Athletic and Recreational Division (Playgrounds)

Please note: all of our photographs are in its original context. They are NOT digitally edited, modified or altered to give you a fake appearance……..and fool you. We take great pride in our work, our products and our services, and have lived up to that status since interception back in 1987.


Unity’s products are engineered and manufactured using the best and safest materials available through our sister company which recycles tires and rubber in-house, that is how you will know it is the right solution for you. We have developed and patented a superior, resilient product made from 100% recycled tires and rubber that is clean and safe to use in almost any environment. Our ingenious self-interlocking design with the new “Button-Lock™ Technology” coupled with our unique “Drain-Port System” and “Bolt-Down Features” gives us an unparalleled advantage over competing products in the industry……….all while earning SS credits and achieve LEED points from the USGBC (United States Green Build Council).



Evaluation of potential injury from falls on playground surfaces made of recycled tires:

Nationwide, up to 80 percent of serious playground injuries are the results of falls to the surface below (Tinsworth and McDonald, 2001). In some instances impact-absorbing surfaces such as rubber tiles/mats/blocks were effective at reducing injuries from falls compared to hard surfaces such as asphalt, cement, turf and dirt (Chalmers et al., 1996; Mott et al., 1997; Mowat et al., 1998; Norton et al., 2004b). An epidemiologic study by Mott et al. (1997) found that playgrounds with “rubber surfaces” performed better.

 HIC values were not affected by the age of the rubberized surface, either during the first 2-3 months following installation or during the first two years. This data points out the importance of testing the impact attenuation of rubberized playground surfaces to ensure that they meet the safety standards already in place.

 The US CDC (2005) estimates that it cost 1.2 billion dollars to treat playground-related injuries in the United States in 1995.

 * If 10 percent of these injuries occurred in a state, then approximately 120 million dollars were spent in this state. Since approximately 80 percent of these injuries resulted from falls (Tinsworth and McDonald, 2001), then reducing the injury rate from falls by only 10 percent has the potential to save almost 10 million dollars in a state. An accompanying reduction in injury severity would save even more.  Click here to learn more.




Safety, quality, durability, performance, and long term value is what defines our products. The advantages of our system over the competing products include:

  • Self-Interlocking System with “Snap-Lock™” Technology”
  • Bolt-down Capabilities
  • Running Bond Method of Installation
  • Low Maintenance Costs
  • Low Life Cycle Costs
  • No Retaining Edges Needed
  • Does Not Harbor Foreign Objects (broken glass, etc)
  • Provides Noise Reduction
  • Excellent Drainage
  • Step and Repeat Installations
  • Wide Varity of Colors & Thicknesses to Choose from
  • Easy Cleaning to maintain Attractive Appearance
  • Consistent Shock Absorbency Year Round
  • Very Good (Stable) Footing
  • Does Not Displace During Usage
  • Provides Thermal & Mechanical Protection
  • Easy Cleaning / Maintenance
  • Customization with “Hop-Scotch” and the “Alphabet”

When kids fall…….and fall hard…….Unity is there to protect them.



A fall onto a shock absorbing surfacing is less likely to cause serious injury in contrast to a fall onto a hard unsafe surface. Head impact injuries from falls onto unsafe surfaces are almost always life threatening. The severity of injury is decreased when using shock absorbing surfaces such as our unitary rubberized safety surfacing, flooring and pavers in the tile/mat/block/paver form. Additionally; walking, playing, running, standing, or simply enjoying our products helps avoid leg fatigue in people of all ages.

Space is the most valuable asset in most major cities. There is an increasing demand for our products to be installed on rooftops and indoors. We are one of the only manufacturer to pass several types of a class “A” fire tests, including modified versions, making our products superior for such installations. If required, additional fire rated versions are available prior to ordering.

 Technical Information


Step & Repeat

Contributing to design, our self-interlocking system can provide a monolithic “step & repeat” method of installation that allows anyone to stagger the products interlocking joints anywhere as if you were installing “brickwork”, commonly known as a “staggered bond” or “running bond” method of installation. This technological development acts as a backup to resist product-to-product separation, curling, peeling and most importantly wind up-lift. These patented systems, along with the sheer size, weight and durability of our product allows architects, engineers, designers, municipalities, building owners and operators to truly set the standard by which all others are measured.  

Our High Density Wear-Top is manufactured using recycled rubber in conjunction with a wide variety of slip resistant Pigments and/or blended EPDM/TPV material, coupled with our specially formulated binders. These high density, textured wear-top options are resilient and won't crack, puncture or heave in the most hostile of weather conditions. This versatility is unmatched and provides year round use to  the end-user.  The patented C-shaped self-interlocking design is built directly into the product itself, It locks tightly together thanks to the supporting "back-wall", which prohibits unnecessary separation, curling, pealing, shifting and wind up-lift. It is installed with our specially formulated glue/adhesive, while still providing unlimited access to sub-base materials for any maintenance related issues.

Furthermore, our authentic, quadruple, self-interlocking design that is 40% larger in size with 60% more area to glue/adhere, which eliminates the need for accessory items such as:fasteners, pins, clips, blocks, grids, etc., to hold the product together. This new technological advancement in design further strengthens the Pull Force of our products, both horizontally AND vertically, as it is locked into place in all directions, which in turn will truly provide the strongest locking mechanism along various parts of our products. A characteristic that can only be found here. 


Unlike other products on the market that require glue to be applied after it is installed (which only provides a butt-to-butt adhesion), Unity’s products allow for glue to be applied during the installation process. This allows glue to be applied, both inside the interlocking joint, and on top, for a free-flowing adhersion throughout the entire interlocking system, including the back wall as seen above. This method of installation provides FIVE layers of protection.  Recently, we have filed yet another patent within our interlocking system that will further strengthen the pull-force of our self-interlocking system. 

Our twelve staggered interlocking joints:
1.) Lock tightly together thanks to the new “Button-Lock™” Technology.
2.) Provide faster and easier drainage, allowing no foreign objects to harbor between the interlocks which are commonly found in competing products on the market today.
3.) Helps prevent our products from shifting away from one another - a necessity in active, “common” areas.
4.) Eliminates future problems such as expansion and contraction which may encourage vandalism.
5.) Allow owners of our products to unlock the tabs in order to remove a damaged product, repair a substrate, or relocate a surfacing/flooring area if necessary.This versatility is unmatched and decreases the repair expenses to the consumer allowing, for many years of hassle-free use and enjoyment.

Bolt-Down

Another patented feature that we have to offer is the BOLT-DOWN capabilities of our products. This unique system is found within the male portion of our self-interlocking joints to provide added strength and security. It is counter-sunk, and laboratory tested, to avoid any “hard-spots” within the product itself. It is capable of being placed under the most extreme environmental conditions and/or usage as it has been truly tested.


Up to twelve bolts can be used across various portions of the male interlocking joints to ensure that vandalism, nor severe weather, will be tolerated by us and our products. Such field testing was during Hurricane Sandy, where 6 feet of salt water and debris had buried our rubber tiles/mats/blocks in Hoboken, NJ. for several days only to come up unscaved with no issues of up-lift, separation, curling and/or peeling what so ever. Images of this project can be found on our “Projects” page under “Playgrounds”.

Click here to see how this patented method of installation can successfully work on your project.


Size does matter in this case as it allows installers to install almost twice the square footage per man hour then the conventional square tiles, a savings that is unmatched in the industry today.


Bottom Side:

With this view from the bottom, one can see that our solid coned (feet and/or leg) bottom design acts as a shock absorber from falls onto the surfacing below. It is also designed to help with storm water management by allowing water to flow freely in multiple directions to the drainage outlet when installed on a solid sub-base material, such as concrete (cement), asphalt (blacktop) or even rooftops. Our unique bottom-design also eliminates any “hard spots” and/or “picture framing,” a common design problem with other competing products on the market today.

Click here to see a video of our products drainage capability from underneath (as if it were installed), and see for yourself how this system can be carried over to your application.


A revolutionary advancement in design is out patented "Button-Lock" technology where the projection of one tile is receivable by the corresponding slot/recession of another tile. It is designed to literally "snap and hook" into place, which provides an extra layer of protection to the end user. This additional locking mechanism provides the most secure installations on the market, both horizontally and vertically. 

Click here to see a video of the self-interlocking system work in conjunction with our “Button-Lock™” technology.

This advanced design feature, found on the inside wall of our female interlocks, allows for any access glue to ooze down and away from the top of our products during the installation process thanks to the built-in channeling system seen here.This continual advancement in design assures architects, engineers, designers, consultants, owners, end-users and contractors a qualified, professional installation that is fixed and functional throughout the life of the product.

Click here to see a video on how the excess glue oozes down and away from the finished top.

Handicapped Accessibility

A playground or any surfacing and flooring area that has uncontrolled access should require a unitary surface (i.e. rubber tiles/mats/blocks and/or pavers) to ensure the highest standard of safety for people of all ages. A unitary surface, such as ours, also reduces high maintenance costs of raking and/or replenishing that are commonly associated with loose filled products and/or turf materials. 

More and more agencies are becoming aware of the fact that all public facilities must be handicapped accessible. With the 1991 passage of the “Americans with Disabilities Act” (ADA), many areas are being planned or modified to give people with disabilities an opportunity to participate in everyday activities. Regardless of your needs, it is not easy to have the mobility to maneuver strollers, crutches, wheel chairs, canes, walkers, etc, through these loose filled materials and/or turf products. All of our products are designed to give children and adults with or without disabilities and varying mobility access to freely navigate as per ASTM’s: Accessibility-Rotational Penetrometer test. 


When a wall, fence, curb, parapet or other boarding system is not available, our complete line of transitional ramps provides everything you need to achieve the professional solution you are looking for to compliment any area, giving it a complete “finished” look. These transitional ramps are designed to work together, providing easy access to and from our unitary rubberized safety surfacing, flooring and paver products. They also come in a wide variety of colors and thicknesses to fit your indoor and outdoor needs.

We also offer “Rubber-Curbs” that can used to provide finished factory edging. Click through our website to learn more.

 

Standard Color Choices (Pigmented & EPDM Chips)

All of Unity’s products are made with clean tire buffing and/or crumb rubber granules recycled in-house and mixed with a clear urethane. Colorized products are made with pigmented dyes combined with black recycled rubber that do not release harmful VOC’s, and are produced free of zinc, latex, lead, phthalates and heavy metals. These pigments are dispersed throughout the top of our products for consistency at an economical price. A wide variety of colors to choose from include: black, splash, silver, red, green, tan, blue, white, teal, brown, purple, and TPV/EPDM TOP as noted below.


TPV/EPDM Chips

With limitless imagination, our Splash Design (left side) and solid TPV/EPDM (right side) top tiles/mats/blocks can be manufactured using diverse color combinations and/or percentages generated from a plethora of TPV/EPDM granules listed below. This superior alternative can have unlimited design potential that would compliment any area allowing architects and designers to express design through creativity in blending. Manufactured with Aliphatic Binders, the TPV/EPDM chips exhibit superior UV and abrasion resistance that will last a lifetime. The TPV/EPDM choices include:


TPV/EPDM Blending


      85% Brown                 +              10% Cream                  +                  5% Black		  
= Sample Customization

    45% Green                 +                 45% Beige                  +                  10% Black
= Finished Product Customization


TPV/EPDM Installed Examples:

90% Blue/10% Orange. Also with: 90% Orange/10% Blue 50% Black / 50% Beige

INSTALLATION:

Our products place in the intermediate category regarding installation difficulty. Contractors carry out most of the installations. An installation manual/guide is available upon request (and is shipped with every order). Adhesive must be applied to the solid sub-base and self-interlocks of our products, both inside the joint and on top. Bolts may be applied to the male interlocks and countersunk for added strength and security (on solid sub-bases, except for rootops). Tools that are common for most installations include: an extension cord for electric use, a utility knife and/or jig saw for cutting, a straight edge to make your cuts accurate, a string line and tape measure. A trowel and/or caulking gun may be needed for gluing purposes as well as a drill for bolt-down applications. As with any construction site, it is always important to have a cleaning compound and medical kit on standby just-in-case.


Installation Options

We now offer a “running bond” method of installation that can stagger the joints anywhere along the horizontal self-interlocking tabs. A “running bond” can help with slight variations during installation, while at the same time allowing for increased diversity in custom designs, layouts and patterns to express free flowing lines similar to “pour-in-place (PIP) that will expand the minds of many and “WOW” the end-users.


Free Flowing Design Options

Free flowing designs you’ve been dreaming of in a tile/mat/block/paver system can now become a reality. With this newly patented “running bond” method of installation, one can create as many bold themes, layouts, patterns and designs throughout an area as one can image. Architects and designers alike can express unlimited imagination and complete design freedom for any vision regardless of size, style and/or complexity, by locking our products along ANY self-interlocking tab. This unique method of installation is unmatched in the industry today.


Our "Design Center" has “hopscotch” and other creative things you can do with our products. 

Our products can be cut on site to conform to the most difficult of shapes, patterns, designs and layouts. This gives your area a nice clean “finished” look for everyone to enjoy, as seen here:

Sub-Base Options:

Since the life expectancy of our products far exceeds any other safety surfacing and/or flooring product on the market today. To maintain such superiority, we suggest installing concrete (cement) or asphalt (blacktop) down on level ground. Other types of surfacing options include crushed stone, quarry, wood decking and/or any standard indoor/outdoor flooring that do not have stress cracks. It is important to consult with your local codes prior to selecting a loose filled sub-base material.

PAINTING SYSTEMS: 

After many years of use, our products can be painted for a fresh new look. We provide the necessary anti-slip paints that can be sprayed on or simply rolled on for a brand new look that is efficient, effective and an economical way to restore your rubberized safety surfacing, flooring and paver investment. This system has the ability to reflect and block the harsh IR and UV waves providing less heat build-up while extending the life of our products for many more years to come. Along with our standard tile/mat/block colors, here is a list of just some of the other standard coloring options available. Additional custom coloring is available upon request:



Reduces Granulation Deterioration – Re-strengthens Surface Integrity, Restores lack-luster colors

TEST RESULTS: 

The core function of our product testing is to provide peace-of-mind after it is installed. With the help of independent testing laboratories, we ensure that our products meets or exceeds these ASTM, CPSC, FM & ADA standards when compared with other competing products on the market today. These critical tests are the value of avoiding legal problems resulting from lawsuits that stem from inappropriate ground cover. Additionally, we go above and beyond, by internally testing our products for any quality control issues that may hinder the test performance rating before it leaves our factory floor and after it is installed for several years. It is important that peace-of-mind is carried over from project to project..........year after year.

We encourage you to view our “Test Results" page to view ALL of our test results, and compare for yourself.


WARRANTY: 

Due to the extreme durability of our tile/mat/block/paver system, each and every product manufactured by Unity is backed by a full warranty to protect you and your investment from manufacturing defects. New “extended” warranties have been added to further strengthen the guarantee of our products and services. It is specifically designed to assist architects, engineers, municipalities and project managers to maximize the cost and performance warranty benefits associated with our system. In the end, we offer our customers exceptional value that is unmatched in the industry today. Contact Unity directly for more information. A written warranty is available upon request.

We believe that our products size, weight, durability, longevity, fall protection ratings (the highest in the industry), and ability to have an integrated - interlocking system featuring the new “Button-Lock™” Technology (for rooftop applications), with bolt-down capabilities (for playground use), can be effectively and easily secured on site to eliminate the potential for product-to-product separation, curling, peeling, wind-up-lift, vandalism and maintenance. Everyone at Unity would like to thank you for your interest in our products and services. We invite you to continue scrolling through our website for additional product information. - Mgt.

Click here to download our playground brochure for your review and consideration on your next project. If you would like, with your smart phone, you can scan our QR code below to immediately store our information.  Let’s continue to close the loop and reduce your carbon footprint by encouraging the use of recycled products on your next project.