The original playground of this primary school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire was covered in an outdoor carpet, also known as a needle-punch surface.
The carpet was worn and thin, with a 10mm pile height, and it suffered from two problems: first, it drained poorly and quickly accumulated moss and mould; and second, it quickly became slippery in wet weather, making it potentially unsafe to use. Having discussed its options, the school decided to appoint an artificial grass supplier to replace it.
After an initial visit to survey the site, staff from the Grass Factory developed a comprehensive plan for creating a durable, clean and attractive artificial grass play area that would also remain safe in wet weather. Technical staff rejected the initial suggestion that the new artificial turf should be applied over the existing surfaces on the basis that that would not guarantee a secure, level and attractive surface.
Instead, the team’s proposal entailed:
The client had recognised that the old outdoor carpet was a potential slip hazard in winter conditions, so it required that the project be completed quickly in order to keep the playground safe.
The Ascot artificial turf was an ideal choice for the project because it is hardwearing yet natural-looking. It’s 30mm pile height does not quickly flatten with use especially when dressed with silica sand. As a result, it behaves very much like ordinary grass in wet or freezing conditions, so in comparison to the needle-punch surface, it greatly reduced the risks of slips and falls.
The artificial turf was installed on schedule, producing an attractive and resilient surface that stays safe in all weathers.
