Does Rubber Mulch Smell
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Rubber mulch is becoming increasingly popular amongst parents, home and playground owners due to its low-maintenance upkeep, safety measures, and cost-effectiveness. But as with anything new that is introduced into our homes or playgrounds, we want to make sure it won’t unwantedly affect the environment in any way – especially when kids are involved! With this in mind, a common question often arises: Does rubber mulch smell? We’ll be exploring this answer and more in-depth today so you can make an educated decision regarding your choice of ground cover for your children’s play areas.
The Power Of Rubber Mulch For Backyard Playgrounds
It is without doubt that rubber mulch has stood out amongst parents, homeowners, schools or even business owners. What can make rubber mulch incredible for your backyard is its minimal maintenance upkeep, its safety measures, and its cost effectiveness. This also includes investing in an environmentally friendly product perfect for use in backyards, schools, and parks. But with every new product that is released to the product, there tends to be some drawbacks that may give consumers a chance to think before investing.
Even though rubber mulch is highly recommended by backyard enthusiasts or even if it is environmentally friendly, the product itself can always allow us to put some thought prior to investing. One of the questions that arises from parents is if rubber mulch has a smell. A short answer would be as the smell it emits can change from overtime. In this article, we will go in depth on if rubber mulch smells and why we believe that it is perfect for your backyard attractions. Read more to find out!
What is Rubber Mulch & How It Can Be Used
A popular and eco-friendly alternative for backyard attractions, rubber mulch is usually made from recycled tires, giving a longer lasting and durable option. Rubber mulch can be used in a wide variety of choices. These options include playgrounds, sports fields, around trees and shrubs as a means of ground cover & even in garden beds. Rubber mulch can also provide a unique texture and color to any landscape, but it could also assist in controlling weed growth and retain moisture in the soil. With its incredible number of benefits, it is no wonder why more people are deciding to invest in rubber mulch for all their backyard needs.
The Smell of Rubber Mulch & Weighing Pros and Cons
As we have discussed earlier, rubber mulch may have a smell that can give consumers a second question about investing in it. Depending on the consumer, rubber mulch can sometimes emit a smell. The smell can be described as a slight rubbery or a chemical sort of scent. Usually, this tiny smell can be detected prior to purchasing rubber mulch, during the installation process, or shortly after the installation process. The smell of rubber mulch can usually depend on the consumers input and overall preference in slight odors. It is met with relief that this scent can usually pass over time as rubber mulch will settle and interact with its overall environment. Although it appears to have a slight smell, rubber mulch still stands out as a safe to use product for children as they explore their freedom on the playground. If the smell can appear bothersome, there may be options for you to dismantle the smell for your convenience.
Eliminating Unpleasant Odors from Rubber Mulch
Rubber mulch has emerged as the top choice for outdoor surfaces including playgrounds and backyard gardens due to its durability and its limited maintenance. However, rubber mulch can develop an odor that may appear unpleasant for those who encounter it. This odor can fade throughout time as mentioned earlier as rubber mulch adapts to its environment. Thankfully, there can be ways to reduce or eliminate these smells. One of these ways to reduce the smell is by using an odor neutralizing spray or by adding baking soda to the mulch. Another way to eliminate the scent is to regularly clean and rake the mulch to prevent buildup of bacteria and mold as this could contribute to additional odors. By taking a small amount of time in providing maintenance to your rubber mulch, you will contribute to ensuring that your investment will have no unpleasant odors furthering joy and excitement for you and the entire family.
Exploring the Pros and Cons of Rubber Mulch
As we have discussed earlier, rubber mulch has incredible benefits in its use, notably for its eco-friendliness and durability. Although rubber mulch can have a smell depending on your personal preference, its benefits can outweigh the singular thought of the slight smell. Rubber mulch can be prevented from ending up in landfills, it can last longer than wood mulch, which can decompose over time. Rubber mulch also does not attract pests or decompose, which requires less maintenance than wood mulch.
Although rubber mulch is an excellent choice for your backyard, it does have some drawbacks that can give you additional thoughts before investing. Rubber mulch is a more expensive product than its wood mulch counterpart as it does not provide the same look or feel as wood. Additionally, rubber mulch can heat up in the sun and could add discomfort to walk on or play on. And as mentioned before, rubber mulch does have a slight smell such as a scent of rubber or a hint of chemical smell. However, there are ways to reduce smell and ways to reduce the heat on your rubber mulch so it can be in use for the children to play on during the summer season. Although these drawbacks can get you second guessing, rubber mulch can still stand out as the perfect investment for your backyard or for school playgrounds.
Concluding:
Although rubber mulch has unique characteristics such as its appearance and texture than its wood mulch counterpart, it never hurts to have additional research before making the final purchase to upgrade the backyard. Some of these questions that arise is if the smell of rubber mulch and how it could make an impact on its use in the backyard. Even if rubber mulch has a slight smell of rubber and a small chemical odor, it has still stood out as providing a safe environment for its usage and around children, making it the perfect investment for your backyard needs. This smell can usually depend on personal preference and there are ways to reduce the smell over time by providing maintenance and by allowing the rubber mulch to adapt to its environment. And the best sense of relief despite its slight odor, rubber mulch is still safe for children to use on playgrounds or as groundcover by trees in the backyard. With these tremendous benefits that rubber mulch can contribute to your backyard than wood mulch, why not bring this magnificent product into consideration when making additional adjustments to your backyard?