Building a playground with rubber mulch part 1
Posted by Jamie Kavanagh on
There are many advantages and very few disadvantages of using rubber mulch as a playground safety surface. Numerous studies have shown that rubber offers more impact protection than any other surface which is why it is being used in so many public and private playgrounds.
If you're considering building a play area and are looking for a safe, versatile ground covering, look no further. The next two posts on Dallas Rubber Mulch are going to outline the basic method of designing and building that playground using our rubber mulch. We hope it helps!
Preparation is key
Planning is almost always the most troublesome element when using a new material. Fortunately, rubber mulch is very easy to use. Simply assess the potential fall height of the play area and then the square footage you need to cover. Then do some math to come up with the amount you need.
We provide a helpful rubber mulch calculator here to help. A minimum six inch depth will offer fall protection from up to 16 feet!
Once you know how much rubber mulch you need and have ordered it, it's time to prepare the ground.
For best results, a playground should be level and well drained. Dig and level the area you planned for and compact the ground. Ensure adequate drainage for the kind of weather in your part of the country too. This is an important part of preparation. While rubber mulch doesn't soak up water like tree bark, proper drainage is essential to avoid any potential for bacteria build up. If the ground is hard underneath, a layer of gravel is suggested to provide drainage.
Once level, use a weed barrier or other landscape fabric to prevent weeds coming through. This layer also prevents dirt from mixing with the mulch which can lower the safety potential of the product.
It is also useful to line the edges of the play area with a suitable material to prevent dirt falling in or the border slowly collapsing or being worn away. There is no preferred material here as long as the border is safe and clear to the users of the play area. We often suggest wood such as decking timber to add a border to keep the rubber mulch contained.
Once the ground has been prepared, we can move on to the next step in building your play area. That will be filling the ground with the rubber mulch and ensuring it is level and safe. Join us next time for that!