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What Surface do I Need For my Rainbow Climbing Frame?
When our customers are choosing the perfect Rainbow Climbing Frame for their garden, they often ask us what surface they should put the frame on! Grass is obviously the easiest, quickest and cheapest surface, but sometimes customers are looking for something a bit different to protect their lawn, or if they want to create a specific play area for their frame.
There are a variety of options on offer – here are a few to think about:
6 Surface Options to Build Your Climbing Frame on:
Rubber Grass Mats:
These mats are designed to lay on top of your grass and stop it getting churned up and muddy. They are black and have a honey-combed structure to allow the grass to grow through to maintain the greenness of your lawn. These mats are easy to lay as individual mats at the foot of slides, under swings and monkey bars, or linked together to cover the entire footprint of your Rainbow frame.
Wood Chip:
If you want to define a play area but maintain a rustic look in your garden, then high quality wood chip maybe a good choice for you. We start with laying a timber surround, using sleepers, to create a rectangle or L shape to work with the layout of your Rainbow Climbing Frame. We then put down a membrane to help supress the weeds and then fill the area with high quality wood chips. These chips can be topped up every few years.
Shredded Rubber:
Along the lines of the wood chip option described above, the same can be achieved using high grade shredded rubber. There are colour choices, but the rubber is derived from car tyres as opposed to any lesser materials such as electric cables etc. The benefit of rubber over wood chip is its longevity – it doesn’t degrade in the same way as wood chip, so shouldn’t need topping up.
Soft Bond:
We would start by creating a similar surround to that of the wood chip or shredded rubber surfaces to include the membrane. This can be laid directly on to your existing grass or other surface, provided it is reasonably flat. A resin is then added to the shredded rubber colour you have chosen, and this is mixed and poured onto the surface. When hardened, the result is a rustic, but solid surface for your climbing frame. This surface can be laid before or after the frame has been installed.
Wet Pore:
A slightly different end result to soft bond in that this surface is made from granulated rubber beads mixed with resin, giving a smoother finish. Again, available in various colour choices, this needs to be laid on a totally flat surface so will mean that your garden will need a certain amount of pre-preparation work by a builder before the wet pore can be laid, therefore increasing the preparation time and cost. The finished result though will last look like a commercial playground and will last for years!
Artificial Grass:
If you would like a defined, but seamless play area that matches your lawn, you may wish to consider artificial grass. This should have a protective layer under the grass to create a bit of cushioning. This is easy to lay and there are a variety of finishes to choose from.
We hope this has helped you get an idea of what surfaces are suitable to put your Rainbow Climbing Frame on. However, if you need any more help and advice, please feel free to call our experts on 01276 477461!
