| When you have your own personal backyard | | | | contains arsenic, a known carcinogen. This treatment, |
| playground, it becomes necessary to consider every | | | | used to protect wood again weather, insects and |
| aspect of the playset. What do you want it to be | | | | mold, was phased out by 2004 but any lumber |
| constructed out of? What kinds of accessories would | | | | purchased that was harvested before then could |
| you like your kids to play with? What kind of | | | | contain this dangerous substance, so be aware. |
| playground surface do you want, and what kind of | | | | Plastic is a great choice, as it requires no |
| border will you implement to contain it? | | | | maintenance, is a durable material and great at |
| Wood is the recommended material for your | | | | keeping loose surfacing like rubber mulch in place. |
| playground structure because it will not overheat in | | | | Plastic border timbers are usually made from recycled |
| the sun and is durable and sturdy. There are | | | | material, again assisting in the green movement of |
| numerous accessories to select from based on the | | | | today. For unusually shaped borders, plastic is a great |
| children's ages and preferences. Rubber mulch is a | | | | choice because it has hinged joints, so you could |
| preferred surface material to use because of its | | | | make your play area into a hexagon if you wanted |
| safety qualities. As for the border material, there are | | | | rather than a square. |
| three most popular materials - wood, plastic and | | | | While plastic and wood borders are probably the |
| rubber. | | | | most common playground border materials, rubber |
| If you select wood to border your rubber mulch play | | | | can be used to create curved borders, a feature that |
| area, it is recommended that you select redwood or | | | | is unique to the other two. With a selection of rubber |
| cedar for the border timbers. These are some of the | | | | mulch surfacing and a rubber border, you can |
| hardest woods, making them resistant to decay and | | | | customize colors and shapes to match exactly what |
| weathering. They are also sustainably harvested, | | | | you want in your backyard. Loose fill like rubber |
| making this choice more environmentally friendly than | | | | mulch is a desired playground surface when safety |
| selecting other woods. Make sure if wood is your | | | | and durability are the number one concerns. Not all |
| border choice, purchase lumber that has not been | | | | rubber mulch is the same though so make sure you |
| treated with chromate copper arsenate (CCA), as it | | | | ask about high quality rubber mulch. |