Pour in place rubber surfacing DIY any good?

[Mark]

There's a new DIY surfacing product being sold at our local Bunnings called Pour in Place Rubber and it supposedly can be used for many different purposes such as playground covering, garden pathways, non-slip surfacing around swimming pool, or even rubber lining for the back of a ute!

I've seen the stuff the council uses to cover public playgrounds and I assume it's similar but I am thinking about using this pour on rubber to cover my existing pathways around my raised vegetable garden allotment as a way to make a nice walkable path and also suppress/stop the weeds which continually come through my current pebble path covering.

Has anyone used or had any experience with Pour in Place Rubber? It's made from recycled tyres, seems very easy to apply on most surfaces, and I reckon could have many uses around the home!

I see it sells for about $64 to cover approx 1.5 m squared which seems kind of expensive although concreting a similar area would also be costly anyway and this pour on rubber looks easier to do than a concrete job personally.

Here's the link to their website: http://pourinplace.com.au/

 

[stevo]

Looks good. The only downside I can see is that it may hold dirt, so you may have to hose it out every now and then?

 

[Mark]

Probably right and I could imagine the porous top accumulating dust etc over time so yes a good hose off every few months is the go.

I just noticed on their website they suggest getting the pros in for areas over 20m squared - I wonder if it is actually cheaper in bulk?

Still, I might just test a small area and see how it comes up...

 

[stevo]

I wonder if by the time the pros charge their fees if it ends up more anyway? Though, if it works out at the same price including the pros fees then it'd be good to let them do it.

You could work out some prices for concrete or pavers as well to compare your options?

 

[Mark]

What about cutting costs with large pavers and pouring rubber around them? Do you think that would work ok?

 

[Mark]

It's academic anyway because my wife doesn't like the concept at all.

Probably going with synthetic turf around my garden beds now...

 

[Tim C]

That sounds good Mark. Especially if you can get it second-hand. What about old carpet? If you could make it look nice that might be okay too????

 

[Mark]

That sounds good Mark. Especially if you can get it second-hand. What about old carpet? If you could make it look nice that might be okay too????

Yeah Tim I've been using old carpet and rugs around the patch but they seem to rot out in about 12 months though - at least that does suppress weeds and grass for some time.

I got a small amount of old synthetic turf from my tennis club and that works nicely plus it's not showing any signs of degrading unfortunately it's only 3 or 4 mtrs long and I really need about 30 mtrs of the stuff layed to cover my worst path areas.

I don't mind working hard in the yard (actually I like it) but the thing I hate the most is weeding the paths around my garden - it annoys the hell out of me...

 

[Kasalia]

@Mark what did you end up doing as the latest for pathways. Looking at rubber, synthetic stuff for around new beds.

 

[Lois]

Yeah Tim I've been using old carpet and rugs around the patch but they seem to rot out in about 12 months though - at least that does suppress weeds and grass for some time.

I got a small amount of old synthetic turf from my tennis club and that works nicely plus it's not showing any signs of degrading unfortunately it's only 3 or 4 mtrs long and I really need about 30 mtrs of the stuff layed to cover my worst path areas.

I don't mind working hard in the yard (actually I like it) but the thing I hate the most is weeding the paths around my garden - it annoys the hell out of me...

Your not alone in hating weeding pats although the chooks and Guinea Fowl don't mind. Our raised garden area is blue metal it grows every weed and grass you can think of beautifully.
I have been wondering about mats and carpet.
Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Kasalia]

Found this of Mark putting mats down. According to our supplier rubber stuff used for playgrounds, doesn't work as it is pourous, weeds can come up through it.

 

[ClissAT]

Old carpet pulled up from houses is good & free. Heavy work though.
Once it is wet (which it will get fairly quickly) some weeds may start to germinate but I found they are easily rubbed off if got young enough.
Wool carpet will stink once wet, but all other carpet will do a reasonable job.
After a couple years you will probably want to replace it, though.
The downside to carpet is that you are always walking on a wet surface as the carpet probably wont dry out until the dry months & only then if you don't get small amounts of rain once a week.

 

[Lois]

Thanks for your input. I think I might put some carpet down. Imighttry patches of it wih the blue metalin between. See how it goes.
Regards Lois Langley

 

[AndrewB]

I've used mulch with great success in the past. I got a free load from a company chopping trees in the area, you can often find them advertising on gumtree- saves them having to pay to dump it, or driving a long way to do so.

I put a 6"+ thick layer down all around my raised beds & never had a weed problem in the 4 years I was living there. Plus, after a few years, you will have some amazing soil that you can dig up & replace with fresh mulch