What’s Inside Counts
How to Buy the Right Equipment for Your Unique Environment

There’s a saying often heard in the playground equipment industry: “Wood rots, steel rusts and plastic cracks.” Yet, many playground companies produce quality equipment using a variety of materials. And while no single material meets all your requirements, a thoughtful evaluation of three factors — budget, use and climate — can point you in the best direction.

Playground equipment has become more expensive as manufacturers increase product lines, invest in new molds and pay increasingly higher insurance premiums. Playground purchasing budgets have not always kept pace with these rising prices, at which point budget limitations become critical, both as an absolute limit on initial expenditures as well as for annual maintenance and replacement costs.

If a playground committee has succeeded in raising thousands of dollars, those funds should be wisely spent. If equipment deteriorates rapidly or fails in the first few years, unanticipated replacement or expensive maintenance might be impossible. Such breakdown threatens playground safety as well, which could result in injuries to children, and thus legal action against the church.

When it comes to playground equipment, you get what you pay for; generally, long-life materials cost more. For example, while wooden equipment is initially economical to purchase, hidden costs and problems might arise after a few years, when it starts to deteriorate if not properly treated and sealed. This could negatively affect environmental — and children’s — health as well. In fact, the use of arsen ictreated wood is no longer allowed in new playground equipment

But any kind of wood can present problems since it has no natural resistance to insects and rot. Painted wood — even laminated marine plywood — is subject to rapid deterioration once the top layer is worn away.

How (and How Often) Will Kids Use It?

If you’re planning for limited use (i.e., not every day and primarily by preschoolers), then less durable wooden or lightweight plastic, commercial equipment might suffice. A word of caution, however: Equipment designed for residential use should never be used on a church playground. Catastrophic failure of residential-use equipment in such an environment could spell financial disaster for your church, not to mention serious injury to children.

Kids’ ages are another important consideration. Older children from 5 to 12 often cause more wear and tear with vigorous, often inappropriate challenge play. And while no equipment is vandalism-proof, some materials are more susceptible than others. For instance, wood and even vinyl-coated steel decks may be carved, cut or burned. Regardless the materials chosen, the equipment’s hardware should be made of high-quality (preferably stainless) steel.

How’s the Weather?

Climate is perhaps the most important issue of all. Hot, dry weather has a negative effect on wooden equipment. Steel is not compromised by climatic heat, but it might cause contact burns when children touch it. Meanwhile, certain plastic equipment might not cause contact burns — even in extreme heat — but it could crack, become discolored and break after only a few years of exposure to near-constant heat. Equipment with solid, recycled-plastic posts and decks often shows warping and bending throughout the day as temperatures increase. As these same climates cool down at night, the posts and decks might assume their original orientation, but such expansion and contraction can ultimately cause hardware to loosen.

Structural-grade reinforced plastic — generally referred to as “fiberglass reinforced plastic,” or FRP — or fiberglass-reinforced nylon might be the best option. FRP has been shown to retain less heat than steel, transfer heat more slowly, be nonsticking to curious tongues in the winter, and rustproof in wet climates. As an added bonus, FRP is insect-proof.

Trex (a registered trademark of the Trex Corporation) is a durable, manufactured product composed of recycled plastic and recycled wood fibers. Trex is extremely durable, insect-proof, water-resistant and splinter-free. It can be cut, sanded and shaped like wood and is available in standard board sizes. Aesthetically, it offers a wood look without the maintenance of the real thing. However, since Trex has limited structural qualities, it must be combined with support posts made with other materials.

A distinct advantage Trex offers vs. typical polyvinyl-coated steel decks is that it’s a solid product; the material and color are the same all the way through. With vinyl-coated steel decks, on the other hand, the plastic coating can be peeled away from the steel, exposing the equipment to weather and rust.

Maintenance on a damaged Trex deck can be as simple as replacing a damaged board. A damaged polyvinyl-coated deck, however, might require replacing the entire deck.

You must weigh the pros and cons of the various materials to make the best investment. Visit existing playgrounds and examine the equipment. Find out how old the equipment is. This should offer a good indication of how long you can expect your own to last.

Eric Strickland, Ph. D., is a former early childhood teacher, director and associate professor of elementary and early childhood education. He is a frequent guest speaker at early childhood conferences, including NAEYC and National Head Start, and has written numerous articles for early childhood publications. Strickland is the founder and president of Mansfield, Texas based Grounds For Play, a playground design-and-build manufacturer.