Outdoor Swings

[1967ChevyRagtop]

I need to replace my wooden exterior yard swing. Current one is oak and has given up.
So I need suggestions on a replacement.
Plastic. cedar. alum?
Thanks,
bg

 

[Jeff C]

Wood is maintenance prone, aluminum gets hot in the sun, plastic looks like plastic. Which issue bothers you the least?

 

[Zeke]

Ipe? How long did the oak last? Did you maintain it?

 

[ipgenie]

Ours are repurposed trex decking. They have held up well, no complaints.

 

[Zeke]

Ours are repurposed trex decking. They have held up well, no complaints.

Heavy though. And an get smoking hot in the sun. Wood is good.

 

[nadogail]

Schedule 40, 2" Diameter welded steel pipe.

 

[PassnThru]

A decent wood with an oil based stain holds up very well. Of course, the stain has to be applied on a regular basis or you will have problems. Don't paint it - don't poly it - just stain it. Then all you have to do is pressure wash it and restain.

 

[kyrbz]

If you want to stay with wood, you could use a thermally modified lumber such as “Cambia”. Thermally modified lumber has better dimensional stability and is highly resistant to insects and rot and no harmful chemicals are used in its manufacturing. The architecture firm I used to work for pretty much switched to using thermally modified lumber for all outdoor applications such as decks, cladding, furniture, etc…

Thermally Modified Wood - Cambia Wood by NFP

cambiawood.com

 

[Lynden]

Another vote for wood. Steel brackets will make it a simple project.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089LNJJ92/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[tthornto]

Another vote for wood. Steel brackets will make it a simple project.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089LNJJ92/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I agree, did this 3 years ago, The brackets I got were Eastern Jungle Gym Brand (also from Amazon) Went together fast, is incredibly sturdy and has held up well. I just used plain unfinished fir 4x4's for the legs and 4x6 for the top, it has held up very well in my dry climate but the pitch/sap has made a mess a few times so I'd recommend staining/sealing the wood. Overall I'm happy and think it will outlast my kids interest in the swings.

 

[gahrajmahal]

We have a park style bench that was at our house when we bought it over 30 years ago that has teak slats. It gets a power wash every 10 years or so whether it needs it or not. If you live near to a boatyard, get an old teak swim platform or other boat teak item and cut it to size.