Seaming Synthetic Turf Playgrounds - Part 1: Playground Seam Planning

January 30, 2025

PART 1 – Playground Seam Planning

Holy playground poles Batman!!! This is what I said when I arrived at the Dennis the Menace City Park in Midland Texas to witness not one, but four huge playgrounds with so many poles that they looked like porcupines!

For decades, I have taught installers how to cut and seam around many objects. The most challenging seaming process for me has always been cutting and seaming around playground poles. Actually, cutting around the pole itself is quite easy; it’s all the other stuff that comes before it that makes the process difficult. This month, I will start a series and explain what it takes to be successful at seaming synthetic turf playgrounds.

“Fail to plan? Or “Plan to fail?” You’ve heard that before or you can plan on visible seams.
Installing synthetic turf at playgrounds must start with a written plan. It is crucial to design a plan and/or schematic of the layout according to the synthetic turf roll sizes. I recommend having fewer seams than worrying about saving a dollar. If you need to cut three foot from an entire roll to place the seamline down the playground poles embedded in concrete, then you must do this. Having a seam in areas with high traffic will reduce the longevity of the entire system.

If you’re wanting to be an expert in playground installations, you may want to purchase a drone. Yes, a drone. Drone shots are beneficial for better viewing of how the team should layout and place the seams, especially after the holes are dug. These images are what I call “Drone-Planning.” Drone shots that are taken from above allow the capability of planning a better installation and where the seams will be placed. As you can see in the drone images above, sections of synthetic turf will need to be centered and hidden at playground poles.

After the playground equipment has been installed, it is essential to conduct field measurements to verify that the seam layout aligns with the plans, schematics, and playground poles.

So, be ready to reconfigure the entire plan or schematic when you get on-site. This will ensure that the synthetic turf cuts and placement measurements are accurate.

Come join me next time when I speak on PART 2 of this playground seaming series “seaming playgrounds over poorly installed shock pads.” Until next time, JW OUT!

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