DIY guidePlay structures
Check a swing set or play structure
Walk round it in spring and through the summer: bolts tight and capped, chains and hooks whole, no splinters or rot, and a deep, soft surface under it.
- 20 to 40 min
- 9 steps
- Every step animated
9 steps
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Push on each leg and the top bar. It shouldn't rock, and the legs shouldn't lift out of the ground.
Tighten any loose bolts with a wrench. A bolt end that sticks out past its nut gets a cap.
Look at every chain and rope. Replace worn links or frayed rope, and squeeze any open S-hook closed so nothing can catch.
Look for cracked seats, loose rungs and handholds, and gaps that could trap a child's head or fingers.
Sand rough spots smooth, and brush and paint rust on metal parts.
Push a screwdriver into each wooden leg where it meets the ground. Soft, crumbly wood is rot.
Rake wood chips, mulch or sand back under the swings and the slide's end, where feet kick it out. Never leave bare dirt or grass there.
A metal or dark slide gets hot in the sun. Touch it before a child goes down.
Rot in a leg, a cracked top bar, or a frame that still rocks once it's tightened: keep children off it and ask Handyman for a carpenter.
What you need
- A wrench to fit the bolts
- Bolt caps
- Sandpaper and rust paint
- A screwdriver
- A rake
Call a pro if
- Rot in a leg or the frame
- A cracked top bar or a bent leg
- It still rocks once tightened
- Chains or hooks you can't replace
Handyman says: Keep kids off. I'll find a carpenter.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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