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How to buy a Swingset:

Component Playgrounds encourages our clients to shop around and compare quality, safety durability and price. We are proud of our products and we are confident in the materials that we use and in the workmanship that we provide. We know that once you have compared Component Playgrounds to the rest, you will be back to confidently purchase your swing set from Component Playgrounds. As you research your playground equipment purchase, we have outlined a few thing s that you should ask about the products of each company that you study.

What to Look at When Buying	About Metal
Playground Safety	Fact vs. Fiction

What to Look at When Buying

1) Materials- Metal swing sets - ask about the thickness or gauge of pipe they use.

The lower the number, the thicker, heavier and more durable the steel is!
16 or 18 gauge pipe is common to most swing set manufactures, but it is not the strongest or most durable.
The lower number of the gauge, the better quality, thicker and stronger the steel.
Component Playgrounds uses 10 gauge steel in the construction of our swing sets and playgrounds. Some models of swing sets that we manufacture are made of 8 gauge steel.
Check to see if the metal is galvanized both inside of the pipe and on the outside.
Component Playgrounds steel is galvanized both on the inside and outside.
If you are buying a wooden swing set, be sure to see what kind of wood they use. Hardwood will always last longer than softer woods, but neither will last as long as a metal swing set from Component Playgrounds!

2) Weight Capacity- This is another way to find out the quality of a swing set.

Many swing sets measure the weight rating per swing seat, and some will list the total structural weight limit. Be sure to find out whether the weight rating shown is per seat or total structure weight.
Sets that are anchored or cemented in will always allow a higher weight rating than those that are not.
Component Playgrounds conservatively rates each individual swing station at 500 pounds.
Ask about the recommended age range of each brand of swing set you look at.
Component Playgrounds is recommended for use by everyone, kids and adults alike!

3) Swing Hangers -

The way that the chain is attached to the top rail is important to your child’s safety. The quality of the swing hanger is not limited to just safety, but can affect how hard the kids have to pump their legs while swinging, or how hard mom or dad has to push and how smooth the ride is. Some manufacturers use a nylon bushing swing hanger, or a small bushing that is welded to the top rail. While these are ok, they are not as durable, smooth riding and safe as those used by Component Playgrounds.

Component Playgrounds uses a heavy duty commercial grade swing hanger that clamps completely around the top rail. This swing hanger is safe, durable and will provide a smooth easy ride.

4) Safety Guidelines (ASTM)-

Commercial swing sets which are made for public use are required by law to follow the ASTM safety guidelines in order to be safe and functional as a public playground. Residential swing sets are not required by law to follow the ASTM safety guidelines. They are simply guidelines for the residential playground market. As a result, many swing sets on the market today which are constructed of both metal and wood are actually quite unsafe in design, manufacturing and in layout of the attached swings and toys.

If the company cares about your child’s safety, they will take into consideration the ASTM safety guidelines and try to meet them in every instance. After all, we are discussing the safety of your children as they play in your back yard.

Component Playgrounds cares. We apply the ASTM guidelines to every piece of playground equipment that we manufacture. We want to make sure that your child is safe in your back yard while playing on your Component Playgrounds equipment.
One ASTM guideline states that there should be 20 inches in between swing seats. Component playgrounds provides that space for safety.
The space between ladder rungs and protective barriers or guardrails has been specifically identified. ASTM guidelines want to insure that kids heads don’t get stuck in between the spaces, so they require that the gaps be less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches. Once again, Component Playgrounds manufactures our ladders and barriers or guardrails to the ASTM guidelines.
ASTM Standards also require the playground equipment to be permanently cemented into the ground. Once again, Component Playgrounds meets the standard.

These are just a few points on safety. Component Playgrounds is not required by law to meet any of the ASTM safety standards. However, we meet the safety standards because it is the right way to do business and most of all, we do it because we care about your child’s safety. In regards to safety, there is much more that could be discussed. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to discuss them with one of our Playground professionals. Call us toll free at 1-877-530-0222.

5) Cost-

You can always follow the expression, “You get what you pay for.” The same is true when purchasing a swing set. You won’t go wrong when purchasing Component Playgrounds equipment.

Highest quality materials and workmanship,
Best warranty in the industry,
Best Customer Service available.

Also, as you shop other manufacturers, be sure that the quoted price includes everything that you were expecting. Component Playgrounds swing sets and playgrounds are complete the way that they are shown on the web site and in our brochures with all of the swings and structural toys included in the listed price.

6) Warranty-

If you want to know the quality of the swing set, look at the warranty. If the manufacturer is proud of their product quality and workmanship, they will offer a sound warranty. And that warranty will not be based upon a required maintenance schedule.

Good quality swing parts will have at least a one year warranty. That includes swing seats, chains, swing hangers, gliders, slides, etc.
As for the swing set (structure), the longer the warranty, the better the quality of the product.
Component playgrounds warranties the structure of your swing set to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own it! Our warranty is better than a “Lifetime Warranty.” A “Lifetime Warranty” actually has a legally defined limit based on the life of the product. We do not limit our warranty based on some legally defined and artificially set life expectancy of the product. Our products are warrantied for as long as you own it!
It is easy for us to offer a warranty this good, because we know that our products are that good! Your swing set will last for as long as you own it. Read our written warranty for more details.

Playground Safety

Each year more then 200,000 children visit the hospital emergency rooms because of playground injuries. Of these over 200,000 injuries there are approximately 15 children that die each year.

Many playground injuries can be prevented. There are certain guidelines set to help make your playground a safe playground. Kids will be kids and in one way or another will find some way to get injured, however with these simple steps many of the basic injuries can be avoided.

For commercial playgrounds there are certain standards that need to be met. Unfortunately for residential playgrounds this is not the case, which is why many playgrounds in backyards remain unsafe. Below are some guidelines that can be followed to help your kids swing, and play safely.

Safe Surface-
Nearly 70 percent of playground injuries are caused by falls to the ground. Making improper surfacing the first thing parents should look for. Options may include wood chips, bark mulch, wood fibers, sand, pea gravel, shredded tires and rubber mats all used to cushion falls.
Some things to avoid are concrete, grass and dirt they tend to be too hard. The depth of ground cover can be determined by what material is used and height of deck. A regular maintenance program is crucial (at least monthly).

Swings-
Swings are the pieces of moving equipment that are most likely to cause injuries to children. Metal or wooden seats should be replaced with soft seats. Swings should be far enough away from other equipment so that children won’t be hit by a moving swing. Swings should be no less then 20" apart. With no more then three swinging items per section. Full buckets are recommended for younger children. Half bucket seats should be used with age and size in mind and are not recommended for babies or toddlers cause they can slide out of them. Avoid adjustable seesaws with chains children can crush there hands under the chains. A traditional type seesaw would have a tire or some other object under the seat to keep it from hitting the ground.

Climbing-
Forty percent of all playground injuries are related to climbing equipment. More children are injured by falling off climbing equipment than anything else on the playground. Children under 4 are advised not to play on this type of equipment. However, climbers are great for encouraging upper body strength. Watch older children when they are climbing. Also make sure that guardrails and barriers surround raised platforms. Any climbing ropes should be secured both at the top and the bottom.

Top 10 Checklist For Playground Safety-
1. Surface around playground system has a soft landing surface (Such as wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel...).

2. Make sure that you have the proper amount of space or safety zone to enable room for swinging and a minimum of a 6' fall zone in all directions surrounding equipment.

3. Any openings that can trap children ( in guardrails or between ladder rungs) should be less than 3.5 inches or more then 9 inches.

4. All elevated platforms should be guarded by some type of barrier and should be st least 29" in height.

5. Look for exposed concrete footings, tree roots or rocks that could trip children.

6. Check for sharp edges and dangerous hardware.

7. Be sure that your equipment fits the age of your child. (Age-appropriate equipment)

8. Playgrounds should be maintained regularly. (Check with manufactures to see what they suggest)

9. Remove hoods and drawstrings that can get caught on equipment.

10. Supervise while children play.

***measurements and guidelines are found in the ASTM ( American Society for Testing and Materials). Also can be found in the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission’s). These again are not requirements for residential playgrounds, but guidelines to help keep your kids and others safe while playing.

About Metal

There are three basic types of metal tubing: electrical, mechanical and fencing.

Swing sets are built using fence tubing because it has a strong cross-section and is designed for structural application.
The most commonly used tubing for swing sets is steel.

When making your playground decision, you may want to know and understand some of the properties of metal, as well as, some dimensional terms that you might hear in reference to pipe.
Let’s start with the terminology. You will hear the terms: ID, OD, and the word wall thickness. All of these refer to aspects of metal pipe.

ID is short for inside or inner diameter
OD is short for outer or outside diameter.
Two pipes of the same OD will not always have the same ID. That’s because pipes can have different wall thicknesses.
Metal pipe and sheets come in gauge sizes. The gauge size refers to the thickness of the material. A higher gauge actually refers to a thinner sheet while a lower gauge identifies a thicker sheet. The gauge of sheet metal ranges from approximately 30 - 8 gauge. Very thin sheets of metal are classified as foil.

Now for the properties of metal. Some of these include: stress, elasticity, strength, strain, fatigue, stiffness, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength. Here are some definitions to help you with these terms.

Stress is one of the most important words in any discussion of materials. It is defined as force per unit area applied to the material. The total force is divided by the area of the material which gives us the psi (pounds per square inch).
Strength is the maximum stress that a material can endure.
Strain is how much a material flexes under a given stress.
Elasticity is what most people think of as the ability to stretch, but that not really it. It’s more the tendency to return to its original shape. An elastic material stores energy when we flex it and returns that energy efficiently when we release it.
Fatigue is a failure: a crack that forms when a material is repeatedly stressed above its fatigue limit.
Stiffness is inherent in the metal and increases when a metal shows less strain under a specific stress. It is calculated by dividing stress by strain.
Yield strength is the stress point at which the material deforms permanently from it’s original form.
Ultimate tensile strength is the stress point at which the material breaks when stretched.

Now we mentioned how the steel can vary in strength.

Part of the reason is in the alloy, or composition of the steel.
Sometimes materials are made stronger by heating them in a particular way, but mostly it’s because the material is worked. For example, if you heat the material just hot enough to soften up, not so hot that it all runs together, and squeeze it, it forces the molecules of the metal to be oriented in grains, like wood, so that it is much stronger than if it was just melted and then allowed to cool.

For playgrounds and swing sets, it makes sense to use a stronger, high quality galvanized steel. Simply a better choice for the life of the product and the safety of your child.

The amount of information on metal is endless, so let’s try and bring this to an end and sum it all up.

The composition of steel makes it a much stronger and more durable material to be used in the manufacture of playgrounds and swing sets.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask one of our playground professionals.

Fact vs. Fiction

Metal swing sets are cheaper quality and less expensive than wooden swing sets.
Fiction:

There are many factors that go into pricing. The quality of the materials being used will directly affect the cost of the equipment. In wooden swing sets, quality hardwood is more expensive than lower quality softwood. The same theory applies to metal swing sets. Component Playgrounds uses heavier gauges and stronger steel which are more expensive than lighter tubing and weaker types of metal. With Component Playgrounds equipment, what you’re paying for is a high quality product.

Wooden swing sets are sturdier than metal swing sets.
Fiction:

High quality metal swing sets and playgrounds are cemented in and built with strong, heavy duty steel. The quality of the components used in manufacturing our playground structures make them very strong and sturdy. Wooden sets can also be cemented in or anchored into the ground, which gives them a sturdy balance, as well. However they are most generally assembled onto the surface of the ground. Wooden structures that are exposed to the weather will never out last a high quality steel structure.

Metal swing sets require less maintanence than wooden swing sets.
Fact:

The steel used to manufacture our metal swing sets is hot dipped galvanized. This is the most effective finish available for protecting your swing set from rust and eliminating the required maintenance. If the pipe is not galvanized or if a lower quality galvanizing is used the metal will be increasingly prone to rust and corrosion.
Wooden swing sets will need to be treated with a sealant on a regular basis to protect it from weather and decay. Also, wood is prone to insect damage and the effects of weather, so semi-annual maintenance for bug damage, warping, splinters, fading and decay is required.

Wooden swing sets are heavier than metal swing sets.
Fact:

Most wooden swing sets weigh more than most metal sets. Even heavy duty steel swing sets are more likely to be lighter than some wooden swing sets. This is because wooden sets have more materials required in the structure and they require a thicker size lumber for the swing frame and top rails.

Metal swing sets get hotter than wooden swing sets.
Fiction:

It is true that if metal were laying flat on the ground in the hot sun it would get hotter than wood. So metal slides can get hot! Swing sets though, stand upright and as a result do not get as hot as when laying on the ground.
In comparison with steel, wooden swing sets have to use larger beams and support posts, so a larger and flatter surface area of the wood is exposed to sunlight and heat than metal. Both wooden and steel sets can be used in the blazing sun with out extensive risk of burn.
Galvanized metal swing sets by Component Playgrounds can be cooled off with water by setting a lawn sprinkler near and turning it on while the kids play and swing . This will add a whole new dimension of fun to your playground.
This fun activity is not recommended for wooden sets because the water will cause the finish of the swing set to deteriorate.

Wooden swing sets last longer than metal swing sets.
Fiction:

Component Playgrounds uses high quality galvanized steel. Our swing sets will always outlast a wooden swing set.
Depending on the quality of metal used in the swing structure, this can be true.
Check the warranty! Wooden sets can range from a year to 15 years. Component Playgrounds warrants your purchase for as long as you own it.

Wooden swing sets give a more natural look than metal sets.
Fact:

Wooden swing sets definitely offer a natural look because of the wood construction.
Component Playgrounds metal swing sets can be powder coated so if it’s the color or an Earth tone look that you are looking for, Component Playgrounds can provide it!

Metal	Wood	Component Playgrounds
1) Metal swing sets can be found in a variety of different types of metal. Most metal swing sets are made of lightweight tubing. Quality is based on composition and the guage of the metal used. Most are made of 16 or 18 ga materials.	1) Wooden swing sets can be built with a variety of wood types. Softwood for a temporary swing set or hardwood for a longer lasting swing set.	1) Component Playgrounds uses only high quality Super 40 galvanized steel. All of our steel is a heavy gage material. Depending on the diameter of the material, the gages range from 11 ga - 8 ga.
2) Most metal swing sets are galvanized and/or powder coated, which depending on the quality of the galvanizing, will protect them from rust.	2) Wooden swing sets have a more natural look for your backyard. But, the wood will need regular maintenance to keep it looking good.	2) Component Playgrounds Super 40 galvanized steel is coated using a triple layer protection system.
3) Most average metal swing sets are not required to be cemented in. As a result, lower 5' or 6' swing heights are most common.	3) Most wooden swing sets offer a 6' or 7' swing height. If they are anchored in concrete, 8' swing heights are not uncommon.	3) Component Playgrounds metal swing sets can be found in taller heights. Ten and twelve feet finished swing heights are not uncommon.
4) Metal swing sets are fire resistant, recyclable, and free from insect damage.	4)Wooden swing sets can burn, are recyclable, but are prone to insect damage.	4)Component Playgrounds metal swing sets are fire resistant, recyclable and free from insect damage.
5)Most metal swing sets are not required to be cemented in, therefore they are less sturdy. If they are cemented in, they generally will not be full height.	5)Most wooden swing sets are not cemented in. As a result, they are less sturdy, prone to wobbling and have lower swing heights	5) Component Playgrounds metal swing sets must be cemented in, which gives them added strength, balance, and a sturdy structure. Ours will be full height after installation.
6)Most metal swing sets do not allow customizing of the structure or the swing height.	6) Most wooden swing sets provide many options for those who might be customizing their swing sets.	6)Component Playgrounds allows you to customize your playground. Because we are the manufacturer, we are happy to work with you to make your playground dreams come true.
7)Metal swing set are available in a variety of price ranges	7) Wooden swing sets can be found in a variety of price ranges	7)Component Playgrounds is a high quality, high end product with structures priced to suit most price ranges.