Not All Tile is Created Equal

Posted by Bob Maydonik on May 18th, 2011 | Category Blog

Rubber Tile, like most products, is available in varying sizes, thicknesses, and quality. It’s been an uphill battle for us to prove that not all tile is created equal. The bottom line: there’s a lot to consider before someone can make an informed decision about which tile to choose. Here are some of the issues to consider when choosing a rubber tile for your playground.

1) HIC RATING:

Playground standards in North America require that playground surfacing pass only the minimum (1000 HIC). HIC stands for Head Injury Criteria. HIC is determined by dropping a special steel ball on a surface and taking an electronic reading about the impact. Any impact score over 1000 HIC indicates a serious head injury from a fall. A playground surface that gets a score of 1000 HIC is like a roof that has 1 month left before it leaks or tires that are near bald. A playground surface should score 1000 HIC after more than a decade of use, not brand new.

My advice: Ask your supplier what the HIC (pronounced ‘hick’) rating is for their tiles from your required fall height . The HIC rating should beat the standard by at least 25%. For example, a HIC score of 650 would indicate a very safe surface. If the HIC rating for your fall height is higher than 900 or they don’t know what a HIC rating is, find a new supplier.

Triax test measuring HIC rating

2) FALL HEIGHT:

Tile thicknesses protect against varying heights. Some manufacturers produce flimsy tiles that have a lot of impact attenuation, but lack the structural integrity needed to last over time in a commercial playground setting. Other manufacturers measure the fall impact attenuation based on HIC minimums. So any tile that passes anywhere under 1000 HIC from a given height is marketed as the appropriate tile for that height. As a result, customers become confused when one manufacturer’s 2″ tile protects against 4′ of fall height and another manufacturer’s 2″ protects against 6′ of fall height.

My advice: ask for tile quotes based on required fall height, not tile thickness.

3) LOCKING SYSTEM:

How are the tiles stuck together? Rubber tiles expand and contract more than most building materials or products. If the tiles are not unified somehow, gaps will form between tiles during colder weather. When debris gets into these contraction gaps, the tiles cannot close back together and the overall surface will fail to function as it’s supposed to.

My advice: ask your suppliers to explain how the tiles lock together. The tiles should remain unified as one monolithic surface at all times. If rubber tiles are merely linked with dowels or are installed with ‘compression fit’, move on. These methods are inadequate. Tiles should have a locking system. Most good locking systems have been patented by their manufacturers. In addition to the locking system, the tiles should be glued together with manufacturer specified adhesive. In other words, the seams between the tiles should be filled with adhesive.

The patented KrosLOCK system by SofSurfaces

4) INSTALLATION:

Getting a quality tile is just the first part of the battle. Proper installation is absolutely crucial to the performance and longevity of the surface. Whoever will be installing your tile surface should be trained by their tile manufacturer in how to install their tiles. Spacing, sub-surface, drainage, cutting, expansion/contraction, adhesion, fall heights, tile storage, repairs, etc. are all issues that an installation crew should be trained on. If a rubber play surface is installed correctly, it will look, last, and perform a lot better.

My advice: Ask your supplier if their install crew has been trained and certified by the tile manufacturer. They may have experience installing tiles and have built 100 playgrounds, but if they have not been specifically trained by the tile manufacturer to install, move on.