
Owner’s Manual Play House
OWNER PH-2011
APPENDIX A
Information on Playground Surfacing Materials:
The following information is from the United States Consumer Product Safety
Commission’s Information Sheet for playground surfacing material; also
see the following website for additional information:.
www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/323.html
X3. CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET FOR PLAYGROUND SURFACING MATERIALS
11
X3.1 Select Protective Surfacing—One of the mo t important thing you can do to
reduce the likelihood of eriou head injurie i to in tall hock-ab orbing protective urfacing
under and around your play equipment. The protective urfacing hould be applied to a depth
that i uitable for the equipment height in accordance with ASTM Specification F 1292. There
are different type of urfacing to choo e from; whichever product you elect, follow the e
guideline :
X3.1.1 Loose-Fill Materials
X3.1.1.1 Maintain a minimum depth of 9 inche of loo e-fill material uch a wood
mulch/chip , engineered wood fiber (EWF), or hredded/recycled rubber mulch for equipment
up to 8 feet high; and 9 inche of and or pea gravel for equipment up to 5 feet high. NOTE: An
initial fill level of 12 inche will compre to about a 9-inch depth of urfacing overtime. The
urfacing will al o compact, di place, and ettle, and hould be periodically refilled to maintain
at lea t a 9-inch depth.
X3.1.2 U e a minimum of 6 inche of protective urfacing for play equipment le than 4
feet in height. If maintained properly, thi hould be adequate. (At depth le than 6 inche , the
protective material i too ea ily di placed or compacted.) NOTE: Do not in tall home playground
equipment over concrete, a phalt, or any other hard urface. A fall onto a hard urface can re ult
in eriou injury to the equipment u er. Gra and dirt are not con idered protective urfacing
becau e wear and environmental factor can reduce their hock ab orbing effectivene .
Carpeting and thin mat are generally not adequate protective urfacing. Ground level
equipment uch a a andbox, activity wall, playhou e or other equipment that ha no elevated
play urface – doe not need any protective urfacing.
X3.1.3 U e containment, uch a digging out around the perimeter and/or lining the
perimeter with land cape edging. Don’t forget to account for water drainage.
X3.1.3.1 Check and maintain the depth of the loo e-fill urfacing material. To maintain
the right amount of loo e-fill material , mark the correct level on play equipment upport po t .
That way you can ea ily ee when to repleni h and/or redi tribute the urfacing.
X3.1.3.2 Do not in tall loo e-fill urfacing over hard urface uch a concrete or
a phalt.
X3.1.4 Poured-In-Place Surfaces or Pre-Manufactured Rubber Tiles — You may be
intere ted in u ing urfacing other than loo e-fill material – like rubber tile or poured-in-place
urface .
X3.1.4.1 In tallation of the e urface generally require a profe ional and are not “do-
it-your elf” project .
X3.1.4.2 Review urface pecification before purcha ing thi type of urfacing. A k the
in taller/manufacturer for a report howing that the product ha been te ted to the following
afety tandard: ASTM F 1292 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing
Material within the U e Zone of Playground Equipment. Thi report hould how the pecific
height for which the urface i intended to protect again t eriou head injury. Thi height hould
be equal to or greater than the fall height – vertical di tance between a de ignated play urface
(elevated urface for tanding, itting, or climbing) and the protective urfacing below – of your
play equipment.
X3.1.4.3 Check the protective urfacing frequently for wear.
X3.1.5 Placement — Proper placement and maintenance of protective urfacing i
e ential. Be ure to:
X3.1.5.1 Extend urfacing at lea t 6 feet from the equipment in all direction .