Protective Surfacing
Hard surfacing materials, such as asphalt, concrete, grass and packed earth, shall not be considered
suitable for use under and around playground equipment. Kan-Go-Roo offers different acceptable play space
surfacing materials to suit your needs. The following are examples of protective surfaces, the advantages and
disadvantages of each of be obtained from the National Standard of Canada CAN/CSA-Z614-07 manual.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Protective Surface
Your guide to helping prevent injuries

Wood Chips/Bark Mulch	Sand	Gravel	Mats or Tiles	Poured-in-Place
Advantage a) Initial cost is low; b) Easy to install c) Good drainage; d) Less abrasive than sand e) Readily available; f) Less attractive than sand to cats and dogs; g) The mildly acidic composition of some woods retards insect infestation and fungal growth h) Users of the playground will generally not use the wood chips for other purposes or play with it	Advantage a) The initial cost is low; b) It is easy to install; c) It does not easily support microbial growth; d) It is readily available; e) It is nonflammable; and f) It is not susceptible to vandalism except by contamination.	Advantage a) The initial cost is low; b) It is easy to install; c) It does not easily support microbial growth; d) It is readily available; e) It is nonflammable; f) It is not susceptible to vandalism except by contamination; and g) It is less attractive than sand to animals.	Advantage a) It requires low maintenance; b) It is easy to clean; c) It provides consistent shock absorbency; d) It is not displaced by children during play activities; e) Life-cycle costs are generally low; f) Good footing can be provided (depending on the surface texture); g) It can harbour few foreign objects; h) Generally, no retaining edges are required; and i) It makes the play space accessible to people with disabilities.	Advantage a) It requires low maintenance; b) It is easy to clean; c) It provides consistent shock absorbency; d) It is not displaced by children during play activities; e) life-cycle costs are generally low; f) It does not require smooth uniform surfaces without deviation in slope; g) Good footing can be provided (depending on the surface texture); h) It can harbour few foreign objects; i) Generally, no retaining edges are required; and j) It makes the play space accessible to people with disabilities