Have your kids successfully talked you into buying a backyard wooden swing set, but you dread the thought of visiting a showroom and being talked into dropping thousands of dollars on mediocre equipment (and even more on the installation of that mediocre equipment)?  Consider the following three words: do it yourself. The good news is that even a novice do-it-yourself enthusiast can purchase high quality, and reasonably priced wooden swing set kits on the internet and assemble one as soon as it arrives at your door.  Even better news is that do-it-yourself wooden swing set kits are available for purchase without wood included or with wood included. Deciding which swing set kit to choose depends only on how involved you wish the do-it-yourself aspect of the construction to be.

Do-it-yourself swing set kits, whether they come with wood or without, should always offer free shipping and come with complete step-by-step instructions for construction — all necessary hardware and basic accessories (such as swings, monkey bars, canopy top, etc.) should be included.  Many additional accessories are almost always available for purchase, but any wooden swing set kit that requires separate purchase of necessary hardware should be avoided. Every nut, bolt, bracket, and spring clip needed to complete the project should always be included with the kit.

Here’s the big question.  How does a do-it-yourself enthusiast make the choice between wooden swing sets that come without the wood versus swing sets that come with the wood? Consider the following. Kits that do not come with wood allow you the luxury of hand selecting the type of wood, and even each specific piece of wood, that will be used in the construction. More time and tools are needed for these kits, though, because each piece must be searched for, transported to the home, cut to exactly the right size, and sanded, and then holes must be drilled for each piece of hardware. Do-it-yourself enthusiasts who are truly enthusiastic about home construction projects may prefer this approach.

On the other hand, wooden swing set kits that come with the wood included may sometimes be a better choice for the do-it-yourself enthusiast who does not have the time to select and sand the wood. The wood that comes with these kits is usually high quality and intended to last for many years with proper care. An advantage to swing set kits that include the wood is that all the wood is pre-cut, pre-sanded, and pre-drilled. With these major steps already completed, you can construct the wooden swing set in a fraction of the time.

Whether you choose a wooden swing set kit that includes wood or not, you can significantly reduce your costs by shopping wisely and constructing the equipment yourself. Either choice gives your kids a fun, safe, and long-lasting place to play and provides you with a feeling of pride and accomplishment.  So, go ahead and do it yourself!