Name: How Do I Fix a Noisy Swing Set? | SwingSetSpot
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How Do I Fix a Noisy Swing Set? | SwingSetSpot

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Skip to contentIt’s that time of year, the sun is starting to shine, the flowers are starting to bloom, and your kids are going to play outside on their awesome Swingset!But there’s a problem…that playground in the yard has turned into a squealing screeching Monster!You’ve got to do something about this noise, but where do you start?In this post, I’m going to go over everything involved in fixing your Creaky, Noisey Swing Set.Swing Sets of all kinds are not immune from making the occasional squeak or squeal.&nbsp;But why do they make these noises in the first place?&nbsp;Swing sets can make noises due to Loose Joints or Fasteners that need Tightening, Material aging, Weathering, or from an Overload condition.Let’s start off by taking a look at the first potential Creak-causer…Loose Joints and FastenersSwing sets are great to have, and like many other things we own need to be maintained over time – especially the more we use them.As you and your kids play and swing on the Swing Set, it will move and flex a little bit many times.Many times when a Swing Set begins to make noise, creaks or just starts to feel less solid than it used to, it’s because the Fasteners and Joints that are holding it together and keeping it stable have slightly backed out or have become Loose.The good news is that this is usually an easy fix and you can get your Swing Set back into shape quickly!To find out if Loose Joints or Fasteners are the cause of your noise, start by inspecting all of the joints for the parts of your swing.Watch the area for movement and listen for noise.&nbsp;If you see pieces of your swingset moving apart from each other, a gap opening up, or any unusual or not expected movements, that is likely the source of your noise.If there are loose screws or bolts, the best thing to do is grab a Wrench, Screwdriver, or Socket and tighten things up.&nbsp;Often these wiggle loose and just need to be snugged for your Swing Set noise to be completely resolved.The next thing to look for in your Swing Set is potential Material Damage or Wear.&nbsp;On newer Swing Sets – something 5 years old or less – this isn’t usually a problem.Most Swing Sets you buy these days are designed and built to last for many years of fun!&nbsp;However, if you’ve had your Swing Set for some time, or if you aren’t sure how old it actually is, it’s very possible that the Material your Swing Set is made from has taken some wear and tear over its life.If you have a Wooden Swing Set check out the Wood in the area you identified in the steps above.Do you seed splintering or cracking near the source of the noise? Are there Chips, chunks, or Splinters missing from the planks or beams?Is the wood Softer in that area than the wood found in other parts of the swing set?On a Metal or Plastic Swing Set this Material Wear or Weakening is much less likely, but can still occur.For Metal Swing Sets inspect the area in question for Rust. There may also be dents or dings on the frame, so if you see one of them that could be the cause of your noise.Plastic frames are similar, but plastic doesn’t rust.&nbsp;In that case, you’ll want to look for Stress marks on the plastic itself, signs that it’s been overloaded.You may also notice broken pieces or extra brittle sections. Sometimes Plastics can take damaged by UV light from the Sun. Over time this can cause certain plastics to become brittle and break.Any of these conditions can indicate that the portion in question is past its prime.Don’t fret though, you don’t need to run out and replace the entire Swing Set!&nbsp;If you have identified some damage, whether it’s due to Age or Weather, there’s a possibility you can repair the damage without having to replace the Swing Set itself.For damaged Wood, you can replace a section or piece of the Swing Set to properly repair it and stop creaking noises.Start by removing the piece of wood from the Swing Set – you may need to secure or brace other parts of the Swing Set to safely remove the part in question.Once you have safely removed the damaged material, find a suitable piece of replacement wood that is large enough to lay the damaged piece over top.Outline or Trace the damaged piece onto the new piece of wood using a pen or marker.Cut out the new piece of replacement wood and drill any necessary holes.Now bring the new piece back to the Swing Set and install using the existing hardware.Ta-da! All better! A little surgery is all it took, Nice work Doctor!Steel Damage can be a bit trickier a repair.If there is a Dented Pipe or Broken section, you will follow the same steps above to Steady and Brace the Swingset Safely and then remove the Broken or Damaged part.Take that to your local Hardware store and you may be able to match it to a new piece of Pipe or Metal to replace it with.&nbsp;Ask if the store can make any modifications needed before you purchase the part. Often times they can cut or drill holes for you, so if you don’t have the proper tools to do that at home they can really help you out.Just the same, when you bring your new piece home go ahead and pop it in where the damaged piece was.&nbsp;Tighten things back up and you should be as good as new!Plastic repair is similar to Metal repair, take it off, find some replacement material, make the necessary modifications and replace the damaged part.In all these cases you may need to paint your new piece to match the rest of the Swing Set.If that’s the case, you can find our Post on Painting a Swing Set below:https://swingsetspot.com/how-to-paint-a-metal-swing-set-a-step-by-step-guide/One of&nbsp;the possible causes of Material damage or Loosening of Joints can be the Weather.Believe it or not, just the Yearly cycle of Heating up in the Summer and Cooling off in the Winter can cause your Swing Set to contract and expand ever so slightly.This can slowly damage and deteriorate the Material, and at the same time cause Fasteners to work their way Loose bit by bit.There isn’t much you can do about the Weather, it’s always going to do whatever it’s going to do, but you can protect your Swing Set from some of the weather by using a Cover.I suggest a Large Tarp or other Blanket kept in place with Tie Downs or Bungee Cords. You can find some options by clicking here.There’s another potential cause of Material Damage for all types of Materials – Overloading of your Swing Set.One of the important factors that a Manufacturer of a Swing Set or Swing Set Accessory like a Swing itself will do is Rate their Product for a Certain Maximum Weight.The reason they do this is 1) to make sure that the end-user (you) is safe and protected and you don’t injure yourself, and 2) to make sure that you don’t damage the Swing, Accessory, or the Swing Set itself.If you Overload your Swing Set you could cause damage to yourself or to the Swing set/ Swingset Accessories. Swing sets are only meant to carry certain Maximum Loads, and exceeding those limits is not a good idea.It’s very possible that an Adult wanted to have some fun playing on the Swing Set with the kids, but accidentally Overloaded the Swing set or Swing and caused permanent damage to it.When you’re inspecting your Swing Set for noise and creaks, make sure you consider and investigate the possibility of Overloading as well.Overloads do not always mean permanent damage though, and often times they just contribute to the Loosening of the Swing Set.Tighten things up again and it’ll be good as new!This brings us to the last potential source of your Swing Set Creaking Noise – and we’ll cover how to fix it too.We’ve covered multiple potential sources of Noise coming from the Swing Set itself…but one thing you need to consider too is that the Swing Set might not be the source of the noise.A very common source of creaking, squeaking, and groaning noises on a Swing Set is the Swings themselves.One of the main reasons Swings are able to swing back and forth smoothly are the plastic bushing installed between the Swings and the Hooks on a Swing Set.Often these Bushings are used to insulate the Chain of the Swing from the Eye-bolts or Hooks embedded in the Swing Set and let the Swings swing freely. These bushings are sometimes made using very cheap plastic and they don’t last very long outside, they can often become brittle and break down just like the Plastic Parts of your Swing Set. When this happens the Bushing can break, there is no longer a barrier, and the Metal-on-Metal Grinding can easily cause a Creaking noise to appear.Luckily, though, if this is the case it can also be easily fixed.You have two options to fix this problem if your bushings are not working as they should.If the bushing is long gone, or it fell off and you can’t find it, you can take your swing off the Swing Set and bring the whole thing or just the Chain into the store to find a bushing that will fit.Make sure to take a measurement of the Eye Bolt or Hook to make sure the new bushing will fit that as well.Take some Grease, WD-40, or other lubricant and apply it to the bushing. Make sure to also lube up the Chains and any areas where there could be friction or rubbing.Once you have the lube applied, make sure to move the swing back and forth to get a good even coating of the lube on the joints.If you have a Creaking or Noisy Swing Set, don’t jump straight to throwing it away!If you investigate properly, do your inspection, and follow the steps listed in this post, you’ll be able to find the source of Creaking on your Swing Set, decide on an Action Plan, and Fix that Creak once for all.All it takes is a little patience and work and your Swing Set can be Fixed!Is it Safe to Install a Swing Set on Concrete? Pros and Cons to Consider2Swinging is not only a fun pastime for children, but it’s also an excellent way to promote...Continue ReadingWhat Size Swing Set Should You Choose? 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Skip to contentIt’s that time of year, the sun is starting to shine, the flowers are starting to bloom, and your kids are going to play outside on their awesome Swingset!But there’s a problem…that playground in the yard has turned into a squealing screeching Monster!You’ve got to do something about this noise, but where do you start?In this post, I’m going to go over everything involved in fixing your Creaky, Noisey Swing Set.Swing Sets of all kinds are not immune from making the occasional squeak or squeal.&nbsp;But why do they make these noises in the first place?&nbsp;Swing sets can make...

How Do I Fix a Noisy Swing Set? | SwingSetSpot

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