Natural finish · BS EN 1177
Rubber mulch & resin bound
Bonded recycled rubber with a natural bark look, and permeable resin-bound surfacing — repaired, topped up and laid to compliant fall heights.
Bonded rubber mulch is recycled rubber chipping bound with polyurethane resin and laid in place. It delivers the impact protection of a rubber safety surface while looking like bark chip — which is why it suits woodland trails, natural play areas and any setting where a bright wetpour surface would jar.
It is also forgiving to maintain. Damaged areas can be cut back and re-bonded with fresh material that blends into the surrounding surface, rather than leaving the obvious patch a wetpour repair can produce.
What we do
Repairs and top-ups
Thin patches, worn bays under swings, and areas that have lost depth — cut back and re-bonded with fresh material to restore the rated fall height.
Fraying edges
Edges are where mulch fails first, and once fraying starts it spreads. Cut back to sound material and re-formed, usually within a day.
Weed-affected areas
Where growth has come through from below, patching the top is a waste of money. We cut out the affected area, deal with the membrane underneath, then re-lay.
New installation
Laid over a compacted base with a geotextile membrane and proper drainage, to the depth required by the equipment's free height of fall.
Resin bound
Resin-bound aggregate is a permeable, hard-wearing surface used for the paths, entrances and transition areas around play spaces rather than beneath equipment. It drains freely, resists weeds and takes wheelchairs and buggies well, which makes it a common choice for the routes into a play area.
We repair cracked, lifted or eroded sections, re-form damaged edges, and patch areas that have lost aggregate — matching as closely as the existing weathered surface allows.
Getting the depth right
Every surface is laid to a depth that delivers the critical fall height required by the equipment above it, under BS EN 1177. That figure comes from the specific material's test certificate — not a rule of thumb — and we record the specification in your paperwork so it stands up at the next inspection.
See also wetpour repairs and all safety surfacing.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is bonded rubber mulch?
Recycled rubber chippings bound with polyurethane resin and laid in place over a prepared base. It gives a natural bark-like appearance with the impact absorption of a rubber surface, which is why it suits woodland trails, natural play areas and landscaped settings where wetpour would look out of place.
How does it compare to wetpour?
Mulch looks far more natural and is generally cheaper to lay to deeper fall heights, but it is a more open surface, so it needs a membrane and occasional weed attention. Wetpour is seamless and harder wearing underfoot but reads as a synthetic surface. Both meet BS EN 1177 when laid to the right depth.
Can damaged mulch be topped up rather than replaced?
Yes — that is one of its advantages. Fraying edges, thin patches and worn bays can be cut back and re-bonded with fresh material, blending into the existing surface far more readily than a wetpour patch does.
What about weeds coming through?
A properly installed system sits on a compacted base with a geotextile membrane beneath, which suppresses growth from below. Where weeds have taken hold in an older surface, we cut out the affected area, address the membrane and re-lay.