What type of lumber should I use to build a backyard swing set/play house for my kids?

I want to build fairly simply swing set with two swings, a slide and a playhouse for my young kids. I am not crazy about using normal pressure treated lumber because we are worried about arsenic.|||Cedar or Redwood.|||You can find arsenic-free pressure treated lumber now. If you still have concerns, I would have to agree with either cedar, or redwood. Both hold up rather well being exposed to the elements. You could always make the frame out of treated lumber (supports that go into the ground, etc) and build the playhouse area with any type of wood that you wish. Just be sure to "treat" the untreated wood with some type of sealer to keep it from rotting away. It is good that you are making the swing set yourself. The pre-made sets are so expensive, and sometimes not well made.





Best of luck in your project!|||ACQ Preserve provides all of strength and cost benefits of pine, without the aresenic chemical concern. For building kits to get a professional quality set, www.detailedplay.com is the way to go.