Custom Branding for Splash Pads and Pool Decks

Aquatic facilities often ask to customize their surfaces with branding for a variety of reasons. Some splash pads or pools look to differentiate themselves from neighboring facilities or competitors. Others are interested in a cohesive experience with similar design elements across several areas. The ability to display a logo is often a matter of showcasing town or school pride. No matter the purpose, including custom design as part of an aquatic facility’s floor always helps a project uniquely stand out. Explore the following examples to see the variety of ways Life Floor customers choose to display branded elements on their splash pads and pool decks.

MUNICIPAL LOGOS

Municipal splash pads often feature the logos of their city, county, or parks & recreation departments. Life Floor offers the unique opportunity to add these elements with our precision cutting capabilities. Logos are often designed to span across several tiles, like the one at Andrew Belle Splash Pad in Dothan, AL shown above.

Other cities opt to fit their logos within a single tile. At Spivey Splash Water Park in Jonesboro, GA, several Clayton County logos were included across the splash pad.

BRANDED INLAYS

Surfers’ Cove Splash Pad at LEGOLAND California features custom LEGO Inlays. The fish and starfish are scaled at exactly twenty-five times the size of the actual LEGO pieces that they represent. By including these custom sea creatures, the splash pad ties into the beach theme of the water park while also reinforcing the LEGO brand.

Custom tropical Inlays cover the surface of Splashaway Bay at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay. This surface was designed by Martin Aquatic to showcase the graphic design elements featured across the island.

At the splash pad onboard Carnival Panorama, a custom social media activation was cut into Life Floor tiles. #CHOOSEFUN was laid into the surface to feature a key slogan for the Carnival Cruise Line brand.

THEME PARK LOGOS

At Fun Spot America in Orlando, FL, a large logo for the theme park was custom cut as the focal point of the splash pad designed by Martin Aquatic. This logo was factory cut to maintain accuracy to the brand as well as to streamline installation on site.

Morey’s Piers Bonsai Beach splash pad also features a custom cut logo for their beachside water park. It showcases their iconic ferris wheel and accents their seascape theme designed by WhiteWater.

SPONSORSHIP LOGOS

Community splash pads may be funded in part or in whole by local organizations. The Rotary Club’s logo has been custom cut into a few Life Floor splash pads in honor of the groups that helped to bring these local features to life.

Wave MACHINE BRANDING

Wave technologies are quickly evolving with each featuring unique benefits. Adding branding to platforms has been a key way to showcase the companies responsible for these recreational features. At their Pop-Up Surf Park, Ka’ana Wave Co. selected Life Floor’s slip-resistant and cushioned tiles for their deck surfacing. Their logo was integrated across the top of Daldorado’s DalLUX Drainage System.

FlowRider units featured prominently onboard Royal Caribbean’s fleet showcase both the Royal Caribbean and FlowRider brands with logos embedded in Life Floor’s tiles that add slip-resistance to the ramps.

School Logos

Pool decks and splash pads at high schools and universities often feature logos to showcase school pride. With high fidelity cutting technology and a palette of over 30 color options, our team is always excited to help these academic facilities stand out. The bright red logo shown above on this Inside Edge Safety Surfaces project accents Texas Tech University’s splash pad adjacent to their leisure pool.

At GEMS Wellington International School in Dubai, UAE, a school logo is showcased alongside their swimming pool. This is a popular choice for competitive swim facilities worldwide.

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We love bringing unique projects like the ones featured above to life as our customers’ creativity continues to inspire us.

Looking to differentiate your next aquatic project with branded elements? Our team is always happy to talk through the options as part of your planning process. Contact us to get started with our complimentary design services.

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

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.

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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.

Life Floor is Now the Recommended Surface of Waterplay

Minneapolis, Minn., March 2, 2022

Life Floor, an innovative aquatic safety surfacing manufacturer, and Waterplay, the industry’s leading aquatic play manufacturer, today announce a strategic partnership to bring aquatic surfacing to the global splash pad market. Together, the companies are committed to making aquatic recreation completely immersive and connecting the world through play and social experiences. 

“We’re thrilled to bring Life Floor to our customers. It just makes sense for our companies to team up and create a playful experience together. Life Floor is really stunning in the aquatic space and a perfect complement to our products and, of course, for customers looking for strong theming. It’s also very fun in that kids play differently on a Life Floor aquatic surface, they’re able to crawl and roll without restriction, or make a game of jumping from tile to tile. With NSF certification, our partners and customers can trust they are investing in a surface that is both durable and safe.””

— Kerrin Smith, Waterplay Vice President

Waterplay’s commitment to bringing play and social experience to communities around the planet is evident in their inclusive designs, range of splash features, and global reach. The company is passionate about making play accessible for every ability with thousands of installations and a 35-year track record of happy customers. 

“We really couldn’t be happier to partner with Waterplay. They’re a leading manufacturer in splash pad design with a team who is incredibly passionate about play. Offering our products together brings the best of both worlds together for aquatic users—unique, imaginative play solutions paired with beautiful, safe surfacing.” ”

— Gwen Ruehle, Life Floor Vice President, Business Development

The Waterplay and Life Floor partnership includes the global splash pad market. Exclusivity will be given to Waterplay for all projects specified solely with Waterplay equipment and Life Floor products. Life Floor is committed to providing the best aquatic surfacing for all spray park end customers and will continue working directly with customers who choose alternative equipment providers. Life Floor will also continue working directly with spray feature manufacturers and their Registered Aquatic Partners where Waterplay and Life Floor are not exclusively specified.

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Life Floor manufactures Life Floor tiles, a foam-rubber flooring system designed for use in wet areas with barefoot traffic. Created as an alternative to concrete and other conventional materials, Life Floor is the only safety surface specifically designed and engineered to perform in aquatic environments. Life Floor combines award-winning safety with unparalleled design capabilities, delivered by an expert team committed to a world-class experience for everyone who interacts with our products. To learn more, visit lifefloor.com.

Gwen Ruehle | Vice President, Business Development
+1.612.269.7919 | gwen.ruehle@lifefloor.com
lifefloor.com

Waterplay designs and manufactures play solutions for indoor and outdoor aquatic play spaces. Freestanding play features, playable fountains, elevated structures and water management solutions—we specialize in inclusive, high value, quality products that last. With aquatic play, water management, seating, shade, surfacing and toilet facility solutions, there’s no aquatic play project we can’t handle. Contact us today to start working with our experienced support teams positioned to help you every step of the way. building a splash pad is easy with Waterplay. Visit waterplay.com to learn more.

Shanley Hutchinson | Group Marketing Manager
+1.250.712.3393 | marketing@waterplay.com
waterplay.com

3 EASY AQUATIC IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE FOR SUMMER

As aquatic facilities plan to reopen for summer, they may look to make improvements for even more fun experiences at their pools and splash pads. Some may seek to address safety concerns like slip-and-falls. Others may look to enhance design and play value. Many of the solutions offered by Life Floor can help achieve these goals. Learn more about some easy ways our surfacing can address these needs in time for summer.

1. IMPROVE FACILITY SAFETY

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

We're also often contacted by customers that have tried other safety surfacing solutions that have failed in an aquatic environment. Many other rubberized or aggregate materials have been designed for dry playgrounds. As a result, they aren't engineered to withstand the unique combination of UV, aquatic, and chemical impacts that face splash pads or pool decks.

Other customers have struggled with growth on the surfacing at their facilities. Unlike more 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 great solution for anyone who has experienced this issue.

In 2019, NSF International passed NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 50:26 outlining criteria for safety surfacing products for interactive water play, which include slip-resistance and cushioning among others. They recognize that similar safety parameters are needed in aquatic play areas, following the precedent set by dry playgrounds. Life Floor is the first and currently only product to be certified to this standard. 

Our tiles can be easily installed over existing substrates to address safety concerns or to replace other surfacing solutions that have failed. If you have an existing facility where Life Floor might be a good fit, contact us to learn more.

2. BRIGHTEN UP SURFACING DESIGN

Many aquatic facilities contact Life Floor in need of a bright, new refresh. Adding our colorful tiles can transform any area with a blank, monochromatic surface to create an engaging, immersive experience for guests of all ages.

Our thematic Inlays can be easily integrated into any design to increase play value, theming, and visual interest. Games and graphics can also be included as part of a Life Floor installation. For budget-conscious or simpler designs, our preset Themes and Patterns can achieve beautiful results without the added costs of custom work.

3. CUSHION WATER SLIDE LANDINGS

We often hear from customers in search of new or improved cushioning at water slide landings. In many ways, prior solutions they've tried have fallen short. For instance, traditional slide landing pads are made with an impervious shell that has a consistent flaw in design; the cushioning and the waterproofing are viewed as separate elements. After repeated impact as guests exit a slide, the protective shell often fails leaving the padding exposed to water. From there, traditional landing pads can grow mold, the sharp edges of the failed protective shell can cause injuries, and pieces of foam can leak into the pool during peak busy season. These traditional landing pads are also typically bolted down to the pool bottom, which can result in tripping hazards or injuries during slide exits.

With Life Floor, our product’s inherent non-absorbent and impact cushioning qualities are built into our landing pads: no coatings, protective shells, or bolts required. Instead of bolts, Life Floor Landing Pads are adhered to the pool bottom with construction-grade, solvent-based contact cement, which can be found at a local hardware or flooring supply store.

Each Life Floor Landing Pad has a 4 ft (121.92 cm) critical fall height, 5-year material warranty, and non-abrasive slip-resistance for a safer exit every time. Our landing pads are created out of modular 2 ft (60.96 cm) square tiles so they can be customized to fit anywhere operators need to install them. In the event that any damage ever occurs, our modular design allows for only the compromised tiles to be replaced, which helps save on overall cost.

Life Floor Landing Pads are a great way to test out our products at your facility for a relatively low price point. To order one of our Landing Pads today, visit our online storefront here.

RETROFITTING LIFE FLOOR

One of the most common questions we get asked is, “Can Life Floor be installed over an existing surface?” The answer is yes! This type of installation, also known as a retrofit installation, is extremely common. Life Floor can be installed over virtually any solid substrate such as concrete or ceramic tile. When our installers are working with an existing surface, they will often prepare the surface beforehand by patching any cracks and grinding the surface down to ensure a smooth surface before laying Life Floor tiles.

If any spray features are present at the installation site or if there is a concrete apron surrounding the aquatic zone, our installers will use transition strips to provide a cohesive experience and ensure tripping hazards are eliminated.  Our installation teams work to perfectly surround any spray features without removing them to reduce maintenance downtime and ensure a snug fit.

Transition strips help simplify the process by creating a seamless transition from the surrounding area onto the aquatics feature zone. Life Floor transition strips are ADA Compliant and provide a smooth ramp onto the installation that prevents stubbed toes and accessibility concerns.

With proper preparation and the right team of installers, Life Floor can easily surface over existing substrates to transform facilities with improved safety and design. Our team always enjoys hearing from customers who have seen the impact that our tiles have made.

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If you’re interested in retrofitting your splash pad or pool deck with Life Floor, we'd love to support your needs in time for your summer reopening. Be sure to request a quote and see what a difference beautifully designed safety surfacing can make.