Surfacing the Playground: Rubber Mat Solutions Make Perfect Sense

Rubber Playground matsmakes perfect sense. Over 500 children suffer playground injuries every single day, on average, in the United States alone and over two-thirds of those injuries are caused by falls to the playground’s surface. Maintaining a safe ground cover is critical to maintaining a safe playground. One can use any one of many surfaces, but a playground mat system is a great solution.

Some will argue that the cost of a playground mat dejustifies its use. When one compares the purchase price of a mat system to using other surface solutions, that may appear to be the case. After all, one can certainly cover a playground surface to an adequate depth using mulch or wood chips for far less than it would cost to use a mat system.

However, that kind of thinking is short-sighted. That mulch will decompose and settle, as will the wood chips. In addition to rot, those traditional natural surfacing systems are very difficult to keep level. Before long, you are sure to have areas that “sink” or “hills” on the playground. Neither is good for safety or for appearance. The end result of those mat alternatives? Maintenance and lots of it. Constant tending and replacement of organic material is necessary. The playground mat option may have a higher initial price tag, but is sure to produce long-term price savings.

Additionally, playground mat manufacturers are producing some wonderfully attractive products. How about a checkerboard pattern featuring primary colors? Or what about a playground surface that had a theme consistent with the equipment? Producers are turning out wonderfully colored and decorated mats that offer great safety along with great looks.

Those playgrounds featuring mats also experience less down time than other playgrounds. That is because today’s playground mat allows for faster drainage of precipitation. A big rainstorm may have rendered a traditionally surfaced playground unusable for days. When one has mats in place, however, the drainage is so good that kids can safely play in a far cleaner environment almost as soon as the sun pokes out from behind the clouds.

Despite advances in equipment safety and a closer scrutiny of matters impacting the well-being of children, playground accidents are still relatively common. As noted, most accidents and injuries occur when a child falls onto the surface of the playground. This is why high-quality surfacing is an absolute imperative for anyone constructing or maintaining a play area.

Of all the available methods of creating a safe surface, those based on the use of specially constructed rubber mats are the best choice. They require little maintenance, offer great looks, and allow for more actual playground use. If someone is going to fall at the playground (and the statistics advise us that they will), we should probably hope they fall on a playground mat.

To learn more about which rubber playground mats recycled rubber flooring product is right for you visit us at www.rubberflooringdirect.com