What types of wood are used to make home playground equipment?
There are several types of wood that are used to make playground equipment. They include cedar, redwood, untreated lumber, and CCA-treated wood. Playground equipment can be built by the consumer with CCA-treated lumber purchased from lumberyards, hardware stores, or other retailers. Consumers can use their own playground designs, purchase design plans, or purchase pre-manufactured kits with design plans plus swings and slides. Some pre-manufactured playground equipment kits may also contain CCA-treated wood. Some playground manufacturers who are not currently using CCA-treated wood in their equipment may be advertising the use of arsenic-free wood. Consumers can verify with the manufacturers before purchase whether this wood is being used. CPSC staff is also aware of arsenic-free wood preservative chemicals, such as ammoniacal copper quat (ACQ). Consumers may wish to consider using wood treated with these preservatives for new construction. Do public wood playground structures contain
