How to choose a garden swing for children?
Children's swing, intended for use on the site, must be durable, comfortable and safe. There are a number of criteria by which it is necessary to choose such structures.
Selection rules
Garden swing for children - facilities that can be made of different materials, have certain dimensions and features.
Consider the main characteristics that they must have.
Structural stability
Sustainability means safety. Basically, this parameter depends on the reliability of the rack. Most often it is a hollow metal pipe and, the thicker its walls, the stronger and stronger it is.
Material
It is best to buy a swing from a material that will be environmentally friendly.
- Metallic outdoor swing is not susceptible to corrosion, however, every year a layer of paint on them will have to be updated. There are a couple of drawbacks with this design - it can have impressive weight, and in summer it gets very hot if it is placed in open space.
- Plastic the structures are light and affordable, but despite the fact that their framework is usually made of metal, they do not have sufficient strength.
- For children, the best option is a swing from natural wood, but they also have some drawbacks - the wood is subject to physical impacts and rotting, therefore, beforehand, it will have to be covered with a protective compound.
The size
Here we must proceed from the age and weight of the child.
Dimensions, as a rule, provide for three main parameters:
- distance between racks (width);
- depth;
- height.
They must be taken into account during installation so that the structure is safe, that is, it cannot come into contact with nearby objects, such as buildings or trees.
Type of construction
The models of swing for children differ in the type of device:
- floor standing models suggest a strong, durable frame, the presence of seat belts, but they are quite heavy;
- suspended the swings are more compact, easy to install, they are inexpensive in price, it’s better for kids to buy modifications with protective side walls;
- there is another kind of design - framethat means the presence of its own frame, instead of chains and ropes, the seat is attached to the rods, and swinging is possible in the same plane.
The difference between these structures is that in comparison with the swing swing, which require additional parts for the suspension, the two other types of structures are self-sufficient and are permanently mounted into the ground
Important nuances
Models may differ by the presence or absence of a seat backrest. If you wish, you can buy a sofa that will rock the child laid across it, but you should understand that the cost of such a product will be much more expensive.
In addition, it is important to pay attention to the carrying capacity of the device. Swing - this is the product that must be purchased for growth, the child matures, and its weight increases.
Many parents think about whether pillows are needed. If the swing is wooden, then it is quite possible to do without this accessory, another thing, if the seat is a metal grid or simply not very comfortable.
The quality of the swing is one of the main indicators of their reliability, so it is necessary with particular attention to approach the choice of the construction of a specific manufacturer. If you take domestic products, the most preferred model "Sun" and "Cheburashka." From foreign proven brands can be distinguished swing TimeEco, Ranger and Cruzo.
How to make a structure with your own hands?
The simplest device can be made in the home. Balancing swing - the most popular type of children's entertainment. The structure is a crossmember, which is fixed on the supporting pillars.
For work, you need to prepare a high-quality board, glued laminated timber, chains, a drill and fasteners - studs, bolts, nuts, screws. The wood is pretreated with a jigsaw and sanded.
The procedure will be as follows:
- with the help of a drill, two holes are dug out with a diameter of 20 cm, and with the same depth;
- a ruberoid is placed in the pits, and then a brick, stones, which are poured with concrete;
- metal angles for the supports are installed when the mixture grabs;
- the concrete foundation in the above-ground part must be sanded and painted;
- then you should make a cut in the timber and install the studs, cut out the spacers and fix them on the building by means of threaded fasteners;
- the base must be tightened with screws;
- the seat is made of a thick piece of plywood using screws; then it must be painted and attached to it with a rope or chain;
- at the end of the seat is suspended from the bar.
You can do without the erection of the frame, if there is a reliable support for hanging. It will only be necessary to make a seat, attach chains or a strong line to it, and hang it up. As a strap for swinging, you can use the seat from the old chair. The main thing is that the wood used is carefully processed to perfect smoothness. If the skeleton is necessary, then it is better to make the cross bar of the metal, fixing the ropes on it with carbines or the throw-over method.
One of the options for the seat - the usual car tires that can be used entirely or cut into pieces.It is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the rope, it must be strong and strong. You can use the rope, which is fixed sea knot, before this, stretching through the prepared holes.
It is undesirable to use chains, as they not only creak, but also rust with time. In turn, rope cables also tend to fray, so they are supplied with rings.
Mobile garden swings for children are easy to make; in addition, they can be easily moved from one place to another if something is not pleasant. However, you can build with your own hands and a solid stationary structure.
For information on how to make a garden swing for children from metal with your own hands, see the following video.
