Building a playground with rubber mulch part 2
Posted by Jamie Kavanagh on
Welcome back to the second part of our two-part series on building a safe play area using rubber mulch.
Last time we covered preparation. That included calculating how much rubber mulch you need for the potential drop height and area of the play area. We also discussed preparing the ground, leveling, adding drainage if necessary, a weed barrier and perhaps a border to keep everything tidy.
So without further ado, let us continue building your play area.
We deliver our rubber mulch in 20 pound bags, 1000 or 2000 pound bulk bags. It is delivered by truck to the curbside, so suitable labor and equipment should be arranged in advance to move the mulch once it arrives.
Adding the rubber mulch to the play area
However you order your rubber mulch, it has to be applied evenly across the entire area of the playground. Care should be taken to ensure a uniform level across the playground to ensure you provide the level of fall protection you're looking for. Uneven cover can compromise the safety of the mulch.
As mentioned last time, to offer the full 16 foot fall protection rubber mulch is capable of, it has to be laid at a depth of no less than 6 inches.
Once you have filled your playground with an even covering of rubber mulch, we suggest compacting it. First, level out the mulch as much as possible using a garden rake. Then use a lawn roller or other device to ensure everywhere is covered with a uniform level of mulch. Rolling in different directions helps ensure compaction is complete and safe.
Compacting is useful as it can highlight small deviations in level as lumps may appear. Smooth out these lumps by spreading excess material across to other areas and continue compaction. Once complete, measure the play area at different points to ensure the desired depth has been achieved.
Once the play area is level and compacted it is ready for use. Material provided by Dallas Rubber Mulch is designed to retain its color, not leak, harbor bacteria or decay. A light rubber odor may be present for a few days but will quickly fade. This is a side effect of manufacturing and is not harmful.
That's all there is to building a safe play area using rubber mulch. As with any project around the home, the majority of the work is in the planning and preparation. Use our helpful calculator to determine how much mulch you need, prepare the ground, install the mulch properly and you will soon have a safe play surface!