Playground Surfacing

Playground Tiles

Playground Turf

Playground Wood Chips

Playground Wood Chips

Playground wood chips and other wood products fall under the classification of organic loose materials. They are a popular choice for many playgrounds. Three factors that usually determine the type of playground surfacing installed are safety, accessibility, and price.

Wood products are generally cheaper than other materials, while still providing a high level of safety. The disadvantage of wood products in the past has been that playgrounds surfaced with wood products were not accessible to those with disabilities, especially those who use wheelchairs or crutches. This has changed with the development of engineered wood fiber (EWF), which has proven to be cohesive enough to permit the use of wheelchairs and crutches (meets ASTM F 1951), while at the same time as being resilient enough to provide cushioning that protects children in case of falls.

Playground EWF here at Grounds For Play, consists of shredded hardwood without the other scrap pieces of trees like bark or twigs, commonly found in wood chips sold to the consumer market. This reduces the chances that a child will get scratched or get a splinter. Wood fiber also provides a higher level of cushioning than almost any other playground surfacing material on the market today.

Playground wood chips have been used for some time as a surfacing material. This tends to be the lowest cost option, while still retaining excellent safety characteristics. The critical height of a material is a measure of how well it protects someone who has fallen from a height onto it. It should be noted that the critical height is not a guarantee that no injury will result from a fall of that height. Rather, it is the standard level of protection recommended for a playground containing equipment of a given height. Wood chips have a better critical height than most traditional playground materials, including various sizes of sand and gravel.

While wood products have many advantages as a playground surfacing material, they share some disadvantages with any loose covering. Foreign material can get tracked into the playground, either by children playing or by the wind. Too much dirt mixed into the wood can reduce its effectiveness. Also, in public areas, EWF can hide various dangers like glass, pencils or animal excrement.

Wood products usually have the lowest initial cost. For example, a playground that costs $7,000 to surface in wood chips may cost upwards of $25,000 to surface in rubber. However, wood products generally require more maintenance and periodic replacement depending on the usage and climate.

At Grounds For Play, we feature engineered wood fiber products, which are the safest and cleanest of the wood-based playground surfacing materials. Contact us at www.groundsforplay.com to learn more about our many playground products.