3. So what do we do when tiles meet bark chips?
Date Last Revised: Nov. 10/99

Description
In some safety surfacing applications, the area requires the use of more than one type of safety surface such as bound rubber tiles (like SofTILE®) adjacent to loose fill like shredded wood fiber or sand. They must be installed adjacent to each other, therefore requiring distinctive transitional edging to "link" the surfaces together without causing a tripping hazard.

Detailed Reasons For Occurrence
The most common reason for using bark chips and rubber tiles simultaneously in an application is cost. Although rubber tiles are recognized as a far superior safety surface (longevity without maintenance plus color, cleanliness etc), many projects have a set budget for each component involved. At times, rubber surfacing can only be afforded in the "critical" areas, such as at the bottom of slides, under swings and/or to provide ADA access. The rest of the area is usually covered with bark chips, or an equivalent loose fill material to comply with ASTM standards.

Potential Options to Link the Varying Safety Surfaces
a. When tiles are installed at the bottom of a slide, under the loose fill (such as shredded wood fiber, sand or pea stone), we recommend the use of base layer (off spec) tiles covered with 6-10 inches of the loose fill safety surfacing, creating (essentially) a dual layer safety surface. Since these tiles will be well below the main safety surface, no special transitional edge will be needed.
b. When tiles are installed with one (or more) edge(s) adjacent to loose fill safety surfaces, we recommend that the base (granular or concrete) be sloped at a 30 degree angle for a minimum of 24" at the edge. This will allow the tiles to be installed on the level surface as well as the slope. The tiles can be "bent" over joint from the level to the sloped base. To do this properly the tiles need to be secured to each other with a liberal portion of adhesive. Click Here for more details.

Back to FAQs