Surfacing a playground safely and correctly is essential when considering those who will use it most. Younger children are prone to taking a tumble when playing, so it’s a prerequisite that the surface ensures the least risk of injury possible. Although you must consider other factors like accessibility, budget, aesthetics and maintenance needs, finding playground surfacing contractors with certifications, experience and safe products should be a primary goal.
Types of Playground Surfaces
Depending on your budget and playground area, you’ll choose between two primary surfacing types for children’s safe and fun use.
Loose-Fill Surfaces
Loose-fill playground surfaces are likely more affordable options, offering easy installation, good drainage and high protection when a child falls. However, they need more maintenance through raking, compacting and topping up materials to remain safe. Some types of loose-fill playground surfacing include engineered wood fiber (EWF), rubber mulch, pea gravel and sand. While these options offer many benefits, loose-fill surfaces increase movement difficulties for wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
Unitary Surfaces
Unitary playground surfaces are often more expensive than loose-fill options, but you can absorb initial costs as they are practically maintenance-free. These durable, high-safety rubber mats and tiles, along with synthetic turf and bonded-in-place or poured-in-place alternatives, are fully inclusive, guaranteeing playground accessibility for all children. They generally come with long-term warranties and are visually appealing, with many colors available to easily create themed play areas.
Where Can I Find a Contractor for Playground Surfacing Installation?
Many playground surfacing companies exist across the United States, offering several playground surface options. Consider these experienced, efficient, safety-first contractors when you award an installation contract at your venue.
1. No Fault Surfaces
Since 1974, No Fault Surfaces has supplied safe and inclusive surfacing products for children in the U.S. and beyond. This contractor for playground surfacing installation stresses safety, with its standards surpassing those set by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act. No Fault Surfaces has experience in more than children’s playgrounds, catering to sports and recreation facilities, the military, places of worship and markets, among many others.
Shredded or nugget rubber mulch is available for those wanting loose-fill surfaces, and No Fault installs its playground rubber flooring with poured-in-place ethylene propylene diene monomer (EDPM) or thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) for extremely safe surfaces. In addition, the contractor also offers its Corkeen® surfacing solution, made from two layers of 100% natural cork that is nontoxic and free of chemicals, as an eco-friendly solution.
No Fault Surfaces is a global partner of the Kids Around the World (KATW) nonprofit that sponsors international playground surfaces. It identifies high-quality U.S. playgrounds targeted for removal and reinstalls them worldwide as sustainable play spaces for children in those countries. Selected No Fault Surfaces profit percentages go to KATW.
2. Zeager Bros. Inc.
In the 1970s, family-owned Zeager Bros. Inc. started producing and selling wood mulches for various applications. Shortly afterward, the company developed a product that would later become recognized as EWF for loose-fill playground surfaces. Nowadays, Zeager Bros. provides safe and accessible playground surfaces throughout North America.
Zeager Bros. specializes in TuffMat® and WoodCarpet® outdoor playground surfaces within the recreational surface market. It meets strict health, safety and environmental standards, including those defined by the ADA, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
TuffMat® is a resilient wear mat perfect for positioning and moving around to specific playground areas like slides and swings. WoodCarpet® is a resistant mulch that seamlessly covers large playground areas. With products also available for landscaping, retail and animal markets, Zeager Bros. Inc. has the surfacing experience and expertise to fulfill your outdoor playground requirements.
3. FallZone Safety Surfacing
FallZone Safety Surfacing has bonded rubber, poured-in-place and synthetic grass products to provide safe, durable and aesthetically appealing options for school and commercial playgrounds. The contractor installs its products in all 50 U.S. states. Its FallZone poured-in-place playground safety surface offers a nontoxic, environmentally safe, ASTM- and ADA-approved recreation area solution in several colors.
FallZone’s bonded rubber product carries the same industry standard approval, is more affordable, and works on walking paths and jogging trails as well as playgrounds. The company’s synthetic grass provides a clean, comfortable and safe surface, with fall protection from 12 feet being a primary selling point.
Even if you believe an entire playground surface installation is necessary, an experienced and knowledgeable FallZone specialist will first assess your existing poured-in-place ground cover. They will identify any underlying sub-base problems and, if they find none, utilize parts of the old one to save you significant funds.
4. Softline Solutions
Leading Canadian recreational surface supplier Softline Solutions has expanded into the rest of North America. Softline supplies and installs six poured-in-place solutions to different markets, with its customizable colors of FirstBase playground surfacing meeting ASTM fall height standards and offering ADA compliance. The surfaces use black recycled rubber crumbs for more eco-friendly solutions.
If budgetary constraints concern you, Softline Solutions offers artificial grass alternatives in between colorful FirstBase installations or to cover entire playground areas. It services many markets, including those within the education, government and private sectors, so you can utilize its other products within your playground should you choose to.
For example, it offers a range of architecturally pleasing VistaLine social and natural icons used in auditoriums, urban landscapes, streetscapes and showrooms. This product is also good for environmentally friendly and interesting playground additions for younger folk to discover and play on as alternatives to traditional equipment. Softline Solutions’ diversity brings more than just surfaces to your playground endeavors.
5. Robertson Recreational Surfaces
Full-service recreational surfacing provider Robertson Recreational Surfaces supplies products, installation and playground repairs across the U.S. With over 15 employee crews operating closer to Arizona and other installation contractors with an average seven-year tenure, the playground surface contractor is stable, professional and experienced.
Robertson is 100% dedicated to playground safety surfacing, meaning you won’t deal with a contractor splitting its time between markets. With poured-in solutions, bonded rubber, rubber tiles, loose-fill options and synthetic turf among its products, you have several choices to suit your budget and your playground’s aesthetic appeal.
Robertson Recreational Surfaces’ poured-in rubber products allow a choice between the popular TotTurf Standard EPDM and the TotTurf TPV Supreme. While the EPDM solution is more cost-effective, the TPV rubber granules are more compact and provide almost endless design opportunities. Both products are durable and intrinsically pleasing and comply with ADA regulations.
Primary Factors to Consider When Hiring a Playground Surfacing Contractor
Consider these factors when planning a playground installation for your establishment.
- Safety: Playgrounds are a primary area for childhood exercise, social skills learning and much-needed outdoor activity at formative ages. They’re also where children commonly experience injuries, especially from falls. Ensure the surface your contractor suggests complies with ASTM fall height standards. Unitary surfaces provide adequate safety if these standards exist, but loose-fill ones will likely score highest for greater fall heights.
- Experience and professionalism: From the interaction and quotes you receive, you’ll know how professional and knowledgeable your approached contractors are. Browse their websites and look for independent reviews to help you make the most suitable choice.
- Cost: Compare your initial installation price of a unitary playground surface to the maintenance required for a loose-fill surface and compare the overall cost of the two over time. With the latter, you must replace materials at stages due to displacement and keep the playground strictly maintained to preserve its safety. A unitary surface must have a decent warranty, guaranteeing the contractor’s faith in its product.
- Accessibility: Ensure the product you opt for is ADA-approved to provide inclusivity for all children using the playground.
- Eco-friendliness: You want your playground to be as environmentally friendly as possible, so choose nontoxic products, preferably made from recycled materials. Don’t sacrifice the playground surface’s durability, though.
- Aesthetics: Depending on your location, you want an aesthetically pleasing playground that appeals to children. You can create these aesthetics through colorful equipment and choose a synthetic grass or loose-fill surface. Alternatively, install a brightly customizable unitary surface. Decide which option suits your playground environment best.
Feel Good About Your Choice of Contractor
After considering these factors and contracting company options, choose the contractor you believe will do an excellent surfacing installation for your playground requirements. When you’ve selected the business you feel best about, look forward to providing your young users with a surface that keeps them safe and happy as they develop through healthy play at your facility.
