We're buying a wooden swingset for Natalie this year and are considering buying a 6mth old set from a good friend who is moving. The only thing we don't like about the set is that the wood is untreated. Have any of you bought a wooden swingset with untreated wood? If so, did you have to seal the wood pretty quickly because you noticed damage? Or did you seal it at all? I'm just curious. TIA

I'm just wondering if buying a stained/treated swingset would be better in the long run. I don't mind sealing it myself if that's best, because the price difference for a similar swingset is around $150+ more than what they're asking for it.

By Yjja123 on Sunday, March 11, 2007 - 12:40 pm:

Ours is sealed and I have sprayed it with a sealer every year to help it last longer. I would not leave it unsealed!

By Ginny~moderator on Sunday, March 11, 2007 - 12:46 pm:

I would seal it (being careful about the chemical makeup of the sealer) simply because it will be exposed to weather. And I'd be concerned about the part of the swing set that touches (or is, perhaps, anchored into) the ground, as that is especially vulnerable to rotting from weather and ground contact). I would shy away from treating the wood (rather than sealing it) because of the risks of many chemicals used for "treating". I'm sure you can find a good sealant that doesn't have hazardous residue.

One thing - my boss has a client right now, a boy who slipped on the swing and whose eyelid got caught on an S-hook (fastening the swing to the chain) that hadn't been closed properly. If I were using a swing set with a chain today, I'd cover the lower part of the chain - where hands, faces, etc. can come in contact with it - with sections of hose or something similar.

By Reds9298 on Monday, March 12, 2007 - 10:46 pm:

Thanks ladies. We're going with treated/sealed wood and buying a new one. I will probably seal it every couple of years or so, but I didn't want to be locked into doing it all the time. I've sealed our large deck twice and it wasn't fun!! Buying treated/sealed wood buys me some time, LOL. I know it's important for it be sealed, I just didn't want to do it *every* year. We do our deck about every 4 years and it looks wonderful.
Thank you!! And thanks for the chain tip Ginny as well.