Pine vs. Redwood

[73ss454]

My DD and SIL are looking to get an outside gym in Florida for the kids.
Anyone know which wood is better for this application.

 

[haha]

My DD and SIL are looking to get an outside gym in Florida for the kids.
Anyone know which wood is better for this application.

Pine is quite strong and fairly hard. Redwood (if the heartwood) is softer, but very weather resistant. Normally I would think that redwood would be preferred. A lot better looking out in the yard too.

Ha

 

[Moemg]

Which do termites not eat ?

 

[haha]

Which do termites not eat ?

It isn't pine.

Ha

 

[Puzzley]

If the pine is treated, it would last longer than the redwood, or at least as long. It would have a greenish color, though. If it isn't treated, it'll rot quickly. Redwood would be my choice in this application, but it would probably be more expensive. Naturally weather resistant. For the same price, redwood for sure....

 

[TromboneAl]

LBYM route: use the cheaper wood, and paint it with free paint from the dump.

Also, remember, the kids will outgrow it in a few years, so it doesn't have to last longer than that. IIRC, I made DD's swing set out of pressure treated wood (brown color).

 

[REWahoo]

73, go with pressure treated pine. Works great, is less expensive than redwood and no longer has the greenish coloration since the EPA "persuaded" manufacturers to phase out the use of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) as a wood preservative.

 

[ERD50]

LBYM route: ....
Also, remember, the kids will outgrow it in a few years, so it doesn't have to last longer than that.

Yep. I told my wife the kids can go to the park, or make friends with the kids on the block and play on their swing set.

We have about three [-]eyesores[/-] [-]blights[/-] colorful, cute play-sets within view of our house. Two of them have seen almost no use at all after the initial two weeks. One did get occasional use for maybe two years.

I sure wish the neighbors would tear them down, or sell them off (the play-sets that is, not the kids. Despite my curmudgeon tone on this, the kids are nice kids, no problems at all).

-ERD50

 

[73ss454]

Thanks for the help guys, I'll pass it along.

 

[dumpster56]

Come on what ever happened to those metal swing sets of the 60s?? You know the ones that were painted with the red lead based paint that became a rusty mess with the screw heads all poking out. We go cut on them we got older and didn't play on them anymore they got real rusty and well some are still sitting in backyards of older homes.

 

[calmloki]

73, go with pressure treated pine. Works great, is less expensive than redwood and no longer has the greenish coloration since the EPA "persuaded" manufacturers to phase out the use of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) as a wood preservative.

Oh, but it's for the Chilllldren! NB: a splinter from pressure treated wood is nasty and doesn't like to heal until you get it all dug out. Regular wood makes for a happier splinter, less irritation, the splinter can camp out in your skin for a while. I've a redwood benchtop that is ~15 years old and is looking better than a PT railing installed at some apartments about 7 years ago.

 

[haha]

Oh, but it's for the Chilllldren! NB: a splinter from pressure treated wood is nasty and doesn't like to heal until you get it all dug out. Regular wood makes for a happier splinter, less irritation, the splinter can camp out in your skin for a while. I've a redwood benchtop that is ~15 years old and is looking better than a PT railing installed at some apartments about 7 years ago.

Agree with all of this. If these were my kids or grandkids-- of the choices given it would be redwood.

I have fence posts in the ground for 15 years. Many of the pressure treated ones are rotten, many more of the cedar ones are still sound.

Hey, there is always plastic, or painted steel. The swing sets from my own youth were steel, and seemed to last forever. A neighborhood full of families each with 4 or more kids is a pretty good stress test for a swing set, and I never saw a failure.

Ha