Skip to main content
  • Directory
  • Magazine
  • Contributors
Playground Professionals
Play and Playground News and Views

Main navigation

  • Playground
  • Surfaces
  • Parks and Recreation
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Playground
  3. Engineered Wood Surfacing

Engineered Wood Surfacing

Playground
November 01, 2001
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
By Playground Magazine on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
558

An Easy Maintenance Choice

Engineered wood surfacing has become a popular choice for playground safety surfacing in the last ten or twelve years for a variety of reasons. First, the head injury criteria and impact attenuation of wood fiber rates among the highest when properly installed and maintained. Second, engineered- wood fiber has been approved as an accessible surface for wheelchairs. Other factors that have made wood fiber an excellent choice include, it is aesthetically appealing, costs less to purchase and install than its rubber counterparts, and does not attract animals the way sand can. It does less damage to school grounds and interior floors. It doesn't wear away the play structure decks the way sand and gravel can. And, the children can't be hurt by throwing it. Al I these factors make wood surfacing a popular choice. But, the focus here is on how easy wood surfacing is to maintain. Factors to consider when planning to purchase, install, and maintain engineered wood fiber include: proper wood fiber, proper drainage, weed barrier material, concentrated use zone, foreign objects, accessibility, winterizing, and topping off.

PROPER WOOD FIBER

As simple as a "wood chip " may seem, engineered wood fiber is a product that goes through rigorous testing to meet ASTM 1292 -99 for impact attenuation and ASTM 1951-99 for accessibility. Many engineered wood fiber companies have even gone so far as to have their products tested by a third party lPEMA- to prove its quality. Wood surfacing is processed in a huge machine called a tub grinder. The processing literally pulverizes and crushes the wood while pushing it through a small screen. This process, if skipped, is mere wood chips and landscape material.

DRAINAGE

Drainage is an issue that must be addressed before surfacing and equipment is installed. While wood surfacing works best at cushioning a fall when it holds some moisture, too much water will cause it to prematurely decompose. If water has no escape, the surfacing may actually float as one solid mass. In this state, the surface is neither accessible or resilient.Check with local professionals who understand the local conditions such as; type of soil, annual rainfall, slope, etc. to determine how to best drain your play area.

WEED-BARRIER MATERIAL

Always place at least one layer of weed -barrier material-often called geotextile material- between the ground and your wood fiber. This will help prolong the life of your wood and is a requirement for many manufacturers to validate their warranty. In addition, it will keep foreign objects from rising up from the ground into the wood. It will also keep the wood from mixing with the ground material. If the fabric becomes exposed, repair immediately and top off the area with a little additional wood to keep the fabric from coming up again.

CONCENTRATED-USE ZONES

Even well-maintained, wood can become displaced in high traffic areas such as, under swings, slides, and exit routes, on a play structure that leave large holes exposing bare ground. This is probably the most common problem with wood surfacing and potentially a dangerous one as it exposes your weed barrier material and leaves the heights of swings and slides out of compliance with CPSC. A good way to eliminate this problem is to put a rubber mat product under your high use areas. This will stop the hole from going any deeper and solve your "divot" problem. Simply install a rubber mat under the wood surfacing.

FOREIGN OBJECTS

Removal of objects such as glass, trash, leaves, and other debris is a simple, cost-effective way to keep your wood surfacing performing and looking good. This measure should be incorporated into routine playground inspections. It makes your play area inviting and minimizes the chances of more trash being left behind. Make sure a trash receptacle is nearby.

ACCESSIBILITY

To meet requirements for accessibility, you must provide a ramp into the wood surfacing. This ramp is much like a boat ramp; when the level of the lake or river recedes you still have access to your boat because the ramp disappears down into the water. Wood surfacing does not stay perfectly at the height of your curb wall and sidewalk. This ramp will provide access even when the level of surfacing fluctuates.

WINTERIZING

When in a climate that receives snow, you need to remove the snow off your surfacing regularly. If you keep snow, water, and ice off, the playground can be utilized all winter long.

TOPPING OFF

The lifespan of your wood surfacing is highly dependent on following these few maintenance rules. It is not at all uncommon to find a playground with wood surfacing 10 years old, while still providing an excellent surface with the resilient properties it had when new. Don't be afraid to purchase top-offs for your wood. Wind, children, compaction, and other factors all cause wood surfacing levels to go down. Periodic top-offs will be required. Much like the play equipment, the surfacing too requires maintenance to promote a safe, long-lasting product life.

Read more articles

Older
5 Must-Have Things When Boating with Kids

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
Playground Magazine
558
3
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

  • Picture
    Profile picture for user Playground Magazine

    Playground Magazine

    Thinking Today About Tomorrow's Play™ The only magazine that is 100% dedicated to the Playground Industry

    Author profile »

Read More In Playground

  • Playground equipment
    Oct 01, 2018
    Playground

    9 Organizations that Provide Kids with Playgrounds around the World

    Warren Fowler
  • Jun 20, 2016
    Playground

    Gametime, Exhibitor at the 20th Annual ADA Symposium in Denver, Colorado

    PGP
  • Young girl eating fruit at watermelon
    Jun 13, 2017
    Playground

    Healthy Playground Eats

    Kacey Mya
  • Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos - David Castillo Dominici
    Aug 04, 2014
    Playground

    Reasonable Playground Design - Risk and Challenge versus Safety Issues versus Hazard Prevention

    Kenneth Kutska
  • Bringing Playground Equipment to Life
    Dec 23, 2013
    Playground

    Bringing Playground Equipment to Life

    Butch-Defillippo
  • Personal Best - tech on the playground
    Nov 10, 2014
    Playground

    The Gamification of the Playground

    Jay-Beckwith
  • One Thousand Playgrounds
    Mar 29, 2016
    Playground

    One Thousand Playgrounds

    Elizabeth Moreno
  • MD Governor Attends Opening Ceremony for FHP Playground in Baltimore
    Nov 05, 2014
    Playground

    MD Governor Attends Opening Ceremony for FHP Playground in Baltimore

    Garnet Sofillas

Subscribe to Play & Playground

Sponsored Spotlights

Playground

  • Playstructures
  • Inclusion
  • Adventure Playgrounds
  • Fund Raising
  • Playground Safety
  • Playground Construction
  • Maintenance & Inspection
  • Swing Sets
  • Residential
  • Climbing Walls
  • Theme
  • Indoor
  • Recycled
  • Nature Play
  • Nets and Ropes
  • Musical

Surfaces

  • Loose Fill
  • Rubber
  • Artificial Turf
  • Sports Court
  • Surfacing Maintenance

Athletics

  • Sports Equipment
  • Outdoor Exercise
  • Fitness and Exercise
  • Bleachers

Parks and Recreation

  • Parks Administration
  • Landscape
  • Benches
  • Outdoor Tables
  • Trash Receptacles
  • Bike Racks
  • Drinking Fountain
  • Playground Lighting
  • Shelters
  • Shade Structures
  • Restrooms
  • Dog Park
  • Skatepark

Aquatics

  • Spray Parks
  • Surf Parks
  • Water Safety
  • Pool
  • Water Slides

Play

  • Amusement Park
  • School and Education
  • Toys
  • Parenting
  • Bullying
  • Health and Safety
  • Games and Gaming
  • Inflatables
  • Arts and Crafts
Playground Professionals
Play and Playground News and Views

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Advertise
  • Submit Business
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2021 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions