best splash pad

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Life Floor's 2024 Project Highlights

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Life Floor announced a new product line called Murals and a selection of new projects coming soon in 2024 at an IAAPA Expo press conference in November 2023. Continue reading for a recap of the event.

UPCOMING PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2024

Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Jubilee - Carnival Cruise Line

Jubilee will feature Life Floor onboard the Waterworks amenity with large intersecting circle designs. This project will continue Life Floor’s installation on each Carnival vessel.

Mt. Olympus Waterpark - Wisconsin, USA

In partnership with WhiteWater, Mt. Olympus Waterpark will feature a triangle gradient design with subtle zoning elements. Spray fixtures are positioned in the beach-tone areas while slides exit near the darker teal-tone areas. This theming will complement the venue’s new aesthetic, creating a cohesive design throughout.

Camp Fimfo - New York, USA

Camp Fimfo in New York will feature a 3-color Surf Theme across their activity zone. This project marks the next installment of Life Floor across Northgate Resort properties.

Photo Credit: WhiteWater

Meryal Waterpark - Qatar

Meryal Waterpark in Qatar takes zoning aquatic amenities to new heights. In partnership with WhiteWater, a splash play area is surfaced with Life Floor and zoned into three distinct areas. Two main areas with water features are divided by a distinct guided pathway running through the space. Walkways and overspray areas will be composed of tans and play areas are surfaced with blue tones.

V3 Center - Minnesota, USA

The V3 Center in Minneapolis, MN “is designed to be a beacon of hope as well as a focal point bridging the Northside to Downtown. Most importantly, the building will serve as a hub for the community to gather and grow together.” This project will transform the landscape of competitive swim in the Twin Cities metro area.

2023 Make a SPLASH! Grant Winner, Inclusive Design Award

For the fourth year, Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces have partnered to provide free splash pad surfacing to deserving communities. The winner of the 2023 Make a SPLASH! Inclusive Design Grant Award is Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, TX, USA. Life Floor will be installed at Will’s Hang 10 Harbor attraction in Spring 2024.

2023 Make a SPLASH! Grant Winner, Need-Based Award

With the expansion of the Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest, two awards were given out for the first time ever. The winner of the Need-Based Grant Award is John Anderson Splash Pad in Grandview, MO, USA. Life Floor will be installed at this location in Spring 2024.

New Product: Murals

As the aquatics industry continues to shift towards highly thematic surface design, Life Floor is thrilled to announce its newest product release: Murals.

With this new line of tiles, designs and patterns that were once too complex to install as aquatic safety surfacing are now a reality. Murals empower brands that dream of creating iconic, highly immersive, themed aquatic environments from the ground up. This innovative flooring tile product tailors custom design with highly intricate details that delight guests of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. In addition to their limitless design potential, Murals utilize Life Floor’s industry-leading proprietary safety surfacing for positive guest experiences.

Questions? Connect with Life Floor Experts

Gwen
Schlotte

VP, Specification +
Strategic
Partnerships

Holden
Bigler-Johnson

Regional Account Executive, West Coast, AK, and HI

Lindsay
Fetzer

Strategic + Cruise Line Sales, Midwest Account Executive

MaryAnn
Eifert

Regional Account Executive,
East Coast

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Engaging Zero-Depth Entry Pool at Camp Margaritaville

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Camp Margaritaville in Breaux Bridge, LA features nearly 4,000 sq ft (370 sq m) of Life Floor at the zero-depth entry pool in an elegant triangle gradient pattern.

VISUAL SIGNALS FOR INCLUSIVE AQUATICS

When state codes allow submerged applications to feature colors on the pool bottoms, zero-depth entries can incorporate visual signals for accessibility that show the depth of water is increasing.

At this location, sandy colors symbolize the beach and water tones gradually darken as the depth increases. This design choice is aesthetically pleasing while helping guests navigate the space more confidently.

HIDDEN DRAINS

A Life Floor DalLUX Drainage System by Daldorado is located at the amenity’s entry point to provide both design continuity and added safety. This type of drain positioned within a design has channels that run along the surface with strips of Life Floor adhered to them. Drainage isn’t impeded and tiles can incorporate custom elements even over the drains themselves.

Life Floor’s heat dispersion is especially useful in the Louisiana climate where temperatures reach over 90°F (32°C). Destinations with high UV Indexes often find that metal drain grates can cause burns due to heating up when not submerged. Our product integration partnership with Daldorado ensures that guests are better protected in comparison to traditional metal drains.

The photo below shows the drainage system exposed prior to Life Floor installation.

Playful FEATURES

The aquatic play structure and pool floor boast InterActive Play features that promote social engagement. From friendly water battles to collaborative play opportunities that produce thrilling water effects, interactive elements create opportunities for connection and shared experiences. Engineered with beloved kid-friendly technology, such as light-up bars indicating a feature’s “charging status,” buttons, pull ropes, touch sensors, and more, these features captivate guests longer than conventional open water flow designs.

curating THEMATIC FUN

Beach-inspired designs with bright, tropical elements are becoming increasingly popular in the aquatics industry. Many vacation-goers directly associate beaches and ocean vistas with relaxation, but importing sand isn’t sustainable and presents a challenge for filtration systems.

By using Life Floor to intone colors and gradients on the surface, venues can spark imaginations and create a space that reflects a relaxing day at the beach.

To learn how you can elevate the look and feel of your facility’s zero-depth entry amenity, begin a conversation with one of our account executives today. We can help you navigate your state’s code requirements for aquatic surfacing and support you in enhancing the safety, design, and accessibility at your facility.

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Introducing Murals: Revolutionizing Iconic Design in Aquatics

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Life Floor creates engaging aquatic experiences through imaginative design and standardized safety surfacing. Innovation is core to the company as its tiles shape highly immersive and thematic vacation destinations while pushing the limits of design.

Since Life Floor’s inception in 2011, intentionally designed surfacing has been rapidly adopted a feature in aquatic facilities worldwide. Blank slabs of concrete as well as other traditionally unsafe flooring options are losing favor as safety standards recommend materials with slip-resistance and cushioning for aquatic play.

Life Floor already offers a high degree of design capabilities such as logos, surfacing play features, and unique concepts that engage guests. As a result, innumerable stories demonstrate how beautiful design draws visitors in while safety surfaces lengthen guest stays. Together these benefits create accessible and inclusive spaces, while encouraging repeat visits and popularizing facilities.

Immersive Theming

Integrated Games

Imaginative Inlays

Hopping Activities

Elegant Designs

Guided Pathways

As the aquatic industry continues to shift towards highly thematic surface design, Life Floor is thrilled to announce its newest product release: Murals.

With this new line of tiles, designs and patterns that were once too complex to install as aquatic safety surfacing are now a reality. Murals empower brands that dream of creating iconic, highly immersive, themed aquatic environments from the ground up. This innovative flooring tile product tailors custom design with highly intricate details that delight guests of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. In addition to their limitless design potential, Murals utilize Life Floor’s industry-leading proprietary safety surfacing for positive guest experiences. 

CURATING ICONIC DESTINATIONS

Each Mural tile comes custom cut and pre-assembled as a 24”x24” square, maintaining the integrity of the graphics while streamlining installation. 

Surfaces cover between 50-90% of any aquatic facility. Reimagining the floor as a detailed design feature transforms that canvas into an engaging, playful, and imaginative space. Mural tiles can be combined with our normal products or can be selected to comprise an entire installation.

MODULAR DESIGN

Just like Life Floor’s standard products, every color seen on a Mural is a different piece of tile. Nothing is ever painted, coated, or applied to create the custom imagery.

Modular tiles facilitate easy installation, eliminating the need to piece together small custom cut shapes on site. They also streamline replacement, if ever needed. Since every tile comes as a 24” square, operators won’t ever need to deal with tiny custom parts and pieces. Attic stock Murals can be pre-ordered when desired.

HAND-CRAFTED QUALITY

All Murals have precision cut pieces that are then assembled and quality checked by human hands. Each tile receives intensive care to ensure exact design replication that meets each customer’s unique brand standards.

Once assembled, tiles are shipped to the project site and Certified Installers meticulously install the project according to specification.

The launch of Murals extends Life Floor’s vibrant history by improving aquatic environments for all people. Together with their limitless design potential, the team is excited to witness how this new product transforms facilities worldwide.

Collaborate with the Life Floor Studio to bring your next imaginative project to life.

No other flooring product can accomplish this level of custom design while adhering to the rigorous safety standards that improve guest experience and immersion at aquatic facilities.

In addition to the limitless design potential, Murals utilize Life Floor's industry-leading proprietary safety technology that features slip-resistance, cushioning, and more for positive guest experiences. 

Explore Life Floor’s Certifications

Designers, architects, and creatives of all kinds are invited to test the limits of imagination.

Questions? Connect with Life Floor Experts

Gwen
Ruehle

VP, Specification +
Strategic
Partnerships

Holden
Bigler-Johnson

Regional Account Executive, West Coast, AK, and HI

Lindsay
Fetzer

Strategic + Cruise Line Sales, Midwest Account Executive

MaryAnn
Eifert

Regional Account Executive,
East Coast

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2022 MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST WINNER'S INSTALLATION: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park

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In 2022, we co-hosted our third annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces to award a municipality or non-profit organization in the United States with an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. Our intent with this contest is to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents.

We received a record number of submissions and there were many deserving entries, but one of the applications we received stood out:

“‘Is there any place in the county that I can take my toddler to allow them to be comfortable in the water?’ is a frequent question posed to the Chamber of Commerce, Recreation Department, and anyone working with young children. This rural county in northeast Georgia has no public pools, splash pads, or similar venues closer than 30 – 60 minutes of its residents. However, water safety and early experiences are the focus of pediatrician’s guidance and health department PSAs due to statistics about children drowning. Enter the members of the county’s Rotary Club in 2020 who determined the need for a safe, affordable venue to meet the needs of young families and the large number of grandparents who are rearing grandchildren. The Rotary Club partnered with the Madison County Recreation Department to fund the construction of a splash pad at Sammy Haggard Park. Over an 18-month period, the entities worked together on location, design, color scheme to blend with the colors used internationally by Rotary Clubs. Concurrently, the Rotary Club met their goal of $125,000 to bring their dream to reality at the grand opening Memorial Day weekend 2021.

Folks were ecstatic, use far exceeded expectations, and then reality set in. OOPS! The concrete surface gets hot, sunscreen washes off and makes the surface slick, and the rough surface and toddlers’ toes are not compatible. Ensuring the facility is properly sanitized is hampered by the concrete surface’s porosity. It has become clear that specifications were short-sighted when planning an achievable funding campaign for a small group that immediately faced “Covid shutdowns.” The Recreation Department manages the facility well, having developed sanitizing schedules, put in temporary surfaces for walkways to eliminate slips from sunscreen overspray, and ensuring preventive maintenance is prioritized. Revenue loss for the department during the Covid shutdown and, now, the increase in price for supplies and materials required to run the department and rebuild programs eliminates budgeting for a surface for the splash pad in the next several years. A Life Floor surface will resolve the concerns of parents and caregivers who find flip-flops and toddlers playing on a wet surface creates unnecessary bruises and scrapes. A proper surface will, for years to come, preserve the efforts of the Rotary Club and their many donors to provide a much needed and welcomed venue. Without this grant, only stop-gap measures can be used. That reality will undoubtedly result in the deterioration of this one-of-a kind facility at our Department. Our research had concluded that Life Floor met our needs. This grant for the proper surface will ensure our children have the safest and best venue possible.”

- Shelley Parham, Madison County Recreation Director

Before: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park, Concrete Substrate

After: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park, Life Floor Safety Surfacing

This entry resonated with members of the Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces teams who reviewed entries and collaboratively chose this facility as the winner.

Our 2022 Grant Contest entrants chose from 6 unique pre-designed themes that would be custom fit to their project scope. Madison County chose the Under The Sea option which features a beautiful triangle gradient Pattern in our Lagoon Theme. Sea Life and Marine Inlays can be seen across the splash pad in bright contrasting colors such as Limelight, Sunshine, Goldfish, Platypus, and Aqua.

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest’s co-host as well as Life Floor’s North American Preferred Installation Partner, Inside Edge Safety Surfaces, completed installation of the new surface in March of 2023. The crew worked with a high degree of professionalism and expertise to create a beautiful final result.

We hope this new safety surface will uplift and transform the way kids play at Rotary Splash Island in Danielsville, Georgia. We can't wait to hear the stories of how this installation will continue to benefit the community for years to come!

We’re thankful for the opportunity to give this deserving community a new Life Floor safety surface and hope for many seasons of fun to come! Thank you to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for co-hosting this contest with us and for the expert installation.

THE 4TH ANNUAL MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST

The next contest will go live on August 30th. Sign up for notifications so you don’t miss this short entry period and enter for a chance to win an all-expenses paid Life Floor surface for your splash pad.

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LIFE FLOOR NAMED 2023 DREAM DESIGN SUPPLIER BY AQUATICS INTERNATIONAL

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We're honored to be named as the Floor Covering Supplier by Aquatics International for three Dream Design Award-winning waterparks in 2023. These three facilities use our surfacing in distinctly different ways to serve their guests across the world. Congratulations to these aquatic centers and to all of our partners who collaborated to bring them to life!

2023 DREAM DESIGNS

Studio City Waterpark

Macau, China

The iconic Studio City Water Park is the largest aquatic attraction in Macau. It expanded in 2022 to feature an indoor area with over 5,000 sq ft of Life Floor under WhiteWater’s AquaPlay structure and around spray features. WTI and WhiteWater collaborated closely with Melco Development and Construction Group to create the vision for this amenity with a unique modern interpretation of Art Deco. This waterpark expansion is housed within an iconic new structure designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

University of Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

The University of Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute chose Life Floor for their aquatic center due to its slip-resistance, cushioning, and inherent non-snagging properties for clothing. These key features allow for better patient experience in a more sensory-friendly environment. The surface design created by our in-house Studio team features a three-color triangle gradient Pattern with our fully integrated depth markers and no-diving symbols. Thank you to Altus Architectural Studios and JEO Consulting Group for your collaboration.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Fins Up Waterpark

Nassau, The Bahamas

The Margaritaville Beach Resort Fins Up Waterpark was designed in a Seashore Theme with Marine Inlays placed throughout the amenity beneath the WhiteWater play structure. These serene colors and beach-inspired structures evoke the surrounding environment of the Bahamas and blend into the rest of the resort. Thank you to Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering, WhiteWater, and MSLA, Inc. for your collaboration.

We celebrate these awards with all of the fellow teams who worked diligently to create these iconic facilities and elevate guest experiences worldwide.

Beyond the winners above, Life Floor contributed to the following projects and was awarded Dream Design Supplier designations by Aquatics International in previous years:

2022 DREAM DESIGNS

Baha Bay at Baha Mar

Nassau, Bahamas

Life Floor is featured on Kid’s Island at Turtle Beach and Stingray Cove.

Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark

Dubai, UAE

Life Floor surfaces multiple areas of Splasher’s Island including the newest Splasher’s Cove.

2021 DREAM DESIGNS

The St. James of Springfield, VA

Springfield, Virginia, USA

Life Floor’s blue surfacing creates a colorful backdrop in the play structure area of the facility.

2020 DREAM DESIGNS

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay

Little Stirrup, Bahamas

Bold, custom graphics energize Splashaway Bay while a beach design completes the theming at Captain Jill’s Galleon.

Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Cushioned and slip-resistant tiles brighten up the splash pad at Splash Island Waterpark.

We love working with all of our customers and partnering with other companies to create gorgeous aquatic facility designs. For more information about these projects or to learn how you can purchase our award-winning surfacing for your facility, contact us today.

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Where can Life Floor be installed?

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Life Floor is engineered for aquatics and designed for play! Our products can be installed virtually anywhere with proper techniques and have been installed at over 2,500 facilities worldwide. Explore some of our most common application types below and discover how Life Floor may be a good fit for your project.

Splash Pads

Splash Pads are one of our most common project requests and we often see both retrofit and new build construction types.

Life Floor is certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 50 which was created by NSF International specifically for interactive water play venues, also known as splash pads and spray grounds. As a certified product, Life Floor meets 6 performance-based criteria including Slip-Resistance, Cushioning, Impermeability, Cleanability, UV Resistance, and Chemical Resistance.

It’s common for children to run around spray features to dodge water or re-engage with the amenity from different angles. This area is referred to as the overspray area or apron.

Including overspray areas in surface design is beneficial to increase safety where children are still engaging in play. The Life Floor Studio and authorized designers can easily expand designs to cover these areas in ways that complement the available space.

Without overspray

With overspray

Pool Decks

Pool decks are another of our most popular requests. Life Floor is flexible and durable which allows for tight coping and wrapping around pool edges and fixtures. We also offer high contrast depth markers, no-diving symbols, and other safety messaging that is manufactured from our same high-performance safety surfacing. Our tile modularity means that safety messaging will not lose contrast over time since each color of Life Floor is a different tile.

Custom safety messaging such as “Bench Below” or “Please Walk” signs are available upon request.

Zero-Depth Entries

These commonly slippery areas present a hydroplaning challenge for operators, staff, and guests alike due to the sloping surfaces leading into the water. Adding Life Floor’s cushioned and slip-resistant surfacing at these entry points can enhance safety, design, and accessibility at any aquatic center.

Sometimes, it’s difficult for guests to visualize how deep water is becoming and how quickly. Gradients and colors that symbolize shorelines and water depth can be a good visual indicator of zones. For example, a walkway or lounge chair area can have tan colors that resemble sandy beaches while light blues can represent shallow water, gradually developing into darker colors as water depth increases.

In some states within the USA, pool codes require specific surfacing color options under certain depths of water. Internationally, restrictions are often less limiting, allowing for colorful designs that can extend deep underwater.

For more information about the different types of Zero-Depth Entries, read our blog Reducing Slip and Falls at Zero-Depth Entries.

Waterparks

Waterparks have many areas where Life Floor can be installed to solve common challenges and aesthetically transform the design of a space.

Stairs

Due to the modularity of our tiles, stair nosings and treads will maintain high visual contrast over time. Since our products are slip-resistant, they also reduce injuries that occur on slippery slide towers and ramps.

Elevated Platforms

As WhiteWater’s recommended safety surface, Life Floor is standard on AquaForm structures and Landing Pads. Life Floor is recommended on AquaPlay structures and for splash zones under AquaPlay, AquaForm, and AquaSpray structures.

Landing Pads for Waterslide Exits

Life Floor Landing Pads are designed to meet the safety and quality standards of today’s most challenging aquatic conditions. Our Landing Pad tiles will never absorb water and will remain slip-resistant even when submerged underwater.

Edge Pads for Lily Pad Walkways

Lily Pad Walkways are a popular attraction at waterparks and provide a unique way for children to engage with a small space. Edge Pad Landings that are cushioned with Life Floor allow for safer entries and exits to these types of features. They can also include custom graphics, logos, or colors to complement a facility’s theme.

Sloped Ramps

Life Floor is ADA Compliant and can be installed on any sloped access ramp. These commonly slippery areas especially benefit from Life Floor’s slip-resistant properties.

Locker Rooms and Bathrooms

Locker rooms and bathrooms are typically added onto projects that already include a pool deck or splash pad to take advantage of lower installation costs per square foot or square meter.

Since these facility features are often connected to aquatic amenities, they are typically wet and slippery especially near showers and entrances. Wet carpet mats are unsightly and can harbor harmful bacteria or mold which require them to be replaced and cleaned often. Life Floor offers a beautiful alternative that complements facility design and is easy to clean.

DRY PLAY

Life Floor is engineered for aquatics, but some customers enjoy the superior cleanability and cushioning of our products. This is especially true on Cruise Ships where lightweight, IMO Certified products such as Life Floor are highly sought after.

To get started on your project, begin a conversation with one of our Account Executives to find out how Life Floor can solve your surfacing-related challenges.

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What Exactly is Life Floor?

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For anyone familiar with our product, they know that Life Floor is an aquatic safety surface with endless design opportunities. What many people don't know about our flooring, especially if they haven't seen or experienced it in person, is exactly how it looks, feels, and functions. Let's dive into the details! 

MATERIAL 

Most people have seen or experienced pour-in-place aggregate products commonly used for safety surfacing at playgrounds and they assume that Life Floor must be similar. While our product is also cushioned, our tiles are entirely different.

Life Floor is made of a closed cell foam-rubber which means it’s impervious to water and easy to clean. The compressive nature of this unique material is what also makes it a safer option than concrete. Our tiles’ impact attenuation has been third-party tested by NSF International to prove that they can cushion guests if any slip-and-falls occur.

CUSHIONING  

To achieve any level of impact attenuation, materials require a certain thickness. What does that look like with Life Floor?

Our standard 3/8" (10 mm) tiles are most commonly used on splash pads and pool decks and have been tested to a minimum fall height of 1'-0" (0.3 m). For more robust needs such as slide landing pads, we offer 7/8" (22 mm) tiles with a minimum fall height of 4'-0" (1.2 m). We also offer a layered system that can be customized to protect at even greater heights. 

SIZING

Many customers wonder if Life Floor can be rolled out like rubber matting products used in other applications. Our surfacing doesn’t come in sheets or rolls. Instead, it is a modular system with a standard square tile size of 24" x 24" (610 mm x 610 mm) that is adhered to a substrate such as concrete. As a result, any customer looking for minimal replacements, especially in the event of any accidental damage, can swap out individual tiles without replacing an entire floor. 

For additional shapes, our triangles and rectangles are half tiles, our hexagons are 20" (508 mm) from edge to edge, and our custom cutting possibilities are endless. Our proprietary precision-cutting system allows us to cut any shape, logo, or image from any number of our square tiles making Life Floor a popular choice for designers and customers looking to accurately depict specific imagery. 

INSTALLATION

But what about the grout? Again, Life Floor works differently. Our tiles are adhered to substrates like concrete with a commercial-grade waterproof contact cement adhesive. No material is applied in the joints between tiles. Instead, they are installed tightly adjacent to one another. Due to the natural closed-cell properties of our tiles, these joints are easily cleaned and do not harbor microbial growth. The finished look of our installations is continuous, allowing for more organic designs, like the one pictured above, to be achieved.

SLIP-RESISTANCE 

Our grooved Ripple tiles are uniquely slip-resistant as verified by third-party testing. Even our Slate tiles feature a MicroTread texture for added traction. Life Floor products are engineered to perform best when wet which creates a solid grip for bare feet on our surfacing. As a result, guests of all ages experience aquatic spaces more confidently—playing, swimming, and splashing in ways that would be impossible on slippery surfaces.  

SEE & FEEL LIFE FLOOR YOURSELF

The best way to experience Life Floor is by visiting an existing installation. For anyone curious about local facilities that feature our product, we've created an installation map to reference. 

To see and feel Life Floor for yourself, we also encourage you to order a product sample. We have a variety of options depending on your needs available in our sample store. 

Looking to learn a bit more about Life Floor? Our team would love to connect about your aquatic needs. 

REDUCING SLIP AND FALLS AT ZERO-DEPTH ENTRIES

Having the right surfacing on zero-depth entry applications is often overlooked when renovating existing facilities or building new ones. This commonly slippery area presents a hydroplaning challenge for operators, staff, and guests alike due to the sloping surface leading into the water. Adding cushioned and slip-resistant materials at these entry points can enhance safety, design, and accessibility at any aquatic center.

What is a Zero-Depth Entry?

Zero-depth entries provide a gradually sloped surface leading from a dry deck into a shallow depth of water that progressively gets deeper. Occasionally, spray features, jets, and toys will be installed where there is no depth of water present or in shallower areas, essentially functioning as small splash pads.

Customizable surfacing options, such as Life Floor, can integrate games, shapes, or activities into these areas before the depth of water increases to add additional engagement, create themed designs, and provide improved safety.

SURFACE Design of ZERO-DEPTH ENTRIES

Sometimes, it’s difficult for guests to visualize how deep water is becoming and how quickly. Gradients and colors that symbolize shorelines and water depth can be a good visual indicator of zones. For example, a walkway or lounge chair area can have tan colors that resemble sandy beaches while light blues can represent shallow water, gradually developing into darker colors as water depth increases.

In some states within the USA, pool codes require specific surfacing color options under certain depths of water. Internationally, restrictions are often less limiting, allowing for colorful designs that can extend deep underwater.

Wave Pools

Wave pools are a popular example of zero-depth entries and include the added challenge of active waves and currents.

Children often linger and play in the shallow depths of wave pools. This can be dangerous when inner tubes float towards the shore either empty or with guests in them since they can knock small children over and cause impacts with the surface. The youngest of guests may require extra balance to stand confidently in these dynamic areas. Older children and adults may also drift into shallow depths or recline on the surface while partially submerged.

Safety surfacing such as Life Floor that is slip-resistant and cushioned helps to increase comfort while adding safety to avoid incidents. Harder or more abrasive surfacing options can limit the types of play and interaction that happen within these areas.

Zero-Depth Entry Play Areas

Zero-depth entries for younger children have gained in popularity at indoor aquatic centers as alternatives to kiddie pools. These areas complement larger pool decks, hot tubs, slides, and other amenities for older guests that are offered.

These spaces are often a hybrid of small-scale elevated structures and spray toys tailored to small children. Toddler slides, collaborative activities, and safety surfaces all contribute to longer visits, increased play value, and overall comfort.

By increasing the surrounding comfort of these areas, caretakers and parents can have greater peace of mind and enjoy these experiences alongside their children and families for a full day of fun.

SMALL SPACES

Having an accessible, comfortable, and fun aquatic amenity regardless of size will contribute to positive guest memories and return visits. Small zero-depth entries can utilize safety surfacing in unique ways.

Some of our municipal clients choose to bundle surfacing for multiple small areas across their city to improve multiple small spaces such as zero-depth entries, splash pads, and landing pads for water slide exits.

Regardless of size, use, or design, adding safety surfacing to zero-depth entries helps to reduce slip and fall incidents while also improving aesthetics and overall guest experience. Keeping these zones in mind when designing aquatic facilities can completely transform the way visitors experience these accessible entry points.

To learn more about how you can improve the safety and design of your zero-depth entry, contact us and find out how you can receive a complementary design rendering tailored to your facility.

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Aquatic Surfacing Design Trends for 2023

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With vibrant colors and limitless theming possibilities, aquatic surfacing designs continue to gain in popularity as a way to enhance splash pads, pool decks, and water parks. As this application evolves year after year, the Life Floor Studio takes note of the most popular design requests at different facilities worldwide. Curious to know where things stand in 2023? Explore these top aquatic surfacing trends we've been seeing so far! 

Detailed, Custom Imagery 

Since just about anything can be cut into our floors, we're seeing an increase in requests for custom design work. Some customers use this technique to illustrate a theme across a whole splash pad whereas others selectively add a few custom images as fun accent graphics. 

Bold Bands of Color 

As an alternate way to design with square tiles, several customers have resonated with large striped designs that showcase vibrant patterns or gradients of color. This application demonstrates a budget-friendly way to achieve a distinct and colorful effect.

More Complex Triangle Gradients 

Ever since our earliest triangle gradient designs debuted at locations like Cedarcrest Splash Pad and Atlantis the Palm Dubai, these continue to be some of our most popular styles. An evolution we've seen recently has been the request for more complex gradients. These include bright swirls of color, multiple islands across a splash pad, and more varied, artistic designs.

Unconventional Themes 

Manor Field Park

We've seen limitless creativity when it comes to designing aquatic spaces. Looking beyond typical water-based themes, some more recent splash pad designs have featured unique design ideas inspired by motifs like sports, winter, the forest, parks, and the desert. 

REFINED Geometric Designs 

For pool decks, country clubs, and high-end resorts, we've seen an increased interest in understated geometric designs. These patterns often use our triangle or rectangle tiles as well as our more muted or neutral color options. 

LOGOS THAT CELEBRATe BRANDS AND DESTINATIONS

Since 2022, we’ve featured add-on packages that allow customers and designers to more easily include and price Logos and Inlays. As a result, we've seen an uptick in requests for custom branding. Municipalities and theme parks often choose to include logos as a powerful way to make their aquatic facilities more unique and memorable. 

Paths and Play Opportunities 

With themed Inlays that can be laid out to create a treasure hunt trail or a path of lily pads for hopping, customers are delighted to add activities to their floors. Beyond the increase in requests we're seeing here, classic play features in the Life Floor portfolio, like hopscotch, continue to stand the test of time. 

Elevated Aquatic Themes 

Since we're designing for areas with water, splash pads that feature aquatic theming will never fade in popularity. As an evolution of these designs, we've noticed facilities leaning into more turquoise and aqua tones over more traditional blues. As noted in some of the trends above, we've also seen more requests for custom imagery and the use of our Inlays to add theming and play value. 

The Life Floor Studio continues to push the limits with our tile designs and can't wait to see how these trends keep evolving over time. Witnessing how surfacing completely transforms and brightens up facilities worldwide while creating positive experiences and memories for guests makes our work endlessly rewarding. 

Interested in exploring any of these options on a splash pad or pool deck? The Life Floor Studio offers complimentary design services and can't wait to help bring your project to life!  

Pre-Season Checklist for Aquatic Centers

As the upcoming season approaches, be sure you’re ready to curate positive experiences and memories all summer long! Keep reading for some recommendations as you prepare your aquatic center for the year.

Intentionally Evaluate Spaces

To begin any pre-season checklist, we recommend intentionally evaluating amenities for potential improvements and making a plan centered around those aspects. Some common areas of improvement that can have a significant impact on guest experience and facility management include:

  1. Shade and seating options

  2. Multi-generational engagement opportunities

  3. Accessible features and amenities

  4. Areas prone to incident reports

  5. Drinking fountains, bathrooms, and locker rooms

  6. Surface and fixture maintenance

Improve Aquatic Center Safety

Improving safety at aquatic centers often begins with adding safety surfacing to directly influence positive play value. Hazards such as slip-and-fall incidents are reduced and guests are more likely to engage in good risky play such as hopping, skipping, and playing in water.

Resolving Slippery, Failing Surfaces

Some of the most common pain points we hear involve slippery or abrasive surfaces that are difficult to maintain. These issues often lead to increased risk at facilities.

We're often contacted by parks and recreation professionals who have tried other surfacing solutions at their aquatic facilities which have failed. Rubberized or aggregate materials are often designed for dry playgrounds and aren't engineered to withstand the unique aquatic combination of UV and chemicals common at splash pads or pool decks.

To resolve these surfacing issues, choose an NSF/ANSI/CAN 50 Certified product that is slip-resistant, cushioned, impermeable, cleanable, UV resistant, and chemical resistant.

Cleaning and Hygiene

Others have looked to improve cleanability or have struggled with microbe growth on the surfacing at their facilities. Unlike porous options, Life Floor features a closed-cell technology, which doesn’t foster growth of bacteria, mold, and algae. Our tiles have been third-party tested for cleanability and offer a solution for anyone who has experienced similar issues.

Water Slide Landings

An easy, low cost way to improve safety at any facility is to install bolt-free landing pads for water slide exits and landings. These landing pads are cushioned and slip-resistant without being abrasive. Made from the same material as Life Floor tiles, they are also more durable than some multi-layered options.

Elevate the Appearance of Aquatic Amenities

If you are considering refreshing the overall design aesthetic of a facility, there are several components to consider.

Surface Updates

Surfacing can completely transform the look and feel of a facility since it is typically the largest feature present. Utilize this opportunity to create an engaging pattern under and around play fixtures, incorporate games such as hopscotch, or include thematic Inlays that add visual interest and function as a subtle search-and-find activity.

When planning for a surfacing update, consider using safety surfacing and including the overspray area to improve the overall safety of guests.

Before: Concrete Surface

After: Life Floor Surface

Fixture Updates

Fixture updates can be as simple as repainting or repairing existing features. If you want to increase play value for guests, consider upgrading fixtures to new models that facilitate collaborative play.

Before

Maintenance Updates

As you continue to evaluate updates for the season, check to ensure pumps, filtration, and systems are operating within manufacturer specifications. Fixture manufacturers have specific flow rate recommendations for their features and operating outside of those recommendations can result in weak flows that are boring or overly strong flows which can dissuade play.

Restoring slides, stairs, and other fiberglass materials can ensure operational success. Restoration experts can do site evaluations that will help you determine the areas of facilities that need attention.

Refer to manufacturer’s specifications for proper flow rates and maintenance procedures.

Image Credit: Fischer Brothers, LLC.

REFRESH Existing Aquatic Centers

Existing aquatic centers are valued as key amenities by communities and resorts across the world. Keeping them in good operating status is important for guest enjoyment and returning visitors.

Consider what elements of your existing aquatic center could benefit from a refresh and prioritize based on your unique needs. Often, guest feedback is an ideal way to better understand the pulse of how visitors are perceiving amenities. Use this feedback to help inform what would be the most appreciated updates and have the greatest positive results.

Before: Concrete and Fading Fixtures

After: Life Floor and Refreshed Fixtures

Overall, as you continue to evaluate facilities for the upcoming season, have fun! Bright pops of color, imaginative designs, and new features have the potential to transform a space. Even small improvements transform the way splash pads, pool decks, and aquatic centers look and function. Thoughtful design contributes meaningfully to guest experience and creating positive memories to keep them coming back all season long.

To learn more about how Life Floor’s surfacing solutions can help get your facility ready for the upcoming season, contact us today! We can connect you to our partners who specialize in spray and play fixtures, water slides, multi-level play structures, fiberglass restoration, and more.

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FISCHER BROTHERS, LLC. PARTNERS WITH LIFE FLOOR AND WATERPLAY AT RAPID RIVER LODGE

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Located near the picturesque Brainerd Lakes area, Rapid River Lodge is an ideal destination for exploring over 400 lakes, biking trails, and our favorite: a newly renovated waterpark! The lodge is making a positive impression with the upgrade of spray features from Waterplay and a beautiful Life Floor surface installed by Fischer Brothers, LLC.

BEFORE

AFTER

The refresh brightened the space with lighter colors, vibrant features, and improved safety facility-wide. The installation expertise of Fischer Brothers led to a smooth renovation with a high level of customer service, producing a final attraction sure to impress visitors.

INCLUSIVE DESIGN + SAFETY = MORE PLAY VALUE 

One of the most important goals of the partnership between Waterplay and Life Floor is to bring even more free play and accessibility to aquatic spaces. Rapid River Lodge prioritized inclusive design in every spray feature and surfacing decision, using play zones to accommodate a wide variety of play styles and the needs of different waterplayers.

With a wide range of play opportunities, from the calmer zero depth entry area with pint-sized character sprays perfect for smaller kids, to the more adventurous activity tower with elevated platforms, water cannons, and slides, this play space invites all to have fun within their ability level and comfort zone. Along with the guidance of Fischer Brothers’ restoration expertise, the waterpark at Rapid River Lodge is beautifully reimagined.

River Rapid Lodge is the first facility to debut Fischer Brothers’ new Double Lane Toddler Slide. With its modern, two-lane structure, the Double Lane Toddler Slide was designed to produce double the fun. Thoughtfully engineered materials and the intentional inclusion of Life Floor's cushioned Landing Pads make these slides beautiful, fun, and safer for the littlest water park goer. 

Life Floor safety surfacing covers every walkable surface in the waterpark. Bands of Pomegranate-colored tile offer contrasting visual cues that signal guests to exercise caution around each body of water. Visual signals are an important safety feature to show depth changes, the presence of features, and represent a changing landscape when paired with zoning for different stages of childhood development.

Thank you to Fischer Brothers and Waterplay for a collaboration filled with fun! Our team loves working on projects that focus on retrofitting facilities with inclusivity, safety, and play in mind. 

To learn more about revitalizing your attractions with inclusive design and safety, we’d love to begin a conversation with you! 

We’re thrilled to announce that Fischer Brothers, LLC has officially joined Life Floor’s Installation Network as our newest Certified Installation Partner.

Andrew Fischer accepting Life Floor’s Certified Installation Certificate on behalf of Fischer Brothers LLC

Waterplay by MAKR

Waterplay creates playful, inventive, and inclusive splash pad equipment for people from all walks of life, of all ages, and with diverse abilities. Everyone should have access to amazing, inviting, playable, enjoyable and ‘go-backable’ aquatic recreation places. With thousands of installations, millions of happy waterplayers splashing around on six continents, Waterplay is here to support you from concept, to installation, maintenance, future planning, and revitalizations. Splash pads for the win!  

Learn more about Waterplay

Fischer Brothers, LLC

Fischer Brothers, LLC got their start in 2007 restoring waterslides, and eventually moved on to other parts of the waterpark. From waterslide towers, aquatic play structures, spray features and more, Fischer Brothers has led the charge in pioneering innovative solutions for the aquatics restoration industry.

Learn more about Fischer Brothers, LLC

Life Floor

Life Floor was founded upon a vision to create safer, more memorable experiences at aquatic facilities. Since 2011, our mission has expanded to include innovative design, increased play value, and inclusivity wherever our surfacing is installed.

Across all of our unique projects, one thing remains the same: improving aquatic environments for all people will always be at the heart of our purpose.

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Custom Aquatic Theming at Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast, Australia

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Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast in Australia chose Life Floor for their H2Oasis splash pad. This unique 8-color design was created by Burling Brown Architects located in Queensland.

This installation features a unique custom-cut design highlighted with Porcelain Life Floor tiles weaving through the main colors. These Porcelain lines create organic shapes with contrasting color blocks and allow for subtle paths of engagement through spray fixtures.

Guest experience is important for an aquatic amenity such as H2Oasis. Choosing colors for the surface that complement the surrounding environment allows for immersive theming and lends to a guest’s overall impression of their visit.

Thank you to Grant Burgess, Managing Director for Life Floor Australia and New Zealand, for his creative collaboration with Burling Brown Architects and his strategic partnership with Grassports Australia installers. Their vision for executing this project successfully with excellence resulted in innovative new installation tactics that can be applied to future projects in Australia.

TOP 10 Life Floor Installations from 2022

2022 was filled with a variety of design projects ranging in complexity, size, and theming. As we look back at the year in review, there are certainly some installations that stand out. The following highlight our top 10 unique Life Floor projects that were installed in 2022.

most TROPICAL FACILITY THEME

Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa

Location: Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
Install Date: April 2022
Area: 4,500 ft² (418 m²)
Main Colors: Sandstone, Sandbar, Gobi, and Porcelain
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Designer: WhiteWater
Engineering Consultant: Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering
Installer: Elegance Interior Solutions
Photography Credit: Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa

FIRST PROJECT TO FEATURE AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND INLAYS

Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre

Location: 90 Taylors Rd, Keilor Downs, Victoria, Australia
Install Date: July 2022
Area: 4,630 ft² (430 m²)
Colors: Terra Cotta, Pomegranate, Goldfish, Sunshine, Sandbar, Sandstone, Ivory, Seafoam, Turquoise, Iceberg, Aviator, and Ocean
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8” (7/8” at slide runout)
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Architect: Williams Ross Architects
Installer: Mauer Construction Tiling

OUR SECOND ANNUAL MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST WINNER

Wells Park Splash Pad

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Install Date: July 2022
Area: 1,360 ft² (126 m²)
Colors: Turquoise, Seafoam, Goldfish, and Sunshine
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

MOST REMOTELY LOCATED PROJECT

Dimond Park Aquatic Center

Location: Juneau, Alaska, USA
Install Date: May 2022
Area: 6,000 ft² (557 m²)
Colors: Bluebird, Iceberg, Boulevard, River Rock, and Foghorn
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

BEST ATHLETIC THEMING

Manor Park

Location: Huntington, New York, USA
Install Date: June 2022
Area: 2,520 ft² (234 m²)
Colors: Evergreen, Limelight, and Ivory
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

MOST CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT

Kununurra Splash Park

Location: Kununurra, Australia
Install Date: May 2022
Area: 5,380 ft² (500 m²)
Colors: Olive, Sunshine, Kestrel, Ivory, Terra Cotta, Sepia
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Installer: Grassports Australia (QLD)

MOST UNIQUE APPLICATION OF LIFE FLOOR

Ka'ana Pop-Up Surf Park

Location: British Columbia, Canada
Install Date: Summer 2022
Area: 350 ft² (33 m²)
Colors: Porcelain, Tiki, Evergreen, Olive, and Goldfish
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces
Partner: Daldorado

FIRST INSTALLATION IN SWITZERLAND

Red Whale Swim School

Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Install Date: September 2022
Area: 1,600 ft² (150 m²)
Colors: Ocean and Aviator
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: CreateScape Ltd.

MOST COLOR VARIETY

Madison Community Center

Location: Madison, South Dakota, USA
Install Date: January 2022
Area: 6,624 ft² (615 m²)
Colors: Limelight, Seafoam, Turquoise, Aviator, Bluebird, Ocean, Kestrel, Heron, Foghorn, River Rock, and Boulevard
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: Life Floor Studio
Installer: Inside Edge Safety Surfaces

BEST OVERLOOK

Hervey Bay Waterpark

Location: 267 Esplanade Pialba, Queensland, 4655, Australia
Install Date: August 2022
Area: 11,000 ft² (1,022 m²)
Colors: Ocean, Aviator, Bluebird, Boulevard, Sandbar, and Porcelain
Texture: Ripple 2.0
Thickness: 3/8”
Designer: WhiteWater

Thank you to all of our partners and customers who trusted us to make aquatic facilities safer, more beautiful, and more accessible in 2022.

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Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest 2021 Winner: Wells Park, Albuquerque, NM

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In 2021, we co-hosted our second annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces to award a municipality or non-profit organization in the United States with an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. Our intent in initiating this contest was to be able to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents.

One of the applications we received stood out.

“The Wells Park Splash Pad is located in front of the Johnny Tapia Community Center. This community center serves a large population of low-income households and provides a full day child development program in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. The Wells Park Splash pad has a relatively small footprint but serves as an oasis for families trying to beat the heat and cool off during those hot summer months. The community center heavily utilizes the splash pad to give children an unforgettable experience when those experiences are very rare for these children.

With a new Life Floor, we will be able to elevate the experience of all those who utilize the facility. We currently have a brushed concrete surface around the interactive play features. This surface can become somewhat slick over the years of heavy traffic and repeated cleaning throughout the seasons...Staff will arrive early in the morning and disinfect the splash pad surface to provide a sanitary environment for our users. With the Life Floor material, we can breathe a bit easier when we are cleaning each morning. Life Floor will also significantly reduce the amount of slip and fall injuries we see on a regular basis. Lastly, with the many diverse designs of the Life Floor, we will be able to provide a very unique feature to an underserved population.

Thank you for your consideration.”
— Josh Herbert, Aquatics Division Manager, City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation

BEFORE: Wells Park Splash Pad, concrete surfacing

AFTER: Wells Park Splash Pad, Life Floor

This entry resonated with members of the Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces teams who reviewed entries and collaboratively chose this facility as the winner.

Our 2021 Grant Contest entrants chose from 6 unique pre-designed themes that would be custom fit to their project scope. The City of Albuquerque chose a vibrant 4-color banded pattern created from our square shaped tile featuring our Turquoise, Seafoam, Goldfish, and Sunshine colors. We included a custom-designed logo for the city as well.

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest’s co-host as well as Life Floor’s North American Preferred Installation Partner, Inside Edge Safety Surfaces, completed installation of the new surface in July of 2022. The crew worked with a high degree of professionalism and expertise to create a beautiful final result. Once they were finished, the splash pad was officially ready for the grand reopening celebration to commemorate the new surface.

We're excited to showcase a stunningly bright and cheerful Life Floor surface to uplift and transform the Wells Park Splash Pad in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque takes great pride in the city's logo calling out the One Albuquerque motto and we are thrilled to be able to showcase that logo custom cut into the Life Floor surface. We can't wait to hear the stories of how this installation will continue to benefit the community for years to come!

We’re thankful for the opportunity to give this deserving community a new Life Floor splash pad surface and hope that it’s enjoyed for many seasons to come. Thank you to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for co-hosting this contest with us and for installation.

Enter our Third Annual Make a SPLASH! Contest for 2022 by clicking the button below or visit our contest page for more information.

ALL ABOARD! CRUISES FILLED WITH AQUATIC FUN

Guest experience is essential aboard any cruise ship to ensure a fun and unique vacation for passengers. Among the numerous amenities available, water features have become increasingly popular attractions. Flowriders by WhiteWater Industries, waterslides, splash pads, and beautiful pools have become staples for many vessels. As a result, patrons have come to expect bigger and brighter aquatic experiences as new vessels are built. 

LARGE AQUATIC PLAY STRUCTURES

Elevated structures such as multi-level interactive water play structures or waterslide towers create an immediate presence that cruisers are often amazed by. These types of amenities serve as a focal point for the ship as a whole and create lasting memories.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Surf machines such as Flowrider by WhiteWater Industries are compact attractions, but they have a large onboard impact. For many guests, exposure to surf machines like these might happen for the first time on a cruise. Some ships have chosen to reinforce branding alongside the surrounding walkways and reduce risk with Life Floor’s custom logos and safety surfacing benefits.

POOL DECKS

Pool decks are popular amenities on cruise ships. Having a comfortable pool deck where guests feel at ease improves guest experience at these amenity types. Because these features are central to recreation on the upper decks of ships, vibrant designs that match the ship’s theming have become increasingly popular.

Cruise Ship Pool Deck

Beyond the focus on great looking pool decks, it’s essential that these areas are designed with safety and cleanability in mind. Certain elements can provide visual signals to guests regarding critical elements such as a pool edge, step down, or depth of water. Slip resistance can help maintain guests’ footing in these wet areas especially when paired with motion at sea. Surfaces that resist the growth of harmful bacteria help to protect the health of guests, especially since ships are heavily occupied with little downtime between voyages. 

By keeping these elements in mind, the upper decks of cruise ships provide the ultimate zones for aquatic relaxation and fun for their guests as they voyage across the seas. 

SPLASH PADS

Splash pads have become a popular amenity onboard cruise ships for families with young children or guests looking for aquatic play outside a pool setting.

Splash pads provide a variety of play options from dump buckets to water spray features. Generally, free play is more widely available on splash pads due to play requiring a level of imagination and creativity. Encouraging free play by having a highly themed splash pad can help guests who may not know one another play with a similar theme in mind. For example, a pirate themed splash pad can lend a story arc option to guests and create memories that may not have otherwise happened. 

Including all aspects of a splash pad’s construction in theming allows for greater customization and control of the greater cruise experience. From water jets to surfacing, utilizing all the aspects of splash pad design can curate experiences for guests.

#choosefun Carnival Cruise

Image Credit: eatsleepcruise.com

KIDS’ PLAY AREAS

Kids’ play areas are perfect for onboard daycares and family zones. Both indoor and outdoor dry play areas on cruise ships often feature various playground equipment that require a fall attenuating, cushioned surface to protect against accidental falls when equipment is elevated. An IMO-certified surface like Life Floor has been popular in these applications. 

Fun, vibrant flooring designs can help brighten up a play area by incorporating colors and themes that complement the rest of the space. Inlaid designs can provide another layer of play engagement with surface games or scavenger hunts. Life Floor’s custom cutting capabilities can also reinforce branding with cruise line logos or iconography. 

See our standard Inlay Library here.

PRIVATE ISLANDS

Beyond all of the fun on board, cruise lines that stop at their own private islands allow for all-inclusive theming in a secluded locale. Building an island environment is incredibly complex and requires a wide scope of considerations which centers around guest experience and enjoyment. Aquatic amenities are often the main features on private islands as guests seek to cool off and enjoy warm weather.

Life Floor is featured at two splash pads that can be enjoyed whenever passengers spend a Perfect Day® at CocoCay® courtesy of Royal Caribbean. Guests can cool off, run and play, or relax on the sidelines at both Splashaway Bay designed by Martin Aquatic Design & Engineering or at Captain Jill’s Galleon designed by the Life Floor Studio. These two projects at CocoCay are quintessential examples of Life Floor’s ability to match any aquatic feature’s theming and support risk reduction. 

The graphic elements of these two installations extend the scope of theming to provide immersive engagement for guests.  At Splashaway Bay, the designs on the slide tower panels were integrated into the surface design. Similarly, Captain Jill’s Galleon features a massive vessel with the surfacing surrounding it designed to mimic a body of water. 

Guest experience at an island vista requires comprehensive planning and safety parameters to ensure a low-risk environment while providing ample options for adrenaline-pumping adventures mixed with relaxing opportunities. To minimize interruptions to play, reducing overall risk is critical. One way to reduce risk in aquatic features specifically is to invest in safety surfacing that has increased slip-resistance and cushioning to better protect guests. 

Life Floor’s IMO Certified safety surfacing is both lightweight and durable for all types of wet or dry amenities.

We have so much fun working on these projects and serving the unique needs of our cruise partners such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines, MSC, and Norwegian Cruise Lines among others. To specify Life Floor for your cruise ship, please contact Lindsay Fetzer here.

Unique Aquatic Designs at Vacation Destinations Worldwide

Some of our favorite projects include installations at sunny vacation destinations around the world. These locations chose Life Floor surfacing to add theming and design to their aquatic facilities and play areas with the added benefits of cushioning and slip-resistance that comes with our flooring. 

To give a sampling of some of the top projects on our travel bucket lists, we've compiled a list below. Many of these featured splash pads and pool decks are customized to look like seascapes, while others feature vibrant graphic elements. We've loved partnering with each of these resorts and travel destinations as we continue to provide a fun aquatic design solution to customers worldwide.

DUBAI

Jungle Bay Waterpark

“Inspired by the islands of Greece, the waterpark was designed intentionally with a clean, minimalist style. The park features rides and attractions for all ages… all surfaced with Life Floor for the whole family.” - WhiteWater Industries

Jungle Bay Waterpark is accessible through both The Westin Dubai and Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort in Dubai, UAE.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

Atlantis The Palm Dubai

As one of the world’s leading resorts, Atlantis The Palm Dubai boasts a complete resort experience. The submerged splash pad at Aquaventure Waterpark, which features a beach theme, was created for maximum entertainment and superior guest experience complete with Life Floor safety surfacing. 

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

The Beach Jumeirah

Located between the panoramic backdrop of the Dubai skyline and the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf, The Beach splash pad delights families residing in the luxurious Jumeriah residential area.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

CARIBBEAN

Perfect Day at CocoCay

Cruisers of Royal Caribbean can truly have a Perfect Day at CocoCay. There’s something for everyone with numerous water play features to choose from and enjoy. From the Tallest Waterslide in North America to the largest freshwater pool in the Bahamas, this experience is a fun-filled getaway for the whole family. Life Floor is featured at two splash pads on the island with colorful surfacing that brightens up both Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

Lopesan’s Costa Bavaro Resort

Splash Island Waterpark is a picturesque family vacation destination in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic located at Lopesan’s Costa Bavaro Resort. This 27-acre themed resort pairs luxury with fun and has zoned areas for even the youngest guests.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

Jungala Aqua Experience

Jungala Aqua Experience is internationally known as a leader in guest experience. By placing capacity limits on accommodations, this luxury resort is able to provide guests with an experience that truly feels unique. This location features a RainFortress 5 structure by WhiteWater Industries paired with vibrant Life Floor surfacing to create an action-packed aquatic play environment.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

AUSTRALIA

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo created a beautiful splash pad at the center of their Laughing Lolly Shop and Water Park - a place where kids can play and cool off in the blazing Queensland sun while exploring beautiful sculptures of Australian animals, designed by the Zoo’s artist team. True to their environmental mission, they use water recycling components to reduce waste and give back to the wild.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

Sugarworld Adventure Park

As a central place for the community to connect and for local kids to cool off in the Queensland heat, the park features a 7,000 square foot play pool, complete with a play structure. Located near the site of an old sugar mill, this council-owned waterpark is the centerpiece of the community of Edmonton outside Cairns, Australia.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

ULTIQA Beach Haven Resort

“ULTIQA Beach Haven on Broadbeach is the perfect Gold Coast getaway. Views of the Pacific Ocean, Gold Coast Coastline and Hinterland views combine with relaxed apartments, creating a family friendly coastal destination.”

- ULTIQA Beach Haven on Broadbeach 

The unique wave patterning on this resort's pool deck can be seen from rooms above and adds comfortable surfacing for all guests who use this amenity.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

United States

LEGOLAND Surfer’s Cove

Surfer’s Cove is inspired by the beaches of Southern California and features its own surrounding artificial beach. It is a unique, enclosed area of LEGOLAND California, perfect for parents to relax within sight of their children playing on the splash pad.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

Excited travelers looking to experience the best of Southern California look to the Anaheim Courtyard by Marriott. This hotel is located near Disneyland and other popular attractions. In addition to spacious accommodations, the hotel is proud to offer guests access to the 20,000 sq ft Surfside Waterpark. Many rooms overlook this central attraction that features theming that carries through from the WhiteWater AquaPlay structure to the Life Floor surfacing.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

Dolphin Bay Resort

Framed by the Pacific Ocean and tropical palm trees, Dolphin Bay Resort is ideal for a California beach getaway. Guests are welcome to lounge in the sun on the resort's pool deck while listening to the waves crash against the shoreline a short walk away from the resort.  

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

Fun Spot America, Orlando

Fun Spot Orlando is a vibrant family-owned theme park with a beautiful splash pad located in the heart of Orlando, FL. Fun Spot decided to expand on their mission of “Safe-Clean-Fun” and showcase their logo on a larger-than-life scale on the park’s splash pad where guests can cool off after a full day of fun.

VISIT THE PORTFOLIO PAGE

While this list features just some of our favorite vacation destinations around the world, there are countless others. To view more of our projects, head to our Portfolio page. 

If you'd like to see how Life Floor surfacing could enhance a resort or attraction you have in mind, contact us to start the design process!

Humans Were Not Designed to Play on Concrete

Humankind has created innumerable advances in technology, science, and architecture. One of the architectural cornerstones that dates back to over 5,000 years is concrete. It has been used as support for buildings, aqueducts, sewers, streets, and bridges. These engineering feats credit how strong and durable concrete can be. However, the fact remains: concrete is unforgiving, hard, and abrasive. 

Humans were meant to thrive on soft surfaces such as grass and dirt. Sure, there are examples of humans living in caves and rocky areas, but their living spaces were covered in furs and pelts to create a softer environment. Even in today’s modern world, people gravitate towards tactile, soft finishes or materials with some amount of give. It's why we put area rugs over hardwood floors.

Free play is heightened living; faster, rougher, wilder. There is less planning and less caution, so softer surfaces protect play from getting too fast, too rough, and too wild. Playgrounds are a good example of this. Years ago, playgrounds were surfaced with that unforgiving, hard, abrasive concrete until people realized there was a better alternative that allowed for play as it was meant to happen. They realized humans weren’t designed to play on concrete.

Humans Were Not Designed to Play on Concrete

Can you imagine if preschools, daycares, living rooms, indoor basketball courts, and soccer fields were covered in concrete instead? Not only would it be uncomfortable, but there would be exponentially more scraped knees, broken bones, shin splints, bruises, and concussions.

Soft Carpeted Daycare
Slip Resistant and Cushioned Soccer Turf
Soft Sand Beach
Impact Absorbing Basketball Court

There are practical examples where you can’t solve every issue with an area rug. Tile and impermeable surfaces make sense in bathrooms, locker rooms, and around pools for hygienic purposes. Many softer solutions, often made for dry play, have been tried in these areas only to degrade over time or harbor growth of bacteria and mold. Thankfully hygienic aquatic safety surfacing has been introduced and adopted by the industry over the last decade. With the innovation of this type of safety surfacing, these areas can be cushioned with a product that offers the same impermeability as traditionally harder surfaces.  

Before: Unsafe Concrete

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

After: Life Floor

Life Floor fills the need for more human-friendly materials in aquatics with the material properties required for the specific needs of these environments. Soft and impermeable. Textured for slip-resistance, but not abrasive. Third party tested by NSF International. 

Want to feel the difference of a Life Floor tile? Order a sample today. 

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Safety Drives Fun at Handy Park Splash Pad

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Handy Park Splash Pad, Redford Township, Michigan

In 2020, we co-hosted our first ever Make a SPLASH! Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces to award grants to municipalities in the U.S. for upgrading their splash pad surfaces. We initiated this contest to be able to uplift communities across the country with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents. Redford Township, Michigan was one of our winners, earning our 3rd place prize, a 25% grant towards tiles and installation. 

“Redford Township’s splash pad is coming up on our 15th year of operation and continues to remain one of the most popular spring and summer destinations here in our community… This destination is free and open to the public regardless of what community they live in. Many of our families and surrounding community are low to moderate income so this provides an affordable fun option for summertime fun. Back when the project was completed, options for flooring for our system, budget and for sustainability was the brushed concrete. Over time and the high volume of usage, the concrete surfacing has worn down and has become very slippery over the past couple of years. We have tried several options through local contractors to find a solution, but unfortunately we made the decision to close the splash pad at the end of the 2019 season in order to find a safe, cost effective, long term solution. Since this time, we have been looking at options to re-open this popular summertime activity and maintain a safe flooring which is essential. Due to COVID this past year, Recreation Departments have been hit hard and unfortunately we had to put the project on hold. If Redford Township won the Make A Splash Contest this would help restore this amenity for the residents of not only our community but those around us and enable us to operate for many more years to come.”
— Theresa Burgess, Redford Township Leisure Services Director
Before: Handy Park Splash Pad, Redford Township, Michigan

Before: Painted Concrete

Handy Park Splash Pad, Redford Township, Michigan

After: Life Floor

The safety issues Redford Township experienced with their surfacing at Handy Park really resonated with our team. We know how important splash pads can be to provide accessible water play to communities across the country so we were happy to award this municipality a prize to make their surfacing safer. Our Studio Team designed a High Tide Theme in a 401 Pattern for the 2000 sq ft installation to brighten up the splash pad while providing a budget-friendly option along with the 25% grant. 

This automobile-themed splash pad showcases a unique car wash spray feature to inspire kids to use their imagination as they drive through the jets and sprays. With a variety of elements from very small jets to larger dumping devices, there are water play activities available to engage guests of all ages, abilities, and comfort levels.

Handy Park Splash Pad, Redford Township, Michigan

When Kelsi Goss, our Vice President of Design, visited the splash pad one weekend this summer, she remarked at how many community members and families were enjoying this feature together.

“It was great to see such a wide age range of kids having fun in the water and how many families chose to set up picnics and tents adjacent to the splash pad at Handy Park. I watched a few kids take a tumble but they bounced right up again to resume playing. This wouldn’t have been the case if they had fallen on concrete.”
— Kelsi Goss, Life Floor Vice President of Design

Having Life Floor on the surface enables a variety of activities and types of risky play. Babies can crawl across the soft surface and begin to explore water play with smaller jets. Children can be found sprinting around the splash pad playing tag, hiding under the water umbrella, “driving” through the car wash, and even doing cartwheels. We’re happy to have helped improve this community feature so residents can fully enjoy all this splash pad has to offer! 

Handy Park Splash Pad, Redford Township, Michigan
Handy Park Splash Pad, Redford Township, Michigan

Thank you to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for installing Life Floor at Handy Park Splash Pad and for partnering with us in the contest.

SEEING IS BELIEVING: HOW LIFE FLOOR TRANSFORMS AQUATIC FACILITIES

Since 2011, we’ve repeatedly seen the noticeable visual transformation that Life Floor can make at facilities. Brilliant pops of color have surfaced over drab, grey concrete and gorgeous, interactive themed designs have replaced failing pour-in-place products. Paired with the promise of safer surfaces, Life Floor makes all the difference. 

In honor of National Park and Recreation Month we’ve featured some of our favorite before and after photos of municipal projects below. 

Parr_Park_Oct2019_RGR24549.jpg

CEDARCREST SPLASH PAD - BLOOMINGTON, MN

Cedarcrest Splash Pad in Bloomington, MN is located near our Minneapolis office and is often shown to new hires and visitors as a classic example of a Life Floor installation. Before resurfacing with our foam-rubber tiles, Cedarcrest had grey concrete that was indistinguishable from the adjacent playground. This was a major issue for the facility because kids would often come running from the playground onto the splash pad only to fall because of the hard, slippery surface. Not to mention, the park lacked color and whimsy. By choosing Life Floor to increase safety and add design, a bright blue triangle gradient pattern now serves as a visual cue to visitors that the environment is changing as they enter the water play area. This resurfacing effort was so transformative on the look of the park that residents thought an entirely new splash pad had been installed! 

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

TRAILHEAD PARK SPLASH PAD - WINTER HAVEN, FL

The City of Winter Haven, FL originally built this splash pad in 2016 with a grey concrete finish. They resurfaced it with different products about 3-4 times over the years as they tried to reduce slip-and-fall accidents since they realized concrete was ultimately unsafe on its own. The aquatics division performed a significant amount of research as they searched for the best solution when they were finally introduced to Life Floor. The committee at Winter Haven ultimately opted for our safety surfacing, pleased with the fact that our tiles could reduce injuries while also being certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 50. This benefit of increased safety was paired with the vibrant blue square patterning that the city selected, visually enhancing the entire facility. 

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

PARR PARK SPLASH PAD - GRAPEVINE, TX

With concrete slabs on splash pads heating up to dangerous temperatures in hot climates like Texas, the City of Grapevine resorted to a concrete coating. Unfortunately, the coating increased the number of slip and fall injuries. The city approached Life Floor knowing our products feel cooler than concrete and remain slip-resistant when wet from their experience at the Pleasant Glade pool. The city also wanted a completely new and unique design to stand out from other splash pads in the community. Using a mottled effect across the splash pad with our hexagon shape, Life Floor was installed in a bright, modern color palette to create an elevated experience for visitors. 

Before: Concrete Coating

After: Life Floor

Veterans Park Splash Pad - Monroe Township, NJ

Veterans Park Splash Pad in Monroe Township, NJ was originally surfaced with a blue fleck pour-in-place product that was failing. It had needed to be patched multiple times and was getting into the facility’s filtration systems. It was difficult to clean and keep clean despite best efforts and the township was ready to replace the substrate with a more durable and easily cleanable surface. This is an issue our team has encountered on a countless number of refurbishments. Products designed for dry play simply don’t hold up in wet environments especially when paired with UV or chemical degradation over time. Inside Edge Safety Surfaces recommended Life Floor to the city and installed a beautiful 301 Pattern design at the splash pad. 

Before: Pour-in-Place

After: Life Floor

ANDREW BELLE SPLASH PAD - DOTHAN, AL

Prior to winning our 2020 Make a Splash! Grant Contest, Andrew Belle Splash Pad featured a concrete surface, similar to many other splash pads across the country. The community had a need to improve safety at this facility and a desire to brighten up the area with a vibrant design. With the addition of Life Floor, the Andrew Belle Splash Pad is now cushioned and slip-resistant while featuring a bold mix of square tiles, which have completely transformed the location. This upgrade was a welcome improvement for the local community who has already started enjoying their new surface this summer.

Before: Concrete

After: Life Floor

If you’re looking to transform a facility with Life Floor, we’d love to help you get started on your project. Please fill out the contact form here and one of our representatives will be in touch with you shortly!

BIG AND SMALL: LIFE FLOOR IS GOOD FOR ALL

Even though we showcase several large installations in our portfolio, no project is too small to take a step in the right direction and start mitigating risk. We have many customers that begin by addressing areas prone to slip and fall incidents such as small zero depth entries, landing pads, ramps, stairs, or locker room areas before deciding to expand Life Floor coverage to their splash pads, pool decks, or full waterparks. Below are some examples of our favorite small projects:

Piñon Park Splash Pad - Los Alamos County, NM - 1270 sq ft

Life Floor was specified by Surroundings Studio on Piñon Park’s project to increase safety and add a fun and beautiful design to the new splash pad. They were working with Los Alamos County and primarily interested in finding a product that could withstand altitude and UV while still delivering a strong warranty. Los Alamos County worked with their procurement office to get single source permission to buy Life Floor. 

Piñon Park Splash Pad - Los Alamos County, NM

Andrew Belle Splash Pad - Dothan, AL - 1358 sq ft

The Andrew Bell Splash Pad in Dothan, AL was our 2020 Make a Splash! Grant Contest winner. This facility wanted safety surfacing to solve many of their pain points and our contest provided the grant to make an upgrade possible for their neighborhood splash pad. To read the whole story, head over to our blog to learn more about this amazing community.

Andrew Belle Splash Pad - Dothan, AL

Belmont Splash Pad - Charlottesville, VA - 392 sq ft

Before installing Life Floor, Belmont Splash Pad’s surface was an epoxy-based substrate that needed to be replaced every year. They were tired of having to remove blue paint from their filters every day which was a hassle and ultimately unsustainable for their maintenance teams. By choosing Life Floor to replace their old surfacing, they were able to overcome this pain point while making this feature safer and more appealing to annual budgets.

Belmont Splash Pad - Charlottesville, VA

Prince George's County, MD Project

Some local governments decide to group their projects across multiple parks in their county or city to tackle the highest risk areas first. Common zones that are addressed first include zero depth entries and ramps. Prince George’s County grouped five small projects together to help increase positive experiences for their communities:

Allentown, MD Splash Fitness and Tennis Center Zero Depth Entry - 550 sq ft 

Allentown, MD Splash Fitness and Tennis Center Zero Depth Entry - 550 sq ft 

North Barnaby Pool, MD Zero Depth Entry - 150 sq ft

North Barnaby Pool, MD Zero Depth Entry - 150 sq ft

Hamilton Splash Park, MD Zero Depth Entry - 150 sq ft

Hamilton Splash Park, MD Zero Depth Entry - 150 sq ft

Linson E Ellen Pool, MD Main Pool & Baby Pool - 450 sq ft

Linson E Ellen Pool, MD Main Pool & Baby Pool - 450 sq ft

Lane Manor, MD Recreation Center & Splash Park - 1,600 sq ft

Lane Manor, MD Recreation Center & Splash Park - 1,600 sq ft

Cedarcrest Park Splash Pad - Bloomington, MN - 1,520 sq ft 

We helped the City of Bloomington, Minnesota retrofit their 1,500 square foot splash pad at Cedarcrest Park in 2017. Cedarcrest Park Splash Pad features the first examples of two Life Floor concepts: Ripple 2.0 and a triangle gradient design. This surfacing update visually transformed the whole park where it’s located. Even in its fifth year of operation, this splash pad still looks beautiful and has remained safe despite being covered by snowfall each winter. See more here.

Cedarcrest Park Splash Pad - Bloomington, MN

We’ve been excited to make a difference in these communities and to see all of these facilities reopen this season! Thank you to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for installing all of these impactful projects. For customers that have smaller areas in mind, many of our partners like Inside Edge Safety Surfaces or Great Mats are available to manage the process. If you’re interested in receiving a quote for your project, big or small, we'd love to hear about it! Contact us today to get started.