Playground borders are essential components for your play space, allowing you to use mulch and other surfacing materials that protect children from fall injuries. We offer heavy-duty plastic and recycled rubber borders in various heights to create secure play zones around your equipment.
These plastic and rubber borders help maintain proper mulch depth, prevent material migration, and include built-in rulers for easy depth monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are rubber and plastic borders important for safety?
Rubber playground borders and plastic playground borders serve multiple functions for your outdoor space. They contain playground safety surfacing materials like rubber mulch that cushion falls and slow down running children. This makes plastic and rubber playground borders an essential part of your play area.
Plastic and rubber borders ensure consistent impact protection throughout the play area by maintaining proper mulch depth within defined boundaries. They also create clear visual boundaries that help prevent trips and define safe play zones.
What’s the best playground border for my outdoor space?
We offer different types of heavy-duty plastic and rubber borders to suit different needs and preferences.
Plastic borders are constructed through blow-molding for lightweight durability and come with built-in rulers for depth monitoring. Rubberific rubber borders are made from recycled rubber and are available in different colors.
Tool-free classic borders provide convenient installation without requiring any tools or hardware. Faux stone borders offer an attractive, natural appearance while maintaining the durability and functionality needed for playground safety.
How do I calculate how many rubber or plastic playground borders I need?
First, measure the safety zone required around your playground equipment. Add up all dimensions of the area where you want to add plastic and rubber borders. Then divide this total by the length of your chosen border type (52 inches for plastic borders or 8 feet for rubber borders).
Always round up to ensure complete coverage. Product pages display sizes prominently, and our team can help with calculations if needed.
How easy is it to install plastic and rubber borders?
Installation is straightforward for both plastic and rubber playground borders. Plastic playground borders come with ground spikes that you hammer into place. Rubber playground borders use rebar anchors and are bendable to accommodate curves.
The process involves positioning these plastic and rubber borders, hammering in border spikes or rebar, ensuring they are level, and then filling with your chosen loose fill surfacing. No special tools or expertise are required to install plastic and rubber borders beyond a hammer.
What additional items should I consider when ordering plastic and rubber borders?
To keep your playground safe, consider buying these essential additions on top of ordering plastic or rubber borders. ADA ramps make your playground accessible and inclusive. Landscape fabric prevents weeds from growing through mulch.
Rubber mulch provides superior fall protection. Border filler ends cap off the edges of your border sections, creating a finished look and preventing gaps at connection points. Rubber kick mats protect high-traffic areas under your swing set and slide exit from excessive wear and mulch displacement.
How do plastic and rubber borders protect my outdoor play space?
Plastic and rubber borders protect your investment by maintaining the integrity of your safety surfacing, preventing erosion and displacement of expensive mulch materials. They reduce maintenance needs by keeping any loose fill surfacing contained and at proper depths.
This consistent coverage extends the life of your playground surface and ensures ongoing compliance with safety standards, ultimately reducing liability and replacement costs.
How do I maintain and clean plastic and rubber borders?
Maintaining playground borders requires minimal effort but ensures longevity and security. For rubber borders, simply hose them down quarterly to remove dirt and debris. Check connections between border sections each season, tightening any loose spikes or rebar anchors.
Inspect rubber borders for signs of damage or shifting, especially after severe weather. Regular maintenance of rubber borders around your playground area also includes checking mulch depth using built-in rulers and adding material as needed to maintain proper fall protection levels.
Plastic borders may require occasional cleaning with mild soap to maintain ruler visibility.
What factors affect the cost of plastic and rubber borders?
Several factors influence the total cost of installing plastic or rubber borders around a children’s playground. The primary material type is rubber, which typically costs more initially than plastic but offers superior longevity.
The height of plastic and rubber borders affects price, with taller rubber borders costing the most but providing better containment for deeper mulch. Linear footage needed depends on your playground's perimeter and design complexity.
While rubber borders may have higher upfront costs, their long lifespan often makes them more economical long-term compared to borders requiring frequent replacement.
How do rubber borders handle drainage and water management?
Proper drainage is crucial for playground longevity, and rubber borders excel in water management. These borders allow water to flow through connection points and beneath the border edge, preventing pooling that can create safety hazards.
Rubber borders won't rot or deteriorate from moisture exposure like wood alternatives. For optimal drainage, install rubber borders with slight gaps at connection points and ensure the playground surface slopes away from equipment.
How do rubber borders compare in cold climates?
Rubber borders excel in cold climates due to their freeze-thaw resistance. Unlike plastic or wood that can crack in extreme cold, rubber borders remain flexible even in sub-zero temperatures. These rubber borders won't heave with frost like rigid materials, maintaining consistent playground containment year-round.
Snow removal is easier around rubber borders since they flex rather than chip if accidentally hit by shovels. Many northern playgrounds specifically choose rubber borders for their superior winter performance.
