Rubber coating for children's playgrounds - one of the best options to guarantee the safety and hygiene of the game space. Now it has become very popular. Demand for it is growing not only for municipal purposes, but also for private areas. How and by what criteria to choose such a coating, especially its installation, special characteristics - in this material from HouseChief edition.
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- 1 Requirements to cover the children's playground
- 2 Types and characteristics of the rubber mounting pads
- 2.1 Seamless rubber coating for children's playgrounds
- 2.2 Rolled materials and features of their installation
- 2.3 Laying rubber tiles
- 3 Colors and patterns of rubber coatings: gallery
- 4 Pros and cons of the coating rubber crumb
- 5 Popular manufacturers of rubber coatings and their products
- 6 Selection criteria rubberization
- 7 How to care for rubber playground
Requirements to cover the children's playground
Choose coverage for places where children play, not so simple. It must meet many requirements.
The most important of them - the protection of children from injuries. This means that the surface should be smooth, without extremes and joints, and is not hard to fall when not scrape your knees and not get bruised. And another important point: the site can not be slippery.
The second requirement, arising from the nature of the operation of such a facility - high strength.
Gaming platforms, with rare exceptions, are located outdoors, therefore, important that the coating is missing the water coming from the precipitation. If the water is stagnant - on the surface will be formed puddles.
At the playground should be carried out sanitization time to time. It is desirable to use disinfectants. The simpler the cleaning process - the better.
If you collect all of these suggestions together, the best rubber coating. It is produced from recycled and recyclable materials of synthetic rubber. For bright colors using various dyes. And as a binder take polyurethane adhesive, which after drying is completely safe for children. Even in the scorching sun such material does not emit toxic substances.
Types and characteristics of the rubber mounting pads
The basis for the grounds is crumb rubber. It can be molded into various kinds of coatings: rolled, tiles or seamless (filler).
Any of these options is suitable for use all year round in the outdoor mode, but each has its own peculiarities of installation and operation. Let us examine them in detail.
Seamless rubber coating for children's playgrounds
This kind of rubber asphalt comprises crumb rubber resistant pigment dyed. Most popular colors - blue, red and green.
Seamless covering is laid as well as concrete. The basis is rammed playground with a sand bag. Before applying the rubber is necessary to align the platform, as any differences will lead to increased consumption of chips, which is not cheap pleasure.
Before installing the hard surface treated with penetrating primer for better adhesion. As a primer used divorced polyurethane adhesive. Wait for the complete drying of the soil is not necessary, you can immediately start the installation.
For seamless coverage chips and glue are sold separately, so you have to mix them in the percentage recommended by the manufacturer. Semi-liquid mass is poured onto the surface and equalize trowel.
Important! Can not be used for the lubrication of animal or vegetable fats, rubber can partially dissolve.
The thickness of the rubber asphalt - 1 cm. If you do less, you will achieve material savings, but its service life significantly reduced, because the thin coating may peel off under mechanical loads.
Drying the rubber asphalt is about half an hour. Each portion after laying desirable to stamp roller or other device also treated grease.
Area made thus obtained seamless.
Important! Apply this material only in dry weather, otherwise there will be major defects.
Rolled materials and features of their installation
There is an option not to mess with kneading the crumbs and glue, and purchase the finished coating in the form of rolls. Its thickness may be from 8 mm to 4 cm, and the width of the rolls - from 60 to 122 cm. Typically, the rolls are sold at 10 m, but if a thick material may be less yardage.
In this case the glue must be applied onto the substrate and roll thereon roll carefully pressed to the surface, avoiding the formation of air bubbles.
In the joints further coat with adhesive material on the edge and on the edges of the drying time, braced. After the staples extracted.
Laying rubber tiles
The name itself speaks for itself: Tiles made of crumbs and usually has a size of the square with a side of 50 cm. Tiles made of 20-30 mm thick. Coating it becomes quite hard. If you important suspension, then look for elements of a thickness of from 3.5 to 5 cm.
Tiling it is important to limit the area parebrikom or curb. Fragments are stacked back to back, very tight.
For modular coating it is important to carefully align the base. This is usually done with the help of bedding sand or dry screed. For almost monolithic surface, tile joints are glued and the glue as well as the web material is temporarily braced staple gun. If the tiles are laid on solid ground - it bonded with polyurethane glue.
Important! Working with rolls or tiles, try not to stain the glue the front surface of the material, then he does not scour and spoils the whole appearance, collecting the dust.
Colors and patterns of rubber coatings: gallery
A rubber coating with a bright pigment blends well with children's playgrounds. If desired, the pad on the surface can be represented by curly lines and a variety of pictures in pediatric subjects.
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With tiles can simulate pedestrian crossings, or chessboard. Such coating looks good in combination with artificial grass or tinted wood mulch.
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patterned tile installation technology clearly demonstrated in this short video:
Pros and cons of the coating rubber crumb
Advantages of the rubber coating are obvious:
- This material is soft, elastic and not slippery, that guarantees the safety of children during active play;
- Floor able to serve at least 10 years if the minimum maintenance;
- the surface is resistant to mechanical damage, can withstand the intense operating conditions;
- such sites do not fear temperature difference and can be used at a temperature of from - 30 ° to + 50 ° C;
- crumb rubber - environmentally friendly material, non-toxic and not hazardous to children, does not cause allergic reactions;
- the coating has a bright color that do not fade under the sun;
- material does not promote mold or mildew, does not attract insects and rodents;
- rubber pad is easy to clean and can be subjected to periodic cleaning with disinfectants.
But we must not forget about some of the features of rubber asphalt. The most unpleasant of them - the ability to melt and burn. This combustible material. For this reason, a play area near impossible to light a fire. And another disadvantage, which can not be ignored - it is the high cost of coverage, which is still ahead of all other possible types.
Popular manufacturers of rubber coatings and their products
Crumb rubber and coatings from it produce many companies. Now this kind of business has become very popular among aspiring entrepreneurs to use secondary raw materials due to the possibility. But when it comes to reliable manufacturers, guaranteeing the high quality of its products, it is worth noting:
- EcoStep - products of this company is considered one of the best, in the opinion of consumers. Products are of good wear resistance and are suitable for objects with intensive exploitation. The range of products is, the surface of which is coated with the rubber crumb with bright pigment;
- Unistep - good combination of quality and reliability. This tile is actively used on playgrounds and sports venues. The company is constantly improving its products, using new technologies;
- Gangart - the domestic manufacturer who produces material in two layers, one of which - the secondary raw materials obtained from recycling automobile tires. Products comply with European standards and are in good demand.
Selection criteria rubberization
The first thing you should look for when buying the material - its quality.
Colored tiles are usually made of two-layer, where the lower part - the result of processing of recyclable materials, and the top - crumbed rubber is of better quality.
If you need material for the playground, choose products without bevels and chamfers, to get a perfectly smooth surface.
If you compare prices for seamless coverage and tile, the big difference in choosing not, as the cost of the work of masters will take you to the same level.
Seamless material, in contrast to rolls and tiles, require a professional styling, including the use of special rollers.
If we talk about security, then seamless coverage there is a slight advantage in places where gaming equipment has a greater height, drop which could cause injury, it is possible to impose a thicker chips layer.
If you ground the wrong form, or you want to use a complex pattern, it is best to select a rubber asphalt.
How to care for rubber playground
If during the installation was very hot at 50 ° C or more, adhesive solidification process may be slightly delayed. Exploit the area can be no earlier than 2 days.
Use anti-pinch surface in spikes or shoes with heels can not be unacceptable to use ski poles.
Winter rubberized pad can be filled under the roller, but the layer of ice should be sufficient to avoid damaging the rubber skates. Minimum - 10 cm.
In any case on the rubber pavement can not make a fire, or to carry out welding work.
In some special care coverage is not needed.
Wash the surface with a brush and allowed nonrigid liquid for cleaning floors. This cleaning should be done at least once a year.
You can not remove the snow from the site with metal scrapers or shovels.
Surface treatment is not permitted chemically active agents, solvents, and acids.
And your kids enjoy this site? Share your opinion about her comfort and security in the comments!