This is for grandkids, already done my kids swing set. I'll just cut this off at the ground if necessary. A couple of years ago my wife called me at work to say that the swing set had been stole out of the yard. Not possible I told her, much too big and ackward. After looking around a bit she determined that a moose had gotten caught up in a loose swing and dragged the thing about 50 yards till it ran between 2 large trees and the 10" top cross piece snapped between the 2 trees. Moose hair and splintered wood all over.
Butyl rubber window flashing, wrapped around the post in the region where it will be in contact with wet soil.
store.decksgo.com
I don't have any great advice. Just wanted to thank you for the visual of the moose trailing your swingset all over creation. Would've been great to get that on video.
I wish it was that simple. Wifey found a design that she likes on Pintrest (i hate Pintrest). Not hugely complicated but I hate digging holes and that will be necessaryNo concrete, no digging & the wood won't be sitting on the soil to promote rot. This could easily be adapted from a deck footing to a swing set. I would bridge the two anchors with another piece of wood & set the swings on top.
Deck Foot Anchor | DIY Helical Pile Footing for Decks & Pergolas
Self-install freestanding deck or pergola footings with the Deck Foot Anchor. No digging or concrete. Includes auger, load plate, and post saddle for easy install.
Luckily the set was wooden, had been outside for close to 25 years (brittle), the trees were close enough and big enough to stop the long pieces and break them. We are kinda a wooded area but city moose get into swingsets and Christmas lights all the time and it isn't pleasant. They get wrapped around their legs and caught up in **** causing F&G to get involved.. But I would have liked to see it as well
Most big box stores sell a post rot protection sleeve. It's a vinyl tubular thing with a bituminous liner that goes around the post at ground level. Most rot in an in-ground post happens from ground level to 6 inches or so below grade, and these things seal off the wood in that area. This is one brand but I think there are others: https://www.postsaver.com/products/pro-sleeve-fence-post-protection/
The grandkids grow up too. Hard to believe my granddaughter is a Junior in college, and the grandson is driving.
There are cedar stumps here on the island that date from the initial deforestation perhaps 110 years ago. Seward gets at least twice the rainfall we do here, though, and they get more than 2 inches every month, so their experience w/ rot may well be different than ours.
What will you hook to on a rotted post?
