Playground surface material should have excellent cushioning and non-slip properties for it to be deemed appropriate for playground safety surfacing. Both unitary and loose-fill playground surface material options must be a specific depth or thickness to ensure sufficient cushioning in case of a fall. Recycled rubber tiles for playgrounds are the best products for ensuring playground surface safety due to their excellent shock absorption, non-slip capabilities, and environmental resistance properties that make them ideal for both indoor and outdoor play flooring. Additionally, because it derives from post-consumer vehicle tires, recycled rubber crumb also offers enhanced traction by producing a textured surface. Furthermore, rubber playground tiles are available in four thicknesses to help ensure the correct thickness for any type of playground equipment for protection against life-threatening injuries.

What is an Appropriate Playground Surfacing Material?

An appropriate playground surfacing material will offer sufficient shock absorption properties according to the fall height of the playground equipment. This includes two playground surface material options, unitary and loose-fill. For instance, “Appropriate material examples include loose-fill material (wood products, sand, pea gravel, and crumb rubber) and unitary surface material (rubber tile, poured-in-place, and other artificial surfaces)” (playgroundsafety.org). Playground safety surfacing will have to maintain a certain thickness or depth according to the fall height of the playground equipment. Research has shown that equipment 5 feet or higher can double chances of serious life-threatening injuries. Depending on the height of the equipment surface, the playground surface material will have to be adjusted so that it may provide sufficient padding in case of a fall off the equipment. Fall height refers to the distance between the surface of the playground equipment and the surface of the playground itself when measured vertically (pgedia.com). Unitary playground surfacing options in the form of interlocking rubber tiles for playgrounds are available in four different thicknesses, 3/4", 1”, 2.5”, and 3”, making it easy to find the perfect thickness to prevent serious injuries. Case in point, “of the approximately 200,000 children treated in emergency rooms each year for playground injuries, about three-fourths were hurt in falls to the ground or onto other equipment…Most serious are those falls that result in head injury” (familyeducation.com). Due to the dangerous and potentially life-threatening injuries that can possibly occur on playgrounds, it is important to use the appropriate and cushioning playground safety surfacing according to the fall height of the playground equipment.

• (a) What is the Best Playground Surface?

  Recycled rubber is the best playground surface due to its superior shock absorption, anti-slip properties, and long life. Shock absorption is a requirement for all playground safety surfacing as many playground injuries, even fatalities, were recorded from falls off equipment and onto the playground surface. Case in point, “Between 1990 and 2000, 147 children ages 14 and younger died from playground-related injuries… (20%) died from falls to the playground surface” (cdc.gov). Recycled rubber tiles for playgrounds can offer sufficient shock absorption properties for excellent playground surface safety while being durable and tear resistant. They can absorb the force of impact and provide a soft barrier between a fall and the hard subfloor beneath the rubber surface. In addition, recycled rubber crumb can offer outstanding anti-slip properties. In general, rubber retains a naturally high coefficient of friction which allows it to retain its grippy surface even in the presence of moisture. Recycled rubber crumb can enhance the grippy surface by adding texture, allowing it to provide excellent playground surface safety on both indoor and outdoor playgrounds. Recycled rubber is made by gluing crumbs of vehicle tire rubber together which is what produces its textured surface. Furthermore, due to its durable post-consumer vehicle tire rubber composition, recycled rubber playground surface material offers long life in the face of damaging environmental factors as well as daily wear and tear. Therefore, recycled rubber crumb tiles are the best and most versatile playground surface material option available over other unitary and loose-fill material options.

  (b) What are the Disadvantages of Rubber Flooring?

  Disadvantages of rubber flooring include a strong chemical odor and that it can be easily stained by oils, greases, and strong chemical detergents. Although it is very unlikely that rubber playground surface material will be exposed to greases and oils often, it may be exposed to corrosive chemical detergents. Some mild cleaning detergents may be used to clean and sanitize rubber playground flooring, but depending on the corrosiveness of chemical detergent, it can damage or stain the material. For instance, “While rubber flooring is resistant to most staining agents, there are a few that can discolor its surface, such as detergent, grease and other abrasive cleaning liquids” (architectureideas.info). Therefore, corrosive detergents, such as bleach, should not be used to clean rubber playground surface material. In addition, the rubbery smell that comes with most rubber flooring products can be a disadvantage to some. This may not be a problem to some people, but it may deter those who are sensitive to chemical smells.

  (c) Can You Use Rubber Tile Outside?

  You can use rubber tiles outside due to recycled rubber’s excellent resistance to damaging environmental factors. Recycled rubber is made up of repurposed vehicle tire crumbs that are essentially glued back together to form a solid sheet of rubber. Recycled rubber is ideal for creating outdoor play flooring due to its resilient vehicle tire composition. Vehicle tires are subjected to rough terrains and harsh weather conditions, yet they can remain durable and relatively undamaged. Because of this, recycled rubber tiles can be used for outdoor play flooring without worry of deterioration caused by damaging environmental factors. Rubber flooring tiles can resist damaging environmental factors, such as harsh UV rays, ozone, oxygen, and moisture. Their resistance to moisture helps maintain and enhance their grippy surface even when moisture is present on their surface, making them the ultimate surfacing option for optimal playground surface safety.

Recycled rubber tiles for playgrounds are the best playground surface material due to their superior environmental resistance properties as well as their excellent shock absorption and anti-slip properties. Both unitary and loose-fill playground safety surfacing options are appropriate for playgrounds; however, unitary rubber tiles for playgrounds have an advantage as their thickness is not affected by environmental factors as loose-fill materials are subjected to if located outdoors or from everyday wear and tear. Thankfully, recycled rubber playground flooring tiles will offer excellent playground surface safety in both indoor and outdoor playgrounds. Overall, it is important to use the right playground surface material for the height of the equipment on a specific playground to help prevent dangerous life-threatening injuries.