There are many different kind of woods being used
today by the swing set industry and I will try to
give a brief description of some of them.
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens):
It is found on the Pacific coast, from Mexico to Canada and is
the best looking and one of the most suitable wood for
outdoor applications such as decking, swing sets and patio
furniture. It is very resistant to decay and very easy to sand
and refinish. The problem with it is that, due to extensive
logging in the last century, it is very expensive and hard to
find, particularly in the east coast.
China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata):
This wood, as the name says, comes form East Asia and is
starting to be one of the choice woods for the swing set
industry. Every major retailer,such as BJ’s, Sam’s Club,
Walmart and Toys-r-us sell kits made with this wood. I found
this information about china fir from the Forest Products
Society library: "The decay resistance of China-fir was
evaluated in several tests using white- and brown-rot fungi in
an American Wood Preservers' Association soil-block test.
Although there was some variation in weight loss among
boards, China-fir heartwood was found to be similar in decay
resistance to western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and should be
classified as highly decay resistant."
Tropical hard woods:
Relatively new in the U.S., known in the market as Ipe,
Ironwood, Brazilian redwood (photo) etc, these woods are
becoming very popular for deck construction and are picking
up a small slice of the swing set market as well. They are
heavy, very expensive, and their strength are only par by
their resistance to decay. Hardly need any treatment, maybe
just for aesthetic appearance and age very well. They are by
far my favorite but still rare and hard to find.
Pine (pressure treated):
Although it is easily found and fairly inexpensive it is not
recommended for swing sets.
A few years ago, pine treated with CCA (Chromate Copper
Arsenate), the chemical used to preserve wood against
decay, was the most available in the market for outdoor use.
In December of 2003 the US government banned it! Since
then, there is a new chemical treatment, ACQ (Alkaline
Copper Quaternary) but there is no long-term proof that ACQ
treatments are non-toxic. Zinc plated bolts and nuts, the most
type of fasteners used on decks and swing sets, erode faster
when used with ACQ treated wood. They are very good for
retaining walls and landscaping in general and great to make
play area borders around the swing sets, but not to be in
contact with children’s skin.
Vinyl or plastic coated wood:
Many manufacturers are using this method of wrapping the
wood in plastic to lower the cost of their swing sets and stay
competitive. As an installer, I don’t particularly like them as
the plastic breaks very easily if I am not careful and because
water will penetrate trough the gaps and cracks. The wood
won’t have any way to release the moisture and will start to
rot from inside consequently causing the swing set to
collapse. One manufacturer don’t even use solid 4 X 4s but a
hollow box made with ½ by 3 ½ inches pieces of lumber (as
seen on the picture) and held together with glue and the
plastic wrapping . So, whenever possible, try to stay way from
this type of material.
today by the swing set industry and I will try to
give a brief description of some of them.
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens):
It is found on the Pacific coast, from Mexico to Canada and is
the best looking and one of the most suitable wood for
outdoor applications such as decking, swing sets and patio
furniture. It is very resistant to decay and very easy to sand
and refinish. The problem with it is that, due to extensive
logging in the last century, it is very expensive and hard to
find, particularly in the east coast.
China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata):
This wood, as the name says, comes form East Asia and is
starting to be one of the choice woods for the swing set
industry. Every major retailer,such as BJ’s, Sam’s Club,
Walmart and Toys-r-us sell kits made with this wood. I found
this information about china fir from the Forest Products
Society library: "The decay resistance of China-fir was
evaluated in several tests using white- and brown-rot fungi in
an American Wood Preservers' Association soil-block test.
Although there was some variation in weight loss among
boards, China-fir heartwood was found to be similar in decay
resistance to western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and should be
classified as highly decay resistant."
Tropical hard woods:
Relatively new in the U.S., known in the market as Ipe,
Ironwood, Brazilian redwood (photo) etc, these woods are
becoming very popular for deck construction and are picking
up a small slice of the swing set market as well. They are
heavy, very expensive, and their strength are only par by
their resistance to decay. Hardly need any treatment, maybe
just for aesthetic appearance and age very well. They are by
far my favorite but still rare and hard to find.
Pine (pressure treated):
Although it is easily found and fairly inexpensive it is not
recommended for swing sets.
A few years ago, pine treated with CCA (Chromate Copper
Arsenate), the chemical used to preserve wood against
decay, was the most available in the market for outdoor use.
In December of 2003 the US government banned it! Since
then, there is a new chemical treatment, ACQ (Alkaline
Copper Quaternary) but there is no long-term proof that ACQ
treatments are non-toxic. Zinc plated bolts and nuts, the most
type of fasteners used on decks and swing sets, erode faster
when used with ACQ treated wood. They are very good for
retaining walls and landscaping in general and great to make
play area borders around the swing sets, but not to be in
contact with children’s skin.
Vinyl or plastic coated wood:
Many manufacturers are using this method of wrapping the
wood in plastic to lower the cost of their swing sets and stay
competitive. As an installer, I don’t particularly like them as
the plastic breaks very easily if I am not careful and because
water will penetrate trough the gaps and cracks. The wood
won’t have any way to release the moisture and will start to
rot from inside consequently causing the swing set to
collapse. One manufacturer don’t even use solid 4 X 4s but a
hollow box made with ½ by 3 ½ inches pieces of lumber (as
seen on the picture) and held together with glue and the
plastic wrapping . So, whenever possible, try to stay way from
this type of material.
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata):
It is not as pretty as redwood but has the same qualities. It
is more easily found and very commonly used in fencing,
decking and the most used today, in the Unites States, for
the more expensive swing set construction.
It is not as pretty as redwood but has the same qualities. It
is more easily found and very commonly used in fencing,
decking and the most used today, in the Unites States, for
the more expensive swing set construction.
WOOD CHOICES
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