Project Brief: To create a safe, vibrant & low-maintenance safety surface around a play area
Total Project Area: 200m²
Product Used: Green Rubber Mulch & Resin Binder
This case study focuses on a community playground on the Isle of Benbecula, which needed vast improvement to ensure the safety of the users. Community play areas play a vital role in promoting physical activity, creativity, and social interaction among children. Ensuring the safety and comfort of young adventurers is paramount, which is why the Balivanich Community Play Park took a significant step by choosing to install green rubber mulch around their play area.
The group opted for our superb rubber surfacing solution to;
- Significantly reduce the risk of fall-related injuries,
- Enable accessibility for all with mobility challenges to promote inclusivity,
- Reduce regular maintenance as it is resistant to weather elements such as rain, ensuring year-round usage,
- Provide a stable non-slip ideal for running, jumping and general playing.
The group recognised the need for a revamped play area as the existing surface was outdated and required constant maintenance mainly due to material migration.
After careful consideration and consultation with the community group, they decided to install rubber mulch as a rubber safety surface which would provide them with a safety-focused, sustainable, vibrant and low-maintenance solution around their superb existing play equipment.
The community group opted for PH Landscape Contracting Ltd to install their new safe play surface. PH Landscape is a trusted landscaping company based locally to the park on the Isle of North Uist and provides a wide range of high-quality services including safety surfacing solutions, garden design, lawn care and so much more.
The installation process began with the removal of the existing play area surface, followed by meticulous groundwork preparation which included creating a sub-base and installing a secure edge in which to install the green rubber mulch surface.
The PH Landscape team began the installation by adding the bags of mulch into their forced action mixer before adding resin binder and mixing for between 4 and 6 minutes ensuring all of the rubber material had been suitably covered. The mixed mulch material was transported to the installation area via a wheelbarrow before being emptied and roughly spread using a spazzle. The laid surface was hand-troweled to create a seamless surface using a Resin Bull Bad Bull Trowel.
This mixing and laying process was repeated until the mulch safety surface was complete. As recommended, the area was cordoned off for at least 72 hours to allow the mulch to cure completely and ensure it would be safe for use.
The installation of rubber mulch at the Balivanich Community play area is a huge success and transformed an outdated play space into a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment for the local children to enjoy for years to come.
The rejuvenated space garnered an overwhelmingly positive response from residents, parents, and children alike, with all delighted to see the commitment to safety and appreciate the peace of mind it provided.
This case study highlights the significance of investing in sustainable and safety-focused solutions in order to improve community spaces around the UK.
"We are very happy with our new rubber mulch surfacing. Thank you to Peter Holland of P.H Landscape Contracting Ltd for the installation.
Job well done 😊"
"It is great to see the park back in use. I look forward to taking the little man there.
We were very happy to get the opportunity to do the project and our experience with GGL Products was very positive and helpful. "
Both the Balivanich Community and P.H Landscape Contracting are delighted with the outcome of the safety surfacing project.
We would like to say a huge thank you to both for choosing GCL Products to supply their rubber mulch surfacing product plus sharing photos and feedback on the project.
For more information on our range of rubber surfacing solutions or any of our other product ranges, or to request a quote for an upcoming project, please do not hesitate to contact us.