Avoiding Surfacing Tensions
Playtop Limited’s Marc Blamire investigates how the
decision on which play surfacing to use has become a much more
complex affair.
Magna
Science Adventure Centre
Choosing a surface type for a
playground used to be easy. Before the British Standard was
introduced there were basically two surfaces found in most
playgrounds, grass or Tarmac, neither one the best choice for a
number of reasons! Then a whole plethora of materials started to
become available as the realisation dawned that safety was
paramount in these areas designed for children. Even then, for the
specifier, the decisions were relatively straight forward:
- Grass – A great natural surface and in the right
conditions suitable for low fall heights and beneath trim trails
and the like. It has the ability to absorb minor impacts safely,
but the English climate plays havoc with high use areas,
transforming them from mud in the winter, to something resembling a
rhino skin in the summer! Maintenance is a chief consideration for
grass areas and should be taken fully into account at the outset.
Rubber mats, which the grass grows through, alleviate some of these
problems but speak to reputable suppliers or the API (Association
of Play industries) to make sure you know what to look out for as
there have been some bad experiences with poor quality
materials.
- Sand – children love it. Sand looks great when it’s
first down and offers a world of play value in its own right.
However it can only continue to look great as long as it is
regularly brushed back into place, raked for rubbish and other
nasties, and it if doesn’t rain too much! Just have a think
about how regularly you will be able to monitor the play
facility.
- Bark – a wonderful, natural product, well worth
consideration in an appropriate environment. Unfortunately though,
like sand, it isn’t the most hygienic surface and will
require regular topping up and supervision for the duration of its
lifecycle.
- Wet-pour – a recycled product that looks bright and fun,
is vandal resistant, is porous and, more importantly, lasts
(assuming a reputable company is used to install it). However, for
some, the initial cost has prohibited its use and installing plain
black playgrounds has turned some people against the idea of using
wet-pour. The trick is to consider how the surface can be a part of
the play environment and incorporate games and shapes into your
design, making it a real stand out play area.
- Rubber tiles - the main advantage to them is their ease of use
and longevity. They are also cheaper than wet-pour and it’s
easy to budget for an area. They have become less popular in recent
years as they can be prone to vandalism and don’t offer the
flexibility or play value of other surfaces.
- Fabric – this carpet like treatment is decent value.
However, wear and tear can be a problem and it regularly needs
brushing. Newer carpets are able to incorporate more designs and
colour than previously available. Once again however, it is
consideration of the location of the play area that might make your
decision with vandalism and repair a big issue for these sort of
surfaces.
The type of play surface to use has often been a combination of
very practical issues. Deciding on the best option has been
influenced by budget constraints, where the location is, whether
the area is fenced off, how prone it will be to vandalism, whether
animals will be able to get onto the area, whether there will be
play equipment on the site and so on.
Ron Tulloch of the City of Edinburgh believes that it’s a
combination of factors that affect the choice of play surfacing
type – location of the site, size of the area, the
surroundings, the type of equipment and who it’s appealing
to: “We would never use loose fill materials in an inner city
play area, for example, but we would for climbing rocks in an
active play area. It’s about creating a play area that
reflects its surroundings and then using the most appropriate
surface material.”
The decision about which play surfacing to use though now also
needs to consider a range of far more complex factors relating to
use and access, environment, aesthetics and longevity.
Sustainability
The Government has long advocated the use of sustainable and
renewable materials. However, in the play market this has been a
long time coming.
In the last two years though there has definitely been a change in
emphasis. There have been a number of tenders out in 2007 that have
measured the weight of the competing candidates not only by
delivery of product and service, but by the moral and
organisational commitment to the environment. Green issues have
finally become an actual guiding light to the Best Value mantra
that was often spoken of and rarely genuinely delivered, because it
has always been quite difficult to measure two similar products on
anything other than price.
Now it is more than that – specifiers are looking at a
product’s green credentials. A current example is
Nottinghamshire County Council who decided it wanted to create a
carbon neutral playground at a new flagship school it is building.
Playtop wet-pour surfacing was specified due to its environmental
credentials – being manufactured from recycled truck
tyres.
Accessibility
The fact that playgrounds must be accessible to all is a moral
as well as a legal obligation. Whilst the issues of accessibility
and inclusion have been addressed by the equipment manufacturers
for many years, there is little point if access to the equipment is
impossible for those less mobile or in wheelchairs.
Longevity
At one time those specifying and buying play surfacing merely
considered the initial cost and, understandably, some surface types
are dearer than others. Thankfully, common sense has prevailed and
now buyers are looking at the more long-term costs of particular
surface types – how long will the surface last and what
maintenance will be required? Many local authorities, for example,
are now replacing their bark surfacing due to the high ongoing
maintenance issues and costs.
Surfacing is part of the whole play
experience
Magna Science Adventure Centre has one of the largest outdoor play
areas in the country and it incorporates a range of surface types
– bark, sand and wet-pour. Margaret Eyre, the Centre’s
operations general manager is in no doubts as to her preferred
option: “Out of all the play surfaces we have, the only one
that doesn’t need regular maintenance is the wet-pour.
We’ve had it for six years now and, despite the very heavy
use it gets, it is still going strong.”
Playability
Play surfacing ultimately has to be about safety and creating an
area which helps prevent serious injury to those playing if they
fall. However, the surfacing can now be so much more –
becoming part of the whole play experience through the use of
colours, graphics and games. Many larger playgrounds are now based
around a theme and wet-pour surfacing in particular can be designed
to reflect this theme, creating a total offering.
It’s now not unusual to find larger playgrounds with a
mixture of play surfacing types. The Magnet Play area in East
Meadows, Edinburgh, is a new £400,000 playground that uses
nearly every type of play surfacing there is.
Ron Tulloch of the City of Edinburgh Council sums it up:
“It’s about quality of play, not numbers. And
it’s about creating play areas we’re proud of that
combine different surfaces in original ways. There is a place for
each type of play surface, it just needs thought and
imagination.”
More information relating to Playtop can be found at www.playtop.com