[Nathan Zachary]

"The reason they are black is, I would assume, is aesthetic, mainly because they are not intended to ever be seen. I have never seen just black mats. We always put a light mulch over them usually 4 inches but dependent mainly on the type of mulch used. I think the smart schools, playgrounds etc. just use mulch and nothing else. In my experience, sand is a no-no. It quickly becomes cat poo and where there are kids, they are going to throw sand. The school is quickly filled with kids with eye injuries, sand and cat poo. :)

Oh, so in otherwords, you are one of those Liberals.
Kids throwing sand is bad right? Never mind kids falling or landing in it at the bottom of a slide, after all, a cat may have poo'd in it. (not likely, cats knew better to hang around playgrounds where evil little kids might swing it by the tail and launch it into the wading pool)

Of course Liberal nanny's can never fathom the thought little johnny can be so cruel.

[WildcatClan]

I don’t think I have ever been described as a liberal. But yes, children or anyone else throwing sand is bad. Apparently the kids aren’t as evil now as when you were one, ‘cuz sand lots quickly become turd lots.

I am not particularly keen on the rubber mats either, but the customer is always right. I prefer the in-place pours, rubber mulch covered with a half inch elastomeric coating or just plain old-fashioned mulch. It has nothing to do with being a liberal.

It is about providing a service to a customer in what has become a ridiculously litigious society. One injury can mean big dollar settlements or jury awards. It is thought of as school money and city money, but it isn’t. It is your money, my money, the taxpayers money. Daycares are small enterprises and only ever one ambulance-chaser away from being out of bidness. I have only contracted for sand fill twice and the last was 5 years ago. Parents despise sand.