HOW DO WE START PLANNING A COMMERCIAL PARK OR PLAYGROUND PROJECT?
Typically your budget and the space available help you determine the starting point of your project. Projects fall into the categories of new space and designs; tear-out and re-do; or adding onto an existing area. If you don’t have a budget and only know that you have a need, call us as soon as possible. Noah’s can help you put together a realistic budget to take to present to your committee, community or group.
WHAT TYPES OF PLAYGROUNDS ARE CONSIDERED "PUBLIC"?
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Commercial or non-residential child care facilities
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Neighborhood Parks, Apartments and Condominiums
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City and State Parks
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Restaurants
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Resorts/Recreational Developments
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Schools
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Other areas of Public Use where a playground is not fenced, but open to the general public
WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO GET THE BEST VALUE FOR MY BUDGET?
In order to help find the right playground options to best fit your budget and expectations please provide the following information. The targeted Age Range of kids the playground will be designed around:
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2 to 5 year olds
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2 to 12 year olds
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5 to 12 year olds
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Total allocated area for your new playground
As a general rule you need to allow no less than 72 inches from all sides of the play structure.§ ASTM F1487-11 states: “There shall be a use zone for each play structure which shall consist of obstacle-free surfacing that conforms to Specification F1292 appropriate for the fall height of equipment. The dimensions and configuration of the use zone shall be dependent upon the type of equipment
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS OF SAFETY SURFACING?
Here is a list of them, however use this link to the CPSC "Public Playground Safety Handbook (Page 10 has a table to use to determine amounts and depths)
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Engineered Wood Fiber for Playgrounds
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Depth of 9” of Loose Fill EWF protects to a 7’ Fall Height
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Shredded/Recycled Rubber
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Depth of 6” of Loose Fill Rubber protects to a 10’ Fall Height
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Sand
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Depth of 9” of Loose Fill Sand protects to a 4’ Fall Height
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Pea Gravel (River Rock – Maximum size of stone: 0.375”)
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Depth of 9” of Loose Fill Pea Gravel protects to a 5’ Fall Height
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Bonded Rubber Mulch
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Poured & Place Bonded Rubber
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Artificial Turf
WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING MY BUDGET?
You will need to take into consideration the following:
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Equipment costs: The hard costs of all the equipment you want or need. Often the age of and number of people who will be using the equipment is a good starting point when you start considering what equipment you need.
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Shipping/Freight Costs: Items will ship to our warehouse or your location. It can be more expensive to ship to a client location if they are not ready to receive freight (palletized items must be removed from large trucks).
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Installation Costs: Labor can run between 25% to 40% of a project. Noah’s offers installation options that can reduce these costs substantially.
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Additional Landscaping Features: trees, dirt work, needed land surveys, sidewalks, parking lots, lighting, etc. Here at Noah’s we strive to be all about the park and playground equipment. We partner with other companies for these types of services and equipment when needed. In many instances our clients may even have their own local contacts or companies they wish to use for these types of items and service. We’re good with that!
CAN YOU HELP US WITH JUST ONE OR TWO ITEMS FOR OUR EXISTING PLAYGROUND?
Absolutely! We help organizations add to their existing parks and playgrounds all the time! We also help you with plans to tear-out old, unsafe equipment, and offer assistance with planning and budgeting of new, safe items. Adding to existing parks and playgrounds can greatly increase the play value for your community.
DO YOU CARRY CERTIFIED, SAFE PRODUCTS?
Yes. Noah’s Park and Playgrounds strives for safety in all aspects of design and planning. How do we do this? We are always looking for the highest quality made products at the most reasonable prices for our clients. While most manufacturers and suppliers have IPEMA certified products, as well as products that follow U.S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) in design function and use, most do not certify their ENTIRE product offering. Why? Primarily due to the cost and time of getting certifications for every single item.