When you invest in your child’s outdoor playtime by purchasing a wood playset, you want to make sure it lasts for a long time. By buying a playset from a reputable manufacturer who ensures safety standards on their products, you’re already on your way to providing safe, long-lasting playtime.
Luckily, wood playsets require little maintenance, but there are some routine safety checks and cleaning you should do to ensure your backyard playset is safe and clean for your children and grandchildren. For example, safety checks for loose bolts or pinch points should occur several times a year, and more often when your children use it frequently. You should also clean the playset at the beginning and end of the outdoor playtime season.
Keep reading to learn a few more of our tried-and-true ways to maintain your wood playset and to keep it as safe as possible for your children!
Buy a Quality Wood Playset
Before you can even consider the type of care needed to maintain a wooden playset, you’ll first need to purchase one.
When you are considering wooden outdoor playsets, make sure to choose one made of only the highest-quality materials. Here at Backyard Escapes, our wood playsets are made from pressure-treated yellow pine lumber and #1-grade Wolmanized wood. Our playsets also include a preservative to ward off termites and fungal decay, so maintenance is relatively low. For help in selecting the perfect wood playset for your home, check out a savvy parent’s playset buying guide.
We also offer delivery and set up options that include an anchor using 18-inch pieces of metal rebar for added safety. When you start with a safe and sturdy wood playset made of only the finest materials and safety protocols set in place, you minimize the amount of maintenance you need to perform on the product. You can view our outdoor showcase at Backyard Escapes, or check out our online gallery of wood playsets.
Frequency of Wood Playset Maintenance
As stated, the amount of maintenance you need to perform on your wood playsets is minimal. However, certain checks need completing to ensure the playset remains safe and healthy for kids to play for years to come. You should perform safety checks of your wooden playsets at the beginning of every season, and more frequently during the months when your children are outside. For example, in the summer, you should perform safety checks every month.
At the beginning of the outdoor playtime months, like in the spring, you should consider giving the playset a good cleaning. It should also be cleaned at the end of the outdoor playtime months, like in the fall.
Finally, wood playsets should be resealed every one to two years to prevent water from seeping into the wood and rotting it. You should also stain the wood playset every two to three years to keep it looking beautiful in your backyard.
Wooden Playset Safety
When it comes to wood playset safety, thoroughly checking over the area ensures children can have hours of safe and happy playtime. There are certain essential items to check, including looking for any pinch points that may develop. According to Markel Insurance Company, pinch points are small openings where children could put their fingers and get it pinched. If you notice an area like this, make sure you tighten the bolt to eliminate the space or make it as small as possible.
Other safety checks to inspect are roofing, hinges, screws, bolts, ropes, cables, and chains. Replace any rusted, frayed, or cracked components with replacements from the manufacturer. You should also tighten any loose bolts and sand down any splintered wood pieces.
It’s also not a bad idea to check for homes any critters may have decided to make in your playset, and check for bee, wasp, or hornet nests in the outdoor wood playsets. Check for any evidence of termite damage and take care of these issues before allowing children to play on the wooden playset. If you purchase a wooden playset from Backyard Escapes, like Cubby’s Fort, it includes a special preservative to ward off termites. Stop by our outdoor showcase just off Ocean Highway in Pocomoke City, MD, to find the perfect wood playset for your family.
Routine Cleaning
Keeping your playset clean allows a safe and healthy space for your children to play. To clean your wooden playset, start by cleaning off any tree leaves, sticks, or other debris that may have landed in your playset. Take a broom and sweep off the dirt. Then, mix some mild soap in water and—using a soft-bristle brush—gently clean away any animal dropping or stubborn pieces of soil using a circular motion. Use a garden hose to rinse off the soap. It’s helpful to start from the top and work your way down, so the dirty grime washes down and off the playset, instead of the clean area you just finished.
You can also use a pressure washer on your wooden playset, as long as it’s on a low setting. The highest setting may be too strong for the wood and can damage your playset. It’s best to stick with a hose and a soft-bristle brush. Don’t use a wire brush, as this can also cause damage to the wood. Allow the playset to dry completely before sealing, staining, or allowing children to play on it.
Check the Surrounding Area
Finally, to ensure your wood playset is safe for years to come, make sure that you check the area surrounding the playset for issues. The protective surface around the playset should be filled. If your protective zone around the playset is low, consider refilling it and leveling it off. You can choose rubber mulch or wood mulch when you order your wood playset from Backyard Escapes, and we’ll deliver it when we bring your new wooden playset.
You’ll also want to make sure that your swing set has six feet of unobstructed space around it in all directions. If any tree branches have grown into this space, make sure you trim those back to prevent any accidents. By checking the areas around your wood playset and ensuring it’s safe for your children, you’ll be making sure the playset is ready for years of playtime.
Maintaining Wood Playsets
Thankfully, when it comes to wood playsets, there’s not much maintenance required on your part when you purchase one from Backyard Escapes. When you start with a high-quality, Amish-built wooden backyard playset, you can rest assured that your playset will last for a long time.
Doing simple upkeep like routine safety checks every season, thorough cleaning at the beginnings and end of the outdoor playtime seasons, and resealing and staining every few years, will ensure the playset is safe and beautiful for your children. There is nothing like creating fun, good memories for you, your kids, and your grandkids. Check out our beautiful wood playsets today to get started building those memories.
