Why Contactacoat?

The current practice of sand in paint to help provide traction is no longer adequate for the increased speed of dogs over contact equipment coupled with the angles of approach set by some judges.

The Contactacoat rubber chip provides the ultimate in traction for our dogs giving them confidence to approach at ever increasing speeds.

Although not a scientific study but more anecdotal evidence from judges and competitors who have experienced Contactacoat surfaced equipment, dogs miss contacts less often due to the confidence it gives them travelling at the higher speeds we constantly demand of them.

The only thing handlers have to get used to is the lack of sound!!

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What do you supply in the kits?

Each Contactacoat kit contains:

Rubber chip of your chosen contact colour
Rubber chip of your chosen main colour
Bottle(s) of polyurethane binder
1 plastic measuring jug
1 spreader
1 pair of nitrile gloves
Rubber slats (if chosen when purchased)
Appropriate set of detailed instructions

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What colours of rubber chip are available?

We currently stock the following rubber chip colours:

Blue
Green
Red
Yellow
Cream
Orange
Grey
Purple
White
Black
Pink

If there is sufficient demand other colours could be available, so do please Contact Us with your requirements.

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How much weight is added to the equipment?

Applied at the specified quantities in the detailed instructions, approximately 2.2kg is added to each Dog-Walk plank and the See-Saw and just over 5kg for each A-Frame ramp.
This is significantly lighter than any of the prepared skins or rubber matting - very important when it comes to moving your equipment!

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Can I apply Contactacoat over existing slats?

Yes you can. However, as you will be using Contactacoat to refurbish your equipment there is an opportunity to replace your slats especially if any are past their sell-by date.

We recommend you choose the rubber slats for your Dog-Walk as some dogs use the slats to distinguish between the Dog-Walk and See-Saw and covering old slats does not give the same clear definition that there are slats on the ramp as can be seen on the Dog-Walk photograph above right taken at an AKC trial in the USA.

Because the Contactacoat rubber chip surface gives great traction in all weather conditions, an increasing number of customers have chosen to dispense with slats from their A-Frame and Dog-Walk completely! - Initial feedback suggests that this causes no issues!

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Can I apply Contactacoat directly on to my existing contact equipment?

Yes, but again as you will be using Contactacoat to refurbish your equipment there is an opportunity to spend some time on preparation to give a really professional smart finish.

As any professional decorator will tell you, preparation is the key to a great finish and will increase the longevity of use.

If you purchased the rubber slats you will need to remove the old ones first. Then clean any dirt, grease and loose paint. If the existing paint is still quite shiny it will need rubbing down. It is suggested that you re-paint the surface in a colour close to the rubber chip to give a more aesthetically pleasing finish.

Any new paint needs to be fully cured before applying Contactacoat.

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How long will it take me to apply Contactacoat?

Just a couple of hours - however, it's the preparation and curing that will take the most time.

The ramp should be dry before even starting any preparation and any re-painting needs to fully cured (you will need to follow the paint manufacturers instructions) before applying Contactacoat. Once Contactacoat has been applied the ramp then needs to be left for the binder to cure fully, 3-7 days depending on temperature and humidity (it's quicker the warmer and more humid!), before running dogs over the equipment.

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Can you do the application for me?

The application process is not that difficult and certainly anyone with basic DIY skills should find it straightforward.

However, it may be possible to find someone to apply the kit in your area for which there will likely be an additional charge.

Please do Contact Us with your requirements.

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How long will the surface last?

This is dependant on a number of factors such as how well the equipment was prepared before application, what weather conditions the equipment faces and how many dogs actually run over them.

The first applications of Contactacoat where done in New Zealand in April 2005. Those pieces are still being used with little sign of wear and tear.

Contactacoat surfaced agility equipment is used in many agility schools in the USA for 2-3 years with many classes of dogs using these regularly, also with little sign of wear and tear.

The rubber chip and binder used in Contactacoat is globally the product of choice by highly specialised installers for use within the Sports and Play industries and the rubber chip offers much better colour consistency throughout, and superior UV stability to EPDM and colour coated SBR granules.

In the future, should your equipment show signs of wear, we can supply maintenance kits. Please Contact Us for further details.

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How do I clean the contacts?

Wash with warm water and detergent using a soft broom.

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Are any manufacturers supplying new equipment with a Contactacoat surface?

RVA is offering the Contactacoat rubber chip surface as an option on new equipment so do please contact them with your requirements.

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I'm concerned about training on a surface that is not being used in competition?

The Contactacoat rubber chip surface provides the ultimate in traction for our dogs. When judging and competing abroad we have never seen any UK dog have a problem competing on rubber surfaced contact equipment and then going back to what we have now. We also believe when people start to see the benefits they will demand the change.

All the contact equipment at JDA has been resurfaced with Contactacoat and has been used for some time now and First Contact also now have available to hire multiple sets of aluminium contacts with a rubber chip surface.

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Can logos be incorporated into the surface?

With a little careful use of masking tape anything is possible!

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Is Contactacoat approved by the Kennel Club, UK Agility and the FCI?

These organisations only require the contact equipment to have a non-slip surface and that the A-Frame and Dog-Walk have slats. None of the organisations go into any further detail other than the FCI define a minimum size for the slats which Contactacoat rubber slats do meet.

The traction achieved with Contactacoat far exceeds the current non-slip surface of gloss paint impregnated with sand, so much so that slats are actually not required. However, the slats are used as a visual aid by some dogs to help them distinguish between the Dog-Walk and See-Saw.

The rubber slats are made from natural gum rubber which offer additional traction and are durable and low profile.

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