When you invest in a wooden playset, you are probably hoping that it will be around and in good condition for your family to enjoy it for many years to come. Children grow out of their playsets at different rates, but if you buy their playset when they are 3, you can’t expect 10 good years of use out of it.

But, how long does a wooden playset last? A well maintained, high quality wooden playset will last 15 to 20 years and sometimes even longer. This is certainly long enough for your family to get plenty of use out of it.

But what makes a high-quality playset? And what kind of maintenance will ensure that your playset will last? Continue reading to find out how you can make a wise investment and continue to enjoy it for years to come.

Type of Wood

The type of wood used to build a playset will have a direct impact on how long that playset lasts. Playsets can be made out of just about any kind of wood, but the most common woods used to build them are cedar, Chinese cedar, redwood, pressure treated wood, and vinyl coated wood.

North American Cedar

North American cedar is commonly used for playsets because it resists mold, mildew and insects naturally, without any added treatments or chemicals. It also had a beautiful natural look, and it is relatively inexpensive when compared with other natural options like redwood.

There are two types of North American cedar used for playsets: northern white cedar and western red cedar. Generally speaking, Northern White Cedar and western cedar are very similar, but Western Red Cedar is more prone to getting splinters.

Cedar playsets do not last as long as some of the other wooden playsets, but with proper care, they can last long enough for your family to outgrow it — about 15 to 20 years.

Chinese Cedar

Chinese cedar, also known as Chinese fir, is usually just listed as cedar on a playset’s packaging, but it is not really cedar, and it is not really fir.

It is a cypress that is used for playsets because it has the same mold, mildew, and insect resistant properties that North American cedar has. Chinese cedar is generally cheaper than North American varieties because the tree does not take as long to reach maturity.

These playsets are typically made in China, and they are not usually of the highest quality. This is not because of the wood itself, but because of overall quality issues.

Redwood

Some of the highest quality playset brands use redwood in their constructions. Redwood is extremely durable, and like cedar, it resists mold, mildew, and insects naturally without adding any treatments.

Redwood has a beautiful natural red hue without staining that many find appealing. The wood is also almost always responsibly sourced from sustainable, managed forests. But redwood is expensive. It will have the highest prices of any of the wood options.

Redwood playsets can easily last much longer than 20 years, if you care for them properly.

Pressure Treated Wood

Cedar, Chinese cedar, and redwood are all 100% natural woods, and that is one of the reasons they are so appealing. Pressure treated wood is a different story.

Pressure treated wood is treated with chemicals to preserve the wood. It is a favorite wood for all outdoor structures because it is very good at holding up to the elements. Playsets are no different.

Many families shy away from pressure treated wood these days because of the chemicals used to preserve it. Until 2003, pressure treated wood was preserved with CCA, or chromated copper arsenate, which contains arsenic.

Since 2003, pressure treated wood has been treated with different chemicals that are deemed safer, but some families still prefer to stick with more natural options.

A properly maintained pressure treated wood playset can last more than 20 years, just as long as a redwood.

Vinyl Coated Wood

Vinyl coated wood is another favorite for playsets that is not all natural, but it is long lasting. It comes in a variety of colors including browns and tans that resemble wood.

Vinyl coated wood is created by applying a non-toxic wood preservative to a piece of solid wood, and then coating it with polymer and a UV protective coating. The vinyl coating protects the wood from damage caused by water and sunlight.

The only downside of vinyl coated wood is that the wood can rot from the inside out, and it would be difficult to detect it creating a potentially unsafe situation.

A vinyl coated playset can be expected to last 20 years or more.

Markers of Quality

The durability of a playset isn’t all about the kind of wood a playset is made out of. A high-quality playset will certainly last longer than one of lower quality. If you want your playset to last your family decades, then you will want to look out for these markers of a high-quality playset.

Size of the Wood

A high-quality playset will be made to last and without cutting any corners. The playset’s frame should be constructed primarily of 4×4 pieces of lumber, and the swing beam should be one solid 4×6 beam.

This does not mean that a playset made with smaller pieces of wood is unsafe. It just won’t hold up as long as its sturdier cousins.

Joints

You might not think to check out how the joints in your playset function, but they can be a real sign of the quality of the piece. Butt and lap joints are held together using a fastener, like a screw or more ideally a bolt. The fastener bears most of the weight at the joint, and this is not ideal.

Higher quality playsets will avoid the use of these joints and use a mortise and tenon. These joints are more structurally sound, but they take more time to make.

A slot must be created in the mortise side of the joint, and the tenon, or the end that will fit into that slot, must be created on the other piece of wood.

A fastener is used to keep the tenon from pulling out of the mortise. The wood, not the fastener, bears all the weight of joint.

Fasteners

There are four types of fasteners commonly used in play set construction:

Nails and wood screws are the weakest way of fastening materials listed above. Nails are the weakest of them all because they have no gripping power. They should not be used to fasten any supportive structures.

Wood screws are slightly stronger because have more staying power than nails, but they also should not be used to hold together any load bearing pieces.

Lag screws and bolts are clearly the stronger fastener options. Lag screws typically need to be screwed into wood with a socket wrench and they are larger than wood screws. Because they are larger, they are also stronger.

Bolts with nuts are the strongest of these fasteners because they are larger, and they go all the way through the materials they are holding together. The risk of them coming loose is slim. They should be used at all the most important joints in a playset.

Pre-Drilled Holes

Sometimes it is the little touches that speak to the quality of a playset. A playset that has pre-drilled holes is almost certainly going to be of a higher quality than one that does not.

A company that cares about the safety of its customers and the quality of its product will pre-drill holes so that installers or families who are installing playsets on their own, will construct the playset properly and safely.

Building a playset incorrectly can cause it to become prematurely damaged if the wood is being stressed in a way it wasn’t meant to be. Pre-drilled holes will help prevent incorrect assembly.

Recessed Hardware

Recessed hardware will help keep your kids from getting hurt on the playset while they are playing or if they fall.

If a company has recessed hardware, it means that they don’t cut corners, or at least that they don’t cut all of them. It takes extra effort to design and manufacture a playset with recessed hardware. This is definitely an indication of quality.

Warranty

Last but not least, the warranty. A high-quality wooden playset will have a good warranty on it because the company will know that they can stand behind their product.

If a playset has a 5 year warranty, it will probably not last much longer than that. A well-constructed playset can easily last longer than that.

A high-quality playset will usually offer 15 years coverage on the wood of a cedar playset and lifetime coverage on the wood of a redwood playset. Read the warranty carefully. It is common for warranties to become void if the playset is not sealed yearly or if it isn’t installed on a level piece of ground.

Playset accessories do not usually have close to the same warranty as the wood of the playset as they wear out much faster.

Rainbow Play Systems, for example, offers a lifetime warranty on all the cedar components of the playset, slides, and structural hardware. They have a 5 year warranty on their accessories and a 1 year warranty on flags and ropes.

Put Simply

To assess the quality of a playset, look for the following:

A good warranty

Recessed hardware
Pre-drilled holes
Bolts and lag screws over nails and wood screws

Mortise and tenon joints
4×4 framing
Solid 4×6 swing beam

Maintenance to Prolong the Life of your Playset

Carefully maintaining the playset is going to extend its life and keep it looking great in your backyard from year to year. Before performing any maintenance tasks, you should check your playset’s owner’s manual for guidance.

Inspection

At least every year, you should inspect the playset to ensure that it is undamaged and that all the parts are functioning. If you live in an area with seasons, it is ideal to inspect the playset in the spring before your children start playing on it, and in the fall after they have stopped playing on it.

Here is a check list of all the items you should inspect:

Inspect the wood itself for damage, splinters, roughness, rot, mold, mildew, or signs of insect infestation.
Inspect the places where the wood touches the ground for rot.
Inspect that the ground anchors. Make sure they are tight and still attached to the ground.

Inspect the hardware for deterioration. Ensure that all bolts are tightly fastened.
Inspect the slide. Tighten any bolts. Make sure it is still smooth and even.
Inspect the swing seats, chains and hardware for weathering, damage, or rust.

Inspect any ropes for fraying or wear. Fraying climbing ropes can pose a strangulation hazard. Remove it if it is damaged.
Inspect the roof or canopy for damage.
Make sure the playset is still level so that it doesn’t tip over.

Inspect the sandbox and remove any debris or weeds that may have popped up.
Inspect the ground covering and ensure that there is still 9 inches of covering. You may need to rake it out, if the covering has become uneven.

Cleaning

A deep cleaning of the playset should occur every year before you reseal it. Start by cleaning out any cobwebs or debris with a broom before you move on to the pressure washer.

A pressure washer is the fastest and easiest way to clean a playset. It is also highly effective at removing mildew from the wood.

If you do not have a pressure washer, you can use soapy water, a soft bristles scrub brush, and a hose to clean the playset.

Start cleaning at the top and work your way down and be sure to clean the undersides of all the pieces as well as the tops.

Remove any accessories that need extra scrubbing and clean them separately. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser work great on plastic.

You may need to spot clean the playset in between deep cleanings. Keep your soft bristled brush and a bucket for soapy water handy.

Sealing

Sealing the playset will help prolong the life by protecting the wood from moisture and insects. Even though cedar and redwood are resistant to insects, it does not mean they are impervious. Sealing will provide even more protection.

You may need to reseal your playset yearly, but most people find every 2 years is plenty. A good way to test this is to sprinkle a little water on the wood of your playset. If the water that hits the wood of your playset doesn’t bead up, it needs to be resealed.

To seal a playset, you will need a water-based sealant and a brush to apply it. Using a water-based sealant will limit the amount of fumes that linger after the sealant dries.

Here is how to seal a playset:

Start by cleaning the playset and allowing it to dry for at least 24 hours.
Remove all of the accessories to avoid getting sealant or stain on them.
If your playset is looking a little worse for the wear, you can rejuvenate it by staining the wood before you seal it or using a stain and sealant combo.

Apply the sealant with a brush. Depending on the condition of your playset, you may need to apply two coats of sealant.
Allow drying for 24 hours. Do not allow children to play on it until it is dry.

Preparing for Winter

Preparing your playset for winter weather isn’t going to take too much effort. Here is what you do.

Inspect the playset again.
Take down the canopy, if your playset has one. This will keep it from getting ruined by heavy snowfall.
Take down the swings and any other easily removed plastic accessories. This will prolong their life.

Playset Accessories

The accessories on your playset will not last nearly as long as the wooden components. Plastic accessories will become dull from the sun and some of them may crack and break as they weather.

The exception to this is the slide. Most playset slides are very durable and will last the life of the playset or longer.

Generally, you can expect most of the accessories like the swing belts and swing hardware to last about 5 years.

How long the canopy will last depends mostly on the weather in your area. Most playset manufacturer’s only offer a 1 year warranty on playsets because many do not hold up well, especially in direct sun or strong winds.

Luckily, most manufacturer’s make replacing accessories easy. To give you an idea, here are some costs you can expect to pay to replace accessories on a Gorilla playset.

Canopy: $26.99

Flag: $9.95

Playhouse Window: $15.95

Trapeze Bar: $24.95

Rope Ladder: $39.99

Tic Tac Toe Panel: $59.95

Replacing some of these items from time to time should be factored into your anticipated maintenance costs for the playset.

A playset is truly an investment, and for that investment to last, you will need to pay a little more up front and put a little work in every year. A high quality and well-maintained playset will see your family through those childhood years and look great in your backyard the whole time.

How Long Does A Wooden Playset Last?