Finding a crack in your rubber playground surface can be a warning sign for potential injuries and greater damage. That is why you will want to fix all cracks as soon as possible. To fix the cracks, it is important to use a repair kit. You also need to think about certain factors that might be causing a break in your rubber playground surface. If you want to know what to do when cracks appear in your playground rubber, here are some steps you can take.

Use a Rubber Playground Repair Kit

Our rubber playground repair kits have everything you need to fix cracks. It comes with pre-measured amounts of binding, base layer rubber, and wear layer rubber. The rubber for both layers comes in different colors and textures. The base layer is black, while the wear layer is multi-colored. Repairing a crack might sound difficult, but here are some steps to make it easy.

• Mark the damaged area.
• Cut the surface back to a solid area.
• Clean the area.
• Open the repair kit.
• Mix the binder and rubber in the bag.
• Apply the mixture to the damaged area with a trowel.
• Feather the edges.
• Let the patch dry overnight.

How to Prevent or Reduce Rubber Damage

One day, the rubber on a playground might look perfect. The next day, you could see a few little cracks. Not knowing where these little cracks come from can be very concerning, as a lot of children love playing on the equipment. Here are some common causes for cracks on the rubber surface of playground equipment and how to handle them.

Sun Exposure and Poor Rubber Quality

Believe it or not, rubber can wear away from sun damage. Since a tough binding keeps rubber place, it stays in place for a long time. However, when rubber heats up, it expands. If the rubber is cheap or old, it will expand and tear, and these tears will lead to cracks. For the safety of those who play on it, you’ll want to block off the cracked area with caution tape and replace playground equipment as soon as possible.

Misuse of Playground Equipment

Many playgrounds have age and weight limits because even high-quality rubber can only hold up from so much weight. With so many people walking on it, it will eventually wear down. This is especially true if people wear heavy shoes and children try to poke their fingers into the rubber. For this reason, it is important to hang a sign with rules that the children must follow for their safety and that of the playground equipment.

We know that playground equipment is expensive, and it’s unfortunate when the surface breaks. We hope this information about what to do when cracks appear in your playground rubber makes the process easier for you.