As I mentioned in another thread our town is switching over to a recycled rubber product called treadspreat. Only 6 inches depth is needed and it's ADA accessible. We had several problems with wood fiber.
So far no problems with the tread spread. Seems to have addressed the three problems listed above but we'll see over time.
You’ll have a variety of different safety surfacing options including pour-in-place rubber, rubber mulch, rubber chips, wood fiber strips, artificial grass and compressed rubber tile. Now there is a difference when it comes to safety and durability. I’ll rank each type of surfacing on a scale of 1-5 from high, medium high, medium low and low (1) being the least safe or durable
5 for High
4 for Medium high
3 for Medium
2 for Medium low
1 for Low
(1) Wood fiber strips are the traditional surfacing material that has been used in playground safety for many years. However the durability is low with wood fiber, many playgrounds have surfacing that is moved or spread throughout a park causing a risk for fall heights. Many people who provide playground maintenance find that they often need to replace the wood strips several times a year. I give wood fiber strips a safety rating of 2 and a durability rating of 3.
(2) Pour-in-place was a growing trend in safety surfacing a few years ago because of its immobility and design options. You will find rounded edges or names that are designed into pour-in-place surfacing as well as different colors. The disadvantage with pour-in-place is that it will crack and fade within three years or less. You will also begin to see holes in the top layer (there are two layers) where the rubber has been worn. This is of extreme concern due to safety regulations on the minimum depth of surfacing for a given fall height. Since pour-in-place is fairly new, we’ve only seen this lack of durability within the past few years causing many people to stay away from this type of safety surfacing. I give pour-in-place a safety rating of 3 and a durability rating of 2.
(3) Rubber mulch is becoming the next generation of wood fiber – the same people that make this also make larger chunks that they refer to as rubber chips. Recycled material is sent through a unique process that cleans and colors the rubber so that it is completely safe for children and has color that lasts as much as seven years. I give rubber mulch and rubber chips a safety rating of 4 and a durability rating of 4.
(4) Artificial turf has been around for a while with some good improvements. The material is placed onto a base of spongy beads that act as a layer of cushioning, much like tilled dirt. Unlike dirt though – this base provides long-lasting safety for anyone who might fall and it allows water to flow freely throughout so that the turf doesn’t have water damage. I give artificial turf a safety rating of 4 and a durability rating of 5.
(5) Rubber Tiles are a well-established high-quality surfacing material. There’s only one manufacturer of rubber tiles that I would recommend: SofSurfaces has a patented locking system between tiles that created one massive surface for playground safety. This material is also very durable – SafSurfaces provides a solid 7 year guarantee on not only the color but the depth also. That’s THREE TIMES longer than the first three safety surfacing options. I give rubber tiles a safety rating of 5 and a durability rating of 5. If you budget allows – this is the ideal choice.
For more information like this you can go to http://www.creativesystems.com
Austin Stanfel
Creative Recreational Systems, Inc.
916-638-5375
Typo. Thanks
We currently have sand as our ground cover in our existing playground. We were considering replacing it however money may limit our choices. Is sand a major no no as far as liability goes? We are here in Southern Arizona so rain is not a big issue therefore compacting because of moisture isn't either. I would love to hear from other people who have had the same issues.
Chris
I've heard that these loose coverings - like wood chips and especially sand - sometimes get used by animnals as, well, big litter boxes. is there any way other than completing fencing in a playground that this can be avoided?
If you do end up going with the recycled rubber surfacing, be SURE that your equipment vendor is a GOOD ONE. I think the four listed with KaBOOM are probably all very good, but we have a park in town that was put in not too long ago... I'm thinking maybe just five years ago... anyway, I do not know who the vendor is, but it is crummy quality. The one deck that is wood supported with metal bars is bent...the paint is coming off all over the place... the structure looks terrible and it's not that old. And it is surrounded by the recycled product, which is great until you stop and think about hmmm, if this playground is only going to last another year or two, then how easy will it be to get in a new set of equipment? Will the flooring have to be ripped out and re-poured because the post holes won't be in the correct spots... I'm just saying that ideally, you'll want to be sure to have equipment that will last at least as long as the surfacing.
Also, think about colors-- our special ed preschool at my school has a black rubber tile surface... the teacher really is not happy with it because being black, it is just soooo hot when the sun is on it and all that heat just radiates upwards. She wishes that they had chosen a color instead, like red or green or anything else.
The only drawback she sees to the rubber surfacing is that when the kids are running and fall, it leaves them with scraped knees because while it is bouncy, it's that it has no 'give' when you are sliding across it in a fall. Which happens a lot with special needs preschoolers you know! So sometimes she wishes it was the wood chips just because at her old school, she didn't have as many skinned knees from recess!
I live in the Pacific NW where it rains quite a bit but as long as the play area is getting some sun during the day, we haven't had a problem with mold on our playground bark. We do get mold on the equipment on the side that doesn't see the sun, but the bark seems OK. Maybe some of it is dependent on what type of wood chips are used, i.e. I would think that some types of wood might naturally inhibit mold growth whereas others might not.
This is from a post I made on another thread-
There is a calculator at the Maryland Environmental Services website for treadspread http://www.treadspread.com/
which converts square ft so many inches deep into pounds of treadspread. We are paying $.17 a pound for chopped rubber. That works out to $2.38 a square foot. We tried shredded rubber in the past and had to remove it because of complaints about staining kids clothes and melting in their pockets in the dryer. No complaints with this newer product. We love it. If you put down wear mats under swings and at the end of slides, it is almost maintenance free, and my impression is that 6" of the chopped rubber feels far springier (safer) than 12" of wood fiber.
I have heard that this chopped rubbber surfacing comes from recycled tires. If that's the case, what do they do about removing the metal strands in the original tires before they package it up for playground surfacing? Is it a fool-proof process, are there ever any metal strands in the the chopped-up rubber?
A 6" depth is good for fall heights up to 10 to 12 feet- depending on who's web site you're on. Treadspread is no longer available- it was made by a semi state government in agency in Maryland that sets up businesses to address recycling needs. It will be going private but I don't know the details on who yet. GameTime sells a product they call GameTime Impax shredded rubber for loose fill or bonded fill. Six inches of it is good for heights up to 12' and it meets handicap accesibility requirements. I am in the process of getting a price quote from them for 20+ tons and will post here when I get the price.
We have just had too many problems with the wood fiber products. Particularly the death of large trees, in and bordering the playgrounds and excessive mushroom growth in some playgrounds. Removing a large tree that dies because the roots are smothered by 12" of wood fiber can be expensive. We've paid as much as $2000 for some removals. One playground lost 5 large trees that bordered the playground and the only explanation is that the wood fiber either leached something that killed the roots (ie alcohol/ethanol) or it simply smothered the roots as any mulch applied 12 inches deep under a tree would. If it wasn't for the problem with tree loss we might have stayed with the woodfiber despite the maintenance and replenishing costs.