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Handyman Articles - Tips for Buying a Swing Set
By Tina Gleisner, My Handyman of Southern NH

Spring is when parents consider buying a swing set for the backyard. What better way to encourage your children to spend time outside in healthy, physical activity. Yet today's swing sets are more like a playground with ladders, slides, forts, climbing walls and so much more.With this array of choices, parents don't always know what the most important considerations are in picking a swing set. This article provides an outline of the key factors to consider when making your decision.

How Will You Use the Swing Set?
When you first start to think about buying a swing set you probably have a toddler. It's a good idea to think through the following questions to get a better idea of how big a swing set you might need, along with how many features make sense.

How many children do you anticipate having?
How many years will a parent stay/work at home versus the children spending time at daycare?
How frequently will you host play dates at your home?
How often will you entertain friends and their children?

Now pick 2 numbers. The higher number should represent the greatest number of children you anticipate playing on the swing set (and frequency?). The second number is the average number of children playing on the swing set, i.e. you plan to have 2 children with frequent play dates for both, a group of 4 children is your average. While you expect to have 2 or 3 large parties each year, you really only need a swing set for 4 children and can accommodate larger groups with some play toys.

Choice of Materials and Design
All swing sets are not equal, so it pays to do some research before you buy one. Metal swing sets are simpler but make sure the metal is galvanized and coated with a lead-free, rust resistant paint. There are many wood choices and you want to evaluate how much maintenance each requires. CedarWorks uses long lasting northern white cedar which is safer as the wood is splinter free, and long lasting requiring minimal maintenance.

Given how popular swing sets have become, there are numerous manufacturers to choose from along with the box stores. Some of the items to consider in choosing a set for your family include:

Flexibility in size and shape to fit your location. Options available include designing your own configuration out of mix and match parts, and the ability to add sections as your family grows.
With so many features available, you want the ability to swap out a supportive child seat once they're 4 years old. Don't clutter the play area with too many features, but rather create an environment where your children can use their imagination, coupled with great physical activity.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends the following safety guidelines for residential swing sets:

Check for spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs; these should be less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches. To prevent trapping a child's head or neck, fill in all V-shaped angles that open upwards.
Make sure platforms and ramps aver 30 inches high have guardrails to prevent falls.
Check and remove/cover sharp points or edges in equipment, or any type of protruding hardware.
Remove tripping hazards like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps and rocks.
Make sure there are no gaps or things sticking out at the top and bottom of the slide, where clothing can get caught and trap a child.

Manufacture and Installation
My Handyman cannot make manufacturer recommendations. We find our installations fraught with problems and disappointed customers. There are missing parts and inevitably, they get upset at how long a swing set takes to install. We've had customers cancel an installation because too many parts were missing so think hard before you accept packaging that has already been opened. Last fall we assembled Leisure Time's Cambridge kit purchased online from Sam's Club:

Boxes were dropped at the end of the driveway, rained on and all the stickers came off the wood
2,316 pieces of hardware - 32 different types, shipped in 18 plastic bags (multiple sizes in each bag)
472 pieces of wood and fortunately only 2 pieces were missing - 124 different shapes
68 pages of instructions
Original manufacturer estimate for installation was 16 to 24 hours for 2 people, but they later admitted these kits were taking "closer to 48 hrs."

My Handyman completed this installation in 42 hours but the customer was very unhappy. We talked to other companies specializing in swing set installations and they reported similar problems. The real proof. This company isn't visible anywhere on the web a year later, although there are similar designs out there.

For related information, you can also read:

Fun is More Than a Swing Set
Playground safety tips from the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS)
Swingsets.Net, a buyers guide (links to manufacturers) and information portal
Tips for Buying a Swing Set (this article)
Tips for Installing a Swing Set.

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