Playgrounds which are intended for children to play on should compulsorily have soft surfaces made out of wood or rubber or small round stones. These types of surfaces only intend to provide a safer play area for children and not capable enough to save their lives, in case any unforeseen circumstances arise. It is still the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their children play safely and do not risk their lives.
Wood mulch in playgrounds is easy to spread and soothing to the eyes. A child playing on a wood mulch surface is less likely to get injured and the wood mulch keeps the growth of weeds under check as well. However, one of the major disadvantages of the wood mulch is that as it deteriorates, it falls to a much lower level than where it was originally put in place. In these circumstances, rubber mulch proves to be the best alternative to wood mulch.
Rubber mulch is produced by recycling the tires and is a good alternative to get rid of all those unsightly tire piles alongside the roads. One of the major disadvantages of the rubber mulch is its inflammable properties. The other disadvantage is that it gets really warm during hot summer days when the sun is out in full throttle. Hence it is not advisable to install the rubber mulch in playgrounds which are in tropical regions and areas prone to frequent forest fires. Although rubber mulch provides an alternate to recycle tires, the byproducts might seep through the soil still.
While comparing wood mulch and rubber mulch, the wood mulch is highly preferable, attractive and environment friendly too. A few of the wood mulch is produced by recycling wooden pallets, which are sent through wood shredding machines. These shredders mince the wood into mulch which is then dyed in the desired color. However, bagged mulches may not come from an authentic and trustworthy source.
Although wood is not as soft as rubber, it is usually piled up to an height of at least 6 inches so that they give the same soft surface comparable to the surface provided by a rubber mulch. However, since wood deteriorates pretty fast, replacing them every year might turn out to be a costly affair. There are a lot of municipalities which offer wood mulch for their tax paying residents.
There are different sizes available in swing sets which are also available in different colors to compliment the overall ambience of the play area. The mulch is usually installed only in public places such as the schools, parks and city playgrounds as these are the places where a high amount of cash is available. However, such things become unaffordable for an ordinary house owner.
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