The benefits of Rubber Surfacing

Rubber surfacing versus other playground and landscaping materials.

Rubber chippings are quickly becoming an industry standard as a safe solution for commercial and residential playgrounds, as well as an alternative for landscaping. Rubber chippings offer many benefits.

Rubber chippings offer many benefits when compared to traditional playground materials. They lasts longer than traditional playground wood chips or gravel. The bright, vibrant colours don’t fade and it provides protection from falls making it an ideal playground surface.

Rubber chippings also look great as a landscaping product. They significantly reduce weed growth when used with a suitable membrane, while still allowing water and fertiliser to permeate into the ground. Rubber does not rot, decay or fade.

Rubber surfaces will last through floods and strong winds – unlike traditional mulch which often floats or blows away. Surround your trees, shrubs and flowers with bright, vibrant rubber chippings – sure to complement your existing landscaping décor.

Choose rubber mulch for residential and commercial landscaping and playground surfacing, including:

Schools
Day Care Centres
Community Centres
Homeowners’ Associations
Bowling Green Clubs
Apartment Buildings
Theme Parks
Public Parks
Domestic Gardens

Rubber Chippings vs. Pea Gravel

Rubber chippings provide a much softer, springy surface in the event of a fall on a playground when compared to pea gravel.

Rubber chippings also provide significantly more shock absorbance. While pea gravel will help in the case of a fall, it only provides adequate protection compared to rubber surfaces which offer higher fall protection as per BS EN1177.2018

Unlike pea gravel, rubber chippings won’t compress. Pea gravel will naturally compress and bind after constant use, forming a hard, non-shock absorbing surface which can lead to broken bones after a fall.

Rubber surfaces also offer advantages over pea gravel in landscaping. They significantly reduce weed growth when used with a suitable membrane and retain ground moisture. There are also a wider variety of colours to choose from when you choose rubber chippings for your landscaping.

Choose from vibrant blues or natural browns to complement your existing landscape design or provide a colour contrast. Pea gravel is only available in its natural colours.

Rubber Chippings vs. Sand

Rubber chippings offer many benefits over sand. Sand provides fall protection and will not rot. However, sand can get incredibly messy and scorching hot in the summer sun. Sand also hurts to fall on – it compacts quickly providing insufficient shock absorbency. Animals are also attracted to sand and stray animals may use it as a giant outdoor litterbox, fostering harmful bacterial growth. Rubber will not become burning hot after long exposure to the summer sun.

Unlike sand, rubber chippings can also be washed off keeping them clean and free from bacteria. It’s virtually maintenance free and will last without compacting for many years of outdoor playground fun.

Rubber Chippings vs. Woodchips

Woodchips have been the go-to playground materials for many years. However, woodchips can cause painful and irritating splinters, and after frequent use, woodchips compact into a hard, unforgiving surface.

Woodchips also require maintenance, needing to be replaced every few years – after constant exposure to the elements, woodchips often begin to rot and decay, making a cozy home for unwanted pests. Rubber chippings offer many benefits as they are maintenance free and last for many years without losing the vibrant colour or rotting. Our rubber surfaces also offers superior fall protection, without the risk of splinters.

For landscaping purposes, rubber mulch can imitate the look of natural wood, without any of the drawbacks. Rubber mulch allows water and fertiliser to permeate into the soil.

During inclement weather, traditional wood mulch often gets whipped out of place by strong winds, or floats away due to excessive rain. Rubber chippings stay put, even in the harshest weather conditions.

Rubber Chippings vs EPDM

EPDM, known as ‘wet-pour’ in the playground industry, is a rubber surface that is available in bright colours. It is however made from a synthetic rubber, polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts, EPDM stands for ethylene propylene diene monomer. This means it is not an environmentally sound product. It can also be very expensive.

Rubber Chippings offer many benefits as they are a sustainable use for waste tyres that could otherwise be exported or burnt in unregulated practices. Rubber Chippings can be used for the same applications as EPDM but in a much more cost effective and sustainable manner.