Whenever you decide as a family or a community that you want to set up a playground there are several things that you look at first.

• The budget and general creative concept.
• Shelter and the safety surface.
• The chosen play equipment e.g. slides swings etc.

After deciding on the above then you would be required to choose the kind of installation you want to have on the playground. You could have this done in 3 ways.

• Self-performed installation.
• Community/Supervised installation
• Professional install

Now let us take a closer look t these three forms of installation.

Self-Performed Playground Installations

These type of installations are made by the person who bought the equipment themselves or by somebody they chose who is not a professional. This method of installation is by far the cheapest one in this group and the most risky. Luckily, most companies do not withhold the warranty just because the equipment was self-installed they will however not offer the installation warranty. Ensure both you and your volunteers are well experienced before starting on the project.

Here are a few things you should know if you have decided on this method.
You will not receive an installation warranty.

The equipment will arrive in a truck. The driver of the truck is not mandated to help you ofload the equipment. They will also not have tools in hand to help you with the installation process.

You may need to clear your site of trees or rocks on the surface.
Local utility companies should be informed and brought to the site befre installation to mark out water or gas lines. You can also mark out the phone lines, irrigation pipes and cable.

American society for Testing materials and the consumer product safety commission are two associations you want to consult in order to get the positioning regulations and the guidelines on equipment use zones.

Supervised Playground Installations

This is more expensive than self-installation but still cheaper than the professional installation. We could term it as the best of both worlds. You can decide to have volunteers from the community come by in order to build community pride. This will also motivate people to maintain the playground since they will feel responsible for building it. It creates a sense of stewardship which will lead to the playground getting better services from the owners.

A professional is paid by the day whenever they come around to help with the installation. Decide on the number of volunteers o have daily to avoid over congestion.

Professional Installations

These types of installation are done by experienced, manufacturer certified and insured installers who provide a superb service. These professionals will come with the equipment and layout the surface where installation may take place. They will assemble the equipment in accordance with the manufacturers’ specifications. They will then do the clean-up. Some installation packages also include surface preparation. The warranty on installation lasts one year. A professional install has the advantage of time and efficiency.

If you hire a company to do this installation you will let the children on the playground with more confidence than when it’s you who tightened the screws on the slide.