Do Materials Matter in Playgrounds

Posted by Jason Waler on November 5th, 2019

Playgrounds are becoming more and more common nowadays. This is primarily because of the awareness that digital media has brought. Today, all parents know the importance of playing outdoors. Most people do not look at it as just "playing." Instead, they see it as a workout for children. After all, it helps them improve their senses, physical capabilities, and other soft skills.
At the same time, the different types of equipment that children engage within the playground also matter. It is imperative for playground equipment to be safe and secure for children. This is because unsafe equipment can often result in fatal injuries.

Another lesser-known factor is the material of the playground equipment. This is something that people often ignore and do not even consider.

However, when playground equipment is being planned, the material of the equipment is one of the most critical factors. In this regard, three prime choices include wood, plastic, and steel.
Playground equipment usually takes about 10 to 15 years to begin rusting. This will happen, even with regular maintenance. Hence, it is essential to understand that the equipment will remain immortal. It has its own life.

At the same time, wooden playground equipment has added problems that include staining, sealing, and rotting. At the same time, if proper care is not taken, splinters can also pose several safety risks.

Plastic equipment has its positives and negatives. This will depend on the process involved in the plastic's manufacturing and the type.

Often at times, playground equipment is made out of HDPE plastic. HDPE stands for High-Density Poly Ethylene. This is primarily because HDPE is a very durable and sustainable material. At the same time, it can be adapted for a range of commercial uses. Moreover, it can also be recycled by melting and reforming.

However, HDPE can also split and crack unless it is adequately formulated. Nevertheless, the benefits of plastic playground equipment exceed their negatives. At the same time, these benefits are more significant than wood and steel equipment. Steel equipment can be far more rigid. However, steel equipment poses some serious safety hazards to children.

Nowadays, all good companies that make playground installation equipment make use of 95% HDPE along with other naturally occurring minerals. Moreover, proper plastic playground equipment will have the right level of moisture, crack resistance, and chemicals. Additionally, the higher the purity, the better the reliability is. This is because when HDPE is combined with non-HDPE plastics or fillers, the compressive and tensile strengths get degraded. This, in turn, reduces the structure's reliability.

So consider all of these factors whenever you are planning a playground, and want to buy new playground equipment for children.