Resin Bound Rubber Surface

The application of a rubber crumb resin bound surface is very similar to that of a non-rubber surface. The rubber is mixed with the resin and then hand screeded. Normally a thickness of 50mm would be suitable, which protects a child from a fall of up to 2.4 metres. If a playground has climbing frames higher than 2.4 metres, a thicker layer is recommended for a more suitable impact absorbing surface.

Prepare the base

Due to the relatively small nature of the 1-4mm granules, an engineered sub-base is generally required when not installing onto tarmac or concrete. Any movement will show over time.

The recommended sub-base would be MOT Type 1.

MOT Type 1 can be made from Granite, Limestone or clean Crushed Concrete. The product is crushed so as to produce a range of particle sizes (ranging from 40mm to dust) that are easy to compact, and with excellent load bearing qualities. 

Application

The rubber bound is self-supporting, which means it doesn't require a foundation layer. This makes it ideal for less accessible locations, but care needs to be taken when deciding the base or substrate if you want to keep the play surface SUDS compliant.

Trowel application is best for a rubber resin surface; you must also ensure the top is perfectly flat. The hand trowelled system sees the rubber shred blended with the resin prior to application, before being trowelled to a smooth, level finish. Design elements such as logos or numbers can be incorporated into the finished area by using contrasting colours to create the desired finish.

This method of application relies on the rubber and resin being agitated together, and then spread over the prepared base with a hand float, screeding bar or a trowel. This type of application generally ensures an adequate thickness is applied to the entire area and is a fairly common method of application.

The resin sets relatively quickly. In most cases this is within 60 minutes, meaning the resin and rubber need to be applied correctly, including smoothing out and levelling, prior to the resin setting, otherwise it will become too stiff to manipulate.