PVC Swing Set?

[Mark42]

I am probably going to end up building a swing set for the kids. One of those wood frame jobs with the swings, slides, etc from Lowes, Walmart, or the like.<br /><br />A few things I don't like about the wood swing sets is that they loosen up over time. They also tend to give the kids splinters as the pressure treated wood dries and develops cracks. <br /><br />I was thinking of building the major structure out of 6" or 8" schedule 40 or larger PVC pipe. Then make the "fort" from pressure treated lumber for joists and plastic decking for the floor. The PVC pipe can be painted so its not a big white thing in the back yard. <br /><br />I'm fairly sure that 6" PVC will take the stress that kids will put on a swing set. Plus it glues together, so there is a lot less hardware to loosen over time. <br /><br />Thinking of two large H members that will make the raised fort structure, and another long horizontal pipe extending from the fort to hang the swings from, and an A structure at the end to support the swing pipe. <br /><br />All other parts will be pressure treated wood or plastic decking.<br /><br />Any comments or sugestions?

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: PVC Swing Set?

It's gonna be very expensive.

 

[tommays]

Re: PVC Swing Set?

i gotta repiar PVC pipes at work ALL THE TIME , most of the white stuff is NOT UV rated and you can see it break down over a years time in the sun and crack like glass <br /><br />NOW we also work with a LOT of GREY SCH 80 and its bullet proff but you dont even want to know what that stuff costs <br /><br />I did the whole fort swing set thing when my kids were young and buying good grades and rounding over ALL the corners with a 3/8 router bit made it pretty splinter safe<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[Mark42]

Re: PVC Swing Set?

Yeah, you guys are right. PVC gets expensive in the bigger sizes. A 6"x10' sched 40 was $20 at Lowes this weekend. That will add up fast. Plus it was not as rigid as I thought. <br /><br />Well, back to PT wood, unless someone has a better idea....<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Mark.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: PVC Swing Set?

Could you use smaller sizes and fill up the pipes with something to stiffen it up?<br /><br />Ken

 

[JamesCoste]

Re: PVC Swing Set?

My kid's fort is all wooden with the decking standard PT deck boards. There is sand below it and sand gets all over thier fort "deck". I think the sand actually keeps the splinters knocked down when the walk on the deck with shoes on.

 

[ndemge]

Re: PVC Swing Set?

PVC in the sun is not a good thing, and when it does break, it splinters bad.<br /><br />I built a swingset/playhouse/sandbox last summer, and the swing beam is basically a tripple 2x6x16, and it gets some pretty good flex when 3 kids are swinging at the same time. LOT of force there.<br /><br />The frame work I would do with lumber. San it and Route it if your worried about splinters.<br /><br />Maybe even coat with an epoxy paint or rhinoline it