14
WOOD ADVICE
Our products are manufactured from premium timber. Great care is taking in selecting, machining, and treating the
timber before it is sold to you.
1. Inspect wood parts monthly. The grain of the wood sometimes will lift in dry periods causing splinters to
appear. Light sanding may be necessary to maintain a safe environment. Treating your Product with
protection (sealant) after sanding will help prevent severe checking/splitting and other weather damage.
2. We have applied a waterborne translucent stain to your unit. This is done for colour only. Once or twice a
year, depending on your climate conditions, you must apply some type of protection (sealant) to the wood of
your unit. Prior to the application of sealant, lightly sand any “rough” spots on your set. Please note this is a
requirement of your warranty.
Bear in mind that timber is a natural product and may experience changes throughout the course of its life.
It may:
•
Develop openings/checks (gaps, slits, apertures, cracks) along the line of the grain.
•
Fade as the timber reacts with sunlight.
All woods are hygroscopic, that is, it will absorb or discharge moisture to attain equilibrium with the surrounding
atmosphere. Timber openings/checks occur due to the moisture content between internal and outer surfaces of the
timber. No two pieces of wood are exactly alike. Each piece has its own characteristics and personality and reacts
differently to climate changes. When any wood products are exposed to the elements, it develops 'wood checks'. A
check is the radial separation of the wood fibres running with the grain of the wood. These are caused by the varying
temperature and moisture conditions. A check does not affect the strength or durability of the wood or structural
integrity of the play set.
When should wood cracks be a concern?
Most of the wood splits will never become large enough to affect the reliability and strength of our products, however,
there can be rare cases where splits can occur. This happens when a crack develops past the halfway point from the
timber, splitting it into two separate pieces.
Feel free to contact us with detailed pictures of your product so we can assess and ensure that your playground
remains safe.
Dimensional timbers contain very little heart
wood so less splits can be seen.
Round pole swing set are very thick so that
cracks (shown left) will not affect the strength
and durability of our swing sets.
For more information: http://www.lifespankids.com.au/natural-timber
