More Play, Less to Pay, Keeping Children Safe All Day!
We all have memories from childhood on the playground, many of which were defining moments in our lives; “core memories,” if you will. That’s because as children, playgrounds are nothing short of magical environments, serving as the ultimate fusion of athletic and creative fun. However, what we don’t see as children, or at least don’t fully understand, is all of the time, money, and resources spent to design, construct, and maintain our most favorite of spaces. Playgrounds must possess the visual elements that make them captivating for the little ones, usually being colorful, textured, and with other engaging designs. More importantly, playgrounds also must do whatever they can to be safe, accessible, and protected, without taking away from their adventurous nature. That’s why polyurea is the perfect addition; it can be used to help playgrounds withstand their daily environmental wear and tear (kiddos included) while also serving as a more functional alternative to traditional paints.
Protecting Community Investments
Whether located in a school, park, or another type of public space, playgrounds are for the community, by the community. In other words, it’s ultimately the local residents who are footing the bill to ensure children have a place to be kids. Aside from the children themselves, playgrounds must be able to withstand challenging environmental exposures, like high moisture, harsh abrasion, and UV radiation, to name a few. Complicating the issue, playgrounds are no monolith; they’re made of a wide variety of different materials, and built to markedly different specifications. Combating this complexity, polyurea is an all-purpose technology, compatible with surfaces composed of most every common construction material including steel, concrete, and many plastics. Polyurea’s claim to all-purpose protection also extends further, as it can resist all of the aforementioned risk factors and then some. Waterproofing, corrosion resistance, anti-microbial properties; the list of polyurea’s benefits and use cases goes on and on, where playgrounds stand to benefit on all fronts.
Easier on the Piggy Bank
Let’s face it, one of the reasons parents love playgrounds is because it’s free to use, and as much fun as anything else our kids like to do. However, as a community space, we should all learn to treat these places like they were our own, especially considering local revenue is often used to support their maintenance. One of the most cost-effective ways to protect playgrounds from extreme temperatures, high moisture, acid rain, chemical exposures, and more, is with polyurea protective coatings. With only a modest upfront installation cost, playgrounds will be ready for actions for decades to come, season after season, year after year. It’s important we take a long-term view of protecting community infrastructure, where polyurea represents a leading solution.
Beyond the Playground
A perfect solution for all types of play spaces, polyurea can be used in other types of indoor children’s areas as well, including our homes’ playrooms. While not as concerned with UV radiation or high-moisture, polyurea’s antimicrobial properties, strong and flexible mechanical properties, and capacity to create visually stunning colors and patterns, all make it well-suited for playroom adoption. And yes, polyurea is safe for use in playrooms, as after it’s done curing, all that remains is non-toxic polyurea, without any of the potentially hazardous precursor ingredients that are the reason behind an applicator’s heavy duty personal protective equipment (PPE).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is polyurea safe for playgrounds?
After polyurea is finished curing, it’s considered safe and non-toxic, suitable for even children’s spaces like playgrounds and playrooms. However, it’s critical to understand that this is only the case after application and curing; precursors that react to form polyurea on-site can be acutely hazardous, and should be avoided by children and adults alike until they’re finished reacting or otherwise dissipate from a space.
Why is polyurea used in playgrounds?
Polyurea is used in playgrounds for the same reasons it’s used on truck beds, vehicle chassis, industrial flooring, metal roofs, and countless other private, commercial, and industrial environments. Polyurea is used to help playgrounds resist weathering and abrasion that arises from multiple different sources, while also creating unique designs and creating a safer play space.
Can polyurea be used in playrooms?
As a safer and more sustainable material technology compared to just about everything else on the market, polyurea is safe in most environments, and can even be used to store potable water! So long as children stay away from their playroom during application and for a period afterwards during the curing stage, polyurea can indeed be used in playrooms.
In Summary
Playgrounds are central to our communities, but need protection to stay safe and fun for children. Polyurea is the perfect technology for playgrounds, as it provides robust all-purpose protection, while also being able to contribute to the design and functionality. Moreover, polyurea is cost-effective, and compatible with other types of children’s spaces including playrooms.
