Traditionally, play flooring has been made from rigid and unforgiving materials. Whether the playground floors were covered with abundant sand or small wood chips, these traditional surfaces did not provide the necessary protection for children hard at play. Every adult remembers falling off of a slide or swing-set in their childhood, only to be left with a skinned knee or sprained ankle. The best option to protect the kids of today is with rubber play flooring. Rubber is the perfect flooring for playgrounds because of its durability, comfort, and protective capabilities. Efficient playground flooring must be able to prevent slips and lessen the impact of falls—and rubber surfacing is able to provide all that and more.

Rubberized play flooring is extremely durable and can be installed in both indoor and outdoor play areas. This is because it is made from recycled rubber materials, which are harvested from discarded vehicle tires. Car tires are designed to handle extreme physical conditions, from the heavy impacts and abrasions of the road to the potentially harmful weathering effects of moisture, ozone, and UV rays. These resistances are passed down onto recycled rubber products, and the recycling process enhances their durability, as well. High EPDM content gives material year-round weather resistance, while SBR adds physical strength. This unique blend of synthetic elastomers results in a heavy-duty, long-lasting material that is ideal for outdoor flooring and play flooring.

Though playground flooring is typically made from recycled rubber, it has a very different design when compared to the common recycled rubber floors seen in commercial gyms and retail stores. For starters, rubber play flooring always comes in the form of interlocking tiles. Play floor tiles have smooth, seamless edges that connect below the surface via connector pins. This makes the flooring size completely customizable without having to worry about excess material. The tiles can be purchased individually, allowing you to save money by only buying as much material as your project needs. What truly sets play floor tiles apart from other modular flooring options, however, is a combination of their elasticity and their gauge.

Regardless of what it is made of, flooring for playgrounds must be thick and soft enough to protect children from the rough-and-tumble of vigorous play. Rubber playground floors range from 3/4-inch to a whopping 3-inch thickness to cushion any inevitable falls. The thinner options are often a good fit for home play areas, but for public playgrounds, it is recommended to install a type of play flooring that has been safety tested and approved. We carry play floor tiles that are specially designed for public playgrounds, with thicknesses from 2-3-inches and approved for falls as high as 7 feet. These extra-thick play flooring options feature a unique waffle-shaped underside, which increases the tiles’ flexibility. This unique shape allows the flooring to flex around any weight placed on it, relieving pressure from a persons’ feet, legs, and lower back. By relieving this pressure, the rubber playground flooring prevents fatigue and long-term injuries while simultaneously creating comfort.

These comfort qualities are enhanced even further by the soft and elastic nature of rubber play flooring. Though most rubber floors are fairly hard, rubber flooring for playgrounds generally has a lower durometer or hardness rating than alternatives. The lower the durometer of a rubber product, the softer and more flexible the material will be. Rubber is a much more forgiving surface than traditional floor types, but a rubber with a high durometer may still cause injury if used for play flooring. That is why rubber playground floors will range in durometer from 40 to 60 Shore A to maintain an appropriate surface to run, jump, and even fall onto. Due to their thickness play floor tiles may seem hard to the touch, but the material easily flexes upon impact and absorbs most of the shock to prevent unnecessary injuries.

DIY Grounds For Improvement

Another great safety feature that is not found with traditional play flooring is rubber’s inherit slip-resistance. Rubber floors are famous for having a naturally high coefficient of friction. This refers to the material’s ability to “push back” against the pressure created by feet or furniture, and it means the rubber playground floors will have better grip than other materials. This gained traction is maintained even when the material is wet, so moisture created from sprinklers, water balloons, and occasional rainfall will not be a hazard for your little ones. Rubber is the most slip-resistant flooring material available, and in combination with its soft elasticity, it is the ideal material for play floor tiles and play flooring. This modular play flooring is specially designed to protect kids at play, so you can let your children loose in confidence that they are safe and protected.

Unlike most rubberized floors, rubber play flooring is available in a selection of fun, vibrant colors. You can even alternate colors to create a design such as stripes or a classic checkerboard. Play floor tiles are designed for easy installations, so you are free to get as creative with your application as you like. The connector pins make Do-It-Yourself installations a breeze because no adhesives are needed. Simply connect the tiles together and put the play flooring in place. The weight of the connected playground flooring will hold it in place to maintain a safe and stable play surface.

When you install rubber flooring for playgrounds, you can expect a quick, long-lasting, and protective application. Thanks to the DIY installation method and recycled materials, rubber is one of the most affordable play flooring options available, as well as the most protective.

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