Frequently Asked Questions

  
    Home  
 About Us
 Installation
 Maintenance
 Preferred
   Installers
 Preferred
    Distributors
 Safety
     Inspections
 Specification
 FAQ's
 Contact Us
Q: Where is Safety Down Under playground safety surface available?
  • Safety Down Under is available in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland.

Q: How do I get Safety Down Under playground safety surface?

  • Retail/ Home Owner sales. Safety Down Under is sold by local retailers in six different states.If your local garden center does not carry Safety Down Under playground safety surfacing, please have them call Safety Down Under.
  • Municipalities/Contractors/Garden Centers/ Churches/ Day Care etc…
    Please Contact Safety Down Under at:
    908-735-5790 or by email mail@SafetyDownUnder.com
Q: What is the difference between Safety Down Under playground safety surfacing and landscape mulch?
  • Safety Down Under playground surfacing is made from the wood of the tree. Safety Down Under is 100% natural virgin wood. Safety Down Under safety surfacing meets ASTM and ADA standards.
  • Landscape mulch is made from bark, roots, leaves and/or recycled pallets and even demolition wood. Landscape mulch can contain poison ivy, rocks and other foreign materials that can be harmful to children in a playground environment.
Q: Why should I use Safety Down Under playground safety surface instead of sand?
  • Sand can be a health hazard due to animals using it as a litter box.
  • Sand does not comply with federal guidelines
Q: Why should I use Safety Down Under playground safety surfacing instead of rubber mulch/tire mulch?
  • Material - Rubber mulch/tire mulch is made from recycled tires. Tires contain metal. This metal must be removed in the manufacturing process. Some recyclers/manufacturers of tire playground mulch have specifications that allow from 5% to 10% metal as part of their finished product.
    • Safety Down Under is made from virgin wood and does not need to remove foreign or dangerous parts in its manufacturing process.
  • Looseness - Rubber mulch/tire mulch is loose and doesn't compact very well. This leads to displacement of the rubber mulch/tire mulch. One major complaint is rubber mulch/tire mulch is carried away in the shoes of children, often ending up in washing machine.
    • Safety Down Under playground safety surfacing is engineered so that it binds together and stays in place more efficiently than rubber/tire mulch or even a wood chip.
  • “Rub Off ”- Some rubber mulch/tire mulch tends to “rub off” on clothing. Both “black” and “colorized” products have been reported to do this.
    • Safety Down Under playground safety surfacing is all natural and does not “rub off”.
  • Cost & Cleaning - The cost of rubber mulch/tire mulch is 7 to 15 times the initial cost of Safety Down Under. Rubber mulch promotes itself as having a longer life cycle. Unfortunately, the longer a safety surfacing remains on a playground the more foreign materials collect in it. (i.e. metal, glass, paper waste, tree parts, twigs, leaves, nuts, …) Rubber mulch/tire mulch can not be easily raked of foreign materials. The raking process often embeds contaminants even deeper, due to the looseness of rubber/tire mulch.
    • Safety Down Under can economically be raked and cleaned of contaminants by removing thin layers of safety surfacing.
  • Vandalism - Rubber mulch/ tire mulch is a petroleum-based product. Rubber mulch/tire mulch, when ignited with an accelerant, such as lighter fluid, tends burn with tremendous heat and flames. Rubber mulch/tire mulch continues to burn with tremendous heat and flames even after the accelerant is exhausted.
    • Safety Down Under safety surfacing, when ignited with an accelerant, tends to smolder or go out once the accelerant is exhausted.
  • Child Safety - Candy Like - Rubber mulch/ tire mulch, especially when colorized, tends to resemble candy. This can be a health/choking hazard to children under the age of 3.
Q: Is Safety Down Under playground safety surfacing only for public playgrounds?
  • NO!!! Schools, municipalities and public playgrounds are required to use safety surfacing that meets federal guidelines. (Mandated compliance as of October 2004). Safety Down Under playground safety surfacing meets these guidelines. Informed and concerned parents know that 68% of playground injuries are due to falls to the playground surface. Using Safety Down Under playground surfacing helps reduce the risk of injury due to falls.