Surface

Surfacing is the decision most people spend the least time on, and the one they think about most afterward.

Loose fill — engineered wood fiber, rubber mulch — costs the least up front. But it moves. It gets kicked out of the high-traffic spots under the swings and at slide exits, and once it drops below its rated depth it isn't doing its job, so it needs topping up and raking on a schedule somebody has to own. It's also the harder surface to keep genuinely accessible.

Unitary surfacing — poured-in-place rubber, tiles, synthetic turf — costs more at installation and less every year after. It doesn't migrate, it holds an accessible route reliably, and it's the only option that lets you do anything visually: color fields, your school's colors, a shape or a graphic worked into the surface.

There's no universally right answer. A budget-constrained project with staff who'll maintain it is a reasonable case for loose fill. A site with no maintenance crew, or one where accessibility is a stated priority, usually isn't. We'll help you identify the best fit for your project.

Already have loose fill?

A lot of the conversations we have start here — a playground that's fine, under surfacing that's become a chore. Converting to unitary keeps your equipment and replaces what's underneath it. It's a smaller project than a new playground and it usually solves the accessibility problem at the same time.