Particularly for areas around swings, slides and merry-go-rounds, rubber playground mats are a key component maintaining surfacing depths and extending the life of your mulch. Rubber mats should be at least 1.5 inches in thickness in order to sufficiently protect the surfacing underneath.
Rubber tiles are also effective for general playground surfacing purposes, and in these contexts, they should be around 2.5 inches thick, as this provides adequate shock absorption for even higher falls.
Playground wear mats are essential for extending the life of your surfacing. Loose-fill safety surfacing often needs to be maintained to a 9 -12 inch depth, which can be very difficult around high-traffic areas. Wear mats prevent surfacing loss under swings, slides and merry-go-rounds, helping to maintain the necessary depth for injury prevention.
Proper surfacing is an absolute must for any commercial playground. From recycled rubber mulch nuggets to artificial grass to poured-in-place rubber, there are various options to consider when it comes to playground safety surfacing. No matter which you choose, the most important consideration to keep in mind is the extent to which the surfacing protects kids from falls. The majority of accidents on the playground occur in areas with inadequate surfacing material. If there’s nothing on the ground to absorb the shock of a fall, kids will inevitably bear the full brunt of impact.
Generally speaking, the thicker the playground surfacing material is, the more shock absorption it provides. This is true for all playground surfacing, but is important to remember when it comes to rubber playground mats, which should be placed around critical fall areas, like directly below climbers and beneath and in front of swing sets.
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