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What are the Advantages of Rubber Ground Cover?
Rubber ground cover has many advantages that are attractive to the average homeowner. For those with children, the fact that it is naturally absorbent is a significant advantage. As its name implies, this ground cover is made with rubber, which provides a soft, cushiony covering to the ground. This makes it an ideal choice for play areas where children tend to fall and to rough house. In fact, studies have shown that rubber ground cover provides more support and cushioning than any other ground cover choice.
Unlike other types of ground cover, such as pea gravel, rubber doesn't freeze. Therefore, it maintains its soft feel and usefulness even during the winter months. This is also beneficial to parents whose children wish to play on their outdoor equipment even when it's cold outside.
Rubber ground cover is also a very clean option. It does not rot, mildew, decompose, or mold like wood ground covers. Any dirt that splatters on the ground cover during a rain storm simply runs off, which helps it to always stay relatively clean. It also dries more quickly than other ground covers, making it possible to walk on without getting wet in as little as 15 to 30 minutes after a rainstorm. In addition, rubber ground cover does not attract insects or animals like wood ground covers.
This type of ground cover is also safe because it is non-toxic. In addition, it does not cause slivers like wood ground cover can and does not cause cuts and bruises like gravel ground cover. The softness of rubber ground cover is also beneficial to parents, as children have the tendency to throw ground cover at one another while playing.
With modern manufacturing processes, it is possible to purchase rubber ground cover that looks very natural and is hard to tell apart from wood mulch. In addition, it is easy to use and to spread. Just as with other types of ground cover, rubber ground cover helps prevent weeds from growing in the area where it is placed. It also helps maintain the moisture in the ground, making it great for use in gardens.
Rubber ground cover is generally more expensive to purchase than other forms of ground cover. In the long run, however, it usually saves money because it does not decompose, compact, or pulverize. Therefore, it only needs to be applied one time.
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Man mowing the grass
Discussion Comments
Yes rubber mulch does all that, however, rubber mulch doesn't decompose in return. It doesn't add to the eco-cycle of adding nutrient value to the soil, soil microbes and insects which are beneficial to plant life.
One should be careful where to use rubber mulch in the garden because of reflective heat in the summer time on tender perennials. Also, since rubber mulch does not add to the nutrient cycle and there would be less organic material, then there are less bonding sites for nutrients to attach to and be available for plant uptake. Rubber mulch has its place, however, it isn't for heavy gardens, it can be used for gardens with woody perennials where synthetic nutrients can be added.
I don't know if my daughter and son-in-law considered rubber ground cover, when they fixed up a play area for their children. It sounds like a perfect choice. It doesn't deteriorate,it's soft, keeps down weeds, and it dries quickly - all great pluses.
The kid's play area right now has wood chips on the ground. It causes problems. The kids play with the chips, putting them in containers and dumping them all over the yard. The chips take quite a while to dry. Both kids have gotten slivers from the chips.
I hope schools are using the rubber ground covers on their playgrounds.
I sure wish that I had known about rubber ground cover years ago when we owned a house with lots of garden area. We had to apply bark every year or two. No matter how thick we put the bark on, the weeds popped through - utter frustration!
Rubber ground cover is probably more expensive than bark chips, but it would stay clean and last a lot longer than wood chips.
Is this rubber the real thing, as from rubber trees, or is it synthetic rubber made from oil products?
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