Hello everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. Thank you for joining me on this synthetic turf playground series about seaming. Well, today I am going to speak about part four, seaming tape, adhesive, and compression.

For the last three decades, I have been discussing Synthetic Turf Seam Compression and what I call “Compression Craftsmanship.” Yes, that’s what I did say, Compression Craftsmanship. Proper seam compression can save time and money by preventing seam rupture repairs, particularly on playground surfaces where significant wear and tear is present. Being a true craftsman ensures that the seams last as long as the overall installation.

When installing multiple sections of synthetic turf, it is necessary to combine them to achieve a seamless appearance. However, methods such as stitching using nails, staples, Velcro, or even sticky tape are not recommended for playgrounds due to the continuous movement and risk of causing injury. If you do not use a quality adhesive, you may experience “seam separation” or rupture.

Synthetic turf expands and contracts when exposed to direct sunlight or high temperatures, especially over a playground shock pad. This movement is typically due to the flexible nature of the materials used. However, if the turf, seaming tape, and adhesive are not made from quality materials or maintained, they can move, crack, split, and rupture.

I recommend using a high-quality seaming tape and adhesive to unify the seams. When applied correctly, qualified adhesives will bond the seam together and prevent separation and can endure the entire warranty period of the turf. When installing seams with adhesive, it is crucial to understand that “compression” will create a strong bond between the turf’s backing and the seaming tape. This will help prevent movement and separation of the seams when kids are continuously jumping and running on the playground’s surface, especially in hot climates.

Adhesive Compression allows the adhesive to be forced into voids and capillaries within its adhesive zone and ensures the bonding performance. When the turf is laid upon the seaming tape, the stitch rows on the back of the synthetic turf are elevated above the backing surface, which leaves gaps running along the stitch rows. When the correct adhesive and “TOTAL” compression are applied, the compression will cause the adhesive to fill these stitch row gaps and voids. The compression will also push out any air that may cause future seam separation and rupture.

Optimum performance is achieved when the synthetic turf adhesive is applied with the correct tool, at the correct thickness, and even compression throughout the curing process.

When securing seams on top of a playground shock pad, you must ensure that the seam does not move during its curing process. This is crucial when temperatures are very hot. When the sun is bearing down on your installations, I guarantee you the seams going to move due to expansion and contraction.

In this case, you will need to connect, compress, and secure. This means you must maintain compression on the seamline during the entire curing stage.

Visit me next time, and I will teach you some famous tricks I’ve created to assist the construction of playground seams used worldwide today.
UNTIL THEN?…JW OUT!!!