With the hot Summer weather drawing near, the kiddos in your community will want to start playing on the playground more frequently. Before they swarm the equipment, check out these CAI maintenance tips for playgrounds.
Clean the equipment
If you’re thinking like a parent or childcare worker, you probably just imagined yourself wiping everything down with Wet Ones. Don’t worry; there is a faster way!
The first thing you might want to do when inspecting the playground equipment in your community is have it power washed. This will not only remove any dirt or mud buildup but also allow you to see any imperfections or damaged areas of the equipment more clearly.
Check structures for insect nests
Lots of insects hate cold weather and to them, the underside of playground
equipment is a good place to build a home. Have your maintenance crew
walk the entire playground area, even the seating areas, and check for insect
nests.
You might this unnecessary because parents should be responsible for keeping their kids from bothering the insects, but there are always parents that are less attentive than you might think. The last thing you want is an angry parent holding
you responsible for their child getting stung by a bee when they’re deathly allergic.
Think “Safety First”
Take this time to have your maintenance crew tighten or replace any loose bolts
on the playground. This is especially important in cases where there are multiple slides or levels to the playground, and if your community is home to lots of children.
If you find any rusty areas on metal playground equipment, or any warped or
damaged areas on plastic playground equipment, consider getting a bid to repair it.
Playground equipment probably isn’t at the top of your Board’s list of priorities
and that’s okay. Just know that to build a new playground set from the ground up,
it can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000. For higher-end communities
that want even nicer equipment, it can cause ten times this much. In the off
chance that your community playground does need some major repairs, know
that it’s cheaper to maintain it than to rebuild it.
Budget for resurfacing
This is especially important if the playground has wood chips or tire mulch. Even if you don’t plan to completely replace the surfacing, make sure you budget to have it raked and leveled, especially under the swings and slides.
If you’re not sure if you should resurface your community’s playground, Classic Construction recommends reading the Texas Health and Safety Code regarding playground surfacing. You’ll want to make sure your current playground is up to code before worrying about whether or not it’s in good enough condition to leave in place.
Community playgrounds are amenities that do an excellent job of bringing communities together. They get kids and parents out of their homes and into connection and conversation with each other. To make sure your community playground can continue to provide this invaluable service, take some time to schedule the inspection today.