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PLAY MATTA PRODUCTS
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GRASS RETENTION FOR PLAYGROUNDS AND HIGH USE AREAS Overview PROTECTING PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT Play Matta™ Safety™ Systems are designed to provide compliant impact protection for playgrounds, recreational facilities and other areas where grass retention is also important.
Self-draining Play Matta™ Safety™ Systems are ideal for any grassed environment where heavy use causes degradation, or where surface water and mud are problems. Play Matta™ Safety™ provides extra traction for areas such as walking tracks and slopes, plus grass protection for gateways, sports fields, public access trails and other high traffic outdoor situations.
Areas like this gateway can be transformed to provide an aesthetically pleasing and safe surface with improved access for wheelchairs, baby strollers and light vehicles. Play Matta™ Safety™ modular systems can be installed year round, including on sloped or undulating terrain, and will blend into the surrounding environment once grass is established. Regular mowing and ground care are all that’s needed for maintenance
Standards Compliance Installed on a well-drained, prepared surface that is suitable for grass growth, Play Matta™ Safety™ can achieve a Critical Fall Height (CFH) of up to 12 feet. The C1 shock pads can be used as a component of a total patented system to provide a CFH that is less dependent on soil conditions, while still allowing grass to grow through both the shock pads and the mats. Play Matta™ Safety™ meets all applicable ASTM and European Standards in relation to playground safety surfacing. Specifications
Play Matta™ Safety™ tiles come in black and 'recycled green'. Edge ramps are available with male/female fixing lugs.
Installation
All Play Matta™ surfacing should be installed by a Certified Play Matta™ Installer. Maintenance & Warranty Maintenance Liberal and frequent watering is essential for optimum grass growth. Once grass is established, regular mowing and watering in dry conditions are all that is required for maintenance. A Play Matta™ Safety™ playground, properly installed, can readily withstand the weight of ground maintenance machinery. The perforated mesh underlay minimizes the possibility of the Safety™ tiles or the shock pads subsiding into the soil. Because the Safety™ tiles sit above ground level, they actually protect the roots of grass plants. 3-Year Manufacturer's Warranty Testimonials "Re: SAFETY MATTAS On behalf of the Board of Trustees, staff, pupils and parents of Glen Innes Intermediate School, I wish to endorse the Safety Mattas interlocking mat system recently installed under our playground equipment. "Safety Mattas is designed to provide a anti-slip surface and absorb shocks underneath playground structures, thereby providing protection of children using such equipment. An excellent feature of this product is that it allows grass growth and can be mown over. Mattas Interlocking system has been laid in a competent professional manner and we are assured of further inspections to ensure the equipment withstands high usage. We are also of the opinion that the sloped edging will deter any acts of vandalism that may occur." Principal, Glen Innes Intermediate School
"For a number of years the Hutt City Council has been installing Matta Products safety surfacing systems into playgrounds within its control. Hutt City Council also regularly takes inquiries from schools, kindergartens and other local authorities in regard to the quality of the surfacing and has no hesitation in recommending the Matta Products, Play Mattas or Safety Mattas for playground safety surfacing use. "....At the Hutt City Council we pride ourselves in providing not only quality play equipment but also quality safety surfacing, and often receive positive comments on the attractiveness of the surfacing we use. "....One of the benefits in installing this product is the minimal cost of its upkeep." Contracts/Projects Officer, Leisure Services Division, Hutt City Council
Printable Documents
To view our technical manuals please click here for a request form. FAQs Can we get documentation to prove that the playground meets the fall height standards?
Yes, a Certificate of Compliance is supplied when the installation is complete. This certification is backed by independent testing. Play Matta™ complies with all applicable sections of the ASTM Standard Specifications. Are the mats secure and vandal proof?
All mats are glued or welded together. Around the perimeter of the site, purpose-designed fixing pins are used to secure the mats to the underlying surface. The mats are very difficult to cut, but as with any product that is left unattended, if vandals really want to cause damage they will ultimately succeed. However, any vandalized mats can be easily replaced and the playground restored to its original condition. Play Matta™ tiles do not catch alight but will be scorched and start to melt if a fire is lit on the playground. The mats will not sustain a fire by themselves and need a strong accelerant present before they will burn; as soon as the accelerant is exhausted the mats will effectively self extinguish. Any scorched tiles can readily be replaced. What is wrong with using wood mulch?
Wood mulch, wood chips and engineered wood fiber are effective impact protection products as long as you maintain the required thickness (a minimum of 9 inches). It will need to be turned over regularly to keep it loose and uncompacted and you will need to add more material at a later date as it tends to break down and disappear from the site over time. The supplier of the material should be able to provide evidence that it does not contain chromated copper arsenate CCA)-treated wood products. Other issues with this type of loose fill product are contamination (e.g. animal droppings); and sharp objects that become buried in the material (broken glass, sharp stones and even syringes). ‘Nuisance’ issues include material getting inside children’s footwear; children’s skin and clothing getting dirty, especially when the material is wet and has started to break down; material getting tracked indoors; and material being washed off the playground in heavy rain. As a general rule of thumb, you will probably need to replace all the material in the site after two years. Can the matting systems be moved and re-used at another site?
The interlocking, modular nature of the mats allows for the entire system to be lifted and re-laid on a new site. If the mats have been cut to accommodate posts you will need to purchase a few replacement mats. Some of the shock pads may be damaged in the lifting process and require replacement. Can the Play Matta™ Original mats be joined to the Safety™ Mattas?
Yes, these two mats are interlockable and it is quite common to have them joined at the perimeter of a playground to form a ground retention strip. What are the mats made out of?
The mats are made from recycled plastic and the underlying shock pads are made from recycled tire rubber sourced from recycling industry partners. My playground is an awkward shape. How do I measure it accurately?
Please see our Guide to Measuring Playgrounds in the Printable Documents Section.
Do the mats expand and contract in the heat?
The perforated design of Play Matta™ Safety™ tiles allows for the natural expansion and contraction that occurs in all surfaces with changing temperatures. This movement can cause other types of surfacing to crack and disintegrate or buckle in the heat and split in the cold. The design of Play Matta™ Safety™ and specific protocols for installation ensures that Play Matta™ playgrounds can safely expand and contract in most climatic conditions with no detrimental effects. What happens to the playground in heavy rain?
The Play Matta™ Safety™ System is designed to enable water to quickly flow through the surfacing. The mats themselves are perforated and have channels on the underside, and the shock pads themselves are water permeable. Water does not pond on the surface and the children can resume playing as soon as the rain stops. We have a zip line. Can we use Play Matta™ under it for the full length?
Yes, Play Matta™ Safety™ has been successfully installed under zip lines. This not only provides a greatly improved fall height, but also prevents the ground from becoming muddy and worn down. The mats and underlying shock pads (if used) are flexible which allows them to be installed on undulating terrain.
Can we do some of the work ourselves?
Yes, Matta Products prepares a ‘Scope of Work’ for each playground and some of the items to do with base preparation can be carried out by the customer, although Matta strongly recommends that this be supervised by a Certified Play Matta™ Installer. The installation of the mats themselves needs to be done by the installer, with possible contribution of voluntary labor from the customer. Can we have a supervised community build?
Yes, some aspects of the base preparation can be done by a group of volunteers. we can arrange to make one of our installers available to supervise the project on an agreed date. Can we work on a wet day? Yes, all aspects of the job can be carried out in the wet, except for the final gluing of the mats. Products
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