Outdoor Surface Design: Guide to Non-Traditional Materials
Experiment with outdoor design for a unique park, playground, or leisure space. Your visitors are looking to enjoy an inventive, specialised space this Summer. Embrace unconventional play design with exclusive surface materials and expert installation from PlaySmart.
In this blog, our experts introduce you to some of our most popular premier surface options. These options include non-traditional materials and unconventional, unique ways to use more common surfaces.
Corkeen: Exclusive Cork Surfaces
We recommend using non-traditional materials for flooring as a way to upgrade your outdoor design. Cork is an incredibly versatile and effective surface option for pathways, open areas, and safety surfacing. Additionally, as a carbon negative material, cork flooring helps a site meet sustainability goals.
Corkeen initially gained popularity with landscape architects for its aesthetic and multi-functional properties. However, local authorities, parish councils, and schools across the country are now increasingly choosing cork flooring.
Another exclusive surface solution that uses Corkeen material is our cork infill options for artificial grass. This infill material works to enhance stability and shock absorbance without compromising the look or feel of the grass.
Installers often use rubber aggregates for this purpose. However, cork crumb is quickly growing more and more popular. This is a non traditional method to sure-up artificial grass surfaces, but cork’s natural shock absorbance and sustainable surface credibility make it a better fit for many outdoor sites.
Corkeen is exclusively available in the UK from PlaySmart. You can find more information on the benefits of Corkeen in our Full Guide to Corkeen.
EPDM: Functional Rubber Designs
EPDM wear pads are part of our RubbaSmart wetpour system of safety surfacing. The high tensile strength virgin rubber acts as a shock pad to reduce risks of injury. While wet pour rubber is a traditional playground surface material, our approach to maintenance and repairs allows for a truly unique design for your site.
Rubber safety pads can also incorporate colour and creativity to revitalise your surfaces. Coloured EPDM rubber has better tensile strength than plain black, meaning that a bright surface design is even more beneficial to children’s safety. You can add a pop of colour and fun to your surfaces while improving their safety with a creative, bespoke EPDM wear pad design.
We recommend EPDM wear pads in high traffic areas of your site, especially for impact zones under play equipment. This reinforces your rubber surfacing to create a safe, functional area. If your wetpour needs extra protection or repairs, contact our team for a bespoke quote and involved process of repairs.
SmartPave: Specialized Aggregate Paving
Traditional pathways and walkways often use loose-fill aggregates. Over time, these pathways can lose material to scattering and compression. Therefore, bound resin paths with natural and artificial aggregates are a more reliable option for a well-trafficked area.
SmartPave is available in two variations with a multitude of colour themes. Both formulations provide fully accessible pathways that last for longer than other options. SmartPave pathways and driveways are a great choice to blend into a natural playground design while still standing out with a professional aesthetic and stable, flat surface.
SmartPave with black rubber granules is a premier surfacing choice popular in urban areas. The unique blend of rubber and other aggregates in the bonded material means that the surfaces are SUDS compliant. This means that developments in Sustainable Drainage Systems choose this SmartPave variation for reliable surface drainage. Porous pathways prevent puddling and muddy or boggy ground from occurring, encouraging natural circulation of rainwater throughout the local ecosystem.
Technical Surface Installation with Exclusive Surfaces and Outdoor Design Expertise
If you are looking for a reliable, professional surfacing company for your outdoor flooring project, PlaySmart is the place to go. Explore new designs and materials to enhance and refurbish your outdoor area with the solutions above, and the wider range of options on your Products Page.
Get your Free Quick Quote today or book a call with our experts using the contact form at the top of the page.
