Why a Rubber Mulch Playground Beats a Wood Mulch Playground

Rubber Mulch Playgrounds are the Best

Choosing the best surface material for your playground goes hand-in-hand with the priorities and goals you’ve established for your play area. Are you looking for safety? What about durability and maintenance?

Once you’ve established your objectives, you’ll want to think about a playground surface that provides protection, minimal maintenance, longevity, and cost-effectiveness.

This decision often boils down to rubber vs. wood mulch.  What are the advantages of rubber mulch over wood chips? Will rubber mulch make a better playground than wood mulch? 

What is the best surface material to use in playgrounds?

Rubber Mulch is a slip-resistant material that helps prevent falls and offers exceptional shock absorbency.  Playground injuries are greatly reduced because of rubber mulch's ability to absorb the impact of falls. Compared to other loose fill options, a rubber mulch playground requires minimal maintenance and boasts longevity, which makes this a cost-effective option. 

Wood mulch, an organic substance, is another surface material option for play areas. However, it falls short in safety, longevity, and maintenance. Because of its organic nature, this material has less shock absorbency, and it decomposes quickly. Other disadvantages include insect infection and mold, and required annual mulching.

What type of mulch (wood or rubber) lasts the longest? 

In short, recycled rubber doesn’t decompose or break down like wood mulch, so it has a longer lifespan. With proper installation and light maintenance, rubber mulch can last 10 to 20 years before needing to be replaced completely. 

Wood mulch, however, breaks down and loses its shape and shock-absorbing properties within a short period, usually within one year, requiring annual wood mulching. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using rubber playground mulch versus wood mulch?

Recycled rubber mulch wins hands down when compared to wood mulch in these categories.

Slip and fall protection

As a playground surface, recycled rubber options offer slip-resistant properties and better impact protection during falls when compared to wood mulch. 

Hazard barrier

Rubber mulch prevents direct contact with objects that could be harmful in a play environment. It acts as a barrier to debris, rocks, and other potentially harmful objects often found on traditional surfaces.

No annual replacement

Not needing to replace rubber mulch annually is HUGE (second only to safety) and can save money over the long term despite an initial higher investment. Over time, some topping off may be needed to ensure depth consistency or when thinning or fading occurs. Note: wood mulch needs annual replacement. 

Stays put

The weight of recycled rubber keeps it in place even during rigorous activity, requiring less material. When compared to using wood mulch, you’ll find that rubber mulch requires half the depth to stay put. Keeping rubber mulch in place in play areas is best achieved with proper bordering.

Durable and long-lasting

When using recycled rubber as a surface option, you’ll find greater durability because of its material quality and design. Both rubber tiles and mulch withstand varying weather conditions and heavy foot traffic. With proper maintenance, you can expect recycled rubber to last 10 to 20 years, while wood mulch needs frequent replenishing. 

Avoids Insect infestation

Wood mulch is susceptible to termites, weevils, ants, and other insect infestations as well as problems with mold and weeds, which can increase out-of-pocket expenses. Rubber mulch, on the other hand, is mold, weed, and insect-resistant providing you with a lower maintenance option. Because rubber mulch does not provide an ideal habitat or food source, it keeps the pests away. 

Low maintenance

The ease of maintenance of both recycled rubber mulch and tiles makes these durable, cost-effective options superior to wood mulch. Because of its material composition, rubber mulch does not decompose or become easily compacted so no annual top-up is required.

Knowing these differences between recycled rubber and wood mulch options can help you make a better decision on what’s best for you and the children.

Conclusion

There are pros and cons to all playground surfacing choices. We believe the benefits of rubber mulch for playgrounds are clear. Playground rubber mulch offers a safe, long term surfacing solution that requires less maintenance than wood mulch, and saves a few trees along the way.

Also in Rubber Mulch Blog