The introduction of porous surfacing to your outdoor area is one of the best drainage solutions. PlaySmart’s natural drainage approach can remedy any issues of puddling or flooding common with impermeable flooring. This is especially important in urban areas with minimal vegetation or a lot of surrounding concrete and tarmac roadways. This is because rainwater has no way to drain naturally out into local ecosystems.
Outdoor developments should allow rainwater and snow melt to flow into the groundwater. This is because it allows your surfaces to work alongside local ecosystems to cope with the wet British weather. This helps to avoid larger issues with standing water and flooding. Without the right surfacing for the unique drainage situation of your area, your playground may become unusable. Just take a look at the sinking playground below for where your surfaces may end up without proper drainage installations.
PlaySmart’s surfacing innovations account for and consider the surfacing within practical and natural contexts. Therefore, we provide a range of drainage solutions in our play surfacing. This includes multiple types of porous surfacing, including options for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS).
Sub Surface Choices
For landscaping for playground developments, the installation team has to consider and adapt to the particulars of each area. This includes finding the right stability solution for the specific substrates of the soil as well as the natural and man-made drainage systems in the area.
Surfaces like artificial grass require a hard sub-surface to keep it stable and flat. A common solution for this is thick granite slabs that can limit drainage. Therefore, we recommend you choose options to increase the drainage capacity and avoid surface water build-up. This includes additional porous layers of granite stone dust or a SmartPlay shock pad underlay as a rubber drainage mat. This allows for water to dissipate over time, preventing a waterlogged pitch or field from ruining the fun and accessibility of your play area.
We can install our porous bonded rubber play surfaces at a range of fully certified depths. This helps meet your safety requirements and adapt to your soil type without sub-surface installation. This is often a good option for areas with natural drainage systems or existing hard surfaces.
Natural drainage solutions are therefore the best option for installation and sub-surface choice varies a lot. This is especially true across the Midlands. We recommend checking your soil quality and type with this tool from LandIS to discover which changes you need to make to your existing surfacing.
Additionally, our process of surface design includes a pre-installation survey of the area. This is because it is vital to ensure the chosen surface solutions are right for the existing surface.
SUDS-Compliant Surfaces
A sustainable drainage system accounts for the highs and lows of local weather systems. Additionally, these strive to develop a balance of natural and human factors that impact drainage.
SUDS are certified areas at risk of flooding and therefore under strict measures for drainage restrictions on new developments. In these areas, it can be difficult to identify the surfacing that is compatible with SUDS recommendations and rules. However, here at PlaySmart, we have multiple SUDS-compliant surfacing options.
Our permeable surfaces include SmartPave rubber aggregates (SUDS-Compliant), Corkeen cork surfaces, JungleMulch, Hybrid Grass, and our EcoSmart grass mats.
Do you want more information on the specific SUDS compatibility with your area? You can contact our surface installation, drainage solution, and survey team to discuss your best options.
Avoiding Toxicity in Water Runoff
We recommend using natural materials, especially with our Corkeen surfaces that are 90% natural cork. This is because it is beneficial to the natural drainage, water, and eco-system of your local area.
As water circulates through porous surfacing before reaching the groundwater table, it picks up microscopic particulates of the material. This can include any dyes, colourants, binding chemicals, and larger particulates. A large concentration of these chemicals present in the water system can negatively impact the local environment. This is particularly true for microplastics, which are carcinogenic and can get into the food chain from groundwater.
To protect both local ecosystems and local communities, PlaySmart avoids toxic materials in our binders. We also minimise plastic use in our fixings and bindings while still providing top-quality surfacing. Recycled rubber EcoSmart grass mats are more eco-friendly than many similar safety surfaces.
Does your Current Surfacing Experience Drainage Issues?
PlaySmart can help! Discuss your options with our experts by booking a call with our handy contact form. You can also get a free Quick Quote on our contact page to start your surfacing process.