5/11 Important update.. There has been a lot of press lately about the health hazards of Lyme Disease in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Wood mulch is not a safe surfacing product, regardless of cost, when used as ground cover in a playground. Deer ticks habitat is wood based and there can literally be thousands of ticks in a typical backyard play area. While cost is always a critical motivator in how people spend, in the case of playgrounds and deer ticks, cost should not be used to determine what you use to protect your children. One case of Lyme can cause misery to an entire family, cost an enormous amount of money and time, and leave the infected child with a lifetime of potential health problems. Lyme does NOT go away! It lasts a lifetime, even if there are no symptoms, it is still there! Read more details (coming shortly) in our Danger Will Robinson page for more information about this essential information! When it comes to your playground, what's more important than making sure it's safe for your kids to play in and still have fun? With Future Mulch Premium or Playground, you have two options that place the primary emphasis on safety. First, Future Mulch Premium offers the ultimate in soft surface fall protection. There is simply nothing better. When a child falls, and you know they will, many times, they literally 'bounce' and get back up. With the most serious injuries being 'hug and cookie' type boo-boo's, your kids can get right back to the serious job of playing and having fun. With Future Mulch Premium, you don't sacrifice anything. And truthfully, with other products on the market, claiming 99% metal-free, that we'll concede is cheaper, you ultimately get what you pay for. In a 1000 square foot playground, with 9,000 pounds of material, do you want to have your kids running around on 90 POUNDS of needles? That's what you get in those 99% products. 1% may not sound like a lot, but when you realize what you're actually getting, you will understand why we ONLY sell 100% metal-free products. You'd not let your child play with a box of syringes, so why let them play in a playground full of sharp steel fibers? Instead of large chunks, we use a very small particle, that is about the size of pea gravel, so it's soft, durable and not a choke issue. The best combination and safety available today. High use playgrounds, such as schools and day care facilities may appreciate the need for a product that won't be tracked into buildings and classrooms, and still perform the most important aspect of any product. Offering premier safety while allowing for the need for maintainence. One key issue of rubber mulch over wood products is the speed in which it dries. Wood mulch can stay wet two or three days after a heavy rain. With Future Mulch, the kids can be out playing on a DRY surface a few hours later! This is important for playgrounds with lots of kids and not being trapped inside because the ground cover is too wet and muddy! Of course, for a child at home, even a short time being restricted from playing can seem like an eternity! The choice is yours. We offer both types of products, always metal and fiber free for your kids safety. Call our playground specialist and discuss which option is best for you and your kids. And don't forget, we offer all our colors at the same price. There is no additional price for the fancy colors. So, if you have a desire for a hot blue playground, you can get it for the price as black or earthtone brown. And with our new lower pricing, and better shipping rates, we can beat almost anyone's price for the same grades of products. Make sure you talk to us before you buy and let us beat the best price you've found!