Using Mulch to Keep Your Playground Safe

Mulching a playground area is a common way to keep children safe when they play. Playground mulch is mulch that is certified and compliant with non-toxic and safety requirements instituted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There are several types of wood mulch that a mulch installer can installer on your Tennessee playground in a fast and efficient manner. Safety is the top concern, and these mulches are all fit for use by young and older children who are active on playground equipment.

Mulch Benefits for Safety

• Wood chips and wood fiber mulch have high impact absorption. A high level of impact absorption is necessary for playgrounds as falls and accidents from elevated levels happen regularly on playgrounds. Mulch helps pad a fall so the impact isn’t as severe as it would be on a solid surface or ground that isn’t padded by a layer of mulch. Wood chips and wood fiber need to be at a certain level of thickness for the maximum safety benefit in cushioning falls.
• Most wood mulches provide slip resistance. Slip resistance is an essential quality to have when supplying ground-cover for play areas. Children running are less likely to fall, trip, or slip and hurt themselves on a surface that mulch covers.
• Wood mulch is easily accessible. Wheelchairs work well on many varieties of mulch for playground surfaces.
• Debris, trash, glass, and other harmful items stay on top of certain playground mulches. These items can easily be found and removed before a child grabs them. It is easy to rake the surface of mulch to get rid of foreign objects on top of the surface cover.
• Mulch for playgrounds doesn’t have harmful chemicals or substances that can harm a child’s health. Wood mulch for play areas is non-toxic and safe for children to play on and touch.
• Animals are less likely to soil wood playground mulches than sand playground fill. Animal waste is harmful to children playing in a play area, so wood chips or fiber is a fantastic way to keep animals droppings away from playgrounds.

Types of Playground Mulching

• Engineered Playground Wood Chips – Many playgrounds in Tennessee use engineered wood chips for ground cover. Wood Chips are composed of virgin wood. There are no metals or additives in these wood chips, so they are safe for children to play in and around.
• Cypress Mulch – Cypress mulch doesn’t have bark or sticks, so it is a stable way to make sure that dangerous areas of a playground have proper impact absorption. The prime areas to mulch with cypress mulch are under swings and around slides. You can also use cypress mulch to cushion walking trails and level playhouses.
• Shredded Bark Mulch is mulch made from tree bark. It needs to be maintained more often, but children will land softer if they fall.
• Engineered Wood Fiber Mulch – This mulch is best for accessible playgrounds and outdoor areas. It is made of soft chopped wood and is smaller than other mulch, so it is softer and more natural for play areas.

The Benefits of Wooden Bulk Mulch vs. Other Types of Ground Cover

Wood mulch is easy to move and refill when needed. It is cost effective and easy to install when it is blown into a large area. Blown-in mulch quickly covers whole areas as equipment and fences are easy to get around and make sure there is total coverage.

Children are less exposed to surface debris because it is easily detected, and many wood-based mulches keep insects and other animals away from the play area. Other playground mulches may get hot or attract animals or insects, which can make the space more uncomfortable and less safe for children.

Mulching a playground is vital for the safety of the people who are in a public or private play area. Accidents will happen in these areas, so if you want to mulch an area and install a playground, consider blown-in much for a fast and effective way to make the space safer for children. Whether you have a business, church, HOA, school, or daycare, mulch is suitable for your common and playground areas.

Getmulch.com works with the best professional mulch installers in Tennessee that blow much into playground areas as a time-saving and efficient way to keep a playground safe. If you need your mulch replaced or installed, contact Getmulch.com to be connected with an experienced mulch professional in Tennessee.