Modern playgrounds look great and are very attractive for children. They are so happy to play, run around, and try the swings and slides. However, one of the most important things in terms of safety is the coating of a playground. It serves as a protection for the ground and saves your child from injuries as well. So, finding a good playground cover is an essential task for any responsible parent.
5 Best Ideas of Playground Coating
As the trend of having a playground in a backyard spreads speedily, let’s see what coating options are available today.
1. Playground mulch
Different kinds of playground mulch are used as a high-quality cushioning coating for playgrounds. The structure of the mulch allows you to get a coating that will be incredibly soft and relieve you of worries about your children’s health while playing on the playground. Also, mulch coating almost always provides a dry area, since the rate of the water drainage is much higher than that of the similar coatings due to its high porosity.
2. Seamless rubber coating
The seamless rubber cover is made of crumb rubber and polyurethane glue. It is safe both for children and the environment. Since crumb rubber is a good base for cushioning, the cover is ideal for avoiding injury. The polyurethane binder is a durable material that will serve for a long time without a need to repair it when applied properly and compliant with the technology.
3. Rubber tiles
Rubber tile has a similar structure with a seamless rubber coating; however, it is a modular coating that allows for quick installation and dismantling of the coating in the shortest possible time. Rubber tiles also have a long service life and are very good in terms of maintainability. If the soil moves in a certain place after frost heave, it is easy to dismantle a couple of square meters, prepare the base, and carry out the reverse installation.
4. Roll rubber covers
Another type of crumb rubber coatings is roll rubber coatings. They come in standard widths and are often used for walkways, ramps, and stairs to prevent falls and slipping. However, roll rubber coatings are often used on playgrounds and sports grounds. They also require careful preparation of the base, but with a well-prepared concrete base for the finish coat, you will get an injury-safe coating with maximum resistance to environmental influences.
5. Synthetic grass
The cushioning properties of synthetic grass are even better than natural grass, which ensures high safety of children on the playground and during sports games. It is necessary to understand that artificial grass requires a thoroughly-prepared substrate, correct choice of materials, and mandatory use of a drainage system, which significantly increases the cost of the coating.
The Choice Is Yours
Summing up, there are a lot of coating options for children’s and sports playgrounds to choose from. However, the main thing is to consider their features beforehand so as not to regret the working results and the selected materials, which do not correspond to the functional tasks of your site.