Playground Surfacing

Playground Tiles

Playground Turf

Playground Wood Chips

Playground Surfacing

Every year, more than 200,000 kids are injured on playgrounds. The most common cause of injuries is from children falling onto the ground. The playground safety surfacing from Grounds For Play chosen can make a significant difference in the safety of the children playing on it. In the past, playgrounds used to be covered in gravel, sand, or wood chips. While these provided a basic level of safety, it wasn’t always enough. In addition, these surfaces could be labor intensive, and, in the case of woodchips or bark mulch, seldom would a day go by that some parent or teacher wasn’t raking the material back into place under slides and swings from where it was kicked out.

In the world of playground surfacing, there are two primary types of surfacing systems - loose-fill and unitary. Loose-fill systems include sand, pea gravel, Engineered Wood Fiber (or EWF), and rubber nuggets. Unitary systems would be Poured-in-Place rubber (or PIP), rubber tiles, and artificial turf. Most clients prefer playground surfacing that is designed to combine high levels of safety with minimal maintenance requirements. One of the common drawbacks to loose-fill systems is the maintenance required to constantly deal with kick-out under slides and swings. Engineered wood fiber (or EWF) differes from ordinary wood chips in that the wood is mechanically shredded in such a way as to facillitate the material to thatch together. This thatched material makes for a more reliable and consistent surface and resists movement within the play area more than chips. Another consideration with wood products is the inevitable annual replenishment of material that naturally bio-degrades each year.

Poured-in-place rubber forms a solid base across the entire playground. It is slip-resistant when either wet or dry, and meets safety standards for the prevention of head injuries. Another benefit of poured-in-place rubber is that it can be shaped and colored to easily meet a variety of playground designs. Shredded rubber performed best in tests done by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. It consists of high-density rubber shreddings spread over the playground.

Artificial turf systems seem to be the current craze. They combine the best of all desired by clients. As a unitary system, it offers little or or no maintenance and it is priced below PIP and Tiles.

The final type of playground rubber surfacing is rubber tiles. They bridge the gap between the poured-in-place rubber and the shredded rubber, providing more safety than the poured-in-place rubber and they are easier to maintain than the rubber shreddings or nuggets.

Artificial turf is another material used for playground surfacing. Not all artificial turf is suitable for playgrounds, however, because without a thick enough rubber pad, it will not provide enough protection against falls. Good quality artificial turf will last for many years. Our artificial turf products come with an eight year limited warranty. Engineered wood fiber tends to be more affordable and still provide a high level of protection. Unlike traditional wood chips and bark mulch, engineered wood fiber ground covers are made entirely from smooth, clean hardwood. This reduces the amount of slivers and scratches a child may get while playing.

Choosing a suitable surfacing material for a playground can be a difficult task, as there are many factors to consider including initial price, durability, safety, and the maintenance required. A careful comparison of all the possibilities is necessary to ensure you make the best choice for your playground.

At Grounds For Play, we offer many quality playground surfacing products. Contact us today to learn more!