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Routine Maintenance is Important

For Unitary Safety Surfacing for Playgrounds

By Monty Christiansen

It's Obvious that loose-fill safety surfacing such as woodchips, sand and pea stone require routine maintenance. This is essential to ensure the proper depth for sufficient impact attenuation; to prevent weed, fungal, or insect infestation; to maintain proper drainage; to remove foreign objects and contaminates, and so forth.

It would be a mistake to assume that replacing loose-fill materials with unitary safety surfacing (i.e., poured in place surfacing, mats, tile, etc.) will eliminate all surface maintenance costs. While frequent topping off use zones with replacement loose material and raking it out to a level and sufficient depth will no longer be necessary, there are several routine maintenance tasks that should be performed on unitary surfaces.

These tasks need to be done for the four principal functions of the playground safety: for the safety of the user; to make sure the safety surfacing is effective over a long functional life; for sanitation; and for cleanliness and attractiveness – in that order. There are several routine maintenance tasks, generally custodian in nature that can achieve these objectives.

Because unitary safety surfacing has many positive inherent features if installed correctly at the proper critical depth for the play equipment, it is important to keep it as near to installation quality as possible. These positive features may include proper impact attenuation; a level, accessible, firm, stable, and slip-resistant surface; proper porosity or drainage provisions; attractive surface color combinations, patterns and designs ; and long-term durability.

The pressure of foreign objects and deposits can quickly diminish these qualities. These include a wide range of items, from sand, dirt, and stones to leaves, tree sap, chewing gum, bird droppings, urine, blood, scuff marks, tar, and common park maintenance products such as gasoline or grease. The longer these items are left on the surfacing, the more damage they cause, so prompt maintenance is important.

Principal key to effective unitary surface maintenance: keep loose debris off

Loose debris such as sand, dirt, and small stones on top of unitary surfacing can reproduce slip hazards. In addition, fine particles can accumulate in porous openings and clod important drainage features of some surfaces, as can matting materials such as leaf litter. These particles can also be abrasive; they accelerate wear and shorten surface life. It is recommended that a regular periodic removal of this loose debris be done. It is best to vacuum porous surfaces to clear the permeable openings as well as removing top litter, but blowing can also be an effective means of achieving this. Dry sweeping or scrubbing will remove the loose litter, but can force more fine particles into the porous openings of some surfaces. This should be done at least every two-three weeks, but may be necessary more often if local conditions warrant.