What is the best way to preserve an older wooden swing set?

I just purchased an older wooden swing set. It is probably 10 - 15 years old. A few bolts need tightened and a couple of boards by the slide need replaced but it is in otherwise good shape. I am just wondering if I should treat the wood with something to help it last longer or paint it?|||I like to use "Thompsons Water Seal". It is really easy to put on and it is thin so it soaks it to the wood. I put up an untreated stockade fence last year and then sprayed it and it still looks like I put it up last week. One drawback is, it stays a little sticky for a while. (Depending on the weather about a week) Whatever you end up using, give the ends of the boards a very good coat because that is where the rot will start.


Good luck


Chris|||Good idea to treat the wood. My dad liked to put a coat of boiled linseed oil on wood ladders every few years. I have one his old ones, an industrial eight foot step, about forty years old. An alternative is a good penetrating oil-based deck/siding stain/sealant, like Behr, CWF-UV, or TWP. While these products are available in (almost) "clear", a color tint may be attractive and help even out the appearance. For clean wood, a couple of coats of spar varnish may also be used. Avoid polyurethane, unless specifically rated for exterior use, as the sun's UV will cause it to flake and fail. I'd also not paint it, as the weather exposure, multiple edges/ends to wick moisture in, and the flexing of the structure in use will cause the paint to fail, chip, and pop.|||Danny's right. Linseed oil seals and actually strengthens wood. The old wood will likely look fine with plain boiled linseed oil, but if you want to change colors, you could use a commercial stain: Olympic, Behr, etc. but then specify that it is linseed-oil based. A latex- or water-based paint or stain is just a coating, and won't soak into the wood, sealing and strengthening, like linseed oil will.