When your child plays on a Rainbow Play System, thinking about the characteristics of the lumber, where it comes from, or if the wood mills are certified, may not be your first thought. Instead of thinking about your cedar playset’s lumber, you’re focused on your children mastering the monkey bars, soaring high on the swings, and climbing to the top of their very own castle. As a parent, your focus is on your child’s safety and active playtime outside and bringing their imagination to life.

At Rainbow we also focus on choosing lumber that is durable, machinable, and sustainable to give you a great quality playset that your child can learn and grow on for many years. With Earth Day coming up, we wanted to share some of the ways that Rainbow Play Systems keeps our play sets green.

Rainbow cedar swing sets are made of three varieties of cedar lumbers:

  • Alaskan Yellow Cedar
  • Pacific Cedar
  • Western Red Cedar

All three of these types of cedar lumber are part of the same scientific family, meaning they share a lot of the same qualities and characteristics.

Rainbow Cedar is Stronger

The first quality Rainbow looks for in lumber is durability. Cedar cannot only withstand wear and pressure, but it is strong and sturdy. The yellow and red cedar is forested in coastal areas. Because of its slow growth, the wood is tough and durable, so it is typically used for boat building. It offers strong dimensional stability and is naturally resistant to weather, insect infestation and rot.

Choosing a lumber that is easy to machine is a huge benefit to Rainbow and to you. Because the product is easy to cut to size, the finished lumber is smooth and contains a lot less slivers than other lumber. Rainbow planes and routers every side and corner of their lumber so there are no dangerous pointed edges. Rainbow only uses solid lumber for their larger dimension beams, and they don’t glue or laminate smaller dimensions to create larger beams. This ensures that a Rainbow Play System cedar beam is structurally sound, lays flat, stays straight, and holds fasteners tightly. Unlike other woods it is naturally resistant and does not need any chemical treatment.

Rainbow Cedar is Greener

Rainbow cedar has a conservation status of “least concern,” meaning it is a sustainable product that uses approved mills and foresters that do not harm watershed or wildlife habitats, erode the soil, or over harvest an area.

Rainbow is proud to be using a renewable resource that will last for decades even in the harshest environments.

The playsets showcased in Rainbow’s 2017 Catalog are backed with a Lifetime Warranty so you can let your child swing, jump, climb, and play on any of our cedar playsets knowing that Rainbow has chosen this lumber with you and your family in mind.