Why Redwood Swing Sets are the Best Choice

by: AlexPetigraw
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Everyone has their own reasons for choosing a particular wood for their swing set. Some buy pine because of budget restrictions, others select cedar for its low maintenance and buyers of redwood may do so just to match their deck. All those woods are available to you as well, but before you decide there are a few facts you should know about redwood that makes it the better choice.

In order to fully understand the qualities that make redwood the best choice for your swing set, you need to know a little more about the wood itself. Not all redwood is the same and it's important you know exactly what kind you're paying for.

All redwood will have a color ranging from pink to deep red, and over time, regardless of the color it starts out with, will wind up turning gray. Like all woods, there are several grades of redwood and not all are best suited for a swing set. The best type to look for is a Con-Heart grade of redwood, which indicates construction worthiness and comes from the innermost part of the tree.

The natural resistance to rotting and insects only exists in the wood from the heart of the tree. The outermost wood requires staining every year, due to the lack of natural defenses against decay. Con-Heart wood needs no maintenance and if the company you're buying from tells you the swing set will need to be stained annually, you'll know it isn't the heart of the redwood.

If there are any white parts in the redwood, it's called sapwood and it has virtually no resistance to rotting or insects. Again, you're protected with Con-Heart Redwood, because it contains no sapwood. Heart redwood has a natural resistance to insects and decay that goes all the way through the wood, not only the surface. This is important because it means the exposed ends and edges created from sawing or nailing are just as resistant as the outside surface of the wood.

All wood will swell or shrink in the presence or absence of moisture. Redwood is more stable than most other woods and while it will swell or shrink slightly, it's still able to maintain its shape better than other woods. You'll have much less cracking, splitting, and warping with a redwood swing set.

Swing sets made with redwood are incredibly durable, in part due to their natural ability to ward off disease and decay. This means your redwood swing set will look better than one made with a different wood, even 20 years later.

When shopping for a redwood swing set, be sure to ask enough questions or read enough fine print to know that if you're paying for redwood, you're getting 100% redwood. Many companies use a mixture of woods, including redwood, but still refer to their product as 'redwood construction'. Look and listen for words that indicate other woods have also been used, including Chinese fir and Red Cedar.

Before you finalize a purchase, especially if your swing set is made from Con-Heart wood, find out if Con-Heart was used for the entire set or just for the larger pieces. In order to enjoy the most benefits from heartwood's natural protective ability, the whole set should be constructed with it, not just the beams and bigger pieces.

About the Author

About the author: Alex Petigraw is a swing set industry veteran. See more of his articles on Swing SetsFree guide on choosing the right Swing Set  

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