Rubber playground surfacing comes in the form of interlocking play tiles. The soft floor mats for kids offer a customizable sizing option and excellent shock absorption as well as good environmental resistance properties. Not only are they ideal for both indoor and outdoor play area surfaces, but they are also soft floor mats for kids to play on safely. Because many playground injuries are the result of a fall onto a hard and non-cushioned surface, the addition of safe rubber playground surfacing will provide a shock absorbent surface that will offer adequate padding over the hard surface underneath the rubber playground surfacing. Interlocking play tiles will also provide sufficient padding around playground equipment to help ensure safety in case of a fall off the equipment, thanks to its interlocking mechanism. Additionally, with rubber’s natural traction along with the surface texture, rubber playground surfacing will also provide non-slip safety.

What is the Floor of a Playground Called?

The floor of a playground is called rubber playground surfacing and it is made of recycled crumb rubber. Rubber playground surfacing comes in the form of interlocking playground surfacing tiles which offer a customizable surfacing option and excellent shock absorption. Customizable rubber playground surfacing tiles are ideal for playground flooring as each playground will have different types of equipment. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, safety padding should extend at least 6 feet in all directions from the piece of equipment (cspc.gov). Depending on the type of equipment, safety padding may need to extend further. Safe rubber playground surfacing around equipment, such as to-fro swings and tire swings, must be adjusted because they are swinging equipment. Case in point, “to-fro swings, extend protective surfacing in front of and behind the swing to a distance equal to twice the height of the top bar from which the swing is suspended… tire swings, extend surfacing in a circle whose radius is equal to the height of the suspending chain or rope, plus 6 feet in all directions” (cpsc.gov). Both indoor and outdoor surfaces can be dangerous, so it is important to install adequate shock absorbing soft floor mats for kids. Even surfaces that may seem soft, like grass or carpet, do not possess the right shock absorption properties necessary to prevent injuries. Carpet is generally installed over a hard surface and will not provide much shock absorption. Similarly, “grass and turf e not recommended because wear and environmental conditions can reduce their effectiveness in absorbing shock during a fall” (cspc.gov). Due to rubber’s low compression set, soft floor mats for kids offer a “bounce” that offer adequate padding and shock absorption. Therefore, the addition of a crumb rubber interlocking play tiles will produce a safe and cushioned surface in case of a tumble.

Additionally, rubber playground surfacing tiles can be placed over a wide range of indoor and outdoor surfaces, including concrete, hardwood, carpet, grass, and dirt. This is a beneficial feature to have in playground flooring as many indoor settings, such as homes and daycares, may have hard surfacing like hardwood. On the other hand, in outdoor settings, playgrounds may be placed on unique surfaces, such as grass and dirt, or other hard surfaces, such as concrete. Furthermore, they offer a quick and easy installation with the use of little to no extra equipment or adhesives. Simply, connect the interlocking play tiles together with the plastic connector pins through the holes that line the sides of each tile and continue adding on more tiles until you have reached the required size. A polyurethane-based adhesive may be used to permanently install rubber playground surfacing tiles; however, glue should only be used on hard outdoor surfaces. Installation on indoor surfaces or on outdoor surfaces, like grass and dirt, do not require the use of adhesives.

What Can I Put Under My Kids Outdoor Play Area?

You can put recycled rubber playground surfacing tiles under your kids’ outdoor play area due to its excellent durability in the face of damaging environmental factors. Child safe outdoor flooring made of recycled rubber crumb derives from post-consumer vehicle tires that have been ground up into a fine crumble. Tires are extremely durable products that must stand up well against abrasive terrains and harsh environmental factors. They are made up of both natural and synthetic rubbers that are combined to produce abrasion resistance, wear, and traction as well as excellent resistance to damaging environmental factors, such as UV rays, ozone, oxygen, and moisture (ustires.org). The environmental resistance properties of crumb rubber outdoor play area surfaces add to the safety of the tiles as they will not degrade. Degradation can create an uneven outdoor play areas surfaces which can ultimately lead to dangerous tripping accidents. Weather conditions can alter the shock absorption of other play area floors, such as wood chips or rubber mulch, making them unsafe surfaces for kids’ play areas. Additionally, the moisture resistance of child safe outdoor flooring helps maintain a grippy surface. Most flat surfaces can become slick when wet, but rubber playground surfacing is able to retain its traction even in the presence of moisture and wet weather. Best of all, rubber playground surfacing tiles offer a surface texture that further enhanced rubber’s natural traction.

Rubber playground surfacing is ideal for both indoor and outdoor play area surfaces and will provide durable shock absorption, anti-slip safety, and customizable sizing. Recycled crumb rubber offers excellent shock absorption due to its low compression set that allows for ample padding between the force of a fall and the hard surface underneath the interlocking play tiles to help prevent serious life-threatening injuries. They are resilient indoor/outdoor products that will not be damaged by harsh environmental factors, such as UV rays, ozone, oxygen, and moisture. Additionally, rubber’s natural grippy surface is unobstructed by moisture on its surface and this traction is enhanced by the surface texture produced by the crumb rubber. Furthermore, its easy interlocking installation method allows you to create custom sized flooring simply by adding or removing tiles. The floor of a playground is made up of durable recycled rubber playground surfacing tiles that will offer safe playground flooring.

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