Swingsets to suit your family
By ERIN ESMONT
For Smart
It used to be that playing in the backyard meant racing to a metal swing set, fighting over the available swing,
Tre' Allen looks up as his brother Keith Orr uses the playground at Martin Luther King Park in York.
Today’s swing sets are sturdier and safer and resemble backyard playgrounds. They have features and upgrades that rival automobiles, and consumers need about as much skill and savvy as a car buyer when shopping for one.
Before stepping out to shop, here are a few things to consider:
1. Material matters
Just a few years ago, wooden sets were all the rage. But an ‘‘arsenic scare’’ slowed that trend and ushered in the latest must-have: vinyl swing sets. Vinyl offers greater durability than wood and no concern about possible carcinogens. Vinyl also eliminates worries about warping, bees and splinters, but it comes with a heftier price. It’s made out of the more expensive PVC tubing. Steve Fisher, a swing set salesman at Penn Dutch Structures in Glen Rock, said an average vinyl set is $2,500 to $3,000. But the higher cost doesn’t seem to be hurting business at his store, at The Markets at Shrewsbury, 12025 Susquehanna Trail South (www.penndutchstructures.com). He said he’s on target to sell 80 to 100 vinyl swing sets a month during the peak spring and summer season.‘‘They are a lot more money,‘‘ he said. ‘‘But well worth it.‘‘
In 2003, the federal EPA announced that much of the lumber used in decks and play sets was pressure-treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA), more commonly known as arsenic. The chemical protects against bugs and rot. But the residue also gets on hands and skin, and once it leeches into the soil, it cannot be removed.
Increasing concerns about the material’s toxicity led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require lumber companies to stop using it. It was phased out by 2004, yet old, tainted lumber may continue to circulate. Lumber is now pressure-treated with a different chemical, a non toxin. After a blast of media coverage, the issue died down, and consumers may have forgotten about it. Those wanting to know whether their wood was treated with arsenic should check with their sales company or the manufacturer. Parents shopping for a wooden set will want to ask what chemical was used to pressure-treat the lumber.
2. What’s new
At the York Expo Center recently, swing-set salesman Fred Mervine spent two days looking at the latest the swing-set industry has to offer.
Mervine sells swing sets for four different companies, primarily through his Web site, www.lancasteramishdirect.com.
Three of the companies he represents sell vinyl sets only. The swing sets are built of wood, then the lumber pieces are sized to slide into thick vinyl casings. (Be wary of vinyl that is coated in a shrink-wrap type plastic, he said. The material is wrapped on the set and heated so it adheres.) A-frame swing sets are the newest design, and consumers will like them because they take up less room in the yard, Mervine said. Top add-on items for custom-made swing sets include Turbo slides (enclosed tubular slides) and baby swings.
3. Lower-cost options
The basic swing set, found in retail stores such as Toys R Us, hasn’t changed much over the years in terms of what it offers — typically two swings, a teeter-totter and a sliding board.
The Manchester 6-Leg Swing Set sells for $249.99 on www.toyrus.com. It’s been a popular item, according to a spokesperson at Toys R Us’ corporate office. The set has two swings, a two-passenger tandem rider, a trapeze and a teeter-totter. It has a powder-coated steel frame.
Judging from recent customer postings online, the swing set is a good deal for the money, is fairly easy to assemble and provides plenty of entertainment.
For families looking to entertain toddlers but aren’t ready to invest in a long-term play set, Little Tikes has a new item: Clubhouse Swing Set ($299.99) for all ages.
4. Kid-to-equipment ratio
Simply put: How many children will use the swing set? Add neighborhood kids who regularly play at your house in this count.
Swing sets are proven kid magnets. If you anticipate extra tyke traffic, consider adding a swing. (For instance, if you have two kids, buy a set with three swings. For safety’s sake, only two swings can be mounted on one section. Additional swings must be mounted on a separate support section.) This cuts down on turn-taking troubles.
Once you get the set, buy a cheap timer for outside and set it for two minutes to allow children to share the swings with minimal quarreling. Once this rule is established, children can learn to regulate the timer themselves.
5. Growing up, not outgrowing
If your children are preschoolers, look for a swing set that will grow with them. Most swing sets list the age of users as 2-10. Use baby swings or toddler-safe swings for the youngest users, and graduate to regular-sized swings only when they are old enough, weigh enough, and are capable of swinging without slipping off the seat.
Avoid possible strangulation features such as ropes or cargo nets for little ones. Consider upgrading to heavy-duty seat material for the elementary-school set. These seats may cost more, but they’ll last longer and comfortably hold adults. Check to make sure that swings are reinforced on the top bar for added protection.
6. What activities your child likes
Children who like to pretend may get maximum use out of a fort attached to the swing set, where they can bring stories to life, have tea parties and picnics, or open a stuffed animal hospital. Those who thrive on physical activity benefit from pieces that feed that need — monkey rings, rock-climbing walls or trapeze bars.
Wood coated with arsenic
Here's how you can tell if your play set has been constructed with arsenic-coated wood: Freshly treated wood, if not coated, has a greenish tint, which fades over time. As a practical matter, Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) has been the principal chemical used to treat wood for decks and other outdoor uses around the home. Generally, if your deck or play set has not been constructed with redwood or cedar, then most likely the deck or play set was constructed with CCA-treated wood. Call the store where you bought it, or the manufacturer, or the lumber yard for more information. Both the EPA (www.epa.gov) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) offer more information and tips on their Web sites.
