What you need to know about artificial turf playgrounds
There are many reasons why someone would be designing artificial turf playgrounds. You may be coordinating with part of a regional council, a college, daycare facility, or simply checking out alternatives for your house. Regardless of your purpose, creating artificial turf playgrounds requires many considerations, including the turf’s appearance, cost, lifespan, and ability to cushion impacts from falling.
The security and safety of children are the most important priorities for parents. We know that kids sometimes play rough, and are prone to get hurt. In fact, over 65 percent of injuries on playground areas are the outcome of a play-related mishap. Many artificial turf companies sell play padding, which is installed under the turf, to cushion the impact of a child falling. Protecting our kids is very important, that is why artificial turf playgrounds are becoming more common.
Remember the playgrounds of the past? They often had sand or tanbark to soften impacts. Current legislation says that playgrounds with an elevation of 50cm or more must have some sort of impact protection. This means that for designers and general contractors interested in building artificial turf playgrounds, getting some sort of play padding is absolutely essential.
There are many companies that sell a variety of padding products for playgrounds. Some of them have very distinctive appearances, often feeling like soft rubber. In an artificial turf playground, the padding is below the turf, so it isn’t visible. This allows the playground to look like it’s installed over real grass. Because of this, the job looks much more appealing than traditional playgrounds.
At Artificial Turf Express, we stock two different thicknesses for playground padding. In the comments below, let us know if you’re interested in seeing installation videos for the padding. We love receiving feedback from our customers and readers, and hope to hear from you soon!