Why Redwood Swing Sets are the Best Choice

by: AlexPetigraw
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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.

Although redwood is available in several different grades, a commonality between them is the pink/red color that ages to gray over time. A widely used grade of redwood is Con-Heart, which means it's a construction grade wood that comes from the heart of the redwood 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.

Be sure to take note that there's no white or light colored wood in your swing set. This wood is sapwood and doesn't have the natural resistance of redwood to decaying and bugs. This is not a problem if you're getting true Con-Heart grade, since it doesn't contain any sapwood. If you buy Con-Heart redwood, even the exposed areas of the wood caused by nails or sawing are protected by the natural oils and acids that repel bugs and decrease rotting.

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.

The true test of durability comes in how your set looks after many years of use. Redwood is very durable and even after as long as 20 years later, will hold its looks better than most other woods of the same age.

If you're going to pay a premium price for a premium wood like redwood, be sure you're getting what you're paying for. Companies have been known to use a combination of woods like redwood and red cedar, or Chinese Fir and still advertise it as redwood. Do your homework and know what you're actually paying for. Ask questions and read the fine print before you sign anything.

For the ultimate benefits of redwood, find out if Con-Heart grade redwood was used for all pieces of the swing set. This way you're assured of getting all the natural protection redwood has to offer, not just in the beams and larger pieces, but throughout the entire swing set.