Our Playground Materials

At Grounds For Play, we only use quality playground materials to ensure our playgrounds meet strict safety and quality guidelines. What’s more, our playgrounds are proudly made in the United States so you know you’re getting a playground made with the best possible materials and manufacturing techniques.

Lake Washington, GA - Grounds For Play Lumber

Our post and decking material looks like wood but doesn’t come with all the maintenance.

Our recycled posts and decks look like wood but don’t come with the maintenance required of wood. This material is made from post-consumer plastic products, like milk jugs and detergent bottles. Neat, right? These reinforced posts and decks are vandal resistant and protected from rotting, splitting, cracking, or splinters. Additionally, the posts have UV additives to protect from fading and are resistant to termites, marine borers, salt spray, oil, and fungus (making them perfect for coastal areas!). All of this combined provides a child-friendly, low maintenance, and slip-resistant surface for play.

What is the benefit of using Grounds For Play's recycled decking?

Plastic coated punched steel and expanded metal decks are subject to rust, wear, and vandalism that causes the loss of coating. Our recycled decking is high-performance and resistant to fading and vandalism. These decks can be easily maintained with soap and water and a light pressure wash to keep your playground looking new. If a piece of decking is somehow vandalized, it can be replaced without the need to replace an entire deck.

Our posts and decks are made from 95% recycled materials, such as recycled plastic from many common household items like milk jugs. In fact, one pound of our plastic lumber utilizes a total of 8 gallon-sized milk jugs. Using this product helps reduce the stress on solid waste landfills. Additionally, shall you need to purchase a new playground, you can dismantle your structure and recycle the post and decking.

Our supplier has the Recycled Content Certification by GreenCircle. This certification qualifies their compliance with all Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 2012 Green Guidelines. Our posts and decks also meet the criteria for the USGBC LEED requirements.

Vineyard Reserve, TX - Grounds For Play

We use 30% recycled galvanized steel tubing.

We use galvanized steel for all metal parts for maximum strength and durability. Both the interior and exterior of our galvanized steel parts have been through the Triple Flo-Coat® process to ensure greater corrosion resistance. All galvanized steel posts and tubing are 95%–98% recyclable. Our posts are available in two size options to meet your design and budget needs.

Vineyard Reserve, TX - Grounds For Play

Our textured high-density polyethylene is strong and UV-stabilized.

We use strong, ¾-inch thick, textured high-density polyethylene material for activity panels, signs, and even some climbers.  With UV stabilization, we ensure your carefully selected color will remain bright and colorful for years to come. Additionally, these panels are stain and graffiti-resistant and will not splinter or crack.

Four Oaks Elementary, NC

Our rotationally-molded plastics have anti-static inhibitors.

Our rotationally molded plastics, such as those used for slides and tubes, are made of 1/4" thick low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Not only are our rotationally molded plastics UV stabilized for reduced fading, but they also contain anti-static inhibitors. Strong and durable, components made of this material are ready to withstand many long days at the playground.

Hawthorne Waterstone, NC - Components

Our powder coat leaves your structure protected.

Our steel components are primed at the welded areas and coated with 3-5 mils of powder coat to protect your playground from fading and rust. Additional extra-protection coating options for regions, such as coastal, are available. Ask your sales representative for more information.

Hartsell Park, NC - Stainless Steel Hardware

We use stainless steel hardware, so you won’t worry about rust.

99% of the hardware we use is stainless steel, with less than 1% of our hardware being corrosion-resistant coated steel. Most hardware is vandal-resistant, keeping your playground safe from tampering. Additionally, and depending upon your design, we provide security patches to ensure screws lock into vertical pipes.

Four Oaks Elementary, NC - Components - Rectangle Modular Shade

We keep your children cooler and protected.

Our shade fabric blocks 91%–99% of harmful UV rays, depending upon the color you’ve chosen to accompany your play structure. Our UV-stabilized fabric is created from high-density polyethylene and is knitted to resist fading, abrading, rotting, shrinkage, and unraveling. The fabric is also flame retardant, with some of our color choices being California Fire Marshal certified.

Meeting or Exceeding Industry Safety Standards

At Grounds For Play, we’re proud to be a member of the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association and have our equipment meet their safety standards. Additionally, we follow guidelines set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the United States Access Board.

Playgrounds Made with Certified Manufacturing Techniques

The ISO 9001 certification means that we have implemented a quality management system that allows us to provide consistent quality – no matter what we're making for you.

The ISO 14001 certification means that we've met the international standard for environmental management, demonstrating a commitment to reducing its environmental impact and improving sustainability practices.

The PCI 4000 certification means that our powder coating manufacturing techniques have passed an extensive audit program, including evaluation of our processes and procedures, quality control, and more.

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