Why Surfacing Should Never Be an Afterthought
When people think about playgrounds, they often picture the equipment first — towers, slides, swings. But the surface underneath it all? That’s where many projects go wrong.
We’ve worked on hundreds of sites across the UK, and we’ve seen it time and again: poor surfacing decisions that lead to usability problems, trip hazards, safety concerns and spiralling costs — often within months of installation.
Here’s why playground surfacing should be a core part of your planning from the very beginning — and not something you choose at the last minute.
1. It’s the First Thing to Fail If You Get It Wrong
Surfacing takes the brunt of daily wear. It’s walked on, run over, jumped from and crawled across — all year round, in all weathers.
If it’s not installed properly, or if the wrong type is chosen for the space, it’ll show signs of failure quickly:
Shrinking or splitting at edges
Pooling water
Uneven surfaces
Erosion in high-use zones
Safety surfacing that no longer meets fall height requirements
Fixing surfacing after the fact is expensive. Planning it well from the start is far more cost-effective.
2. It Directly Affects Safety and Compliance
A lot of safety compliance comes down to surfacing. If fall zones aren’t correct, or the impact-absorbing surface doesn’t meet the required Critical Fall Height (CFH) rating, the site may not pass inspection — or worse, could pose a real risk to users.
We often support clients who’ve inherited a site and are trying to bring it up to spec. In most cases, it’s the surfacing that needs attention.
Common issues we see:
Inadequate surface depth
Incorrect CFH for the height of equipment
Surfacing that’s shifted, settled or degraded
Trip hazards at surface joins or edges
The cost of rectifying these issues post-install can be high — not just in money, but in time, disruption and reputational risk.
3. It Impacts Usability and Enjoyment
Playgrounds should be usable year-round. But if surfacing hasn’t been planned properly, parts of the site become inaccessible during wet, muddy or icy conditions.
We’ve seen:
Grass under swings worn into bare mud
Loose-fill surfacing becoming compacted or washed away
Wet pour that becomes slippery due to poor drainage
Sites unusable in winter because of pooling or moss buildup
All of these impact how much the space is actually used — and how confident staff feel in allowing children to play freely.
4. It’s Not Just About Cost — It’s About Value
It’s tempting to go with the cheapest surfacing option when budget is tight. But it rarely saves money in the long run.
High-maintenance surfaces (like bark or grass matting) need frequent topping up, replacing or repairing. In contrast, well-installed wet pour or resin-bound surfacing can last for years with minimal upkeep.
Choosing the right surface for your setting means thinking about:
Volume of use
Accessibility
Age of users
Shade and weather exposure
Long-term maintenance
We regularly work with schools and councils to phase surfacing improvements over time — targeting the areas of most need first, then building towards a more durable, cohesive site.
5. It Needs Experienced Installation
Even the best surfacing material can fail if it’s poorly installed.
A professional installation includes:
Proper sub-base preparation and compaction
Accurate edging and joins
Smooth, level finishes
Clean, tidy work with correct curing times
We’ve been called in to repair surfacing that looked fine on handover day, but cracked or shrank within a season due to rushed or incorrect installation. The difference is in the groundwork — and the skill of the team laying it.
Final Thought
Playground surfacing isn’t a detail. It’s a fundamental part of the design — and one that affects safety, compliance, cost and usability for years to come.
If you’re in the early stages of planning, now’s the time to get the surfacing right. And if you’re facing problems with an existing site, we can help assess the issues and plan a practical, cost-effective way forward.
Because in every great play space, the surface matters as much as the structure.