When it comes to schools and the wellbeing of children, the benefits of rubber mulch cannot be overstated. Safety surfacing is the perfect way to keep falls, scrapes, cuts and bruises to a bare minimum, and it also plays a vital role in developing children's physical and mental development, too.
This surfacing is a superb alternative to traditional wood chipping. The pros with rubber mulch far outweigh those of bark chippings. With wood chippings the material;
- Gets blown away by the weather
- Is sharp, potentially dangerous if children fall onto it
- Is not waterproof
- Gets stuck to children's socks and carried indoors!
Compare that with bonded mulch;
- It's permeable
- It doesn't rot away
- It comes in a wide range of colours
- It can be installed easily by professional installers
- It's made from recycled materials
- Thanks to its springy consistency, it's impact resistant
- It doesn't get stuck to clothing!
As you can see, the benefits of rubber mulch are obvious, and it will last for years. Why invest in a surfacing that will rot or blow away, and that has the potential to cause injury, when you can have a surface that is installed to actively meet safety standards and actively prevent injuries? It's incredibly easy to maintain too.
A sweep with a stiff brush is all that is required for day-to-day operations, while repairs just involve filling holes with new rubber shred. It couldn't be easier.
And the biggest benefit? The surfacing doesn't need any expensive groundworks to be laid first, so it saves you a fortune on installation costs. Enquire today by completing the form at the top of the page and one of our experts will get back to you as soon as possible.
Rubber Mulch for Schools
Rubber shred is very often seen in schools and it’s used for a wide variety of purposes and interactions. The reason it is used so often is its huge versatility, cost-effectiveness, and it's superb safety implications.
The surfacing is comprised of old truck tyres that have been shredded down. It is then laid down and bonded into place to create a surface that not only looks attractive but is fully permeable and virtually self-sufficient.
The mulch can be laid at various depths depending on what you want the surface to do, and, thanks to its springy properties, it's ideal as a safety surface for children's playgrounds. Here are just a few ideas of how rubber mulch for schools could be used;
- Golden Mile surfacing - This is a scheme designed to make children walk for at least one mile a day to improve their fitness. Bonded shred is perfect as a Golden Mile surfacing because it can be made in a variety of vibrant colours and it actively reduces impact stresses on young bones and muscles.
- In flower beds – the surface makes an incredible alternative to traditional bark chippings. It looks attractive, it stays in place, and it’s permeable too, so rain just washes straight through it and drains away.
- As a safety surface in the playground - Perhaps the best use there is. It’s tough, easy to install and replace, comes in loads of different colours, and what better material to use to soak up impacts from running, jumping and falling than recycled rubber?
- As a pathway - What a great way to brighten up a school and keep the kids safe from trips and falls!
Benefits of Rubber Mulch for Playgrounds
You’re looking at replacing your school playground surface and this type of surface has been suggested to you. What are the benefits of rubber mulch for playgrounds? Why should you choose that particular surface over all the other options? Well, once you hear what it can do then you might be swayed!
- It is made from old truck tyres, so point one is that it is a recycled material and won’t end up going into a landfill. By laying this surface, you’re doing your small part to help the environment.
- The second point is how easy it is to actually lay. One of the biggest benefits of a rubber mulch system is that it can be laid right on top of tarmac, even mud, so there are no expensive groundworks to pay out for. This also makes it incredibly quick to lay.
- Point three focusses on your colour options. This surfacing comes in a wide variety of colours, so you can have your surface exactly how you want it. They could tie in with the colours of a school, or you might just want them to be as bright as possible to make the area as appealing as possible
- The fourth point is perhaps the most crucial of all; safety. These surfaces are a superb way of keeping falls, bumps, trips, cuts, bruises and grazes to a bare minimum. Because rubber is springy it soaks up impacts like a shock absorber, whether that’s from just running about or a fall from a climbing frame. It keeps the children safe while they enjoy themselves.
- Point number five relates to ease of maintenance. The ease of its installation is only matched by how easy it is to look after. First of all, it’s permeable, so rainwater just drains away from it, so no more standing water puddles. Secondly, it just requires a quick brush once a week with a stiff brush to keep it looking vibrant. Finally, (and this is the best bit), if it needs repairing you just cut out the affected bit and pour in some more rubber mulch. Easy peasy.
After reading about what benefits a bonded shred surface could bring to your school playground, why would you choose anything else?
Rubber Mulch Pros and Cons
The benefits of rubber mulch far outweigh the negatives, but in the interests of transparency let’s find out what the rubber mulch pros and cons are.
Pros
- It insulates plants well
- Unlike traditional wood chippings, bonded mulch doesn’t attract insects
- Because it’s porous it allows rainwater to drain away. This actively helps prevent weeds.
- It doesn’t rot and it stays in place
- It’s available in different colours
- It‘s easy and cost-effective to maintain
- It’s made from recycled materials, so it’s environmentally friendly
Cons
- It will not decompose, although, this can also be seen as one of its advantages too.
- It may contain chemicals which are harmful to plants
So, there you have it. The pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to rubber shred and you’ll have a surface that is truly worthy of the attention that it will surely garner. If you want to know what a mulch installation might cost for your school playground, residential pathway, Golden Mile track or flower bed then fill in our contact form and we’ll go through all of your options.
Contact Us
If you are interested in having bonded shred installed at your establishment, make sure to contact us now using our enquiry form and we will get back to you.
