I'm looking to build an outdoor swing set for my kids in the garden. I'd like to know what is the most durable wood to use that doesn't warp or bend. I've been down to the big department stores to get wood, but it is mostly warped already and it has been difficult to find a quality wood.
Wood – the most durable wood to use for an outdoor swing set
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Related Solutions
I will show how to build a simple A-frame swingset from pressure-treated four-by-fours and scraps, with minimal cutting.
From a six-inch-wide pressure-treated board (e.g., a 5/4-inch by 6 inch deck board), cut four isosceles trapezoids with bases that are 11 and 16 inches.
Take two legs (8-foot-long 4x4s) and align them with the legs of one of the trapezoid while touching each other on the top. Draw a line across the 4x4 legs along the short base (top) of the trapezoid. These lines are for alignment, not for cutting.
Center a scrap block of 4x4 above the trapezoid and draw lines on the legs along the sides of the block. Cut the legs along these lines.
Attach the trapezoid with screws. Attach a second trapezoid on the other side of the legs.
About six inches below the trapezoid, attach a crossbar made from another piece of 5/4x6 board. You could also use a 2x4.
Make a brace from 2x4 or 4x4. (Measure from the top of the trapezoid to the bottom of the crossbar and apply the pythagorean theorem to get the length of the brace.) Cut at 45-degree angles and attach to the crossbar.
Repeat steps 1–6 for the other A.
Assemble. Here's how to do it by yourself:
Hang swings and enjoy!
You won't want to use pressure treated wood in any application where people will be touching the wood often, especially children. Cedar is a good wood for outdoor applications, and is often used in playhouses and swing sets. If you've got really deep pockets, Teak is a very good choice for outdoor applications. Teak is often used in higher end patio furniture, because is is very low maintenance and stands up well to weather, due to its high oil content much like cedar.
You could probably get away with any type of wood (even pine), but you'd have to seal it yearly and replace pieces if they did start to rot.
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Best Answer
I would highly recommend Cedar. Similar to Redwood, it is resistant to insects and rot. If you can source it, Eastern White Cedar is a wonderful wood to make a play set out of, as it wont give splinters as easily as many woods will.
I went a bit overboard on the play set I built last summer. I went with rough cut western red cedar 4x4s, and jointed/planed them down to about 3 3/4" x 3 3/4". This allowed me to end up with very square members. This was necessary as I did everything using mortise and tenon joinery (yes, I went overboard).
The primary problem with cedar warping/twisting is when it is unsupported. Once supported properly (i.e.- assembled as a structure), the warping/twisting is minimal.