New Products for Dog Parks

Terrabound Solutions is partnering with leading manufacturers to supply Dog Park Equipment. 

There is a growing need for dog waste receptacles to keep park and city public areas clear of dog and pet waste.  Their most popular model, The TerraBound Dog Waste Station, incorporates an identification sign, a rolled dog wast bag dispenser and an 11 gallon wast receptacle.  This model is unobtrusive, decorative and serves a simple hygienic need, allowing the user to keep their hands clean!  It is also very affordable.  Another great dog waste station is the Dogipot, which has been the mainstay in pet stations for years.  Dog waste bags are included.  Pet Waste Receptacles.

Dog park equipment includes tools and toys such as dog obstacle courses, dog play equipment and dog exercise equipment.  Not only is it fun to watch a dog use these tools, but it is healthy for your pet both mentally and physically. There are great dog park accessories like human / dog drinking fountains that allow both the owner and the pet to drink and leash posts. 

Dog Park Features and Benefits

Dog parks provide a safe, secure enclosure for you to let your dog run free. Some dog parks split the un-leashed areas so that small dogs can play separately from larger dogs. Park opening hours will vary for each park, but usually they are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Features of dog parks include dog park equipment such as exercise equipment, doggie drinking fountains, dog waste receptacles, benches and no harmful plants.

Exercise equipment that your local dog park may have include a doggie crawl, which is an elevated tube that even large dogs can crawl through, jumping hoops, adjustable height jumps, teeter totters, inclines and declines. Less common, but a very popular feature of some dog parks is a swimming lake.

Dog parks provide useful facilities that help both the enjoyment of dogs and their owners when visiting the park. Benches to relax on, shaded areas and lights are all features you'll find in many parks. Dog parks have a double gated entry to increase the safety of the dogs in the park. It ensures that when visitors enter the park, un-leashed dogs already in the park can't run out. Parks will often have grassy and non-grassy areas for your dog to play on. If a park does not have a swimming lake, it may provide a doggie wash area, great for hot days or a stinky dog. One very important rule to follow when visiting a dog park is to clean up after your dog straightaway. All dog parks will provide waste receptacles, specifically for the disposal of dog waste. Many parks will also provide tools that you can use to clean up your dog's waste.

Speaking of rules, make sure you are familiar with the rules of the park. Owners must keep an eye on their dog at all times and remain close enough to them so that they can intervene should that be necessary. Parks will not allow aggressive dogs, females in heat and puppies younger than four months. For the health and safety of all dogs that enter the park, dogs must not have any communicable diseases and have an up to date license and vaccinations. When not inside the park dogs must stay on a leash. Other rules dog parks enforce include, dog park permits, no glass and some will not allow any food or drink.

Besides providing a safe area for your dogs to burn off some energy, dog parks provide both social and health benefits. For dogs, the parks allow them time to bond and play with their owner and other dogs. Dogs that are happy have less stress which reduces behavioral problems such as barking and chewing. For owners, visiting a park provides a great way to socialize with people. Research has found that accompanying a dog makes it easier for people to start talking to each other, since they share a common focus enabling them to easily start a conversation. Dog parks also provide a way for elderly owners that may not necessarily be able to walk their dog long distances to still enjoy the companionship that owning a dog brings. Studies have shown that owning a dog can lead to lower blood pressure and help you have a calmer, more relaxed life.

Turning a Dream Into Reality

What enticing scenario flashes across the recesses of your mind when you day dream about having time to relax on long, warm, summer days and weekends? Most people envision no looming responsibilities and sitting on the patio with an icy drink sweating in our hand. Or we see ourselves entertaining our friends and family by the pool surrounded with sturdy, colorful arrangements of patio furniture with big colorfully printed patio umbrellas opened wide and shading all who gather under them. Whether your desire is for a sectional, a chair and ottoman ensemble or a daybed, patio furniture has qualified as a serious contender. And if we really planned these events before decorating our outdoor space we would definitely included plenty of seating between our the patio furniture selections and a few multi-purposed, weather resistant deck boxes that just happen to look great and provide additional seating and storage. You can’t go wrong with that.

Choosing the right patio décor to fit your personal taste and lifestyle can be a tad daunting. Outdoor living trends have caused an explosion in demand for durable and stylish patio furniture. Patio furniture gives the consumer a liberal choice of available materials from wicker, aluminum, wrought iron, plastic or wood. Added-value pieces like extended dining tables, cushions, plenty of side tables for food drinks and everything else tables collect, the necessary number of seats and patio umbrellas needed to provide adequate shade for family and friends is all a consideration when planning your outdoor oasis.

Time spent on your patio whether indoors or outdoors can become a memory building opportunity. So, with that in mind, select the highest quality patio furniture and accessories you can comfortably afford. You will want to purchase good quality materials that will give you enjoyment and comfort while making a point to fulfill your patio needs for the duration of your patio. There are any number of reputable companies purposely focused on meeting and exceeding your greatest aspirations for your patio or outdoor space. Do your homework. Know what you want and plan accordingly.

The traditional deck boxes are not so traditional any longer either. The days of splintered, warped wood, bugs and other unwanted pests are long gone and forgotten. You can be as simple or elaborate as you feel like or as you need to be now days. Duel purpose deck boxes offer an attractive seating option while inconspicuously hiding all your pool and garden tools. Many now come with additional option of hidden features like trays and drink holders. And any numbers of them are constructed from durable molded plastic which keeps them affordable, environmentally sound and extremely low maintenance.

No matter what your taste is or what your individual needs require there is an abundance of promising, creative patio furniture designs and charming patio umbrellas waiting for you. Patio ensembles like this will collectively enhance any backyard event. They bring with them a celebrative atmosphere where you can undeniable enjoy every moment of any valued time you get on your patio whether alone, with a few friends, family members or hosting a blow-out that people talk about for summers to come!

Fitness Reigns Supreme on Todays Playgrounds

Playgrounds today have an even more important role than ever before in the lives of kids. Childhood obesity is reaching an alarming level. We understand that kids need to be more active the challenge is disguising ways to make them more active as fun. That's where the modern play structures come into the picture.

In the playgrounds of yesterday, the goal was just to give children a place where they could run around and let off a little steam before settling in for the night. Today however, they are taking on different roles and have a greater impact on children than temporary amusement. Parks across the country are upgrading play systems and playground equipment with new goals in mind.

They aren't getting rid of traditional and much love equipment such as slides, swings, and merry-go-rounds. They are making slides more challenging to get to. They are adding new touches like rock climbing walls, ring bars, and tire trails to bring a new fitness component into the playground.

More importantly, the kids are having fun. They don't even realize that they're getting a major workout, burning calories, and developing balance and strength from their hours of play.

Water playgrounds are becoming widely popular these days with good reason. Even when the sun is bearing down during those oh so brutal dog days of summer kids can get out, splash around, burn calories, and have a lot of fun in the sun without ever really feeling the heat.

Getting kids to the playground today is about so much more than getting them away from television and video games. While that's not a bad goal to have in mind, the health of an entire generation is much more important in the long-term.

It may not seem like playground time is accomplishing all that much in the beginning but the more time kids spend on equipment like this, the less time these children are spending eating mindless snacks, sitting idly in front of their gaming consoles, or getting into trouble elsewhere. The bottom line is that the more we, as a society, can get kids up and moving around, the better able we'll be to tackle the trend of childhood obesity.

Playground equipment is one small step in the right directions that communities, schools, and even churches can make. Simple changes like monkey bars and climbing walls can help kids develop upper body strength and better coordination. Climbing steps to get to the top of the slide exercises the legs, burns calories, and helps develop muscles in the legs.

As little as forty minutes of exercise every day can result in significant loss of body fat in seven to eleven year old children without any changes in the diet at all according to Dr. Joe Frost in The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds. With that in mind, investing in playgrounds really is an investment in the community at large by creating a generation of healthier children who are no longer plagued by childhood obesity – at least that is the goal.

The Importance of Play!

Imagine a world where every child could experience the thrill of merry-go-rounds, flying high as a child swings, or  slides down to a complete stop. The sites, and sounds of children  regardless of their ability bring precious memories, and teach wholesome character in young communities as they grow up playing together. Lessons of life can be discovered at Americas public playgrounds. Children at every level of ability can grow with confidence to achieve while they play. Social skills can be developed that teach kids to help, understand,  care, and communicate with one another. Playing around children with disabilities provides important discussions that will prepare children for the rest of their life to live in a world that is not always a fair place.

Public playgrounds are good for all  involved. Parents have an excuse to take part in their kids world with an  opportunity to watch, and be there when needed to assist with a difficult task. Children have access to a world of play that will provide help future development. Through proper legal regulations, a level playing field has created a solution to provide accessibility as a standard for generations to come. Not only health kids who can play without many limitations can enjoy public areas, all children have the opportunity. Parents can know when they go to a state park, or county park, there are regulations in place that says, "YOUR CHILD CAN PLAY."  If for some reason the park in a local community has not been updated, parents have leverage with public laws, and possible access to funding to help make changes. Who is going to say any child should not have equal accessibility to playground equipment at city parks, state park, schools, and other places.

This is why the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that all public access parks, schools, and other recreational facilities provide user friendly play systems  for children of disabilities. Prior to this, funding was the biggest obstacle for local communities to make their park play areas accessible to all children with limitations. Until recently, the public was not aware of the issues parents of disabled children dealt with on a regular basis.   Because of the awareness of concerned parents, it has been brought to the attention of the American Society for Testing and Materials. This organization has been around since 1898 to provide more than 12000 standards to improve product quality, and safety.  Before  play structures of any kind becomes a fixture in a public place, it must meet certain specifications.

Who would ever think that a play set built for a child who had limitations could start a journey that could actually lead to the world Olympics. In our day, these World Games are filled with many who have  disabilities whose path began with someone who believed enough in them to succeed.  Children with limited learning levels can achieve physically, and emotionally. Their motor skills can be developed with all of the activities that are involved while they think they are only playing. Truly, playgrounds are training ground for future trailblazers the world will get out of the way to watch  reach heights yet to be discovered.

Benefits of Purchasing Recycled Plastic Adirondack Chairs

Recycled Plastic or HDPE lumber is truly a dynamic material that has recently become popular for outdoor furnishings such as Adirondack chairs as well as other patio and deck furnishings.  It is made of over 90% of your plastic consumer waste like milk jugs, so you recycle it and they make it into beautiful furnishings!  

Here are some reasons why it is such a great idea:

It Outlasts Wood 

Furniture made of recycled plastic lumber (HDPE) will last longer than any wood product, no matter what kind of wood it is for a multitude of reasons. 

It Does Not Warp

Because HDPE (high density polyethylene) is so dense and of even consistency, there is much less warping than with wood.  It stays as flat as the day it was born.

It Does Not Splinter: Because it is not wood, there are no splinters.  Parents love this because their kid’s skin will not be pierced by painful splinters.  In fact, recycled Adirondack chairs will not even flake. Not to mention, they are super easy to clean if your kids decide to mark them up or they get dirty.  Just use mild soap and water and voila!

Resistant to Mold and Rot

  Adirondack Chairs made of HDPE will be extremely mold resistant will absolutely not rot.  The chair will last for many years because of this without any need to replace rotted out pieces.

Refinish This!  No need to paint or refinish these Adirondack chairs because the color is built in throughout the material.  It will also not fade.  Years from now the color will look as fresh as the day the chair was built.  In addition to that, you can get a lot of vibrant, rich colors that will pop in any outdoor environment. 

It Feels Like Wood

Of course it’s not wood, but it feels like it and looks like it.  It is however much better than wood because of its durability and color fastness.  Also, this product is extremely dense and is “weighty” like wood.  It's certainly not the flimsy plastic you are probably thinking of.

Colors

There is a huge variety of colors pick from and no paint is involved!  In fact the color lasts so long because it is part of the material (HDPE).  It will not fade or wear off like paint does and you don’t have to bother refinishing your Adirondack chair every season to protect if from salt air, mold or moisture. 

Weather Resistant

Because of the nature of HDPE, recycled plastic Adirondack chairs hold up extremely well in sorts of tough weather without failing.  This stuff is tough!  It stands up to the harshest of weather conditions with no fuss.

Child Friendly

As we mentioned above, this product is splinter free.  (splinter free for adults too).  It is also a good, strong material so you won't need to worry about rickety wood that could break with a little rough housing.

Earth Friendly

Adirondack chairs and other products made from recycled plastic materials help promote recycling.  This reduces the amount of polyethylene dumped into our landfills, waterways and oceans.  There is already a state-sized island of plastic floating around the Pacific Ocean.  Let’s not add to that.  Recycle today!

USA Made

Recycled Plastic Adirondack Chairs support American business and is manufactured in the USA.  So you are basically investing in two very relevant issues: local economy and reducing our carbon footprint. 

Interesting in learning ways you can reduce your carbon footprint?  Click here to learn how.

NEW: Cedar Adirondack Chairs

TerraBound Solutions has just added a quality line of Cedar Adirondack Chairs to our array of existing Adirondack Patio Furniture styles.  These cedar Adirondack chairs are available in a beautiful natural look and traditional as well as funky color options.

 There are definitely benefits to purchasing cedar outdoor products.  The first is that it is an incredibly durable wood that is also less expensive than most types of outdoor furniture.  Cedar outdoor patio furniture is also naturally resistant to fungus and decay, with natural oils that protect it from decay.  Cedar is also 80% as strong as oak, making it one of the more sturdy woods out there.  Like many of our Adirondack Chairs these require very little maintenance, and will offer lasting performance to your patio or outdoor area.

Also amongst our Cedar chair collection is our new folding Adirondack chairs.  Conveniently lounge anywhere by optimizing your portability with our Adirondack folding chair.