Opinions on Wooden Play-sets in Phoenix (how much, home, buying)

[musicforme]

My wife and I are considering buying a wood (cedar) play-set for my young kids to play with in our backyard.

I have concerns that anything wood based won't last long with the heat and dry air here. We're looking at staying in the $500 or $600 range, so we're not looking for anything massive of really fancy. A couple of swings, slide, maybe some type of small "fort" at top of the slide.

Any input or experience you've had with these types of things are greatly appreciated.

[Ponderosa]

I put one up for my kids maybe 8 years ago and it is still in good condition. I was quite surprised how well it has lasted as it has always been my take that the only thing that lasts outside here is either metal or concrete. Even the plastic tarp over the fort is still intact though it has faded on the sunniest side. The clear tubing that covered the chain parts of the swings turned black the first year but otherwise is OK. The only thing to go bad on it was the plastic swingset seats. They got all cracked and greenish looking and finally broke off. By then, though, the kids had outgrown it.

One thing though. The kids never used it as much as I (they) thought they would. It was a big hit for a couple days after it went in and then they pretty much lost interest. It was just too darned hot in the summer and with school and friends and holidays and all that going on in winter, it seemed to get little use. Also, the nearby park had a much better setup and they always wanted to go over there.

[kdog]

I'm curious as to your concern. Moisture is generally the enemy of wood, not heat. The heat could effect the finish over time. In that case, I would refinish it with Cabot opaque stain in your favorite color. Do NOT use a transparent sealer like varnish or Thompsons Water Seal or anything like that. They become brittle over time and can tear up young hands. The opaque stains hold up better in the harsh sun. But who knows... your kids may outgrow the structure before it even needs finishing. I say go for it.

[mistyriver]

We had a Rainbow playset for many years and it lasted beautifully. We did restain it once a year.

[Xica_da_Silva]

Originally Posted by kdog

I'm curious as to your concern. Moisture is generally the enemy of wood, not heat. The heat could effect the finish over time. In that case, I would refinish it with Cabot opaque stain in your favorite color. Do NOT use a transparent sealer like varnish or Thompsons Water Seal or anything like that. They become brittle over time and can tear up young hands. The opaque stains hold up better in the harsh sun. But who knows... your kids may outgrow the structure before it even needs finishing. I say go for it.

I'm intrigued, kdog. I've heard the 'heat is bad for wood' mantra a lot since moving to AZ (especially in reference to fences). Is this a myth...if so, would you elaborate?!

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Xica_da_Silva

I'm intrigued, kdog. I've heard the 'heat is bad for wood' mantra a lot since moving to AZ (especially in reference to fences). Is this a myth...if so, would you elaborate?!

You want me to elaborate on a myth you heard? Um ok...

Heat is not bad for wood. Probably every home in Arizona with a conventional gabled roof (as opposed to a flat roof) is framed in wood. All the trusses and/or other framing is bare wood. The temps in an Arizona attic probably reach 140F easily, and yet the wood stays pristine effectively forever. How much more proof do you need?

[musicforme]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

My wife went ahead and ordered a playset off Wal-Mart's web page using the ship to store option for free shipping. It should be here in about two weeks. We liked one playset on Toys R Us web site, but they wanted $250 to ship it!

I'll try to remember to post a photo of it once my FIL spend the day putting it together.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by kdog

You want me to elaborate on a myth you heard? Um ok...

Heat is not bad for wood. Probably every home in Arizona with a conventional gabled roof (as opposed to a flat roof) is framed in wood. All the trusses and/or other framing is bare wood. The temps in an Arizona attic probably reach 140F easily, and yet the wood stays pristine effectively forever. How much more proof do you need?

Inside a wall yes. But the sun is brutal on it. I have a deck on my home in the mountains that gets a lot of sun. The wood literally disappears over time. The grain resists better and gets raised, the surface gets rough and splinters. The surface changes in sunny areas make stain absorption different (they get hard and impermeable) and there is a discernible difference in appearance between sunny and shaded parts. I re-finish it every year, but the sun is clearly taking it's toll. I replaced one of the decks I have with engineered wood product and it is perfect with no attention after three years, but it gets so hot you can smell the glues. I still like concrete best for durability in our climate but it would make a lousy play set for kids.

[BecomingJane]

We had one of those big redwood Rainbow sets. We used a seal on it a couple of times but after 3 years there was a discernible difference. It was much more splintery and dry. It didn't bother the kids though. If we still had it, I would use a much more heavy-duty shellac on it to really protect the wood.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Inside a wall yes. But the sun is brutal on it. I have a deck on my home in the mountains that gets a lot of sun. The wood literally disappears over time. The grain resists better and gets raised, the surface gets rough and splinters. The surface changes in sunny areas make stain absorption different (they get hard and impermeable) and there is a discernible difference in appearance between sunny and shaded parts. I re-finish it every year, but the sun is clearly taking it's toll. I replaced one of the decks I have with engineered wood product and it is perfect with no attention after three years, but it gets so hot you can smell the glues. I still like concrete best for durability in our climate but it would make a lousy play set for kids.

UV is bad for anything including wood. But, we were talking about heat, not sun. That weathered grain effect just means the wood hasn't been sealed properly. Our deck in NY did the same thing until I refinished it. If the play structure is finished properly, the sun should have no effect. What were you using to refinish your structure with? The only thing I would recommend using is an opaque stain. Cabot in particular is the one I would recommend (top rated in consumer reports, etc.) Being opaque, it's impossible for the wood under it to deteriorate from UV. The wood can't see the sun, so how could it?