Are you looking to embark on a large-scale playground project? Whether for a local council, new housing development, or school playing field, it is essential to choose the right surface option for your site.
In larger-scale surfacing developments, you need to make considerations for your budgets and how to effectively cover larger areas of your site. PlaySmart is here to help make these key decisions easy with our top tips for larger projects…
1. Look for Cost-Effective Options
You should take care to stay within budget and make cost-effective choices when making key playground project decisions. But what does cost-effectiveness mean when talking about playground design ideas for surfacing solutions?
The cost per area covered is the primary concern for installation in large spaces. This is one of the problems with artificial grass. High-density ground cover is better suited to smaller decorative areas where natural grass can not grow well.
Jungle Mulch is popular for large areas of ground like open play areas and golf clubs due to its flexibility in placement, forming mounds and patterns where required. This high-quality rubber mulch surface solution is made from recycled rubber as part of our push for sustainability. Additionally, it doesn’t require a sub-base for most soil types, which reduces groundwork costs significantly. This means that this presents a great cost-effective alternative to natural play park surfaces while being more durable.
Rubber mulch maintenance costs are also very low, another concern for playground design costs in the long term. The costs to replace and clean wet pour rubber surfaces like our RubbaSmart surfacing solution are additionally lower than for loose fill surfacing options.
For more on what influences the cost of your playground project surface options take a look at our full guide from our FAQ section.
2. Longevity is key
Replacing the surfacing of large outdoor areas can be a huge hassle and cut into your budget significantly. Therefore, here at PlaySmart we provide long-lasting durable, weather-resistant materials in all of our surfacing. Even in our surfacing that sees the highest levels of daily use and stress, our EcoSmart Grass Mat Safety Surfacing, has a 10-year product and 5-year installation guarantee.
PlaySmart’s RubbaSmart wet pour safety surfacing is durable both in its eye-catching aesthetic patterns and its polyurethane rubber composite materials. Your outdoor area will maintain its vibrancy due to its resistance to weathering and UV light due to its superior materials and non-toxic pigments.
Installing accessible surfacing is also a huge benefit to the function and lifespan of your outdoor area. RubbaSmart is a high-quality, flat non-slip surface with high elasticity recovery. Therefore, it is wheelchair and buggy accessible and provides safety protection. This ultimately means that you are future-proofing your site’s accessibility requirements and avoiding expensive resurfacing later down the line.
3. Mind your Geography
The shape of your land and the existing surface cover are important considerations for implementing your playground design ideas effectively. Differences in soil quality and topography can influence the critical fall height of safety surfacing. Additionally, harsh weather can delay installations and groundwork due to the increased risk of waterlogging and puddling.
Our EcoSmart rubber grass mats require minimal groundwork and are suitable for mud-prone areas. However, without suitable grass bases, we recommend layering our patented SmartPlay shock pad underlay to reduce the risks of sinking. Our also effectively improves the critical fall heights of standard grass mats by 1.75m over concrete and 0.75m on grass.
For creative surfacing design options, working with the topography of your site, our clients find our Artificial Grass and JungleMulch surfacing options to be most suitable. For your large-scale playground project, your outdoor design may require creativity and adaptability throughout the installation process. Therefore, your surfacing should be simple to install and versatile. Many other surfacing options can struggle to adapt to complex geographies and create mounds or slopes that your playground needs.
Combining one or more types of surfacing on a larger site with multiple different ground conditions provides a great opportunity for visitors. An exciting variety allows children and adults alike to explore your open space in a variety of ways and undertake many different activities.
4. After-Sales Care for your Playground Project in the Future
Any installation project requires a high-quality after-sales service to fulfill customer care needs and create the best outcome possible. You don’t want to be searching for other installation companies after the fact to fix mistakes, especially for large, complex playground projects. Therefore, PlaySmart is dedicated to providing you with the best possible standard possible.
Interested in what PlaySmart can do for you?
You can get in touch with our handy contact form to talk to our experts. If you think your outdoor space would benefit from PlaySmart’s surfacing options, or if you are simply looking for more advice, we are happy to help.