If you have ever walked on a playground with the rubber mulch or rubber compound used for its surface, then you have felt the “cushiony” or “bouncy” feeling solid rubber playground surfacing delivers. It’s a fun feeling and far more attractive and safe then other materials such as ground up, recycled car and/or truck tires.
Since this material is compacted together and made to stay in place, it creates a many more benefits as well. Kids can’t pick it up and throw it at each other, it will not find its way in the kid’s shoes, and there’s much more traction on this type of surface resulting in less slips and falls. But it’s not really the top surface of it that gives it that cushion. It’s what’s underneath.
During this phase of our Tanglewood project we installed the recycled SBR granules which are exactly what’s underneath that top layer. This layer is what the majority of the rubber depth comes from and the exact depth is determined by the equipment fall heights. For example, with the swing we repaired and reset during phase 1, swings typically require a depth of 3.5″, a 3′ critical fall height, and only 2.5″ of rubber. This is something that has to be done carefully to make sure every measurement is exact and the surface has a smooth and level finish. Having this layer is a huge benefit when it comes to keeping injuries to the extreme minimum. Recycled SBR is environmentally friendly by its attempts to reuse and be reused and as it says on my website, all materials are locally produced.
Safety Starts w/ Stability!
Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes