Rubber Mulch Coverage Calculator for Play Zones

In order to determine the amounts of rubber mulch that you need to purchase for an area, you must perform the calculation. If you dont perform the calculation correct, you will end up with either too much rubber mulch or too little rubber mulch. Too much rubber mulch may mean that you will have to store the rubber mulch you have purchased, while too little rubber mulch could mean that the area that you plan to cover with rubber mulch will have thin spot.

To determine how deep to make your rubber mulch area, you must consider the use of the rubber mulch. For instance, if you are using the rubber mulch as a playground under swing set or playground slides, the depth should be between six and nine inch deep. Such depths will provide a cushion for children that falls out of the playground equipment.

How to Calculate How Much Rubber Mulch You Need

However, if you are using the rubber mulch for gardening use, such as garden beds or under trees, you should only go between two and four inches deep into the ground. Rubber mulch does not settle as much as wood mulch, but it does settles slightly over time. The shape of the area that you wish to treat with rubber mulch will determine how you calculate the area that you need to cover with rubber mulch.

For rectangular areas, you can calculate the area by multiplying the length of the area by the width of the area. For circular areas, you can use the radius of the circle as well as the constant pi (3.14) to calculate the area that needs to be covered. For L-shaped area, you can calculate the area of the large rectangle and then subtract the area of the smaller rectangle to find the area of the L-shaped plot.

For tree wells in the shape of a ring, you can calculate the area of the outer circle and subtract the area of the smaller inner circle to find the area of the ring. Add ten percent to the total area that you calculate to allow for settling of the rubber mulch as well as to account for areas that you may have to add to the edge of the plots. The type of rubber mulch also has some impact upon the amount that you will need to purchase.

For instance, crumb rubber mulch is lighter in weight than shredded rubber mulch; crumb rubber mulch weighs between 450 and 550 pounds per cubic yard. Additionally, you can spread crumb rubber mulch easier by hand than shredded rubber mulch. Shredded rubber mulch is denser than crumb rubber mulch at up to 650 pounds per cubic yard of shredded rubber mulch.

Additionally, shredded rubber mulch holds its position on slopes in the ground more better than crumb rubber mulch. However, the weight of the rubber mulch will impact how many delivery truck will be required to deliver the rubber mulch to the job site, as well as how many wheelbarrow loads will have to transport the rubber mulch. To calculate how much rubber mulch you should purchase, you can use the following step.

Multiply the size of the area in square feet by the depth in feet to find the total cubic feet of rubber mulch that is required. Divide that total by 27 to find how many cubic yards of rubber mulch are required. If you are purchasing bags of rubber mulch, you will have to divide the total cubic feet that are calculated by the volume of each bag of rubber mulch.

For example, if a bag of rubber mulch is 0.8 cubic feet, then dividing the total number of cubic feet will reveal the total number of bags of rubber mulch that will be needed. There are a few mistake that many individuals make when calculating the amount of rubber mulch that will be required for a given area. For instance, some individuals will forget to measure the inside of the borders of the plots.

Therefore, their calculations for the area can be incorrect. Another mistake that many people make is underestimating the amount of rubber mulch that will compact when it rains. Therefore, they will need to buy more rubber mulch in advance so that the rubber mulch can compact after it rains.

Finally, some people make the mistake of overbuying bags of rubber mulch. Once you have opened rubber mulch bags, they are difficultly to return. After purchasing the rubber mulch, you can begin to install it into the plots.

If you are dealing with a depth of rubber mulch that is very great, you should install the rubber mulch in layers. Lay the rubber mulch in lifts of six inches in height. Spread the rubber mulch into the plots and rake the rubber mulch until the rubber mulch is level.

Add water to the rubber mulch to moisten it. Finally, install steel or plastic edging around the plots. Rubber mulch needs to be contain within the plots.

Afterwards, the maintenance of the rubber mulch areas is very simple. You will only need to rake the rubber mulch and add more rubber mulch once a year.