Natural Karolam® Robinia Wood Offers Impressive Benefits Over Modern Materials

K&K Karolam® – Robinia Wooden Posts | Video via YouTube.com

At their very best, playgrounds and playscapes mimic the joy of running, jumping, climbing, and otherwise playing in a wild and natural setting. They fulfill our instinctual desire to climb trees, swing from branches, and slide or roll down hills. Playscapes and playgrounds free our imaginations while we play in a setting much safer and controlled than the wild forests that often inspire their designs. To maintain that instinctual connection, it makes sense to use natural wood as part of a playground’s construction.

Of course, that is not the only reason natural materials such as Robinia wood should be included in a design. There are still qualities in the wood itself that cannot be matched by modern materials. It has an uneven consistency that is often aesthetically pleasing while always remaining inviting to touch, no matter how hot or cold the weather may be. Even when used in a standard design, every piece of wood is little bit different, making every playground appropriately unique. Wood is also much easier to recycle or reuse when that time finally comes, and when drawn from well-managed forest, such as those certified by by the Forest Stewardship Council, it represents an entirely renewable building material.

Robinia – The Right Tree for the Job

Dalben Tower featuring Karolam® Robinia Wood   | Image via Goric

Goric partners with the German firm Kaiser & Kühne to offer a particularly durable form of Robinia wood in North American markets. The Robinia tree’s natural acidic properties already repels insects, moss, and rot. Wood from the tree is also prized because it does not splinter and can be used untreated, making it perfect for playground equipment.

To improve these qualities, Kaiser & Kühn developed KAROLAM® Acacia laminated wood. When pressed and glued together using this proprietary process, high tension characteristics of the Robinia wood are eliminated, and the bearing strength increases up to 50%. Meaning this highly durable and natural material can be used for higher installation lengths or heights. Making it absolutely perfect for supporting a wide variety of play structures.

Expanding Wood’s Natural Design Flexibility

K&K Tower Play Structure | Image via Goric

Working with KAROLAM® Robinia wood provides playground designers the ability to let their imagination soar. Which leads to designs that encourage those young and old who use these playscapes to do the same. KAROLAM® Robinia wood’s soft touch, resistance to splintering, and long-lasting durability makes it a near perfect material for any project. It also allows playgrounds to maintain their aesthetic value for a long-time to come, as the UV-stability of natural Robinia wood ensures the “greying effect” often found in wood-based playgrounds does not occur.

As the importance of free-play is increasingly understood, and playgrounds again become a central focus of every child’s development, we are lucky to live in an age with a wide variety of materials are available to support imaginative designs. It can be easy to overlook the many benefits of natural wood when such a wide assortment of materials are available. It is important to remember that forests have stood for ages, and we all want to build play structures that do the same. With KAROLAM® Robinia wood, that goal can be achieved.