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Even so, grass tends to quickly wear away under the erosion of busy little feet. We feed thousands of data to our AI regarding these products through advanced algorithms. Based on the relevant data i.e. brand, features, specs, ratings and reviews and many others a list of best ground cover for home playground has been prepared by the AI. Sand is soft and fun for kids to play in, and you can buy light-colored sand that doesn't absorb heat from the sun. It requires more maintenance and cleaning, though, and you will need to refresh it frequently. You wouldn’t want to see your child have a splinter when you could prevent it.
Your Backyard Adventures dealer will help you establish a safe perimeter around your play set – usually extending 3 to 6 feet in all directions. If you’re in the process of building a home, your Backyard Adventures dealer will gladly work with your landscape designer to coordinate the timing and location of your playset installation. As a general rule, your play set should be installed prior to pouring ground cover, so the playset rests on solid ground. It likely won’t get the kind of traffic that public playgrounds get.
What to Put Under Swing Sets in the Yard
Additionally, most of the bags of bark or wood chips you will find at your local garden center or home improvement store are made with dyes that enhance the color. Until this matter is considered settled, it is best to choose other infill options, such as our popular Durafill. Of course, one of the pluses of choosing artificial grass is that you can save thousands of gallons of water, so you may not want to spray it down any more than you have to. This is one reason many homeowners are moving away from having natural grass at all and towards low-maintenance, drought-tolerant alternatives. It should be noted that much of the rubber mulch available is made from recycled rubber, such as car and truck tires. It can, however, get dirty after long-term use, is more likely than some other options to escape your play area border and might get tracked into the house after children play outdoors.
The rubber mulch option is getting more and more popular because of its exquisite springiness and long-lasting durability, but just remember that one day you may have to manually take it back up. If you have a pickup truck and or trailer you can get the wood mulches yourself from a landscaping company in your area. If you don’t have a way to haul the material yourself, having them delivered is very affordable. This classic ground cover has been used in play areas since the late 1800s. Available in fine and coarse grain, it is recommended to use coarse grain playground sand as fine-grain can blow around easily and get into your eyes and lungs.
Landscaping With Wood Chips or River Rock
In addition, rubber’s natural high coefficient of friction offers excellent traction which is then enhanced by the textured surface recycled crumb rubber produces. Best of all, rubber’s natural grippy surface will not be affected by moisture on its surface. The best material for a playground floor is recycled rubber crumb due to its superior shock absorption, non-slip, and environmental resistance properties.
This includes raking the sand and keeping it topped up regularly. Bark will need regular maintenance and regular top-ups as it can be easily displaced. The impact attenuation of bark soft fall can be weakened if it’s too shallow, wet, frozen, or combined with dirt. Bark soft fall is also difficult for wheelchair users to navigate so it can be a good idea to complement the area with another surface.
What's The Best Artificial Turf Ground Cover For A Playground?
Every playground project — whether it’s your small backyard swing and slide set or a large civic maze of creative components — has budget limitations. There’s only so much money to spend, and it’s vitally important to get the best value for the money. Playground ground cover materials come in a wide range of prices. The most expensive are not necessarily the best, and this depends on the overall usage plan. Play surface materials like rubber mulch significantly reduce any type of injuries your child may sustain. Rubber mulch provides superior fall protection when compared to other materials.
You can buy bulk rubber mulch, which can be delivered to your home. The prices are very competitive as compared with The Home Depot. Therefore, if you choose this affordable option, be sure to look for all-natural products that do not have dyes or unnecessary chemicals.
Rubber Mat (Playground Tiles) For Playground Ground Cover
You'll also need to do more weeding to prevent growth underneath. Ideally, wood mulch has been used by most parents as the most common form of ground cover, but this norm is slowly running out of popularity. Parents are always wondering whether wood mulch is safe for their vulnerable children. Engineered wood chips, on the other hand, are a little more pricy than other options but are one of the most durable with a low upkeep cost.

Maintenance of a playground's EWF depends on the amount of use the play area receives. Monitor the playground, and rake the EWF periodically to reduce its compaction. Pay close attention to areas that are not sheltered and that receive the most frequent traffic, such as under swings and slides. Those areas often need the addition of EWF more often than sheltered and less used areas. Landscape timbers or rubber edging should line the playground's perimeter to contain the EWF material. EWF products typically maintain their cushioning properties for the life of a playground, as long as an EWF depth of 9 inches is maintained.
This option creates a springy landing for falls and, like rubber tiles, it is available in a variety of colors. With no sharp or jagged corners, this is one of the best choices for your playground cover. Pea gravel usually comes in a lighter color which doesn’t get too hot on summer days like darker materials can.
However, the best option for each person will vary depending on their individual needs and preferences. But here, the products we have listed above, have great features and are highly rated by customers. If you are looking for the Best Ground Cover for Home Playground, then any of these 10 would be a great choice for you. Carefully choose all the materials that will make up your playset. Consider the hazards and safety benefits of wood versus metal, various paint colors and other factors.