Rubber Mulch Around Your Pool? Why Not?

Over the years, shredded recycled rubber has proven useful as mulching material for gardens, landscaping, playground surface, and even horse arena infill. Lately, a new trend has emerged to add to all those uses - pool area infill! What exactly are the benefits or installing rubber mulch around your swimming pool?

Less mess

Water combined with wood, sand, or grass always results in a sticky mess. With all the pool water splashing around, organic materials can dirty up the area in no time and make it unsafe and unsanitary. Rubber mulch doesn’t absorb water, but acts as barrier as it lets most of the moisture pass through down to the soil below. This also makes it easier to clean - occasional raking is all it takes to keep it neat and tidy.

Slip-proof and safe

Pebbles and rocks can get slippery when wet. They also won’t provide a soft landing especially in an area that’s always in contact with water. Rubber provides sufficient traction so you won’t have to worry about slipping and sliding when you’re out of the pool. And, if for some reason you still manage to fall in the general vicinity of the pool, rubber mulch can offer the same kind of shock absorbing protection it does in playgrounds and athletic arenas.

Friendlier to bare, wet feet

You can’t expect pool swimmers to be conscientious about wearing rubber flip-flops every time they get out of the pool. The next best thing? Rubber mulch infill. As mentioned, even with bare and wet feet, you can expect shredded rubber to provide traction and prevent slips. With its soft, cushiony material, you will also be free from the splinters, sticky spots, and sharp objects that are often associated with organic mulches.

Easy to install

Installing your rubber mulch pool area infill won’t take up an entire day - less than an hour if you have an aboveground pool. Simply outline the area where you want your shredded rubber infill to go. An aboveground pool can have rubber mulch up until its sides, while an inground one can surround the walkways or deck around it.

First, get rid of any dirt, sharp objects, weeds, and debris from the area, then make a two-inch pit within your demarcation line. Pour sand in this shallow pit and smooth it down with a rake or trowel. Lay down weed barrier over the sand to prevent weeds from growing between the rubber nuggets. Pour the rubber mulch over the barrier and rake to keep the surface even. You now have a poolside rubber mulch infill!

Resources:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/use-rubber-mulch-around-pool-49194.html

http://www.gardenguides.com/81738-use-rubber-mulch-around-pool.html