Description
What is LECA®?
LECA® (Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate) is a lightweight clay pellet widely used in gardening, landscaping and green roof systems. It is produced by heating natural clay at very high temperatures, causing the pellets to expand and form a strong, porous structure.
This structure makes LECA®:
• lightweight
• free draining
• frost resistant
• long lasting
This porous structure allows air and water to move freely through the growing medium, helping prevent water logging while maintaining healthy root conditions for plants.
LECA® is widely used in green roof construction as a lightweight drainage layer that helps manage water while reducing structural load.
The 10–20mm grade creates excellent drainage and is commonly used as a drainage layer in planters, rooftop gardens, raised beds and other planting systems where reducing weight and improving water movement is important.
Clean, durable and long-lasting, LECA® clay pellets are widely used by gardeners and landscapers as a reliable drainage material.
LECA® 10–20mm is commonly used for:
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Drainage layers in planters and pots
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Green roofs and rooftop gardens
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Lightweight backfill behind retaining walls
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Raised beds and planting systems
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Hydroponic growing systems
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Drainage beneath play surfaces
- Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS)
Technical Information
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Granule size: 10–20mm
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Material: LECA® lightweight expanded clay aggregate
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Approx dry bulk density: ~280 kg/m³
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Packaging: Pallets of 21 × 50L bags (approx. 1m³)
Environmental Benefits
At Playbark.com we support sustainable landscaping and responsible sourcing.
Natural Origin
LECA® is made from 100% natural clay and contains no harmful substances or chemicals.
Reusable Material
LECA® is fully recyclable and can be reused in future projects without breaking down.
Urban Cooling
Used in green roofs and rooftop gardens, LECA® helps reduce heat build-up in urban areas while supporting planting systems.
Reduced Transport Impact
Because LECA® is much lighter than traditional aggregates, fewer deliveries are needed for the same volume, reducing site traffic and transport emissions.
Sector Applications
🏫 For Schools: Safe Learning & Play
A1 Fire Safety – LECA® is Euroclass A1 Non-Combustible. It is the safest choice for educational buildings, especially when creating “sky classrooms” or rooftop sensory gardens.
Rooftop Play Surfaces – LECA®Use as a free-draining sub-base beneath our play bark or rubber mulch to ensure rooftop playgrounds stay dry and usable year-round without overloading the structure.
Hygienic & Inert – Being 100% natural clay LECA® does not support the growth of mould or attract soil-borne pests.
🏥 For Hospitals: Healing & Insulation
Therapeutic Rooftops – LECA® facilitates the creation of lush, restorative garden retreats for patients on hospital podium decks where traditional soil or gravel would be too heavy.
Acoustic Comfort – LECA® porous core naturally absorbs sound, helping to dampen city noise and create a quieter, more peaceful environment for wards below.
Thermal Efficiency – Acts as a natural thermal break, helping to regulate building temperatures and reduce energy costs for NHS Trusts.
🌳 For Councils: Sustainable Urban Resilience
Flood Defence (SuDS) – LECA® is an essential component for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, acting as a subterranean reservoir to slow stormwater runoff and protect city infrastructure.
Net-Zero Logistics – Being up to 85% lighter than stone, one delivery of LECA® replaces multiple loads of traditional aggregate, drastically reducing transport-related carbon emissions.
Long-Term Durability – Chemically inert and frost-resistant, LECA® will not degrade, rot, or compact, offering a lifespan of over 100 years.
Weight comparison
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Material
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Approx weight per m³
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LECA®
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~280kg
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Topsoil
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~1200kg
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Pea gravel
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~1600kg
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Crushed stone
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~1800kg
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How we Deliver
This page sets out how we deliver products to you.
Please take the time to check that your delivery address can accommodate the requirements below as costs may be incurred for deliveries which cannot be performed due to non-compliance.
If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
If the vehicle shown below may be too large to delivery to your property, please contact our sales office before ordering to discuss further delivery options on 01538 751514 or email info@playbark.com.
The delivery vehicle arrives. This is a typical vehicle that delivers our goods. It measures approximately 28ft in length and is approximately 8’6″ wide.
Please note that the goods are unloaded from the rear of the vehicle.
Please note that goods are not delivered with a crane/hiab facility and can therefore not be lowered over a fence or similar. We can also not deliver to the rear of properties due to access restrictions.
The driver positions the pallet truck. The driver uses a ‘pump’ pallet truck to lift the pallet so that he can wheel the pallet onto the tail lift.
The pallet load is lowered to the ground. The tail lift is lowered electrictronically by the driver. He carefully lowers the load to the ground so that it can be wheeled across the pavement.
Please note
The driver only has a legal obligation to offload the goods onto the roadside and in turn the liability and responsibility of the goods then passes to the customer.
However, at playbark.com we contract with reputable and obliging transport Companies whose drivers will endeavour to place the pallet into your driveway as long as the surface is of sound makeup such as concrete, paving or tarmac.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE PALLET TRUCK CANNOT PASS OVER GRAVEL OR ANY TYPE OF ROUGH TERRAIN AND SIMILARLY THE DRIVER CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO PULL THE GOODS UP OR DOWN A SLOPING DRIVEWAY OR OVER CURBS.
Failure to accept this responsibility will result in the goods being returned to the transport depot and charges will apply.
Please note, these costs can be significant, so we ask all potential Customers to ensure that they familiarise themselves with the finer details of the delivery methods. If in doubt please contact our sales office on 01538 751514.
The safe passage of the Carrier’s delivery vehicle is the ultimate responsibility of the delivery driver. With this in mind if the driver assesses any delivery point road or carriageway and concludes it is unsafe or unviable to access the delivery property in question, this decision of the driver is final. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Customer and any potential purchaser to notify ourselves of any potential situation which may lead to the delivery being undelivered. Examples may include (but not exhaustive) cars parked preventing vehicle access, low growing tree branches, telephone/ electricity cables etc. Failure to accept this responsibility will result in the goods being returned to the transport depot and charges will apply.
The driver guides the pallet of bark to the customer’s driveway. The driver will endeavour (please see below) to place the pallet into the customer’s driveway.
The pallet of bark is placed into the customer’s driveway. The delivery is successfully completed!
Please Note:
In line with Customer Service and as a courtesy to all our Customer we do offer a facility whereby Customers can choose a preferred delivery day.
We endeavour to adhere to this specified day to the best of our ability, but as you will appreciate the National Carriers we contract with do have a mammoth task tackling road works, congestion and tachograph regulations.
With this in mind, please be aware sometimes they are delayed and as a result cannot deliver on the specified day. This doesn’t happen very often but we politely make it known to Customers we can’t pay compensation, wages, time or any other consequential loss a result of this delay.
To avoid any unnecessary expense, we strongly advise Customers wait until the delivery has been completed before arranging labour to install/lay the products ordered.
However if a Customer has specified the ‘Next Day’ option and the delivery wasn’t performed on this basis, we will gladly refund the £20 Next Day charge.
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Refusal of Goods , Wrongly Ordered Goods & Cancelled Orders
If Playbark.com have delivered the incorrect goods, we will gladly collect them or the Customer can refuse to accept delivery and there will be absolutely no expense to the Customer whatsoever.
However, if the goods have been incorrectly ordered by the Customer or the customer cancels the orders after the goods have been despatched, we will gladly arrange collection of the goods or additionally if the Customer refuses to accept the delivery of the goods (in the event of the goods been incorrectly ordered) the transport and re-collection costs will have to be paid by the Customer.
These costs will include the cost of the delivery from ourselves or our operating partners to the Customer’s property and similarly the cost of returning the goods from the Customer’s property back to the source.
We politely ask all Customers to double check the details before transmitting/placing the order as these costs cannot be waivered; Please be aware, we do not profit from these transport costs, they are the exact costs which Playbark.com incur from the transport Company.
