What is Safe Surfacing?

As our knowledge of the world increases so does our understanding of the hazards posed by that world. With new technologies and materials becoming cheaper and more accessible than ever before steps must be taken to ensure the safety of all those who come into contact with them. Health and safety regulations enable us to greatly reduce the risk of serious injury through minimising potential hazards. As the name suggests, safe surfacing enables us to greatly reduce potential risks by increasing the safety that a specific surface offers.

The safe surfacing category can be used to describe a vast range of products. From health and safety electrical matting to wet pour play surfaces. However, for the first part of our exploration into safe surfacing we will be focusing on outdoor safety surfacing and the differences that each product offers.

Common Applications

Many outdoor applications, particularly those involving children will require some form of safe surfacing. Some examples of these include:

• Schools
• Playgrounds
• Walkways
• Gardens
• Entrances
• Swimming Pools

Different Surfacing Solutions

In order to achieve the highest safety standards possible many of these applications require their own products. We can even offer multiple solutions to a single application, giving you complete freedom over the type of safety or protection you require. Below is a list of some of our most popular outdoor safe surfacing products.

RubbaGrass Mats:

Unique to RubberSmart, our RubbaGrass mats are a highly versatile safe surfacing solution. This particular product offers excellent drainage as as well an anti-slip surface. However, the key feature that sets this product apart from the competition is the excellent impact absorption the matting offers. A single RubbaGrass mat installed on top of grass will be able to achieve a maximum critical fall height of 3m! You can even install on concrete, or stack multiple mats in order to fulfill any critical fall height.

Click here for more information about our RubbaGrass mats.

Play Tiles:

Our EPDM play tiles offer a sleek and stylish solution to create a safe surface in your outdoor area. Aside from black our rubber tiles are available in a range of attractive and eye-catching colours. The EPDM rubber we use provides excellent weathering and UV resistance which greatly reduces the colour distortion caused by the sun. We can supply a variety of tile thicknesses from 20mm – 80mm, with the thicker tiles offering superior critical fall heights. We can also produce tiles with ramped edges to reduce any potential tripping hazards and make them wheelchair friendly.

Click here to view our full range of rubber play tiles.

Wet Pour:

Rubber Pour gives you almost limitless freedom over colours, designs and patterns for your outdoor area. It is the popular choice for use both playgrounds and schools due to the attractive finish and superb safety the surface offers. Most wet pour surfaces are comprised of two sections. The first is a base layer, which always features the same depth and is typically black in colour to reduce costs. The second layer uses fine, high quality EPDM granules to create an impact absorbing surface. You can easily increase the depth of the top layer to allow for higher critical fall heights.

Click here to find out more information about our wet pour products and services.

Rubba Mulch:

Our bonded rubber mulch provides a natural looking alternative to wet pour safety surfaces. Highly durable rubber is processed and cut in a specific way in order to resemble the appearance of wood chips. We supply our rubber mulch in a selection of 6 colours to blend in with your outdoor area. You can easily increase the depth of the rubber mulch surface to increase critical fall heights, with a 135mm depth giving a critical fall height of 3.1m.

Click here to find out more information about our rubber mulch surfacing.

Foam Shock Pads:

Foam shock pad underlay tiles are a simple and efficient way to add a base layer of impact absorption. It is common to find this particular product underneath artificial grass as the underlay provides a more comfortable walking surface while also helping with drainage. The tiles feature an easy lock puzzle design along the outer sides. This enables you to connect multiple tiles together to create a single surface. We supply this product in two tile sizes to cover both small and large surface areas. You also have the option over the thickness of the underlay to tailor the impact protection to your specific needs.

Click here to find out more information about our foam shock pad underlay.

Wye Matting:

Wye matting is the perfect flooring solution for use in wet surface applications. The solid rubber construction provides a comfortable walking surface on a variety of ground types. A key feature of our Wye matting is the aperture design which runs throughout the length of the mats. This holes provide fast drainage which greatly reduces the build up of surface water. The surface of the matting also features a textured finish to provide excellent non slip properties in all conditions. We supply this particular product in rolls of 5m or 10m lengths, which enables you to easily cover large walkways.

Click here to find out more information about our drainable Wye matting.

SafaWood:

Our SafaWood boards provide a safe and functional alternative to traditional decking boards. Each board features a channel of bonded rubber granules which provides excellent non slip properties in all weather conditions. It also offers superior impact protection compared to standard wooden decking boards. SafaWood is available in a selection of 6 colours to suit any outdoor area. We supply this product in a selection of 4 board lengths, which enables you to get the right coverage to suit you.

Click here to find out more information about our SafaWood anti-slip decking boards.

RubberSmart offers a diverse selection of both exterior and interior safe surfacing products. Don’t hesitate to get in contact with us if you are unsure which product best suits your unique requirements.

A Simple Solution | Weighbridge Rubber Products

A weighbridge is essentially a heavy duty and large format set of scales. Companies use them to determine the weight of the stock as well as the total weight of the vehicle. This enables the company to ensure that stock transportation is both safe and efficient. However, after a period of use dirt and debris can build up and clog the internals of the weighbridge. This can directly effect not only the accuracy of readings but can also decrease the life expectancy of the weighbridge. Our weighbridge rubber products provide a simple and cost efficient solution to eliminate both of these problems.

Discreet Design

The distinctive “T” shape of our weighbridge rubber products provide a crucial function. It enables our product to easily fit into the small gaps of the weighbridge and act as a seal to prevent the build up of dirt and debris. The “T” shape also ensures that the majority of our product is submerged beneath the surface of the machine. This allows your vehicles to easily drive over the product without causing damage.

Non Marking & Colourful Range

With the popularity of our weighbridge rubber products we have decided to expand the range to include bright, colourful and non marking options. We believe that our bright colour options will be popular with any customers who operate throughout the night. The bright colours are clearly visible by lorry headlights which enables them to greatly reduce the time it takes to line the vehicle up. This can not only increase safety but also greatly increase productivity as well.

We have some of our most popular T profiles available for purchase for immediate dispatch.Click here to view our standard T section profiles.

If you haven’t found what you are looking for, you can view our full range of T profiles as well as our new colourful, non marking profiles here.

New RubbaGrass Installations

Due to the recent heatwave we have been experiencing, people are looking to make the most of their outdoor areas. As many of our customers already know, RubbaGrass doesn’t just protect against injury, it also protects the lawn itself. This makes it the clear choice to enable you to enjoy your outdoor area not just in summer, but all year around. We received a request from a building company who wanted to incorporate our RubbaGrass Installations into a children’s play park. After speaking with the company we found out that the installation site is located near to our offices. We saw this as an opportunity to show you the benefits of RubbaGrass and also just how easy it is to install.

Excellent Versatility

As you can see from the image above, our RubbaGrass Installations can provide critical fall high protection directly to the areas which require it. You can also easily cut the matting, enabling you to install it around complex shapes or objects. Installing our RubbaGrass mats directly onto grass enables you to take advantage of the natural impact absorption of the soil. This enables a single layer of matting to provide more than enough protection to even the highest of children’s play equipment.

Once the grass beneath the mats grows enough, it will be able to cover the mats completely. This helps to hide the mats and maintain the natural look and feel of the play area. We find that this feature is particularly crucial for RubbaGrass installations at home. Using our RubbaGrass mats enable you to fully make the most out of your outdoor area.

Simple To Install

As you can see from the image above, you can easily connect multiple mats together using cable ties. You can easily attach to mats to the surface below using our metal U pins. This ensures that our RubbaGrass mats remain in place regardless of the weather conditions. You can install our RubbaGrass mats yourself using our easy to follow installation guide.

Click here to find out more information about our RubbaGrass Ground protection mats.

Highly Durable | TPE Brick Grab Profiles

Here at RubberSmart we are always looking to expand our range of products. We have recently seen a surge of interest in TPE brick grab profiles from a variety of our customers. Through customer feedback we have been able to develop a range of grab profiles which match your requirements. We also believe that our material selection offers far superior durability and versatility over the competition. In this post we are going to examine a recent project we completed for a customer who had unique requirements.

Transport Goods Safely

The main purpose of our TPE brick grab profiles is to transport bricks as well as other delicate materials safety. The loading grab jaws that our customers use can apply too much pressure to the materials, which results in damages. Rubber grab profiles were introduced in order to form a barrier between the metal loading jaws and the transporting material. This requires a product that offers consistent levels of grip, which is also able to compress slightly under pressure.

Using rubber brick grabs you get a material which can offer the best of both worlds. The materials we use are firm to the touch but will also compress while in use. These rates of compression enable our TPE brick grab profiles to maintain constant contact with the transporting material. This results in superior safety not only for everyone on site, but it also ensures that the materials remain undamaged.

We offer a wide range of the most popular brick grab profiles to suit almost all applications. However, we can also produce bespoke profiles to your exact requirements.

Non Marking Construction

We recently received an enquiry from a customer who wanted to use loading grab jaws to transport delicate materials. They had already been using rubber grab products, however the rubber compound left marks and smears on the transporting materials. Taking all of their requirements on board we were able to offer a selection of solutions to solve their problem. Rubber TPE offers many of the same useful properties found in Natural Rubber in a more convenient package. A key feature which sets Rubber TPE apart from similar compounds is that the material is non marking. This enables us to create a product which offers similar gripping properties without any of the drawbacks.

We were able to use our wealth of knowledge to suggest the best solution to our customer. It is our aim to try to ensure that our customers always get the best product possible to suit their needs. Don’t hesitate to get in contact with us, if you are unsure as to what you require.

Click here to find out more about our rubber brick grab products.

Reduce Soil Erosion in Public Areas

The purpose of this post is to suggest a simple and cost effective solution to reduce soil erosion and promote healthy grass growth. As I’m sure many of you are aware we have been having a particularly good summer so far this year. The extra heat is great for our tans but not so great for vegetation. A lack of rainfall has had an adverse effect on grass in particular. Yellowing and discolouration of grass is a direct result of a lack of water and nutrients in the soil. The grass is not dead however, once the rain returns much of the grass will return to the luscious green colour we have all come to know.

A problem which can greatly effect the quality and growth of grass during this period is soil erosion. A lack of water is causing the soil to become particularly dry. If you have been to any outdoor public event or busy area I’m sure you will see large areas where the grass has worn away completely. Consistent and heavy footfall can gradually wear away at the soil which greatly reduces the growth of grass. After a period of soil erosion the grass can die leading to large areas needing reseeding.

The RubbaGrass Difference

RubbaGrass can make a huge difference to the look of the grass as well as the quality of the soil beneath. Our RubbaGrass mats greatly reduce soil erosion as the mats hold the soil in place. The holes which are spread throughout the mats encourage healthy grass growth. The holes also protect the base of the grass which ensures that even heavily trodden grass can still grow.

That is perhaps a key benefit which our RubbaGrass mats offer over similar ground reinforcement products. RubbaGrass mats enable your outdoor space to be in constant use without fear of deterioration. The variety of uses which our RubbaGrass mats offer, make them an extremely cost efficient product. During the summer months and periods of drought the mats can significantly reduce soil erosion. In contrast, during periods of heavy rainfall and sub zero temperatures our mats can improve stability.
Click here to find out more about our RubbaGrass Mats

Case Study – The Eden Project

During the summer months The Eden Project holds a series of concerts on the sites grounds. The technicians and managers at The Eden Project know of the effect that heavy footfall can have on the grass and soil below. As a site of outstanding beauty and environmental stability it was crucial to keep any damage to a minimum. The use of ground reinforcement products can help to greatly reduce soil erosion.

As you can see from the photo above, the parts of grass which protrude above the mats are starting to deteriorate. However, the grass below the top of the mats are healthy and so will continue to grow. This enables staff to remove the mats if they wish and enjoy the benefits of a full and healthy lawn. The use of ground reinforcement products enable The Eden Project to enjoy luscious grounds all year around.

Wet Pour – Soft Surfacing

Below is a before and after of a soft surfacing wet pour installation we recently completed for Beacon Fell Holiday Home. They wanted to renovate their swimming pool area as the old flooring have become worn and dated. Wet pour creates a seamless, anti-slip surface and the attractive colours can bring life to any area.

As you can see from the image on the right, our rubber pour soft surfacing needed to provide access to vents and filters. Standard ceramic tiles would require a long process of measuring cutting to ensure the vents are not covered. This is a simple task due to the easy installation options that wet pour provides.

Unbeatable Safety

Our wet pour soft surfacing products offer excellent non slip properties in both wet and dry environments, this helps to set it apart from the competition. Also, when you take into consideration the superior fall protection wet pour offers over standard tiles it seems like an easy choice.

We receive many enquiries for rubbapour on a daily basis as more and more companies are realising the potential that wet pour offers.

Rubber Mulch – Soft Surfacing

Rubber mulch is another popular soft surfacing option we offer. We manufacture these rubber pieces from 100% recycled tyre rubber. They are then processed and refined in order to provide consistent piece sizes as well as attractive colours. Much like wet pour, rubber mulch provides a soft and waterproof surface.

This installation was for the self storage company Shurgard located in Greenwich London. They wanted to create a safe walking entrance to protect both people and objects from potential damage. Rubber mulch is incredibly easy to install and once dry it creates a single, seamless surface.

Click here for more information about either product from our safety surfacing website.