Resurfacing tot lots? Whats the deal?

[Monty]

Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

For years the tot lot playgrounds have had about a foot of sand hauled in around the swings, slides and climbing towers. Within the last few years they have started removing the sand and putting in heavy rubber mats. They look like they are made from shredded rubber tires compressed into mats. At this rate there won't be any more tot lots to hunt. I seldom hunt them since I was a newbie but I always like to go there to test my equipment or to show a tyro how it works. Anyone else notice this change or is it just me? Monty

 

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[Digger]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Are you in a small town? The reason I ask is your city sounds a little behind times or you live in a cool climate.

My favorite city park tot lot was changed from wood chips to that shredded rubber several years ago, but since that time they've found that on a hot day the rubber will burn the children's bare feet, they stopped using it.

 

[slowNsteady]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

I think they're just trying to make the parks more maintenance free. I don't know about Sand Springs, but here in BA the city has had a hiring freeze for years trying to keep the budget under control. The parks dept gets the axe first. We've still got wood chips, but the newer parks have the matting around the swings. The rage was shredded rubber for a while, but there have been rumors flying that it may not be as safe as everyone thought. As long as our town is broke, they'll leave it be I think.

 

[bigscoop]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Rubber "matting" has gone in just about everywhere in my neck of the woods, it's all about lower maintenance cost, recycling, and a cleaner look.

 

[scrubber]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

There's one park close to me where they actually were stupid enough to lay cement for the base of a tot lot. The playground equipment is over 6' tall. I couldn't believe it!!

 

[slowNsteady]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Concrete? On a playground?? As foolish as that seems, I can see towns doing that. I'll bet there is a sign that says 'play at your own risk' right in front. Cheaper in the long run as long as they can dodge the liability issues.

 

[Monty]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

I'm referring to Tulsa. And I have noted that some parks that still have sand are not being maintained and have weeds and grass growing in them. Monty

 

[stefen]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Numerous reasons why the change is taking place...

1. Safety fall heights determine th depth of Sand vs Wood Chips vs Fibar vs EPDM (ground rubber) vs Nw Poly, and the like...as an example, 12 inches of sand is equal to 3-1'2 inches of ground rubber cushion course with a 1/2 inch of bonded wear course (expoxy bond)...

2. Maintenance is a major problem with the lack periodic replacing of loose sand and wood chips...

3. Compaction is also a major problem with wood chips...

4. Sand and wood chips become a housekeeping problem with school janitorial staff...

5. Loss by wind...

6. Big cat boxes...presents a major health hazard

7. There are a number of national law suits surrounding the use of sand, wood chips and fibar products...these legal actions will set the tenor for future designs...

You will also note that such equipment as wood framed play structures, metal slides, merry-go-rounds, tetter-totters and tetherball are being phased out in schools and public parks because they are hazardous...

 

[colorado14ers]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

we need more gravel and mulch tot lots

 

[bigscoop]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Numerous reasons why the change is taking place...

1. Safety fall heights determine th depth of Sand vs Wood Chips vs Fibar vs EPDM (ground rubber) vs Nw Poly, and the like...as an example, 12 inches of sand is equal to 3-1'2 inches of ground rubber cushion course with a 1/2 inch of bonded wear course (expoxy bond)...

2. Maintenance is a major problem with the lack periodic replacing of loose sand and wood chips...

3. Compaction is also a major problem with wood chips...

4. Sand and wood chips become a housekeeping problem with school janitorial staff...

5. Loss by wind...

6. Big cat boxes...presents a major health hazard

7. There are a number of national law suits surrounding the use of sand, wood chips and fibar products...these legal actions will set the tenor for future designs...

You will also note that such equipment as wood framed play structures, metal slides, merry-go-rounds, tetter-totters and tetherball are being phased out in schools and public parks because they are hazardous...

It's a wonder any of us lived through all those simple, uncomplicated park playing years.

 

[slowNsteady]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Hmm.... how did we survive? Amen to that! There were some good reasons listed as to why the wood chips and gravel are being phased out. I understand the issues with wood chips. I read another post on where we'll be in 20 years as to hunting. I guess we're seeing the future of tot lots.

 

[Sandman]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

I too wonder how we survived when we were kids. First to go at our elementary schools were the Monkey Bars. Our tot lots still have sand and in the major parks for the county it is wood chips.

 

[Digger]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Maybe the future in some areas, but the past in others.

They started replacing our wood chip tot lots with rubber, but when a parent sued the city for their child's feet being burned that all stopped. Here where we get temperatures in the triple digits during the summer, having a rubber mat is really stupid. Ever touched one of those when it's 106º out? Ya, they won't be doing that around here any more.

 

[Monty]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

The state collects a dollar per tire when you get new tires and they call it a recycle fee. They have been grinding them and mixing with asphalt and using them for paving. Maybe the rubber mats are just more of that program at least here in Oklahoma. It's plain to see that the mats here are just compressed ground up tires. It's interesting that third world countries use their old tires and make them into sandals! Monty

 

[Cool Hand Fluke]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

My biggest haul from a tot lot of shredded tires yielded about $ 35.00 in clad coins! This is still a personal record for me in clad change from one tot lot. The clad quarters alone were over 100. The shredded tires can be just as rewarding as the wood chips or sand boxes

 

[Monty]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Probably would if the tires were shredded. But these are huge mats about 2" thick made from pieces of shredded tires that are compressed into a solid mat. Monty

 

[magjm]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

I stopped at a school in SC about 10 days ago-My first contact with the rubber mats. No fair!! The shredded steel belted radials are bad enough but at least I can hunt. In my neck of the woods they still have the sand and wood chips thankfully, but a fair number of the schools will eject you for metal detecting. There also seems to be a conspiracy to pave all my favorite gravel parking lots. I fear I may see the day when all the treasure warriors are lined up with their shiny detectors around a 6 foot square-the only legal place left to detect.

 

[RGINN]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

We're still using wood chips up here. As we have a plethora of them. A little sand in a few places. You follow the money and that will pretty much explain why different cities do things.

 

[George (MN)]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

Around here they're mostly still using pea gravel, but they replaced nearly all the playground equipment with types less likely to cause serious injuries and the presumed lawsuits that would follow.

Ive seen one bark chip tot lot in a neighboring suburb. In my suburb, they put it around trees & bushes. One or two tot lots near me have sand, but think they have plastic or something like it underneath, so the coins stay shallow.

The pea gravel is hard to detect. Reads very high ground phase & coins are often tilted between the rocks or too deep. Best wishes, George (MN)

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Re: Resurfacing tot lots? What's the deal?

I have noticed quiet a few tot lots ( especially the newer ones) have gone with those compressed rubber mats. Bummer.