Poured in place rubber surfacing, otherwise known as wet pour rubber flooring, is an extremely popular option for outdoor playground flooring, daycares, schools, water-themed parks, and public parks. It has a long-lasting aesthetic appeal, unlimited design potential and can be built to a depth to make a safe surface area for kids to play.
Because of the unmatched combination of safety and design, consumers are curious about how much poured rubber playground surfaces can cost. There are a few concepts to think through to better understand how much it would cost for your unique situation.Click here to request a quote.
SETTING THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR FUTURE PLAYGROUND?
Poured in place rubber surfacing is traditionally poured over a layer of compacted aggregate. This aggregate can cost anywhere from $3-$6 per square foot and needs to be placed on a flat compacted surface. If your site is still an open field, it will need to be prepped by stripping the grass from the surface and flattening the ground. This process of creating a flat surface is called grading. Your playground contractor can do all the prep work for you, just contact them for a quote!
HOW THICK WOULD YOU LIKE THE POURED IN PLACE RUBBER?
Poured in place rubber is made of two layers, the base layer, and the wear layer. The base layer is the thick, springy, rubber which makes the playground safe for children. It is created at a depth consistent with the critical fall height you have for the playground. Sometimes it could be up to 10 inches thick! The base layer is made from TPV rubber, which is rubber recycled from tires. The wear layer is normally less springy, but more stretchy. It’s more durable and made to withstand years of UV light, weather, and normal wear and tear.
The wear layer is normally half an inch thick and is made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber), which are the colorful granules you see on most playgrounds. This isn’t recycled but instead made for the purpose of poured in place rubber playgrounds. The cost of poured in place rubber surfacing will correlate with the depth you want for the playground. The deeper you want the rubber surfacing, the higher the cost will be, but the safer the playground will ultimately be as well. The average cost of poured in place rubber is approximately $10-$15 per square foot, depending on the options selected.
WHAT COLOR COMBINATIONS DO YOU WANT?
The EPDM wear layer can be constructed of almost unlimited color combinations. Here at to turf, we take pride in the beautiful color combinations we can develop. You can measure the cost of poured-in-place rubber by what colors you want to use in your mixture.
Since Color granules are created specifically for use in the wear layer, they are almost 4 times more expensive than an alternate rubber. Most customers save money by mixing their desired color with black SBR rubber granules. SBR rubber is normally less porous than EPDM, but is cheaper and can help our customers cut cost in the long run.
WHICH TYPE OF BONDING AGENT DO YOU WANT TO USE?
There are two main types of glue that are used to bind the poured in place rubber, Aromatic and Aliphatic. Aromatic glue is normally cheaper and you can tell the difference in its amber color. It is a great option for a 50/50 mix color combination of rubber granules.
The only downside is the color may grow more amber over time as the surface interacts with the sun’s UV rays. The other option is Aliphatic, which is a clear, but more expensive bonding agent. We see our splash pad customers use it more in wear layers that consist of 100% lighter colors.
After you’ve purchased your playground surfacing, the easiest way to save money, in the long run, is to regularly maintain it. Here at Robertson Recreational Surfaces, we have a host of playground maintenance and repair services and products. We can either send you a DIY repair kit or can send a team of our members to apply a Refresh roll coat for preventative maintenance.
REQUEST A QUOTE
Now that you’ve considered some of the important factors that contribute to the cost of wet pour rubber flooring, it’s time to get started! If you’re not convinced that pour in place rubber is the right choice, check out the playground surface cost comparison page to explore the other options that TotTurf has to offer. Of course, the easiest way to learn how much pour-in-place rubber surfacing can cost is to contact us to get a quote! Our team of professionals look forward to helping you make your playground dreams a reality.
