by George Whitehead, John Allen, and Douglas McEwen

"The school principal toured the playground area with us and told us how he liked our use of round cedar logs for vertical and round members on all deck surfaces when he paused and pointed to a child standing next to one of our wood climbers with his arm around one of the vertical legs in a totally relaxed attitude. The principal said, 'There is the real benefit of wood equipment. That boy, at this moment, needs a quiet friend and he has one. It would not be that way with a piece of pipe'."*

Aesthetic value, the quiet friend that blends well with the grass and trees, is probably the major reason many people are attracted to wooden playground equipment. In an era of continued environmental sensitivity, many recreation executives have sought ways of constructing facilties and equipment compatable with natural parkland features. More extensive use of wood has consequently been developed, but despite its aesthetic advantages, many administrators are cautious in purchasing wooden playground equipment. Pipe, cold and unfriendly as it might be, does not splinter, rot, burn, or become prey to vandal carvings. Maintenance characteristics and potential hazards of steel equipment are well known. Wood, on the other hand, is not as familiar and raises many questions in park administrator's minds.

This article will attempt to help the person considering purchase of wooden playground equipment. The authors reviewed sales literature of major manufacturers and contacted several insurance companies. A postcard survey was sent to 200 Illinois recreation executives requesting their experiences with wooden equipment. All this information has been summarized and hopefully will provide valuable background for any decision in the purchase of such equipment.

Cost of wooden playground equipment varies somewhat among the different manufacturers, but all are moderately expensive. Prices range from 84 dollars for a simple see-saw to 6700 dollars for a multiple unit play structure with nets, slides, tire swings, and other accessories. It is difficult to make direct price comparisons between wood and steel due to differences in design. Wooden equipment manufacturers concentrate on items such as climbing posts, platforms, nets, and balance beams, while steel manufacturers deal more with swings, slides, merry-go-rounds, and see-saws. Rarely is the same design built in both steel and wood. Nevertheless, wooden equipment is generally felt to be more expensive. One manufacturer counters this charge by stating that the increased play versatility offered by wood provided more fun per dollar, thus is a better investment. The best answers to cost consideration are found by reviewing some of the manufacturers catalogues.

The question of durability and maintenance of wooden equipment is largely unanswered due to the relatively short time it has been on the market. Well treated wood will last more than 50 years according to U.S. Forest Service research. Unfortunately the best wood preservatives leave oily surface residues unacceptable for play equipment. Instead manufacturers resort to less effective preservatives that leave wood surfaces clean. Even these preservatives draw criticism from some parents who fear their children are being exposed to toxic substances. Most manufacturers advertise their preservative as non-toxic, but the use of arsenate and other salts, even in minute amounts, causes concern in many minds. One major manufacturer advertises a treatment process that uses boric acid, a chemical sometimes used in eye wash solutions.

The best manner to insure durability is to purchase the naturally decay resistant woods such as redwood or cedar. Redwood is especially desirable since its short fibers will rarely splinter. One company has redwood test equipment that was installed over 17 years ago, and has found it to be still in good condition with no splinters, checks, or decay. Unfortunately redwood and cedar

Table I. Experience of Park Administrators Owning Wooden Playground Equipment No Problems ......................................... 49 Splintering ............................................. 8 Susceptible to easy vandalism.............................. 8 General deterioration .................................... 3 Complicated installation.................................. 4 Increased liability risk .................................... 4

Illinois Parks and Recreation 6 November/December, 1878

Table II. Reasons tor not Installing Wooden Playground Equiptment No funds and/or space for wooden equipment ............... 16 No specific reasons ...................................... 9 Splintering ............................................. 6 Susceptible to easy vandalism.............................. 8 Excessive deterioration ................................... 8 Increased liability risk.................................... 5 Miscellaneous...........................................10

are expensive and the cheaper woods such as yellow pine will splinter and check extensively creating a natural tendency for rapid decay. If cheaper woods are used, selection of timbers that have no center heartwood will greatly reduce checking and the onset of decay.

A quick review shows a wide diversity of wood types used by the different manufacturers with the more established brands tending to use higher quality wood. Therefore, in purchasing wooden equipment, consideration must be given to the type of wood used and its associated maintenance characteristics. A higher initial purchase investment might pay for itself in greater durability and less splintering.

Perhaps the most reassuring information a recreation administrator has are the opinions of his peers. One hundred and twenty-eight such administrators shared their opinions and experiences with wooden playground equipment by responding to a postcard survey summarized in Tables I and II.

Eighty-two reported owning wooden equipment and 49 (60%) of them experienced no problems. Most of these reporting no problems did not specify how long they had owned the equipment, but a reasonable estimate based on selected follow-up phone calls would be 2 to 4 years. One person reported having equipment over 5 years with no problems.

Splintering and vandalism were the major problems reported. Wooden equipment has been heavily carved or charred; cargo nets or swing tires cut and in one case, a complete unit was soaked in gasoline and burned to the ground. Other problems are listed in Table I.

Forty-six administrators reported no ownership of wooden equipment, the main reason being a lack of funds. Other reasons were quite diverse, and Table II attempts to group these into several categories.

Splintering and the associated increased liability risk deserve special mention. While 8 administrators reported splintering problems and 8 more were fearful of this possibility, the particular problem seems to be overemphasized. Stories of punctured arteries or slivers of wood lodging in the groin are commonly heard; however, to date, only the Chicago Park District has reported any actual lawsuits over large splinters causing injury. Insurance companies have little information on this subject and while it is logical to expect increased problems from playing on wooden structures, thus far this fear seems unfounded. Perhaps as more equipment is installed, more problems will arise, or perhaps the reverse will be true.

Vandilism, on the other hand, is a potential problem. One park district carefully observed heavy vandalisms of wooden equipment in surrounding districts before deciding not to purchase any themselves. Other park districts have had no problems principally because of the nature of their park clientele. Since wooden members, cargo nets, and other accessories are easily cut, it would be advisable to avoid using most types of wooden equipment in high vandalism areas. Climbing posts and other sturdy wood structures less easily vandalized have been successfully employed in high risk neighborhoods.

In summary, wood with its aesthetic appeal can make a pleasant addition to the playground. Wooden equipment offers new dimensions in play activities which compliment steel equipment. The increased visual and activity diversity achieved can be well worth the initial investment. As with any equipment, wood needs some maintenance attention.

However, its life span appears to be reasonably long and, if not vandalized, relatively trouble free. "Wood you purchase wooden playground equipment?" It's worth investigating.

*Personal communication from D. Curtis Shaneour, Hillsdale, Mich.

(Editors note: George Whitehead is the Director of the Carbondale Park District; John Allen and Douglas McEwen are on the staff of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.)

Illinois Parks and Recreation 7 November/December, 1978