on their basketball courts for different tournaments. The graphics are created on the computer. They print the graphic with stencils. Each stencil is layered on the floor and painted from the bottom up. When one layer is dry, the next stencil is smoothed into place.
How Much Does it Cost to Paint Lines on a Basketball Court?
The biggest factor in painting the lines on a basketball court is whether you want the quality of professional painters or what to do the work yourself. Painting the court yourself will cost $200-$300, depending on the paint choice and your time. Professional painters will want between $900 and $3,000 to paint the lines for a basic basketball court.
Professional painters can ask for up to $20,000 for all the work in building a basketball court from scratch in your backyard or a large room in your home or office. The money will pay for the subfloor, flooring, finishing, and painting.
In Conclusion
Paint your basketball court with quality acrylic paint so that it is durable, sharp-looking, and gives good basketball bounce. These paints can be specially designed for great grip, which will help people enjoy your court with fewer injuries.
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