How to Know When Your Rubber Playground Flooring Needs Replacing

Rubber playground flooring is an excellent choice for many reasons. The solid rubber surface of poured rubber or rubber tiles creates a stable flooring, and you don’t have to worry about loose crumb rubber potentially concealing hazards like sticks and rocks or being worn away in high-traffic areas. Quality rubber flooring offers excellent cushioning, durability, and safety.

But while rubber flooring is highly durable, it also needs to be periodically replaced. Understanding when to replace rubber playground flooring is key to keeping your playground in excellent condition and helping to keep kids safe.

Signs It’s Time to Replace Rubber Playground Flooring

Rubber surfacing doesn’t last forever, and eventually it will be time for a replacement or an upgrade. Outdoor flooring is exposed to the elements, and it will eventually degrade. Monitor your playground and watch for these signs that it’s time to replace the rubber playground surface.

Compaction

Over time, you may notice that rubber playground flooring starts to compact and lose its cushioning. This tends to be particularly common in high-traffic areas, like the flooring that’s at the bottom of slides or other popular structures. When the flooring starts to feel firm in areas instead of soft and comfortable underfoot, it’s starting to wear out.

Flooring that’s compacting and losing its cushion doesn’t offer the same protection against falls that newer flooring does, so it will be time to replace at least those sections of flooring soon.

Cracks and Tears

Cracks and tears can occur in rubber tiles and solid rubber playground flooring, and they need to be quickly addressed. You may be able to patch smaller cracks, but if they’re left unchecked, water can cause further damage if it works its way into the cracks and freezes.

If your flooring is cracking or tearing and you can’t patch it, then it’s time to replace it. Cracks will get worse and cause sections of the tiles to rise up or separate, posing a tripping hazard when kids play.

Bumps and Dips

Over time, your flooring surface can settle, leading to an uneven surface that includes bumps and dips. That uneven surface can potentially lead to falls, so it’s important to quickly address these issues.

If your flooring has just small bumps and dips, you may be able to repair those areas. But if the issues are large or widespread, it’s important to replace that section of flooring or to replace your entire playground floor.

Fading and Wear

Playground flooring is designed to withstand the sun’s UV rays, but after years of use, the vibrant colors will eventually start to fade. If you notice the rubber flooring fading, it signifies that the flooring itself has been damaged by exposure to the sun. The flooring is losing strength, and that will negatively impact its ability to absorb impact and help protect kids if they fall.

If the flooring starts to fade, it’s a sign that it’s time to replace the flooring. Leaving the fading to progress means your flooring will degrade further, and it will offer even less protection to kids.

Standing Water

When installed properly, rubber playground surfaces help drain water away, preventing puddles from forming on the surface. Over time, the base can compact and shift, and the drainage system can become damaged. You may start to see standing water gather on the rubber surface as a result.

Standing water is a slip and fall hazard, and it leaves the playground unusable after heavy rain. It also signifies that your drainage system is damaged, so it’s time to replace the flooring and revisit the drainage system.

You may also notice that your playground surface starts to develop mold and mildew growth. That can occur when the drainage system fails and moisture builds up in the flooring. Mold and mildew are health risks for children, so it’s important to promptly replace the flooring if you notice these issues.

Exposed Base

Your rubber playground flooring is installed over a stable base, and over time, the flooring can be gradually worn down. If you’re able to see the base through the flooring, it’s time to immediately replace the flooring, since it’s no longer safe and is heavily worn.

Contact Greatmats to Explore Rubber Playground Flooring Options

If you notice these signs that it’s time to replace your rubber playground surface, then it’s important to find a new flooring product to keep kids safe. At Greatmats, we carry an excellent selection of rubber playground flooring products, including interlocking tiles that can be installed to create a cohesive surface, as well as heavy rubber mats for high-traffic areas like the spaces under slides and swings.


All of our rubber playground flooring products are designed to be highly durable, so they can withstand exposure to the outdoor elements and varying temperatures. Contact our Greatmats customer service team today to explore the options that may be best for your playground.