Choosing a surface type for a playground used to be easy. Before the British Standard was introduced there were basically two surfaces found in most playgrounds, grass or tarmac, neither one the best choice for a number of reasons! Then a whole plethora of materials started to become available as the realisation dawned that safety was paramount in these areas designed for children.
Wet-pour: - A recycled product that is vandal resistant, is porous and more importantly, lasts. However, for some the initial cost has prohibited its use and installing plain black playgrounds has turned some people against the idea of using wet-pour. Black is the standard colour but reds, blues, greens and yellows, plus a range of other colours are available. The trick is to consider how the surface can be a part of the play environment and incorporate games and shapes into your design, making it a real stand out play area. Wetpour is a recycled product and consists of a rubber crumb bound together by binders and laid to various thicknesses to achieve the required impact absorption.
Grass Mats: - These are very economical and can be laid onto grass. They allow the grass to grow through and can be laid even though the ground is not completely level.
Bark: - a wonderful, natural product, well worth consideration in an appropriate environment. Unfortunately though, it isn't the most hygienic surface and will require regular topping up and supervision for the duration of its life cycle.
Grass: - A great natural surface and in the right conditions suitable for low fall heights and beneath trim trails. It has the ability to absorb minor impacts safely, but the English climate plays havoc with high use areas, transforming them from mud in the winter, to something resembling a rhino skin in the summer! Maintenance is a chief consideration for grass areas and should be taken fully into account at the outset.
The type of play surface to use has often been a combination of very practical issues. Deciding on the best option has been influenced by budget constraints, where the location is, whether the area is fenced off, how prone it will be to vandalism, whether animals will be able to get onto the area, whether there will be play equipment on the site etc.
