
Have you ever heard of R.K. Nidy? He installed almost every court in the U.S.A. When Glenn Monroe said he wished he had the old courts from the first Lakeland club at the new Lakeland club I thought of R.K. Nidy. Then I thought of the silicone acrylic paint that he used. Years ago, in the corner of Sam Allens store were piles of silicone acrylic patio green paint. That was the only kind of paint that was used on the courts. It was an oil base paint. Nella seal was used on the surface. When a new court was to be painted, no Nella seal was used on the courts for one year. Then the court was painted with the same oil-based silicone acrylic that would penetrate right through the old paint. As time went on people decided to paint their own courts and used a water-based paint. That ruined so many courts and R. Nidy,s son Lynn told me, that forced to go to the sand surface. Today some people use an acrylic, but it is water based. If only R.K. Nidy was still alive today. Years ago, Sam Allen asked me if I would help Robert Nidy get in the Hall of Fame. I did and he is. We all should know and appreciate who R.K. Nidy was. Look down on the courts and see his name. I often do.
Glen Peltier. 2020 06 10.
Hi Glen,
When I first started playing we had Nidy do our courts and they ran great, then about five years (around 2002) later we had them done again and I was involved with the project and they must have been using the oil base paint you talked about because they ran great and the same crew as the last time did the job. Them some time in the mid 2000’s We had them back and they just weren’t the same company. John Smith, who knew his stuff came out to quote the job and tell me what needed to be done. We issued a contract and The people that came out were nobody we knew and all, but the leader, was day labor picked up at Home Depot. Not knowing any different, they made a mess of the job and the courts wouldn’t run. We had them back a couple of times, not much difference; must have had to use water base paint. That situation lead to the development of sealed in beads.
Earl
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I have had a few calls saying they could not find R.K. Nidy in the fsa Hall of Fame. Nidy had constucted courts all over the U.S.A. in Hendersonville Lakeside, Michigan etc. R,K,Nidy was inducted in the National Hall of Fame in 1998 in the special award column. Sam Allen was invited on stage with him at Trailor Estates.
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