Redwood - Your Best Choice in Swing Set Construction

Posted by Alex Petigraw

When discussing wooden swing sets, it seems everyone has their favorite. For a variety of different reasons, some people prefer pine, others opt for cedar and then there are the redwood lovers. Whatever you ultimately choose, you should know why redwood swing sets are the best choice you can make.

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.

It’s this redwood that is naturally resistant to insects and rotting. Wood taken from the outer part of the tree must be stained each year to prevent decay. Many companies offer redwood swing sets, but if it isn’t taken from the heart of the tree, it will require some maintenance. You’ll never have to do any staining or sanding on swing sets made from Con-Heart grade Redwood.

Something to be aware of is the presence of any white wood in the swing set you’re considering. This is sapwood and has no resistance at all to insects or decay. If you see sapwood, you’re not getting Con-Heart wood, because heartwood doesn’t have any sapwood. An advantage to wood from the heart of the tree is that its resistance goes throughout the wood so that exposed parts that have been sawed or nailed are just as safe from bugs and diseases.

Redwood is also naturally stable and while all woods swell and shrink to some point depending on moisture in the environment, redwood does it less than the others. This means redwood stays flatter and retains its shape much better, with a lower risk of warping, splitting, or cracking.

When you’re investing in a wooden swing set, durability is an important consideration. Because of its ability to fend off decay and bugs, a redwood swing set will still be in great shape and will look better than one built with a different wood, even 20 years down the road.

Some companies will use just enough redwood in the construction of their sets that they can legally call it ‘redwood’, when in fact it may be a mixture of redwood and red cedar, or even Chinese Fir. Read all the fine print and if in doubt, ask! If you’re paying a higher price for redwood, you certainly want to be sure that’s what you’re getting.

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.

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