Best material for kids' play structures

Q: What's the best material to use for a kids' playhouse? I was tending towards cedar (for safety reasons) but I've heard that it needs to be painted or stained just like anything else. That got me thinking. Is pressure-treated wood really more dangerous than cedar?

A: There's a lot to think about when it comes to building play structures for kids. And the situation keeps changing, too. The first thing to understand is that a wooden playhouse or climber doesn't need to be finished at all. It's just fine left bare. All wood will go grey in the weather, but that doesn't mean it will rot any quicker. In fact, it's definitely best to leave the wood as-is for your own sanity. Most play structures are difficult to finish properly and even more difficult to refinish later because of all the nooks and crannies.

All this means that the big question - at least as far as wood is concerned - is what kind to use. Cedar is the classic, rot-resistant choice and it's great in every way except the price. Cedar is costly. That's why quite a few people choose pressure-treated lumber instead.

PT wood has an ominous reputation because of the chemical preservatives traditionally used to prevent rot, but things have changed considerably over the last few years. The lumber industry voluntarily withdrew the use of arsenic-based preservatives back in December 2003, and the chemicals used to treat PT wood today are considered safer. I wouldn't hesitate to use any of the new pressure treated lumber for play structures at my house.

Another angle to consider is composite deck material. This is a lumber substitute made of wood fibres and plastic to form a no-finish, no-rot material that continues to look terrific over the years. Although composite deck stock isn't strong enough to replace real wood in support structures, it is ideal for floors, walls and roof frames. TREX is one brand that I've bought and used personally for a number of projects, including a kids' swimming raft. It's one of the few non-hollow composites on the market and it works very well. It's non-slip, easy to work with and feels terrific under bare feet. The two latest refinements of the TREX line include an embossed wood grain pattern and a tropical hardwood colour pattern. Both types improve the classiness of composites considerably.