One of the most frequent questions homeowners ask when considering an outdoor play set, swing set or jungle gym is how wood compares to metal. Traditionally when one thinks of metal, strength comes to mind. Wood, on the other hand, doesn’t inspire quite the same level of confidence in the minds of most. Let’s examine how wood compares to metal when it comes to outdoor play sets for kids.
Metal is indeed strong for its weight, but the tubular metal used to manufacture retail store swing sets is typically very thin. By contrast, a quality swing set or jungle gym made from cedar or pressure treated wood normally uses 4” x 4” construction at minimum. Because of the difference in thickness, the wood has a decided advantage in strength.
Tubular metal supports are light for the amount of volume they take up, while a wooden play set is much heavier. This is why tubular metal swing sets have to be anchored to the ground while wooden swing sets typically do not. Of course, anchoring is a good idea regardless of the type of swing set you have, but the safety risk of an unanchored metal swing set is much higher than that of an unanchored wooden swing set.
Both metal and wood are recyclable, but only wood is a renewable resource. The amount of energy used to process steel for tubular swing set frames is much more than the amount of energy required to process a raw log into several lengthy 4” x 4” timbers. Wood is a much more environmentally friendly material to work with and if the manufacturer uses cedar in particular, an easily renewable material as well.
The one advantage metal has over wood is that it’s less expensive initially, but when you factor in the cost of removing it versus a wooden wing set, the drastic difference in price is not as evident. Also, a tubular metal swing set is an eyesore within a few years of being set up while a wood play set can actually increase the value of a home. It’s the same qualitative difference between an above ground pool (metal swing set) versus an in ground pool (wooden swing set).
Taking everything into consideration, wood swing sets are superior in almost every way. To learn more about how you can purchased an installed wooden jungle gym, swing set or outdoor play set, visit www.JungleGyms.com
