Landscape Rubber Mulch
Cost Effective & Eco-Friendly • Promotes Plant Health
Use Rubber Mulch for a Better & Healthier Landscape
GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch is an innovative & eco-friendly ground cover material
Landscape Rubber Mulch is perfect for:
Commercial Landscapes
HOA/Neighborhood Landscapes
City/County/State Park Landscapes
B2B/Corporate Facility Playgrounds
Municipal Building Playgrounds
Hospitality Facility Landscapes
Rubber mulch is the smart choice for all landscape mulch and ground cover applications. Rubber mulch not only looks better 365 days a year, year after year, it’s more durable, cost-effective, maintenance free, and eco-friendly than wood mulch, stone, and other landscape ground cover materials.
Unlike wood mulch, rubber mulch used in landscaping doesn’t attract termites, carpenter ants or other harmful wood destroying insects so it’s the ideal mulch for use around buildings, foundations, and wood structures. As a result, rubber mulch helps reduce the need for harsh insect control chemicals in and around the landscape.
Landscaping rubber mulch supports plant health by allowing water and nutrients to pass directly into the soil versus being absorbed and trapped, like in wood mulch. Additionally, it forms an insulating layer over the soil surface which helps protect the soil from hot summer and cold winter temperatures. Rubber mulch also helps prevent weeds, further reducing the need for harsh weed control chemicals in and around the landscape.
Rubber Mulch can help construction projects earn LEED credits. Smart solutions like rubber mulch not only save time and money, they are smart for the environment. As a green landscaping material, GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch helps to saves trees and earns Green Building (LEED) Credits.
Eco-Friendly
Discourages Pests
Encourages Plant Growth
Cost Savings
Landscape Rubber Mulch Benefits
Long-lasting, cost effective landscape ground cover
- Saves time and money by eliminating annual mulching
Up to 73% savings versus wood mulch in landscape applications
Requires up to 50% less material than engineered wood fiber (EWF) or wood mulch
Earn construction project LEED credits
- Inhibits growth of mold and fungi, reducing allergy risk
Does not float, absorb water, erode or blow away with heavy wind or rain
Landscape Rubber Mulch Features
- 12 year Color-Lock guarantee
- Helps prevent weeds
- Does not attract termites, carpenter ants or other harmful wood destroying insects
- Resists rodent infestation
- Will not rot unlike engineered wood fiber (EWF) or wood mulch
- 100% Recycled Rubber
- 99.9% Wire Free
- Non-toxic
Landscape Rubber Mulch Cost Benefits
Products like wood mulch and engineered wood fiber (EWF) break down and decompose. As a result, the cost and maintenance of your landscape ground cover using wood mulch or engineered wood fiber (EWF) significantly increases over time.
73% COST SAVINGS
Rubber Mulch vs Wood Mulch/Engineered Wood Fiber
Over 12 Year Period
Rubber Mulch Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch helps prevent weeds. Weeds can’t germinate and grow in rubber mulch like they can in wood mulch. For maximum weed protection, we recommend installing a geotextile or weed block fabric under GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch or any groundcover material for that matter.
Yes, unlike wood mulch that recommends avoiding use near foundations and wood structures, GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch can be used directly against a home or building foundation and wood structures. That’s because GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch does not attract or harbor termites, carpenter ants and other harmful wood destroying insects like wood mulch can.
Yes, rubber mulch is safe for use around plants in your landscaping.
GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch is a leading producer of rubber mulch for landscaping, and has been used successfully by homeowners and businesses for years. Using rubber mulch in your landscaping is the healthier choice for plants because it: allows for water and nutrients to reach plant roots that other mulches retain, it doesn’t attract pests that can often damage plants, and helps prevent weeds leading to less chemical use for control.
No, GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch comes with a 12 year color-lock guarantee. GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch looks great 365 days a year, year after year, and it’s more durable, cost-effective, maintenance free and eco-friendly than wood mulch, stone and other common landscape groundcover materials.
New or Existing Landscapes:
- Landscape areas should be graded for proper drainage and comprised of a soil conducive for growing and maintaining healthy plant material.
- Landscape surface areas must be cleared of all grass, wood chips, rocks, stumps, gravel, or any other type of debris.
Installation of a commercial grade geotextile landscape fabric is recommended under GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch. Landscape fabric should be properly secure and all seams should overlap a minimum of three inches
GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch should be installed and maintained at a depth of 1.5” to 2” throughout the installed landscape areas.
We are often asked if rubber mulch is safe for dogs and children if it is accidentally eaten. GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch has been tested using the European toy test method EN 71-3 which determines if heavy and toxic metals will leach out of a product when exposed to stomach acid should a person or pet consume a piece. Nothing was determined to leach out of GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch when exposed to stomach acid.
GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch is 99.9% metal free, making it safe for both children and pet to play on. The Environmental Protection Agency has studied rubber mulch and found it to be a safe, non- toxic material, posing no health hazards to pets or people.
Dogs and small children are prone to chew on anything (including other surfacing materials like wood mulch, grass, dirt) so be sure to monitor them if you’re concerned about them chewing on rubber mulch. As with any accidental ingestion, it is always best to monitor them until the non-food object passes. It should pass without incident but a digestive blockage is always a risk, so consult your veterinarian or doctor if you have greater concerns.
Leaves and small branches can be blown off the surface with careful use of a leaf blower. The coating does not stain or absorb odors from urine. GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch’s color can be freshened with the use of a mild detergent and a power washer on a low setting.
In order to provide maximum head impact protection and accessibility of the playground or training area, maintenance is required. A level, compacted depth of rubber mulch must be maintained.
Upon discovery of a thin, un-compacted or non-level condition, the surface of the area must be raked and compacted to ensure consistent and proper installed depths.
Periodic replenishment may be required if your rubber mulch has migrated outside of the surface area, cannot be reclaimed and a level compact depth for the required fall height protection cannot be achieved.
Related Rubber Mulch Installation Questions
Install GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch at a uniform level throughout the surface area. Any variety of method can be used for spreading the mulch including blowing, shoveling and raking. Care should be taken to not disturb the substrate material and/or landscape fabric if used.
The amount of rubber mulch used per square foot is dependent upon on the required fall height rating of the playground equipment. Rubber mulch is IPEMA certified to provide up to 16’ of critical fall height protection per ASTM F1292-13. To achieve a maximum fall heights when installed in fall zones of a playground, the following depths and ratios must be followed:
Fall Height Protection per ASTM F1292-13 |
Un-Compacted Depth |
Final Compacted Depth |
Weight per Sq. Ft. Compacted |
Up To 16 FT. |
7" |
6" |
15.3 lbs |
Up To 12 FT. |
6" |
5" |
13.1 lbs |
Up To 10 FT. |
5" |
4" |
10.9 lbs |
Proper compaction can be achieved by using a lawn roller. Once the rubber mulch is raked and leveled into place, the lawn roller can be pulled directly over the surface. It is recommended to roll the roller across the surface in multiple directions. If low or high spots develop while compacting the surface, material can be added into the low areas and/or raked away from the high areas and compacted again.
To reduce maintenance of your rubber mulch in high use areas where critical fall height protection is not required, rubber mats may be used. Mats can be placed under or on top of the rubber mulch.
Related Rubber Mulch Installation Questions
It’s a best practice to lay your mulch down when the soil has warmed up from the winter season. We advise laying mulch down during mid to late spring. Mulching too early can slow down the warming process and negatively affect plant life for seasons to come.
Spring is also the best time to check for debris from the winter such as dead plants and weeds. Be sure to clean out this area before laying down a new layer of mulch.
Not sure how much recycled rubber mulch you need for your project? Try our coverage calculator.
Prior to installing rubber mulch the area must be cleared of all grass, wood chips, rocks, stumps, gravel, or any other type of debris.
Related Rubber Mulch Installation Questions
The area where rubber mulch will be installed must be graded for proper drainage with a substrate that is compacted to provide a firm, even base.
Installation of a commercial grade geotextile landscape fabric is recommended under rubber mulch. Seam overlap needs to be a minimum of three inches and all seams need to be properly secured to prevent dirt or other substrate material from mixing with the safety surfacing. Additionally the landscape fabric needs to be properly secured at the perimeter and around all installed equipment posts or polls. If stone or other material is used as part of a drainage system then the use of landscape fabric is also recommended in order to ensure that the materials do not mix.
If rubber mulch will be installed above grade, use of a retaining system is highly recommended to reduce migration of rubber mulch outside of the designated area and to help maintain a level, compacted play area.
When installing over hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete, follow the November 2010 Consumer Product Safety Commission Publication 325 Public Playground Safety Handbook section 2.4.2.3 Installing loose-fill over hard surface. This guideline recommends that immediately over the hard surface there should be a 3-6 inch base layer of loose-fill (e.g., gravel for drainage). The next layer should be a Geotextile cloth. rubber mulch should be installed directly over this layer. Embedded in the rubber mulch should be impact attenuating mats under high traffic areas, such as under swings, at slide exits, and other places where displacement is likely.
Prior to installing rubber mulch the area must be cleared of all grass, wood chips, rocks, stumps, gravel, or any other type of debris.
Related Rubber Mulch Installation Questions
Landscaping Examples Using GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch
How Much Rubber Mulch Do You Need?
Rubber Mulch Coverage Calculator for Your Landscape Project
Calculator Directions
Select Your Planned Usage
Select your Installed Depth
Enter Your Dimensions
We’ve put together an easy to use rubber mulch coverage calculator so you can easily figure out how much rubber mulch you’ll need to cover your project. Simply input your dimensions and we’ll tell you how much you need!
Coverage Calculator
4 Steps to a Safe & Beautiful Landscape using Rubber Mulch
CALCULATE
ORDER
DELIVER
INSTALL
GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch Takes the LEED on Sustainable Landscaping
Earn LEED Credits for your construction project landscaping
GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch can help construction projects earn LEED credits. Smart solutions like, GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch save not only save time and money, but are great for the environment. As a green landscaping material, GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch helps save trees and earns Green Building (LEED) Credits.
LEED certification means healthier, more productive places, reduced stress on the environment by encouraging energy and resource-efficient buildings, savings from increased building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs.
So whether you’re building new construction or remodeling, take the LEED with GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch in your next landscape project.
LEED Credit |
How GroundSmart™ |
LEED Points |
|
|
Material & Resource Credit - 4.1, 4.2 Recycled Content |
Manufactured from recycled tire rubber, for a total of 98.5% recycled content. |
2 |
|
Material & Resource Credit - 5.1, 5.2 Regional Materials |
Manufactured at five strategically located manufacturing facilities with a significant portion of the population being located within a 500 mile radius of a facility. |
2 |
|
Site Stewardshp Credit - 6.1, 6.2 Storm Water Design |
Permeable and allows rain water to drain diretly into the soil below, reducing storm water runoff. |
2 |
|
Water Efficiency Credit - 1.1 Water Efficient Landscaping |
Does not absorb water, allowing water to penetrate directly to the root system and reducing the amoung of irrigation needed. |
1 |
GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch products are available at major lawn & garden retailers, mass merchandisers, and garden centers
Shop Now for GroundSmart™ Landscape Rubber Mulch
Find the perfect landscape rubber mulch color to match any project in any environment
Cedar Red
Customer Rated:
Mocha Brown
Customer Rated:
Espresso Black
Customer Rated:
Green
Customer Rated:
Blue
Customer Rated:
Shop Now for GroundSmart™ Landscape Rubber Mulch
Find the perfect landscape rubber mulch color to match any project in any environment
Cedar Red
Customer Rated:
Mocha Brown
Customer Rated:
Espresso Black
Customer Rated:
Green
Customer Rated:
