When assessing what playground flooring would be most appropriate for your project, Playsmart would suggest that you should consider how different types of weather affects different playground surfaces. Measuring each material temperature in extreme weathers, relies on observing how the product absorbs and releases various amounts of heat. Natural surfacing products like woodchips or sand based products were found to be similar to the air temperature of that day. Whereas synthetic products like concrete or soft play flooring products were found to absorb and retain heat, creating a hotter play environment.
With the UK weather tending to be slightly raining, muggy with grey skies; extreme temperatures don’t tend to be a major concern of Playsmart. However on the odd day where we do see heavy snow or 25 degree heat, it’s important to be reassured that the playground flooring is up to scratch.
In the winter time the occurrence of rain, frost or even snow can leave your play area flooring in a bit a mess. A post winter check up on loose products like wood chipping, is advised as the wind might have scattered the bark about. Rubber playground mats should also be serviced as they tend to curl up and later have the potential to be a trip hazard. The material rubber is a good thermal insulator and therefore rubber surfaces tend to freeze over in wintry conditions. The surface should also be swept up and the surface can be power washed to restore the appearance and porosity going into the spring and summer months.
Summer brings a whole different list of factors to consider for playground flooring. With each different type of flooring reacting differently in the sun, its important how much the sunlight affects your playground floor. Sand in one of the higher conductors of heat and therefore gets warm very quick to heat up. On an extremely hot day, this could have the potential to cause 2nd degree burns for users, especially if they touch it with their hand or feet. Wooden chips are the one of the safer options as being made from fibre, it is more resilient towards the heat. Choosing what Playsmart product to use is all dependant on the playgrounds sun exposure, as shading helps to tackle hot playground flooring during the summertime; but also how extreme the cold weather is in your local area.
The team at Playsmart are dedicated to providing a high quality that meets the customer’s needs, we consider every element of your playground flooring installation so you don’t have to! It can be tricky finding what is best for your playground build, so we hope this article today has helped you consider the natural elements and how that might affect the playground surfacing. If you want more information on the variety of surfaces Playsmart has to offer, have a look on website for more details.
