Playground equipment is fun, but the surfacing on which it’s installed can have just as much impact on your patrons’ experience. Choosing the right playground surface depends on many factors including initial purchase and installation cost, ongoing maintenance costs, long-term durability, visual appearance, degree of safety and degree of ADA compliance.Resource: https://playgroundresurfacing.uk/
Poured-in-place rubber surfacing, also known as EPDM or P-I-P, is an excellent choice for new and existing playgrounds as it provides low-maintenance safety, color options that complement your color scheme, ADA accessibility and superior shock absorption. It is a seamless surface made with a wear layer of EPDM and a cushion layer of SBR that is bound together to form an energy-absorbing system. It’s poured over the base of your choice and troweled in place, so it can be placed on asphalt, crushed stone or concrete.
The Ultimate Guide to Playground Resurfacing Near You
Loose-fill play area surfacing includes materials such as engineered wood fiber, shredded rubber, pea gravel or playground sand. These materials are cost-effective and traditional playground surfacing favorites, but they need to be maintained regularly to ensure that they remain at a safe and consistent depth to effectively absorb falls. In addition, loose-fill materials can harbor debris such as animal waste or shards of glass that pose a choking hazard to young children.
Unitary surfaces include poured-in-place rubber, bond-in-place rubber, and interlocking resilient tiles. These materials are more expensive initially, but they’re durable and require very little maintenance over time. In addition, unitary surfaces are the most safety-oriented option and can be ADA-compliant when properly designed.