Since rubber mulch is made from ground-up tires that tend to be heavier than organic wood mulch, it won’t typically blow away or be swept away by heavy rain or wind, whether it’s used as a playground surfacing material or as a landscaping component. Unlike most wood mulch, the heavier nature of rubber mulch makes it less susceptible to displacement by Mother Nature. If you’re looking for a playground surfacing option with longevity and durability, rubber mulch is a worthy choice.
Unlike its wooden counterpart, rubber mulch will remain largely unaffected by heavy rains and strong winds. Even using a leaf blower around an area in which rubber mulch is present won’t be enough to dislodge the material, as rubber mulch stays fairly dense during the process in which it’s manufactured. This is due to the minimal air exposure during the rubber mulch creation process resulting in a less buoyant final product. Once laid, the sponge-like rubber mulch utilizes its bonding nature and creates a natural barrier against loose pieces.
Although rubber is a material that’s often used in floatation devices such as lifejackets, rubber mulch that’s been evenly spread across a playground or landscape bed won’t react to heavy flooding in the same way that wood mulch or other organic materials might. This is because rubber mulch as a material is more dense than other gardening or playground surfacing materials, and as such is harder to dislodge by way of intense rainfall or wind.
Rubber mulch doesn’t require periodic replenishment, and will last on a playground or outdoor space for over ten years at a time. Because of this, rubber mulch is a worthy choice for those playground managers who want to ensure the longevity of their outdoor space. Rubber mulch has been tested numerous times to ensure that it stands up to strong winds; some have even used leaf blowers to see how rubber mulch would react to intense gusts, and time and time again, people have found the same result: rubber mulch does not blow away or become washed out in the face of inclement weather.
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