How to Prep Ground for a Playground
Once you decide to create a new playground, you’ll begin to think about all of the great equipment you can install to entertain the kids for years to come. But that’s not all designing a playground requires. For instance, before you can install equipment, you’ll need to prepare the ground properly. Here, we’ll discuss how to prep the ground for a playground to help you get started on this exciting project.
Shop Commercial Playground Equipment
Shop Residential Playground Equipment
Site Selection
Before you can physically do any work on the ground, you’ll need to determine exactly which patch of ground you are going to use for the playground. There are a few points to keep in mind here:
- Size. Think about how much playground equipment you will want to include and pick an area big enough to install it with some room to spare.
- Sightlines. If this is a residential playground project, you may want to choose a spot in your backyard that is easy to see from inside the house.
- Drainage. Locating your playground on the low spot of your property might not be a great idea, especially if you live in a wet climate when puddles will be a consistent problem.
Spend Time Leveling
This is likely to be the most time-consuming part of the process. You’ll need to level the ground where your playground will be located so the equipment can be installed safely and securely. The difficulty of this task is going to depend on the composition of your land. If you have soft soil and few rocks, the job will be much easier than it will be with thick clay or big boulders to move.
Finish the Job After Installation
Leveling the ground is the last major prep work that must be done before you can install your equipment. However, even after the equipment has been installed, you aren’t quite ready to let the kids play. It’s important to add surfacing that will improve the safety of the playground, and there are many options for this task.
One of the most affordable surfacing choices is wood chips or mulch. These are natural materials, they can be found for a relatively modest cost, and you’ll get nice cushioning in case of falls. However, these materials are easily displaced and will need to be replenished from time to time.
As an alternative, you could use pea gravel for surfacing, which won’t be displaced quite as easily but may be more expensive. Also, the pea gravel isn’t going to provide as much cushioning as something like wood chips.
Order from American Swing!
We hope you now know how to prep the ground for a playground. Once your site is ready to go, it will be time to install your equipment and finish the project. To get quality equipment at an affordable price, turn to American Swing. You’ll love the products you find on our site, and we offer excellent customer service to make the process easy from start to finish. We hope to serve you soon!
