No Fault’s rubber safety surfaces bring beauty and safety to playgrounds, daycare centers, splash pads, pool decks, and theme parks across America.
Poured-in-place rubber safety surfaces (also called “PIP”) are popular because they give school and park administrators and others a durable, low maintenance, long-lasting way to keep kids safe.
PIP rubber safety surfacing is mixed on-site in a variety of colors to complement playground equipment or to integrate your school colors and themes. Installers can even modify the thickness to meet varying critical fall heights, which minimizes the risks associated with falls.
A newly installed playground surface should last for years to come, but basic maintenance is needed. The maintenance and cleaning not only preserve the integrity of the surface for safety, but also helps to keep it looking vibrant and welcoming to users.
To explain how you (as the proud new owner of a play area equipped with No Fault Safety Surface) can protect your new investment, read on!
Basics of Safety Surface Maintenance
The amount of maintenance and repair work you’ll need over the next few years will depend on the amount of use your surface receives. Most of the time, only small repairs are necessary in very high traffic/high use areas (underneath playground swings, at the base of slides, and at main entry points, for example). If you want to be proactive and help prevent normal wear and tear, wear mats can be installed in these high traffic areas.
Remember, it is important to address maintenance needs at the first sign of wear. The longer you wait, the more expensive it can become. You don’t want to have to replace your entire playground surface, so some basic care along the way helps to keep your No Fault products performing as intended.
Here are six tips that should help:
Remove loose debris such as sand, dirt, or leaves that have collected on your safety surface using a broom, leaf blower, vacuum or water hose monthly. We recommend removal of debris on a more frequent basis if your playground is near significant foliage and prone to excess leaves collecting or growth alongside the edges. You may also use a pressure washer as long as you adhere to all No Fault Safety Surface Maintenance Guidelines.
Safety surfaces that are installed outdoors can become heavily stained in isolated spots. To clean these problem areas, wet them with a garden hose, then apply a full-strength all-purpose cleaner such as Formula 409. Scrub the stain using a 10″ medium-bristle basin scrub brush like the one pictured here:
You may need to repeat the process on extremely difficult stains. Stains may become harder to clean the longer they sit, so it’s wise to address the problem area right away.
In addition to removing isolated stains, you should also clean the entire surface from time to time. Again, you’ll start by getting the surface damp, then apply a mixture of full-strength all-purpose cleaner and water using a garden pump sprayer like this:
Clean a small section at a time to ensure you don’t overlook an area, which could cause streaking or a spotty appearance. Also, be sure to follow the directions included on the cleaner you choose. Once you clean the surface, rinse it thoroughly using a garden hose with a spray nozzle attached.
Here’s one a lot of people don’t consider! In order to give cleaning products enough time to react without evaporating, it’s best to perform cleaning during the early morning or late evening.
Here is a list of equipment and supplies we recommend that you use when cleaning:
The following chemicals can be detrimental to No Fault Safety Surface and could result in termination of the No Fault Safety Surface warranty. We strongly advise against their use.
No Fault Safety Surface should give you attractive and safe surfacing for years to come, but routine maintenance will help keep it in top-notch shape. Follow these six tips to help prevent costly repairs down the road.
Do you have an old surface already in need of repair, cleaning or resealing? Even if your initial surface wasn’t installed by No Fault, we are here to help! For more information on cleaning, maintenance or repair options, contact our office, and we will be glad to help!
