Safety Flooring for Playsets – Is Foam Matting Adequate?
There are many styles and designs of climbing frames available from a range of manufacturers including Selwood, Dunster House and Action climbing frames which are designed to sit on top of a surface whether it be grass or safety flooring and can be pegged down if needed. Climbing frames from other manufacturers including PlayCrazy and NI Climbing Frames which are dug into the ground and cemented when installed properly. Safety flooring can still be used with these playsets.
There are a wide range of types of safety flooring available for use with children’s climbing frames including wetpour, 
rubber bark, rubber tiles and more. Wetpour rubber safety matting is generally the preferred and most efficient safety flooring for use with children’s climbing frames.
Foam matting and grass are better for a climbing frame to sit on than something like concrete or a hard surface but still do not provide enough shock absorption to break a fall. Yes you can layer up foam matting as shown here, which is better than nothing, but whatever you do will not be adequate enough to have a great enough affect if your child were to take a tumble.
It is not a good idea to construct or build any climbing frame on a hard stone, concrete or any other hard surface like shown in the image here. Safety surfacing must be especially thick if installed on a hard concrete surface and much stretch wide enough to cover all aspects of a fall from the highest point of the climbing frame.
The foam matting shown here does not cover a large enough surface area for every eventuality to be made safe. There is no point installing safety flooring if it is not done properly because on the rare off chance that a child does take a fall, they may land on a hard surface still like here if the safety surface does not cover the correct area.
Wetpour rubber flooring has fantastic shock absorption qualities making it the perfect safety surface for children’s play equipment and playgrounds. Wetpour is a smooth surface which all blends into one so there are no cracks, dips or seams where children to catch their toe and take a tumble. Interlocking foam mats have many creases and cracks making it less smooth for children to run across also.
Foam matting is not a good choice of safety flooring to use with children’s climbing frames and play equipment. Take a look at other safety surfacing options and seek advice on what flooring is best for you, your playset and your garden.
For help and advice on installing your climbing frame, contact the climbing frame installer for a fast and professional installation service. Our experienced climbing frame builders are always happy to help.
