When we install a play structure, we understand that the outdoors take a toll on everything. Too often our inspectors have visited sites with creaky, wobbling decks and handrails; you know, the “safe” part. Playground activity has an inherent risk, and as such we decided that the best play structure was a pre-assembled, fully welded product.
We use specially galvanized tube and pipe for excellent rust inhibition. Our paint is a specially-formulated graffiti resistant UV paint, and we use an aluminum insert for our decks that’s completely recyclable.
With a 6-8 week delivery time frame, we’re right up there with the big boys for getting it done. You’ll have detailed drawings and renderings of your designs right away, and before you know it you’ll be watching us drop a fully assembled play structure in place.
The first time you see one of our structures go in, you’ll be impressed. We break each structure up into manageable chunks, find the center of gravity for each one and literally pick-and-place our pieces. Even better, the whole thing rests on stringers, which means no drilling, which is nice.
There’s no question a welded connection will outperform a mechanical connection every time; so why would you want anything else? All our welders are CWB certified, so there’s no question we provide a quality solution. Every play structure is inspected by hand during the prep phase for paint, so quality control is kept tight.
The relative cost of welding and bolting depends on the individual steelwork contractor's particular facilities and organization. However, it is generally cheaper to make a bolted joint than a welded one, particularly on site and if holes can be punched rather than drilled.
Welding is either labor intensive (in the case of manual metal arc welding), or capital intensive (in the case of the automatic welding processes). Making holes, using banks of drills on an automatic machine, is relatively quick and cheap. In exposed steelwork, welding may also be preferable to splice plates, which may allow water to penetrate and cause corrosion.
Increasingly, decisions about the type of structure to purchase are no longer driven by which fastening technology is "better." Cost is the big battle in the welded vs. bolted debate.
All that said, have you ever bumped a rickety swing set and it moved? Or remember catching your shirt on a loose bolt? Reason enough for us to go a more traditional way.
Using your existing CAD, MAX or Inventor files, we scale our model to your space to ensure that protective surfacing and no encroachment zones are within regulation. We then package the site plan and some renderings up for your review and approval; repeat as necessary for desired effect.
We have a great team, and these guys are a part of it.
Flo-Coat ® galvanized steel tubing is the original in-line galvanized product. It is manufactured using the advanced processing technique of in-line galvanizing first introduced by Allied in 1959. We use round and square shape tubes in all of our construction methods, as ATC tubes are the industry standard.
Our custom aluminum deck inserts are the perfect solution to having a sturdy, lightweight deck surface; perforations in the decking allow for water run-off, while special ribs in the bound plank construction allow for the very best grip, even during inclement weather.
We prefer to use SPI plastics, an industry leader in plastics and plastic molding for nearly half a century. Their products can likely be seen in a playground near you.
Our paint product is a specially formulated, UV resistant, electro-static liquid paint for the automotive industry that works particularly well for the playground industry. With a first-class, high gloss, superior UV, chemical and corrosion resistant finish, our paint system is a step ahead of the rest of the industry.
PlayKSL cares about the environment, which is why we chose to go with aluminum inserts for decking vs Plastisol-coated deck components. We do not drill or pile into the ground for our structures, we simply assemble them in-house on stringers to avoid any unnecessary disruption of the surrounding natural environment.
PlayKSL is so confident our fully-welded assembly process can’t be beat that we will repair or replace any component that separates, detaches or fails as a result of defective workmanship, free of charge. *some conditions apply
16 Year Limited Warranty on slides, swing seats, play panels
6 Year Limited Warranty on all steel-cabled nylon ropes against failure due to corrosion or defect in materials or workmanship
5 Year Limited Warranty on everything else.
Plastisol is a compound made from various resins mixed with plasticizers, which are designed to increase the fluidity of the resins. The resin is usually made out of particles of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Upon mixing the particles with the plasticizer, the compound can be heated, dissolved, and molded. Applications of Plastisol include molding, casting, textile inks, and screen-printing.
One of the more common inks used in the screen printing process is Plastisol. It delivers high opacity even on dark colors, and affixes easily to most surfaces. However, it can be toxic to the environment, and may even present health hazards.
In spite of this, many companies insist Plastisol inks are safe to use when produced and used correctly.
Plastisol playground decks are highly prevalent in Canada’s playgrounds.
PlayKSL uses only environmentally friendly recyclable products.
We only use steel-based stringer on our products; plus, we’re pretty sure the earth thanks us for not drilling a dirty concrete hole into it.
Connections between steel and concrete are fundamentally different from normal steelwork connections for a number of reasons:
The connection between a column base and concrete foundation is detailed to distribute the stresses in the concrete and provide adjustment on site for inevitable inaccuracies.
A very common column base connection involves casting holding down bolts into the concrete foundation.
Now let’s look at a more common method of installing
Step 1 - Mark and Inspect Each Spot where Each Post Will Be Placed
Start marking each spot where a post will be placed. This will help you to measure an equidistant length between one post and the next one and it will also serve as a way to inspect the spot. Depending on the ground type, you may have to do some shoveling, removing rocks and similar jobs, in order to help to level off the ground so as to fix each post more effectively.
Step 2 - Insert Stakes in Each Spot
Drive a small, thin metal post in the ground in each spot to serve as a stake where a steel post will be fixed.
Step 3 - Dig a Hole in Each Spot
Now dig a hole in each spot where a post will be placed. It is best to use a post hole digger as this will speed up the work. Each hole should be at least 2 feet deep.
Step 4 – Pre-fill the Holes
At this point start filling each hole with gravel or dry cement. It is best to fill about 2/3 of the area of each hole.
Step 5 - Insert the Posts
Proceed by inserting a post in each hole. Press each one down so that the gravel will encompass it and consequently it will be plucked in quite securely even at this stage, especially if the posts are not too heavy. Obviously more will have to be done to stabilize it and ensure safety. Technically speaking this is called the plumbing of the posts. You may also wish to use a leveling tool so that you can check whether the post is fixed vertically well or whether it is slightly tilted.
Step 6 - Add Cement Mixture
Mix the cement and pour into the remaining area in the holes. It is important to let it dry very well in order to obtain the stability needed.
Step 7 - Enhance Fixing
In order to enhance the posts fixing, leveling must be checked frequently during the install process.
