5 tips for choosing rubber tiles for paths, cottages and playgrounds

To cover children’s and sports grounds, garden paths, adjoining territories and parking lots, a material is needed that is wear-resistant, resistant to moisture and sunlight, safety, durable, non-slip, and at the same time would be nice and easy to care for. Finding the best option is not easy, and 15-20 years ago, you would have to be content with only more or less suitable material, but today there are rubber tiles that can withstand the most difficult operating conditions. Since the material is new, not everyone understands well how to choose a rubber tile, and which one is better for arranging playgrounds and sports grounds, adjoining territories or garden paths. Deal with the main aspects of a competent choice.

No. 1. Production Features

The idea to produce a completely new type of flooring came about when too many used and already accumulated in the world unnecessary car tires. Production technology involves processing and grinding car tires with receipt rubber crumbs (size fraction 1-5 mm). Color and modifying fillers and a special composition of polyurethane are added to it, the mass is processed under the influence of high temperature and pressure, and as a result, a strong and durable material is obtained. Those who care about the state of the environment can be doubly satisfied with the purchase of rubber tiles: they helped save the planet and got a high-quality floor covering.

No. 2. Advantages of Rubber Tile

The popularity of rubber tiles is growing rapidly: it quickly went from an unknown material to a bestseller. The reasons lie in the many advantages of rubber tiles:

• record wear resistance. The material does not wear, is not subject to the formation of chips, does not deform under the influence of loads and when heavy objects fall. After several years of use in public places with a heavy load (children's and sports grounds, entrance groups), the material does not lose its original appearance;
• durability. Rubber tiles will last about 10 years, and this is in the open air and under constant loads and negative impacts;
• water resistance allows you to operate the material for arrangement of sites basin;
• anti-slip effect It is achieved due to the rough surface, so when moisture accumulates on the tile, it will be impossible to slip. In winter, ice does not form on its surface, so this is an ideal option for arranging steps and tracks;
• shock absorbing properties. Since the tile surface is slightly springy, impacts on the material are softened, reducing the risk of injury. That is why it is so often used for arranging playgrounds and sports grounds;
• ease of care. The coating to maintain cleanliness can sometimes be washed with a hose - nothing more is required;
• resistance to temperature extremes, ultravioletaggressive environments biological resistance;
• Attractive appearance variety of shapes and colors.

Among the minuses there is only a fire hazard, so it is not recommended to use the material near open sources of fire.

All of these benefits apply only to quality productsmade with all the requirements and standards. Unscrupulous manufacturers sin using cheap dyes and poor polyurethane adhesives, so the durability and wear resistance of the resulting coating is greatly affected. You need to buy products only after studying the quality certificates. Another evidence of manufacturer reliability - warranty. One of the leaders in the domestic market for the production of rubber tiles EcoSpline, for example, provides a guarantee for all rubber tiles for a year, supplying products with certificates of compliance with GOST.

No. 3. Rubber tile thickness

If the length and width of the tile largely depend on the chosen shape and, in principle, do not affect anything other than a purely aesthetic perception, then a lot depends on the thickness of the material. Today, manufacturers offer rubber tiles. 1 to 4 cm thick, sometimes there are products with a thickness of 4.5 cm. The choice depends on the scope of use:

• rubber tile 1 cm thick Suitable for arranging the territory near the house or cottage, areas for walking, as well as parking. It is necessary to mount such a tile on a previously prepared base of concrete screed or asphalt on polyurethane adhesive. Despite the small thickness, the material has excellent wear-resistant properties and can in fact be used wherever there are large and industrial loads;
• rubber tiles 1.6 and 2 cm thick can be used in areas with more significant point and distributed loads. These are gyms, platforms near the pool, warehouses, bike paths, sidewalks, as well as parking lots. Tiles are laid on a pre-prepared base of concrete, asphalt or wood, fixed with polyurethane adhesive;
• rubber tile 3 cm thick It has pronounced depreciation properties, and, consequently, increased injury safety. In addition, the material has good vibration and sound insulation qualities, copes with large loads of various types (long and short-term, point and distributed). This tile is used to cover sports fields, treadmills, production and storage facilities, can also be used for decoration playgrounds. They lay the material on a ready-made solid foundation, which may not be ideal - small potholes, cracks and other defects will be hidden by a tile of this thickness;
• rubber tile 4 cm thick suitable for children’s playgrounds and school grounds, to which the requirements of increased safety are put forward. The material has unique cushioning, sound and vibration insulation properties. The peculiarity lies in the possibility of laying such tiles not only on a solid pre-prepared base, but also on a loose well-compacted base (sand, crushed stonesoil). In the latter case, special bushings are used for fastening, and the lower part of the tile has a pronounced relief for maximum adhesion to the base surface;
• rubber tile 4.5 cm thick - material that is difficult to find an analogue in performance. EcoSpline also has a few other manufacturers. It can be used to equip sites with significant loads of any kind, mounted both on a prepared solid base and on an unprepared bulk.
  

Number 4. Appearance and color

There can be no concrete advice on choosing the color of the tile - focus on your own preferences and the color of the adjacent buildings. Among the most common shades are dark red, blue, terracotta, black and green, but manufacturers are ready to offer a ton of other shades and even make tiles the necessary shade for an individual orderbut it will cost more than the standard option.Within the same area, you can use several tile colors to achieve interesting effects.

As for the form, there is also a rich variety, and you can choose from these options:

• square tile - A universal option for arranging sites of any type;
• tile "coil" and "wave" They have an interesting shape and from a distance resemble the usual paving slabsare mounted with the offset of each new row relative to the previous one. The result is a highly decorative coating that is optimally suited for arranging sites near the house;
• brick tile has concise forms, similar to paving stones, ideal for arranging garden paths, entrance groups and grounds;
• grid tile differs in a characteristic pattern, used for arranging small areas, as well as tracks;
• tile "spider line" so named due to the characteristic pattern, which is formed when laying four tiles. It covers children's and sports grounds, terraces, courtyards, exhibition halls;
• rubber curb - these are 4.5 cm thick tiles that can be used forcitizenship sites and tracks, preventing them from spreading, or as an independent coating for the arrangement of areas with increased load.

No. 5. The largest manufacturers of rubber tiles

The most reliable and easiest way to choose a really high-quality and durable rubber tile is to give preference to the products of reputable manufacturers. Among all the companies represented in the domestic market, it is worth highlighting the products of the following:

• EcoSpline Is a metropolitan company operating since 2009. The production of flooring from rubber crumb is the main activity. Since 2015, the company independently processes tires into rubber crumb, which allows you to control all stages of production. We are developing our own equipment that would fully meet the production technology used. The range includes tiles of various shapes, thicknesses and colors, custom production is possible. Deliveries are made to all regions of Russia, as well as to Belarus and Kazakhstan, products are certified;
• LLC "Dmitrovsky plant RTI" - Another metropolitan enterprise. Founded in 2012, it processes tires and produces rubber tiles. The company is equipped with modern equipment that allows you to work with large volumes of raw materials. Products meet all hygiene and sanitary standards. Tiles of different colors and shapes are produced, the assortment also has anti-slip linings and systems for stairs;
• Good Deal LLC produces rubber tiles under the brand name Art Prime. The company is located in the Tver region, delivers to the nearest regions. The range of products is wide, including tiles of all the forms described above. The advantages include a long warranty and design development services;
• Ecostep, a subsidiary of Exponent LLC, manufactures rubber tiles using a unique patented technology. The quality of the products is the highest, and the range includes, in addition to standard forms of tiles, also products with drawings intended for the arrangement of playgrounds;
• Festen halt - A company with a wide geography of sales produces rubber tiles of different thicknesses, colors and shapes. Loses competitors in assortment, but not in quality.

Finally, we note that installation of a rubber tile is a simple process that does not require special preparation, and this is another advantage of the coating and a significant reason for its popularity.