When you spend thousands of pounds on new playground equipment you want to make sure it lasts for as long as possible. Constant use with children climbing, crawling and swinging across the equipment - along with harsh weather conditions from hot direct sunlight to cold, wind and rain – can lead to equipment becoming worn down quickly.

While playground equipment by its nature is hard to maintain, there are ways of helping to keep it in good condition for as long as possible. If you have recently had new playground equipment installed or are looking for advice on how to prolong your existing equipment, these tips will help.

Invest in high quality equipment
When you buy new playground equipment in the long run it pays to purchase the best quality you can afford. By investing in high quality equipment it means that the product will be made of stronger materials that are able to handle different weather conditions. As well as this, stronger materials are more resilient to constant use, meaning that they will help to ensure that your playground equipment is able to withstand being used every day over a long period of time.

Keep the play area clear
To help encourage children to take more care when using the playground equipment it is vital that you ensure that the surrounding area is kept clean and tidy. Having litter bins close by to ensure that rubbish is disposed of properly will help to make sure that the area remains clean and attractive. In addition to this, ensuring that the play area remains free of litter makes it a safer place for children to play. 

Source reliable spares
No matter how much care you take over your playground equipment there will come to a point when you need to make small repairs. Having a reliable place where you can source quality playground spares is vital when it comes to maintaining your equipment, as it means that when you need to make small repairs you have the tools on hand to ensure that these repairs can be done quickly, efficiently and to a high standard.

Inspect your equipment regularly
Regular inspections of your equipment will help you to spot early on any potential repairs that will need to be made, as well as enabling you to keep a watch on these potential repairs so that they do not get too damaged that they become unfixable. In addition to this, regular inspections will ensure that you are able to cordon off any potentially dangerous equipment that are in need of urgent repairing, this will not only help to keep the play equipment safe for use but will also ensure damaged equipment is noticed and repair quickly.