What Are Playground Impact Zones?

Impact zones are the areas beneath and around playground equipment where children are most likely to fall, such as under swings and slides. These zones are subject to rigorous safety standards to cushion the impact of a fall and reduce injuries.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 70% of playground-related injuries are due to falls. To prevent serious injuries, the surfacing material in playground impact zones must be installed and maintained at the proper depth. This helps prevent concussions or fractures while providing liability compliance for playground owners.

Depth Requirements for Playground Impact Zones

Playground Impact Zone Guidelines

ASTM F1292 outlines the guidelines for impact attenuation (the ability to absorb impact energy) of popular playground surfacing materials. Essentially, they are using the critical fall height to calculate the amount of cushion needed to protect a child from a severe head injury if they were to fall from that piece of play equipment. 

Following the ASTM F1292 safety guidelines ensures playground surfaces meet the minimum safety standards. Again, this is to keep kids safe, playgrounds complaint, and parents worry-free.  

Recommended Playground Surfacing Depth by Equipment Type

Different types of playground equipment require different surface depths based on their critical fall height. All playground equipment should have a sticker that marks the critical fall height of that structure. 

For loose-fill materials like Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF), the general depth recommendations are:

• 6 inches of depth for fall heights less than 10 feet
• 8 inches for fall heights of 10 feet
• 10 inches for fall heights of 12 feet
• 12 inches for heights of 14 feet

Consistently maintaining these depths for engineered wood fiber mulch, or any loose fill surfacing material, ensures the playground has enough shock absorption under tall equipment to keep kids safe from life threatening head injuries.

How to Measure Playground Surfacing Materials

Once loose fill playground surfacing materials, like engineered wood fiber mulch, is in place, it needs ongoing maintenance to keep the mulch depth in compliance. To ensure the wood chips are at the right depth, you’ll need to measure the surfacing depth across the impact zone.

A few commonly used measurement tools are: 

• Physical Tools: A simple tape measure or ruler can provide quick readings at multiple points.
• Digital Tools: Digital depth gauges improve accuracy and make it easier to record measurement data over time.

The Importance of Monitoring Playground Surfacing Materials

No matter what surfacing material you use, it is important to conduct routine checks to keep the playground site safe.

You should plan to do a playground safety check:

• At least once each quarter
• After heavy usage or weather events (e.g., storms causing material displacement)

It is also important to keep documentation of measurements as proof that the playground surfacing material is maintained regularly. This will prevent issues for inspections or insurance purposes.

Best Practices for Selecting and Maintaining Playground Surfacing Materials

Choosing the Right Surfacing Material

We recommend Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF) playground mulch for your playground surfaces. It’s safe, affordable, and eco-friendly. When placed at the right depth, its shock absorbing properties are enough to prevent serious playground injuries.

Although there are other loose-fill surfacing materials like rubber mulch, sand, and pea gravel, EWF stands out as the most accessible and versatile option for impact zones.

Why Choose EWF for Playground Surfaces?

1. Safety: It is designed and manufactured for impact absorption and safety.
2. Eco-Friendly: EWF is made from natural, environmentally-friendly materials, unlike rubber-based playground surfacing.
3. Accessibility: EWF meets ADA standards when properly installed and maintained, ensuring an accessible playground for all.

The Importance of Yearly EWF Replenishment

It is important to remember that EWF decomposes over time. As it decomposes and settles, the amount of cushion in the playground impact zones diminishes. 

Placing EWF at the right depth during the initial application puts you in compliance. Regular monitoring and yearly EWF replenishment keeps your playground in compliance. 

Risks of Improper Protective Surfacing Depth

What happens when your playground surfaces aren’t deep enough to meet playground safety standards? The risks are real and costly:

Injuries and Emergency Room Visits

The US Consumer and Product Safety Commission reports that more than 200,000 children visit emergency rooms due to playground-related injuries each year. These injuries are often caused by inadequate protective surfacing. Keeping playground mulch or other surface systems at the right depth will cushion falls and reduce the risk of serious injuries like concussions, fractures, and abrasions.

Compliance and Legal Challenges

Failing to meet ASTM standards can lead to compliance violations, legal liabilities, and issues with insurance claims. Written documentation of regular maintenance and inspections help mitigate these risks while highlighting your organization’s commitment to safety.

Why Superior Groundcover Is the Best Choice for Playground Surfacing 

At Superior Groundcover, we know that playground safety is non-negotiable. Improper or uneven playground mulch can turn playtime into a disaster. That’s why our expert crew is trained to read the critical height rating of play structures and calculate how much playground mulch needs to go in the impact zone.

Our streamlined installation process will get your playground in compliance much faster than a crew could by hand, using our advanced blower trucks. We can accurately place EWF, even in hard to reach places, without making a mess or damaging your property. We also use engineered wood fiber mulch that meets ASTM standards for impact attenuation.

Whether you’re installing a new playground or replenishing an existing one, our team can get you the best surfacing material installed in the least amount of time.

Contact Superior Groundcover today to get a free quote for your EWF installation or replenishment. Because when it comes to playground safety, every inch matters.

FAQ for playground impact zone compliance

The post Playground Impact Zone Compliance: The Right Depth for Playground Safety appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

Instead of fighting with weeds, get ahead of weed growth by using bark and mulch for weed control. Both provide a proactive, natural solution to keep weeds away while improving the overall health of the soil and plants.

How Bark and Mulch Work as Proactive Weed Control 

Bark and mulch are much more than finishing touches to your landscaping projects. They also serve as proactive weed barriers that create a healthier growing environment for plants and make weed management a breeze. 

Here’s how bark and mulch work their magic to stop weeds in their tracks:

• Create A Physical Weed Barrier: A thick layer of bark or mulch makes it difficult for weeds to break through. This hinders weed seeds from germinating or ever making it past the soil surface. 
• Improve Soil Health: Organic mulch decomposes over time, adding nutrients to the soil. Healthier soil means stronger plants that can outcompete weeds. 
• Retain Moisture: Mulch retains moisture, keeping plants and groundcover hydrated, which again helps them outcompete weeds. 
• Block Sunlight: Weeds rely on sunlight to germinate and grow. Mulch blocks out much of the light, making it harder for weeds to establish themselves. 
• Maintain A Stable Soil Temperature: By insulating the soil, bark and mulch keep the soil at a consistent temperature. This is good for established plants, which makes it harder for weeds to grow. 

The Best Landscaping Materials for Weed Control 

When it comes to weed control, both bark and mulch have their strengths. The best choice depends on the specific landscape, environment, and aesthetic goals of your project. 

The Two Main Categories of Landscaping Materials for Weed Control:

Most people automatically think of wood chips when they hear the word mulch. However, there are two main groups of mulch:

• Organic Materials (e.g., wood chips, shredded bark, recycled and dyed mulch): Organic mulch is made of natural materials that decompose over time, enriching the soil. This is ideal for gardens, flower beds, and general landscaping. 
• Inorganic Materials  (e.g., rubber mulch, rocks, stone): These types of groundcover are long-lasting and more durable but they don’t decompose. They are good for high-traffic areas that don’t need the soil enriching properties of organic mulch materials. 

If you are trying to prevent weed growth in a vegetable garden, flower bed, farm or even a business with a lot of landscaping, organic mulches are usually the best choice. The most aesthetically pleasing organic options are bark mulch and wood chips.

A Closer Look at the Main Organic Materials: Bark and Mulch

Bark:

• Is made from the outside of trees (tree bark).
• Is fully natural, unless dye is added for richer, longer-lasting color.
• Decomposes faster, providing nutrients for nearby plants

Mulch:

• Is made from wood chips, or the inside of the tree. 
• Often includes recycled wood scraps that were previously treated. 
• Decomposes slower, making it last longer. 

When applied in thick enough layers, 3-4 inches deep for the initial application, both types of organic mulch will reduce weed growth by retaining moisture and providing nutrients to help keep existing plants healthy. 

The Best Organic and Inorganic Mulches For Your Project 

• Flower Beds and Landscaping Beds: In addition to its beneficial properties for plants, both bark and wood chip mulch provide a clean, finished look that compliment these landscapes’ decorative design. 
• Playgrounds: Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF) Playground Mulch is the best option for playgrounds. It is ADA-compliant, durable, and provides excellent drainage, making it ideal for high-traffic play areas.

We don’t recommend rubber mulch due to the chemicals that it leaves in the air and soil. It also makes a mess when it gets tracked inside and gets very hot and smelly in the summer months.

• High-Traffic Areas: If you don’t need the soil enriching properties of organic mulch, rocks and stone are good durable options. 

For even more details to help you choose the best mulch for your project, read “What is the Best Type of Mulch for Your Landscaping Project?”

8 Tips for Using Bark and Other Mulches Effectively for Weed Control 

To maximize the weed-blocking power of bark and mulch, follow these 8 tips for proper mulch application and maintenance: 

1. Apply Mulch in Early Spring 
   For maximum weed suppression, lay mulch or bark chips early in the growing season to prevent weeds from germinating. 
2. Start with a Clean Slate 
   Before applying a new mulch layer, prepare the soil. Pull weeds that have already poked through. Till the soil to create an optimal environment for plant growth and add compost if the soil needs additional nutrients.
3. Combine Natural and Alternative Solutions 
   While bark and mulch are very effective weed control methods, combining them with targeted chemical methods can provide even more comprehensive weed control.  You could add pre-emergent weed control to the ground or, if you’d prefer a more natural option, landscape fabric also helps suppress weed growth.
4. Choose High-Quality Materials 
   Not all mulch is created equal. Using professionally sourced, high-quality bark or mulch will give you better coverage that lasts longer. Some low-quality mulch has weed seeds and mushroom spores mixed in, causing the very problem you want to prevent!
   At Superior, we will apply any mulch that the customer desires. However, premium mulch delivery is part of our blown-in mulch services because we know that top-tier results depend on using the right materials.
5. Maintain The Proper Mulch Depth 
   If you want to prevent weeds, you have to lay enough mulch. During the initial application, you’ll need 3-4 inch mulch layers to keep weeds out and moisture in. Deeper layers are required for playgrounds due to the heavy traffic and safety requirements. 
6. Replenish 
   Keeping mulch at the correct depth is essential for weed control. Mulch needs to be replenished annually (about 1 inch per year) to keep annual weeds from peeking through.
7. Place Mulch Away from Stems and Roots 
   Maintain a safe distance between mulch and delicate plant stems or root systems. Placing the mulch too close to your trees and shrubs can cause root rot due to too much moisture.
8. Check for Weeds and Pests 
   Even with mulch, occasional weed growth can occur. Stay proactive. Check your landscaping regularly to remove weeds early and prevent infestations. A little bit of hand weeding goes a long way in preventing a weed take-over.

Save Time With Blown-In Mulch Placement

Using mulch is a proven weed control method that looks great. However, manually placing loads of mulch can be tedious and time consuming.  

At Superior Groundcover, we know that time is money. Your bottom line depends on efficiency and quality. Our blown-in mulch services are designed to save you and your crew the hassle of manual mulch placement.

Our highly-trained team and advanced fleet of blower trucks can give your landscape that flawless, freshly-mulched look in a fraction of the time. 

The Benefits of Blown-In Placement 

Blown-in mulch placement is superior for a lot of reasons:

• Fast Placement: We place mulch and bark quickly so you can meet tight project deadlines and stay on schedule. 
• Precise Placement: Our specialized equipment helps us get mulch in even the hardest to reach places without causing damage to your clients’ properties.
• Less Manual Labor: You won’t have to waste hours moving mulch. Our services free up your crew to do more profitable tasks while we take care of the entire mulching process.
• Better Weed Control: With our specialized equipment, we can evenly distribute the mulch at the appropriate depth. Since the newly installed material is already compacted down, it prevents air pockets and areas where weeds could survive. 

With our blown-in mulch and bark services, you’ll save time, reduce labor costs, and achieve a flawless finish every time. You’ll have high-quality bark and mulch for weed control without all the back-breaking work. 

Contact us today to get a free estimate so that you can have more control over those weeds, your project timelines and profit margins.

The post Harnessing the Power of Bark and Mulch for Weed Control appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

How Does Blown-In Mulch Placement Work?

At Superior Groundcover, our crew loads the type of mulch you need into one of our large blower trucks. Then, we bring the mulch to your job site. Unlike mulch delivery companies, we don’t just dump the mulch and run. Instead, we provide the most efficient mulch application service you’ve ever seen.

Blown-in mulch placement eliminates the need for manual spreading with wheelbarrows, rakes and shovels. With our fleet of blower trucks and expert team, we can place large amounts of mulch up to 11 times faster than a team could by hand.

Our advanced blower trucks use long, flexible application hoses. Our crew members use those hoses to carefully and precisely install mulch exactly where you need it. We can easily place mulch in hard-to-reach areas like steep slopes, tight spaces, and even around intricate landscaping features or all types of plants .

Blown-In Mulch Is Safe For Your Site

Although our trucks are large, our long application hoses allow us to park in a place that keeps your commercial property or landscaping site safe from tire tracks and other lawn damage. When we are done with the mulch blowing services, we clean up any stray pieces of mulch, leaving the site looking better than ever.

With Superior Groundcover, mulch placement at large job sites can become an efficient and streamlined process. With our services, wasting hundreds of hours of manual labor on mulch installation becomes a thing of the past. Instead, you get beautiful, evenly-placed mulch in a matter of hours.

Many of our clients leverage the efficiency of blown mulch installation to scale their landscaping businesses. Vibrant Outdoors, for example, was able to pursue new opportunities for growth after partnering with us for mulch blowing services.

The Challenges of Manual Mulch Placement 

Traditional mulch installation may seem simple and straightforward to the untrained professional. However, you and I both know that placing mulch by hand is full of hidden costs that can jeopardize your budget in a flash. Material placement can easily become your biggest expense, especially when things don’t go as planned. 

With manual mulch placement, you are always battling:

The Physical Strain of Heavy Lifting

Manual mulch installation is exhausting. Long, hot days spent shoveling increase the chances of worker injuries. Without a full team, you’ve got to dip into the budget and start paying overtime to get done on time.

Weather Delays

If only the weather was a little more predictable. Manual mulch installation is often disrupted or delayed by the rain and thunderstorms, forcing you to up the overtime once again to meet your deadline.

Wasted Materials

No matter how careful you are, placing mulch by hand can get messy. Spreading mulch manually often leads to uneven mulch distribution and lots of stray pieces or dust left around the job site. 

Missed Opportunities

When your team is busy spreading mulch by hand, you have to turn down work and say no to more profitable projects.

Commercial landscaping companies who rely solely on manual labor for mulch installation usually end up frustrated by the inefficiency and diminishing profit margins. Choosing blown-in mulch can transform your business, save time, and free your team up to take on more profitable work.

The Cost Benefit Of Blown-In Mulch

Blown-in mulch placement evenly distributes mulch in half the time or less. 

Here at Superior Groundcover, we have perfected the mulch blowing process to help landscapers and property managers tackle large-scale projects with ease. Our mulch blowers can install mulch efficiently, precisely, and cleanly without any stress or strain on your team.

Not only does it make your job easier but using mulch blowing services also comes with significant cost benefits.

Here are some of the standout cost advantages of spreading mulch using mulch bowers:

1. Reduced Labor Costs

Choosing blown-in mulch means your team won’t be tied up placing mulch by hand. No more heavy lifting or relying on shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows. Our expert team and fleet of blower trucks can quickly and accurately spread mulch across large areas. 

This means fewer man-hours spent per job and reduced overall labor costs. 

2. Time Savings

Mulch placement that typically takes days, or even weeks, can now be completed in just a few hours. With blown-in mulch, projects stay on track—even with unpredictable weather conditions.  We just need a small window of sunshine to fit in the mulch blowing services. Mulch blowing will help you get more projects done on time no matter what the weather throws your way. 

High-quality work completed on time means happy clients. Satisfied clients almost always become repeat clients. Therefore, we are saving you time and setting you up for long-term business growth. Superior Groundcover has a 96% customer retention year after year. 

3. Predictable Costs

With blown-in mulch installation, we can give you precise material calculations and cost estimates from Day One. Without the unpredictability of overtime and extended project timelines, you can provide estimates with confidence. On-time projects means happier clients. On-budget projects means a healthier business that is able to grow.

4. Cleaner Worksites

Traditional methods of spreading mulch  can leave behind a big mess. Once you finally finish placing mulch by hand, you still have to go back and clean up all the stray pieces, dust and piles left on site. 

Blown mulch installation drastically reduces waste. Since our team is able to manually guide the application tubes, we can install mulch precisely where it’s needed and at the depth required.  Less stray materials lead to less waste and less time cleaning up after the installation work is done. To make the mulch installation process even easier on your team, we include clean up in our mulch blowing services.

5. Increased Accessibility

Mulch blowers can reach tight or hard-to-reach areas that would be nearly impossible to handle with manual mulch installation methods. We can even tackle commercial properties with steep slopes and uneven terrain or areas with fragile soil that require minimal disruption. With our mulch blowers and expert team, we can install mulch in pretty much any outdoor space.

The ROI of Blown-In Mulch for Landscapers 

By reducing labor costs, cutting time spent on projects, and minimizing material waste, blown-in mulch creates clear cost savings for commercial landscaping companies.

Plus, you’ll know exactly how much the mulch blowing services will cost from the beginning. That means you can easily work the cost into the project estimate. 

How much would it be worth to:

• Get jobs done faster
• Reduce labor costs 
• Minimize material waste 
• Never worry about mulch installation or clean up again
• Know exactly how long material placement will take 
• Improve client satisfaction and retention 
• Be able to take on more projects 

Get Started with Blown-In Mulch Installation Today!

If you’re managing large-scale landscaping projects and looking to optimize costs without sacrificing quality, blown-in mulch is a win-win solution.

Partnering with Superior Groundcover for mulch blowing services will help you give your projects the beautiful aesthetic appeal of fresh mulch without all the delays, back-breaking work, and unpredictable costs. While we are busy spreading mulch, you can focus on what you do best—creating beautiful landscapes.

Are you ready to boost your business’s efficiency and profits? Request an estimate from Superior Groundcover today! 

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Although they had hired a larger team and added extra cushion into their project timelines, they still weren’t satisfied with the results. They knew there had to be a better way to get projects done faster without sacrificing quality.

The Problem with Manual Material Placement

Vibrant Outdoors isn’t the only landscaping company that struggles to meet internal deadlines.

The problem with manual material placement is that you need your whole team to show up at 100% every day to stay on schedule. There is no time to account for injuries, illnesses, or those unexpected appointments that pop up on all of our calendars.

In the landscaping world, weather truly dictates the schedule. A week of rain can throw off your entire summer timeline!

Consistently adding more people to your team, and time to your projects, limits the amount of work you can take on and the amount of profit you can bring in. Blown-in material placement streamlines the process so that you can get more done in less time.

Time for a Superior Solution 

Pierre, from Vibrant Outdoors, had attempted to solve their timeline issues by increasing crew sizes and adjusting timelines but he still wasn’t satisfied with the results. He wanted to find a more efficient way to install landscaping materials and so they could take on more projects.

One day, he walked into the Superior Groundcover Indianapolis office to inquire about our services and the rest was history. 

The Benefits of Streamlined Mulch Placement

When we met Pierre, he had a lot of questions. We focused on understanding his challenges and communicating clearly about how our efficient, blown-in mulch services could make a big difference for Vibrant Outdoors.  

After our initial conversation, he still had some reservations. Seeing the results at previous sites left him reassured and ready to try something new.

The Blown-In Mulch Difference

After working with us, Pierre knew he was onto something much bigger than just a solution for their timeline troubles. By partnering with Superior, Vibrant Outdoors got:

• Clear Communication: Superior Groundcover is known for our consistent and transparent communication. Our team engaged with Pierre and the rest of the Vibrant Outdoors team regularly to make sure our work and timelines aligned with their expectations.
• Hands-Free Mulch Placement: Pierre and his team were able to put down their shovels and park the small machines. Their project sites were beautifully mulched faster than ever and they didn’t have to do a thing. Instead, we took care of all the mulch details while their team took on other projects.

Our team of expert operators used blower trucks to place mulch at the Vibrant Outdoors project sites much faster than they could by hand.

Vibrant Outdoors didn’t have to worry about delays, going over budget on man hours or cleaning up after the mulch placement was done. We did it all so that they could do other work. 

Superior Results

With our blown-in mulch services, Vibrant Outdoors was able to:

• Get More Done in Less Time: Since they no longer had to allocate man hours to mulch placement, their team was able to get projects done faster and fill their schedules with more profitable work.
• Increase Customer Satisfaction: Timely project completion=happy customers. Without all the unpredictable factors at play, Vibrant Outdoors was finally able to give clients a completion date and stick to it.
• Save Money: While it’s still early in our partnership, Pierre predicts that Vibrant Outdoors will have substantial cost savings thanks to the increased material placement efficiency.
• Grow the Business: Our successful collaboration allowed Vibrant Outdoors to seek out more work and further growth opportunities.

Pierre came to us looking for a solution to a timeline problem and walked away with a few unexpected perks that will help Vibrant Outdoors continue to grow.

Grow Your Business with Blown-In Mulch Placement

By partnering with Superior Groundcover, Vibrant Outdoors transformed their mulch placement process from a constant bottleneck to a hands-off, worry-free solution. Now, they can focus on growth and using their team for more profitable work. Together, we’ve set a new standard for their project timelines and processes.

The owners and project managers at Vibrant Outdoors were so pleased with the results of our partnership that they began introducing Superior to other landscaping professionals in the area.

Our partnership shows the importance of never settling for sub-par solutions. Innovation and collaboration may be exactly what you need to overcome your business barriers and reach your revenue and growth goals.

If you are tired of struggling to get projects done on time, finding enough team members to do all the work, and wasting thousands of dollars on manual mulch placement, reach out to Superior Groundcover today. 

It is always the perfect time to find new solutions to the old problems that are keeping you stuck. Get more efficient, streamlined mulch placement with Superior Groundcover.

The post Vibrant Outdoors Got More Than Just Streamlined Mulch Placement appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

What Are Slinger Trucks?

Slinger trucks, sometimes called stone slingers, are specialized vehicles equipped with a large box, a mechanical arm and a high-speed conveyor belt. This setup allows slinger trucks to transport and precisely “sling” aggregate materials like stone, compost, or sand with remarkable accuracy. 

Slinger trucks can even efficiently place materials in hard to reach areas. With a slinger truck, your construction project or landscaping endeavor could have efficient material placement in a fraction of the time.

How Do Slinger Trucks Work?

The heart of a slinger truck’s functionality is its high-speed conveyor belt system. The mechanical arm, controlled by one of our experienced and highly trained operators, adjusts angles and speed to place materials up to 70 feet away from the back of the truck with pinpoint accuracy.

Our precise placement means less material spillage and less waste. This enhanced efficiency greatly reduces the need for manual material handling. (Your team will appreciate less time spent moving aggregate materials with backhoes and shovels.)

Using a stone slinger for material placement greatly increases customer satisfaction, because you can stay on or ahead of schedule, can increase cost savings and add time back into your schedule. 

What Are Slinger Trucks Used For?

Slinger trucks can be used for a variety of applications in both construction and landscaping.

• Construction: A slinger truck is ideal for filling foundations, crawlspaces, and driveways with materials like pea-stone and crushed concrete. Slinger trucks can also be used for pool and seawall backfills or even creating foundation drainage for new property development. 
• Landscaping: Slinger trucks are perfect for distributing topsoil, compost, and mulch across large areas. We often use blower trucks as well for this type of material placement.
• Municipalities: A stone slinger can also provide a cost effective way to prepare a playground or park. We can use slinger trucks to fill a sand volleyball court, add playground sand, or even place mulch.

What Is a Slinger Truck’s Capacity?

Our slinger trucks can handle various materials up to two-and-a-half inches in size. On average, one slinger truck can hold between 15-18 yards of material, making them the perfect equipment for large-scale projects.

3 Ways Slinger Trucks Enhance Efficiency

1. Shorter Project Timelines: Your landscaping and construction projects can get done in a fraction of the time. We can deliver and place your materials faster than a team could by hand. That means we can make your construction process shorter and your clients happier.
2. Precise Material Placement: Nothing is more frustrating than finishing a big material placement job and then having to clean up the stray bits of material. With our team’s precision, the stone slinger can place your gravel, crushed concrete, or other aggregate material exactly where it is supposed to go. That means you’ll have minimal material waste, less mess and no cleanup time (because we do that part too).
3. Less Manual Labor: When our stone slingers are taking care of the time-consuming material placement, you are able to use your team for more profitable tasks. No more overtime wasted on sand and stone placement. With our slinger trucks, your project timeline will be more predictable and more cost effective.

Who Has Slinger Trucks in the Midwest?

In the Midwest, Superior Groundcover has one of the largest fleets of slinger and blower trucks. We offer services in Michigan, Indiana, and across the midwest. Our slinger trucks can be used to install a large range of materials, including:

• Pea-stone
• Crushed concrete
• Topsoil
• Compost
• Fill sand
• Beach sand

Here at Superior Groundcover, our extensive fleet of blower and slinger trucks coupled with our experienced team make us a preferred partner for more efficient construction and landscaping material placement.

If you are tired of wasting time, money, and manpower with manual material placement, get an estimate from Superior Groundcover today to make your next landscape or construction project more predictable and profitable.

The post How Slinger Trucks Enhance Efficiency for Construction and Landscaping Companies appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

What is EWF?

Engineered wood fiber (EWF) certified mulch is a popular loose fill material made from the interior wood of the trees, not the bark. It is ground into small pieces that are no more than 2 inches long. This process helps prevent splinters and sharp edges.

Unlike regular wood chips that you’d put around your landscaping, EWF is processed to meet stringent safety and accessibility standards to ensure playgrounds are safe and accessible to all kids.

To be certified, engineered wood fiber (EWF) must meet or exceed the US Consumer and Product Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines.

The playground mulch also needs to be placed at the right depth to cushion falls and minimize injuries. When placed correctly, EWF wood mulch will also help make your playground surface wheelchair accessible, meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

Why Choose EWF Certified Mulch Over Other Playground Surfacing Materials?

Although there are several popular playground surfacing options, here are six reasons why engineered wood fiber playground mulch tops our recommendation list:

1. Safety: EWF’s shock-absorbing properties make it a safe playground surfacing option. It significantly reduces the risk of serious injuries from falls when placed at the correct depth and given ongoing maintenance to maintain that depth.
2. Absorbency: Since wood soaks up water, EWF certified mulch can help prevent flooding and get kids back to playing sooner after a rainy day. 
3. Affordability: Compared to other playground surfacing options, like rubber tiles or poured-in-place surfaces, EWF is the most cost-effective both in terms of initial placement and long-term maintenance.
4. Aesthetic Appeal: EWF playground mulch blends naturally with outdoor environments, making it a visually appealing and inviting play area.
5. Sustainability: Engineered wood fiber mulch is an environmentally responsible choice because it is often made from recycled wood. Since EWF will decompose naturally over time, enriching the soil and plants in the surrounding environment, it is a much better choice for the environment than rubber playground surfacing options. Rubber tiles and rubber mulch release chemicals and toxins into the soil and air. Their environmental impact remains even years after the material has been removed.
6. ADA Compliance: When properly installed and maintained, EWF playground mulch meets the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements, making the playground wheelchair accessible.

How Deep Should EWF Mulch Be For Safety?

Although choosing a safe playground surfacing material is a big piece of meeting EWF safety requirements, the depth of the mulch throughout the playground space is just as important.

You want the playground mulch to be deep enough to absorb impact and reduce the risk of life-threatening injury. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the appropriate depth of EWF certified mulch depends on the fall height of playground equipment. For example, at the time this guide was created the EWF guidelines were:

• 6 inch deep mulch is suitable for equipment with a fall height of less than 10 feet.
• 8 inch deep mulch is suitable for equipment with a fall height of 10 feet.
• 10 inch deep mulch is suitable for equipment with a fall height of up to 12 feet.
• 12 inch deep mulch is suitable for equipment with a fall height of up to 14 feet.

Please do your due diligence and double check these depth recommendations with your EWF manufacturer before installation.

It’s also important to note that the wood mulch will settle about 2 inches after placement. If you have a fresh layer of mulch, you’ll want it to be placed 2 inches deeper than the required depth to stay in compliance after settling has occurred.

This is just one of the many reasons why working with a professional is always a better choice for your playground surfacing placement. A professional will ensure you have the right depth under your play equipment to meet industry safety standards.

How Often Does Engineered Wood Fiber Mulch Need to be Replenished?

While EWF is durable and typically lasts 2-3 years before completely breaking down, it does require regular maintenance to maintain the correct depth.

Weather conditions, usage frequency, and the age of the mulch will all impact how often your playground mulch needs to be replenished or topped off. Here are some general guidelines:

• High-Traffic Areas: In areas where children frequently play, such as under swings or slides, EWF may need to be replenished more often—potentially every 6-12 months.
• Low-Traffic Areas: In less frequently used areas, EWF may last longer, up to 12-18 months without needing to be topped off.
• Seasonal Checks: You should conduct thorough inspections after severe weather events or seasonal changes to look at the condition of the playground mulch. Make sure you don’t need any additional surface material to maintain the required mulch depth.
• Yearly Replenishment: To ensure you are meeting industry safety standards, we recommend all playground surfaces be replenished by a professional at least every 12 months.

Keep Your Playground Mulch in Good Shape

Understanding playground EWF requirements is essential for anyone involved in the design, maintenance, and management of public playgrounds and playground equipment. 

Engineered wood fiber (EWF) playground mulch is a versatile, safe, and sustainable surfacing option that provides a natural look and meets all industry safety standards when placed correctly.

By maintaining the recommended depth of your EWF mulch, and regularly replenishing the surface material, you can create a safe and inviting playground environment that benefits children and communities alike.

If you are in the Midwest and looking for the fastest, most efficient way to place engineered wood fiber EWF playground mulch in your public playgrounds or school district, contact Superior Groundcover today for an estimate. 

We can cover a playground surface much faster than a team could by hand, using our advanced blower trucks and expert team. There will be less mess and less stress when you partner with Superior Groundcover for your playground surfacing materials and placement.

The post Playground EWF Requirements: A Complete Guide for Administrators appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

With so many different types of mulch, it can be difficult to know which type of material to choose. This ultimate mulch guide will give you all the information you need to select the right material for your project. 

What is Mulch?

At its core, mulch is a material spread on top of the soil.

Although mulch makes your landscaping projects look more attractive, it also helps with retaining soil moisture and suppressing weed growth.

For playgrounds, mulch has an added benefit of cushioning any falls and keeping kids safe.

Generally, when people think of mulch, they automatically imagine a bed of wood chips covering the ground. However, that is just one type of mulch.

There are two main categories of mulch: organic and inorganic mulch. Within those categories there are numerous materials to choose from.

3 Popular Organic Mulches And Their Benefits

Organic mulches are natural materials that break down steadily and help improve the quality of your soil as they decompose. They also encourage earthworm activity which improves soil structure. Since it decomposes, organic mulch will need to be replenished periodically.

Technically, organic mulch could be anything from wood chips to straw mulch, pine needles or grass clippings. Although all inorganic mulch options have their benefits, materials like straw and grass clippings don’t leave that polished look most homeowners and businesses want. Wood-based mulches are the most aesthetically pleasing and longest lasting organic mulch options.

It’s important to understand that not all wood mulch is quality mulch. Although you can easily find cheap and even free mulch, you are running the risk of adding pesticides, bugs, or even weed seeds to your landscape. Choosing high-quality mulch from a company you can trust will save you time and money in the long-run.

Bark Mulch: For Aesthetics and Nutrition

Bark mulch is made from tree bark that has been chopped into fine pieces. People are drawn to it for its uniform look and natural feel. Bark mulch is great for ornamental beds, trees, and shrubs.

If you are placing mulch around your vegetable garden, you will want to avoid colored wood mulch or bark. Colored mulches are often treated with chemical dyes that can be absorbed into your soil and your vegetables.

Wood Chip Mulch: For Durability and Soil Health

Contrary to popular belief, wood chip mulch is not the same as bark mulch.  Wood chip mulch generally includes both the bark and wood pieces. It has a more inconsistent texture, giving it a more rustic look.

Wood chips are usually less expensive and last slightly longer than bark mulch. Since the pieces are generally bigger, wood chips can generally cover more ground than bark.

Ultimately, wood chips and bark mulch share many of the same benefits. The biggest deciding factor between these two is going to be your budget and the look you are going for with your landscaping project.

Certified EWF Playground Mulch: For Safety

When it comes to playgrounds, you don’t want to head to the hardware store and throw down any bag of wood mulch you find. Certified Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF) playground mulch is designed specifically for play areas.

Certified EWF playground mulch is made with the pulpy interior wood fibers of a tree, making it less abrasive and much better for cushioning falls.

Like regular wood mulch, certified EWF playground mulch is environmentally-friendly. It can strengthen the structure of soil while increasing the soil quality. As an added bonus, wood mulches absorb water, helping reduce the likelihood of playground flooding.

Inorganic Mulches and Their Benefits

Inorganic mulches are made of synthetic materials like landscape fabric or plastic materials. They can also be sturdier, natural materials that don’t decompose as quickly, like rocks and stones.

For most projects, organic materials are preferred because they improve soil structure while protecting your plants (or your playing kids). Some people are drawn to inorganic materials because they don’t need to be replaced each year. Inorganic materials do cost more to place initially but could save you money long-term.

Rock and Stone Mulch: For Longevity and Low Maintenance

If your plants like extra heat or need good drainage, rock or stone mulch might be a good option. Stone mulches are beneficial in areas where a durable, low-maintenance material is needed, like on pathways, driveways, and around perennial beds.

Since rock and stone come in a variety of colors and sizes, they offer more variety to landscape designs. These materials are great for weed suppression, improving drainage and preventing erosion but they won’t improve your soil health like an organic mulch would.

Rubber Mulch: For Durable, Low Maintenance Projects

Rubber mulch is typically made from recycled tires. Despite its ability to prevent weed growth and insulate soil, rubber mulch has sparked plenty of debates about safety and environmental impact.

The chemicals and toxins from the rubber soak into the soil and the surrounding plants. Even if the rubber mulch is removed, the damage doesn’t disappear. Pieces of rubber mulch have been found in the ground years after playgrounds or rubber mulch beds have been removed.

When it’s hot outside, rubber mulch emits a strong rubber odor. That smell is volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, being released into the air. Exposure to VOCs can cause short-term symptoms like headaches, nausea, and breathing problems while long-term exposure can cause damage to the nervous system and even cancer. 

If potential health problems weren’t bad enough, rubber mulch can also be a fire hazard. For these reasons, we generally don’t recommend using rubber mulch for your playground or your landscaping needs.

Making the Right Choice for Your Landscape

To choose the best type of mulch to use for your project you have to consider:

• Your budget
• Your plants’ needs (like soil temperature and drainage)
• The climate
• The primary function of the mulched area

For flower or vegetable gardens and areas around trees and shrubs, organic mulches like bark are usually best. For playgrounds, we always recommend certified EWF playground mulch. For high-traffic areas that need maximum durability and drainage, rock or stone is probably your best option.

If you are a landscaper or excavator in the Midwest trying to choose the best mulch for your landscaping project and the most efficient way to place it, contact Superior Groundcover for an estimate.

Our expert team and specialized blower and slinger trucks can place a variety of organic and inorganic materials 7 times faster than a team could by hand. Plus, we carry the highest-quality mulches you can find. We will make your landscape shine in a fraction of the time.

The post What is the Best Type of Mulch for Your Landscaping Project? appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

The Unexpected Costs of Manual Mulch Placement

If you’ve been in this business for a while, you are probably pretty good at predicting how much mulch you’ll need and roughly how long mulch installation will take. Unfortunately, there are 5 hidden mulch installation costs that can derail your budget no matter how well you plan.

Injuries and Insurance

Installing mulch is physically demanding, back-breaking work. Long hours of heavy lifting puts your team at risk of injuries, strains, or sprains. Not only do injuries make it harder to meet your deadline but they could also lead to worker’s compensation claims and rising insurance premiums.

Unpredictable Weather

Mother Nature can be a tough boss. Unfortunately, when it comes to manual mulch placement, you’re pretty much at her mercy. Inclement weather can disrupt your project in a [lightning] flash, leading to rescheduling chaos, the need for overtime and an unhappy client when you don’t finish by the project deadline.

Overtime

Once a project is already off track, there isn’t much to do but crank up the overtime and watch your profit margin shrink by the hour. 

Cleaning Up The Mess

Mulch installation is messy. No matter how carefully you move each load from the drop-off pile to its desired location, you are going to end up with wasted pieces of mulch to pick up at the end.  This can lead to even more unplanned labor hours that can be downright messy for your team and your budget.

A Tied-Up Team

When your entire team is working on a large mulch project, it’s impossible to start anything else. That means if you get behind on one project, you end up behind on the rest of your projects too.  

Mulch placement doesn’t have to turn into a series of unfortunate events that brings you off-track, over-budget, and out of options. There is another way.

Manual Mulch Placement vs Blown-In Mulch Placement

The most successful companies use their people and time efficiently. With blown-in mulch placement you can cut your labor costs, work around the weather, and avoid injuries.  

What is Blown-In Mulch Placement?

The blown-in mulch placement method utilizes specialized blower trucks and expert operators that evenly disperse mulch with precision and speed. With this approach, you avoid the unpredictable process of manual mulch placement, saving you time and protecting your profit margins.

5 Benefits of Blown-In Mulch Placement

Although laying mulch manually is the most well-known method, it definitely isn’t the most efficient method. There are 5 massive benefits that make blown-in mulch placement superior.

Get Done 12 Times Faster

Our blower trucks, guided by experienced team members, can spread mulch 12 times faster than a team could manually. Projects that would take days can now be completed in mere hours, increasing your overall productivity and your profit margins.

Free Up Your Team

When you let Superior Groundcover take over the mulch placement, you’ll be able to re-allocate your team to the tasks that better use their time and skills. Why have your experts labor over mulch when they can be crafting beautiful landscapes or engaging with clients? Our blower trucks can be busy finishing off one project while you start another one.

Increased Predictability

Since we can lay mulch much faster than you could manually, we only need a small window of sunshine to get the job done. Our ability to work around the weather leads to more reliable timelines for you and your customers.

Plus, when you are creating a quote for a new client, you won’t have to use a rough estimate for the labor costs anymore. We will tell you exactly how much mulch blowing will cost before your project starts so you can build it into the budget from the beginning.*

(*We can help you out in a crunch if a project has already started but we prefer to be involved from the start.)

Less Mess

People often assume that mulch blowers would leave a giant mess in their wake. Our team guides the blower truck with precision and accuracy so that there is very little mess. Any stray mulch that does get out of line will be cleaned up and put in its place before we leave.

Although our blower trucks are big, they don’t pose a risk to your property. We are able to maneuver the long blower tube into hard to reach places so that we can place mulch without causing damage.

The Blown-In Mulch Placement Method: A Breath of Fresh Efficiency

Laying mulch doesn’t have to be the bottle-neck that always stalls your projects and gets you off schedule. Blown-in mulch placement gives you more predictability, more control, and greater profit margins.

Although we may be biased, after more than 20 years of business and a 96% client retention rate, we know we aren’t the only ones who see the benefits of blown-in mulch vs the hidden costs of manual mulch placement.

If you are a landscaper in the Midwest with a project that requires 20 cubic yards or more of mulch placement, request an estimate from Superior Groundcover today.  Outsourcing your mulch placement to us can make your projects more efficient and more profitable.

The post Avoid the 5 Hidden Costs of Manual Mulch Placement to Maximize Profits appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

What Can Happen if You Don’t Practice Mulch Maintenance?

Thinning

As your mulch ages, parts of it can be swept away by rain or lost in high winds. There will also be natural attrition from traffic, as the mulch sticks to shoes, clothing, and vehicles before it is carried away. Also, as the mulch begins to decay, it can break apart. All of this can result in areas where the mulch is thin and less effective.

Color Fading

Over time, it is natural for the color of your mulch to fade from sunlight, rain, and natural decay. Since the process happens slowly, you may not notice the change, but adding fresh mulch can renew the rich color that you chose for your landscaping bed or playground in the first place.

Weeds

While mulch will do a great job of preventing weed growth for some time, eventually that will start to fade. Over time, seeds from other plants can get into the mulch and make their way to the topsoil. This is especially true as your mulch begins to thin and it becomes easier for weeds to catch sunlight.

How to Care for Mulch

Replenishing

One of the most effective ways to perform mulch maintenance is to replenish it with a fresh supply. This will allow you to return the color and thickness of your mulch to keep it looking great and prevent weeds from growing. Depending on how long it’s been since the mulch was installed, where it is being used, and how much traffic it is getting, you may not need to fully replace all the mulch. If you’re just looking for a boost to color and thickness, you can add a fresh layer of mulch on top of the area.

Raking

Regularly raking your mulch is a good way to prevent the growth of mold by exposing the lower layers to the sun and air to dry out. It also creates paths for water to seep through the mulch and into the ground, instead of collecting in the mulch itself. Raking will also help break up clumps and keep the mulch from pilling around your plants.

Weeding

Weeds can spread fast, which is why it’s important to get rid of weeds quickly when they turn up in your mulch. You can help prevent the growth of weeds with landscaping fabric and kill them with herbicides or by pulling them out by their roots. 

How Often Should You Perform Playground Surface Maintenance?

It is especially important for schools, municipalities, and other organizations that are in charge of playgrounds to perform regular mulch maintenance. Some schools choose to skip a year of maintenance to save money, but that can cause significant problems. Not only will the mulch not look good, but it can lead to a lawsuit due to unsafe conditions.

Skipping a year of maintenance is also unlikely to save any money. You will likely end up paying double the cost to replenish your mulch the following year because it has fallen so far behind.

In order to keep the playground safe, we recommend that you perform thorough yearly mulch maintenance in the spring and fall to prevent mold, foreign objects, and thinning mulch from becoming a hazard on the playground. Much typically degrades at a rate of one inch per year, but the amount of maintenance you’ll need to perform will depend on the amount of foot traffic that your playground has. For instance, a middle school will need more regular maintenance than a preschool.

The post Why You Need Regular Mulch Maintenance appeared first on Superior Groundcover.

What Is a Mulch Sprayer?

A blower truck is able to carry a large amount of material and apply it directly where it needs to go using a large hose with air blowing through it. This allows the trucks to avoid driving onto your lawn and disturbing the grass, soil, and landscaping. It also allows a small team to complete a material placement job that might have taken an entire day in just a couple of hours.

When Are Mulch Blower Services Used?

Blower trucks can be used with a variety of materials, including mulch, bark, or engineered wood fiber (EWF). At Superior Groundcover we use blower trucks to place sand and certain types of soil. We also use them for our Terraseeding® service, which injects grass seed into the soil, mulch, or compost as it is being placed. Terraseeding allows us to plant the seeds and automatically protect them, which is perfect for areas where it may be difficult for grass to grow.

The Advantages of Using a Mulch Blower Truck

Versatility

The hose of a blower truck allows our team to apply material in hard-to-reach places, including inside crawlspaces and underneath playground equipment. We often apply commercial bark, mulch, and other materials at school districts, parks, businesses, and rental properties. Residential applications include gardens, landscapes, and playgrounds.

Speed

A blower truck can apply and evenly distribute your materials in a fraction of the time it would take to do it the old-fashioned way. Our teams can finish up the job within just a few hours, minimizing the disruption to your school, business, or home.

Efficiency

Using a dump truck, wheelbarrow, and hand tools to deliver and install mulch often leads to a lot of wasted material that gets lost during the process. Using a blower truck not only saves time but also makes sure the material is placed exactly where it needs to go and makes cleanup a breeze.

Mulch Blowing Services Near You

Wondering if Superior offers mulch blower truck services near you? We have one of the largest fleets of blower trucks in the Midwest, and we serve every municipality metropolitan area in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Our fleet allows us to respond to even large-scale projects quickly and effectively.

Why Choose Superior Groundcover?

When Superior Groundcover, Inc. was established in 2000, we brought the first Express Blower® to West Michigan. Since then, we’ve established an expert material placement team that believes in building strong relationships through high-quality work and excellent customer service.

Reviews

“I have worked with Superior Groundcover for over 10 years, they have helped my company install thousands of yards of woodbark/mulch. They are efficient, take care of the details, and competitive in their pricing. I would highly recommend them.”—Jamin D.

“Great company to work with! We have used them for hydro-seeding and mulch installation. Professional, dependable, and efficient with great quality.”—Brent S.

“I use these guys every year to install my bark. They are very professional, friendly, and dependable. Very nice group of people to work with!”—Travis K.

Looking for Blow-in Mulch Near You?

Ready to order a mulch blower truck for your project? Reach out to our team for a free quote.

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