Making rubber mulch the safest playground mulch all year long. Wood mulch can cause painful and irritating splinters keeping your child from playing on the playground. Rubber mulch is maintenance-free and lasts for years without losing its color or rotting, saving you both time and money.
Rubber Mulch
It is arguably the best mulch for playground safety. And, it comes in tons of different colors for a fun, unique look.
The types of organic mulches that are the least likely to contain any pesticides or herbicides are going to be tree-based: shredded or chipped wood, shredded bark, and pine needles.
However, when it comes to safety, no other material outshines engineered wood fiber (EWF). EWF is the most cost-effective loose-fill material for playground surfacing and has superior abilities for cushioning falls or impacts. Loose-fill surfaces, like EWF, are easy to install and maintain to adesired depth.
Engineered Wood Fibre (EWF) is the recommended wood chip product for use as playground cover. Besides its high shock absorbency, EWF has more beneficial features than other wood chips.
While the rules for mulch and most other kinds of wood chips are very loose, the standards for playground wood chips are far stricter. For example, there are to be no twigs, no pebbles, and no pieces of bark mixed in with playground mulch. No recycled materials such as pallets or wood waste.
Wood playground mulch is a fairly safe option. Wood mulch offers decent shock absorption, as nine inches of wood mulch can protect against falls of up to seven feet.
Unlike sand, rubber mulch can also be washed off keeping it clean and free from bacteria. It's virtually maintenance free and will last without compacting for many years of outdoor playground fun.
There are several products that should never be used as mulch: sawdust, wood shavings and un-aged wood chips. As these materials begin to break down, they consume large amounts of nitrogen, depriving surrounding plants of this vital nutrient.
Shredded leaves, straw, lawn clippings, compost, etc.
Organic materials like leaves will break down over time, enriching the soil, encouraging a healthy soil microbiome, and feeding your tree. They are best when combined with heavier organic matter like wood chips. Only use weed-free sources.
The levels of toxins in rubber mulch are often considered too low to pose a risk and are further offset by the possibility of injury being reduced because it provides a bouncier, safer surface to fall on than wood mulch, gravel, or sand.
Ideally, mulch should be deep enough to support a child's body weight without compressing too much - this is usually somewhere between 6-12 inches deep. If the mulch is not deep enough, there is a risk of injury if a child falls and hits the ground below.
What to Put Under a Swing Set: Natural grass is not a thick enough cushion to protect kids when they fall. Instead, it's good to install a protective surface such as: Wood mulch/chips, shredded rubber mulch or engineered wood fiber for equipment up to 8 feet high.
Like beach sand, river sand is also some of the best sand for sandboxes because it's produced by nature and doesn't contain harmful particles like silica, limestone, quartz, or tremolite. River sand is one of the best sands for sandboxes because of its natural origins!
Common solid-surface playground material options include synthetic grass, rubber tiles, and poured-in-place rubber. Poured rubber is widely considered to be the best playground base material. Whether you choose loose-fill material or solid surfacing, it should comply with national safety standards and guidelines.
Dangers of rubber tire mulch
Some of the toxins in rubber tire crumb include VOC's, PAH's, MBT's, and latex. The EPA has found these chemicals cause cancer, headaches, nausea, contact dermatitis, and allergies. Not to mention damage to the lungs, kidneys, liver, central nervous system, and reproductive system.
The Wisdom in Using Playground Wood Chips
Unlike rubber mulch, wood chips are free of chemicals and harmful substances. And, since the wood used comes from mature forests with little human activity, the chips have little chance of causing an allergic reaction.
How Many Inches of Mulch Do I Need for a Playground? The rule of thumb for how deep playground mulch should be is 8-12 inches, but every playground is different. Depth requirements for protective surfacing vary according to the materials used and the height of the equipment.
The current standard in Australia for playground equipment, AS 4685:2021, was introduced in 2004 and updated in 2021 and is closely aligned with the European Standard. Some changes made were significant, and more closely reflect global trends in playground child safety.
Regular wood chips or mulch don't provide enough cushioning to be considered a safe playground surface. If a playground surface isn't up to the proper specifications, you may be liable if a child gets injured in a fall. They simply aren't worth the risk.
Lifespan. Playground chip has a lifespan of around 2-3 years, and bark nuggets slightly longer at 2-4 years. After this time the surface should be removed and replaced.