When setting up a playground in the country or in their own yard, first of all, parents try to make the child's games as safe as possible. But is it possible to imagine children who do not like to run, jump and somersault? Of course not! Children of all ages love active play, which will inevitably lead to knocked knees and bruises.
Properly selected playground surfaces will help cushion falls and possibly prevent serious injury. Today, on new playgrounds, you can see a bright rubber coating, which is becoming more and more popular in our country. What is it and how harmless is it for children? Let's take a closer look.
What is it and what is it made of?
Playground rubber is made from small rubber granules that are made by recycling old car tires. Compared to the usual sand or pebbles, this species has a greaternumber of positive characteristics and more functional.
Rubber flooring is available in tiles, rolls and seamless materials.
Tiles are made by pressing granules in a cold or hot way. The material turns out to be quite elastic, but at the same time does not lose softness, which is very important for the safety of babies. Rubber tile flooring for playgrounds perfectly harmonizes with paving stones, tiles and other square elements, which makes it possible to maintain a certain style throughout the yard.
Rolled and seamless coating allows you to design a children's corner in the form of a multi-colored carpet or green lawn. In the first version, various characters of children's cartoons or just beautiful patterns can be depicted.
Its thickness reaches 4 cm, which is quite enough for the soft and safe movement of the child.
What are the advantages of this material?
The main advantages of rubber crumb coating for playgrounds include:
- beautiful appearance;
- excellent material strength;
- safety in relation to children, animals and plants;
- long service life;
- resistance to ultraviolet and low temperatures;
- elasticity;
- the material perfectly transfers moisture, mold does not form on it;
- do not grow through rubber granulesweeds;
- microorganisms do not multiply in such coatings;
- the springy properties of the rubber minimize injury to the child in the event of a fall;
- rubber crumb playground surface is easy to clean with water;
- in winter, ice does not form on such a site.
It should also be noted that due to the porous structure, the material passes moisture well through itself, and the playground dries quickly after rain. The same quality allows it to be used near pools, since the water does not stagnate on the surface, and the child can move freely on it with wet feet.
The softness of the material causes delight and interest in children, and they are happy to frolic, tumble and jump on such a surface. A variety of drawings and bright colors do not leave indifferent even the youngest researchers. And, most importantly, their mothers may not worry that their beloved child will hit while taking their first steps.
Are there disadvantages to rubber flooring?
Like any other material, playground flooring ("baby") has a few not-so-pleasant qualities.
First of all, it should be said about its high cost for a recycled material. The price of a rubber coating is an order of magnitude more expensive than the usual tile or concrete base, but given the high degree of wear resistance, it is quite possibly worth it.
Do not forget about the fire hazard of rubber. When exposed to temperatures above 200 degreesthe material begins to melt, it may catch fire. Therefore, making fires near such a site is not recommended.
Soft playground surfaces can only be installed in dry and warm weather.
Can we make such a surface ourselves?
Each owner can independently make a seamless rubber coating for playgrounds with their own hands, without resorting to expensive help from specialists.
To do this, you need to purchase crumb rubber, a special polyurethane adhesive and a solvent.
When buying material, you need to be guided by the following calculations: for 1m2 of the surface with a layer thickness of not more than 10 cm, 7 kg of rubber granules and 1.5 kg of glue will be required.
For better adhesion of the base and the coating, the surface can be pre-treated with a deep penetration primer.
From the tools you will need: spatula, rollers, measuring container, concrete mixer, plastic buckets.
It should be remembered that work must be carried out at a temperature of at least +10 degrees.
Seamless Rubber Coating Mounting Technology
First you need to prepare the surface for applying the mixture. To do this, all foreign objects are removed, dust is swept away and all kinds of cracks (if any) are smeared.
Walk over the entire base with a generous layer of polyurethane adhesive, carefully rubbing it into cracks and crevices.
In a concrete mixer, crumb rubber is mixed with an adhesive inthe proportions mentioned earlier. The resulting mixture is laid on the prepared base with a layer of at least 1 cm and well leveled with a spatula. After that, a roller is passed over the coating, which is periodically wetted in cold water.
To prevent the rubber from cracking during operation under the influence of low temperatures, do not press hard on the roller while leveling the surface.
At the end of the work, the rubber coating is left to dry completely for about a day. In the future, with the help of coloring compounds on such a surface, you can draw various patterns or apply markings. To ensure that the coating for playgrounds does not lose its color, it is treated with a matte varnish.
Conclusion
Despite the huge selection of modern materials, there are no analogues of crumb rubber. Rubber coating for playgrounds is distinguished by its uniqueness and versatility. Today, this material can be found in completely different places, be it shopping centers, sports clubs, playgrounds, office and industrial premises, showers, summer cottages, etc. Rubber crumb is very popular today, because the abundance of positive qualities, which are much more than shortcomings, cannot but attract the attention of the consumer.
