What in the world is a vinyl swing set?

What is a vinyl swing set?

So what is a vinyl swing set?

Everyone knows what a wood swing set is or even a metal swing set but what in the world is a vinyl swing set?

A vinyl swing set is when the manufacturer takes the lumber normally used in a wood swing set and slides it into a vinyl sleeve. Have you seen the vinyl posts used for fencing? Yes, it is those types of sleeves.

Why do they do this? Good question! The benefits are manifold. Let’s jump into them!

No Splinters!

We all have experienced that sharp spike of pain as a splinter invades our personal space. On a vinyl swing set, you don’t have to worry about that at all! There is no exposed wood; the vinyl sleeve keeps everything smooth and splinter-free!

No maintenance!

Let’s be honest; no one likes to spend evenings out restaining or refinishing a wood swing set. If you skip it one year, you will likely skip it the next. That is the beauty of vinyl swing sets. Just set it, and forget it.

Easy to clean!

Sometimes our kids find a bit of mud, and guess what, that bit of mud turns into a lot of mud and gets carried everywhere. If that happens to a vinyl swing set, no worries! Just a simple cleaner and scrubbing or a gentle pressure washing will take care of it immediately!

Durability!

The vinyl sleeve is like a shield for the wood against moisture, sunlight, and all the happy elements. Being an outside product can be hard, but a vinyl swing set can take like a [insert culturally relevant tough thing]. Because vinyl swing sets are more durable, our vinyl swing sets have a longer warranty than most wood swing sets.

We at King Swings believe vinyl swing sets are superior to wood swing sets. We stopped selling wood sets and are only focusing on our vinyl line. We have been doing this for a long time, and you can read all about our 35+ years of excellence in swing sets here. 

Common Questions 

“Does a vinyl swing set squeak?”

Yes, you will hear a bit of squeaking when children swing on the swing beam. This squeaking is caused by the vinyl sleeves rubbing against each other. This is perfectly natural and normal. If the squeaking annoys you, you can use a bit of WD40 to minimize the squeaking.

“Does a vinyl playset crack in the cold?”

Short answer, no. The longer answer, it can if put under tremendous pressure and it is very cold out.

The perfect example of this is if you decided to install an accessory on your swing set during the dead of winter. The stress of pushing a lag through the cold vinyl could cause it to crack. It is best to wait for warmer weather to do any sort of modifications to your swing set. If you want to install it anyways, you can work around this problem by predrilling the holes in the vinyl. This relieves the pressure of the lag pushing through.

“Does vinyl stain?”

In general, no, vinyl doesn’t stain. If you weed whack around it, you will see grass “stains” on the vinyl, but you can clean those off. However, be careful spraying yard chemicals near the set, as some of those products can negatively affect vinyl.
While discussing staining, did you know that our Trex decking is also stain-resistant? That is great news, especially during summertime when grape popsicles and other various sticky, staining juices are prevalent.

“What do you use to clean the vinyl swing set?”

A simple cleaner such as, no pun intended, Simple Green is a great choice. Using a soaking agent like Wet&Forget (be sure to follow all directions on the label) is a great option if you have heavy algae build-up or deeper dirt. Also, gentle pressure washing should take care of most dirt.

“Can I weed whack against the vinyl playground?”

Assuming you are using a string weed whacker, whack away! You do need to be careful around the end caps on the swing beams. They had a tendency to crack. If you forget and crack one, reach out to us, and we can hook you up with a replacement.

“What color options do I have for the vinyl on my swing set?”

You can choose between white vinyl with gray decking or ivory vinyl with brown decking. Bright white really makes the set pop, while ivory is that classic look. Ivory also hides dirt a bit better.

“Does a vinyl swing set get hot in the sun?”

Let me speak out of both sides of my mouth. On the one hand, things like the slides get hot in direct sunlight. However, I have clambered all over these sets in some nasty hot weather and don’t remember the vinyl as hot. That could be because you really don’t come in contact with the vinyl very much during play. Regardless, if the vinyl is too hot, I can guarantee it is too hot to play outside safely.

Vinyl swing sets handle heat very well compared to metal swing sets. Some of us remember going down those metal slides on a summer day…

“What maintenance does a vinyl playground require?”

Not much. We suggest a walk around at the start of Spring to check for any loose hardware. You can clean it now and again, but that is up to you. That is about it for maintenance!

For comparison, a wood swing set should be resealed every 1 to 2 years and restrained every 3 to 4 years. Vinyl swing sets are a get-it-and-forget-it. No need to dedicate a few evenings to spending sweating, possibly swearing, and restaining your swing set. Just go inside and watch the game in your favorite chair with a cold drink.

If you have other questions regarding vinyl swing sets, click on that chat icon and fire away!

King Swings has built vinyl swing sets and playhouses for over 35 years. From the humble beginnings in a chicken barn (you can read our origin story here) to our new building, King Swings is dedicated to bringing the plagyround home to every backyard.

As King Swings continuously pushes to bring new, modern swing sets and playhouses to the public, we know that our manufacturing team is up for the challenge. From iconic designs like our new A-frame playhouse to classic best-sellers like the Sea King, the King Swings manufacturing team will build your perfect playset with care, precious, and pride, knowing it will last.