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Know Your TP Round Wood.
Timber is a very popular choice for active outdoor toys. For reasons of affordability and the environment, all wood playset
manufacturers use softwood rather than hardwood. Each piece of timber is unique, bearing its own knots, cracks and
variations in colour.
Round timbers tend to come from younger smaller trees and are complete tree poles, stripped of any bark and other
rough materials but subject to no further processing apart from the application of a suitable environmentally friendly
preservative.
Our round wood frames are rustic in appearance. The heartwood that they are made from naturally has cracks and
splits. Theses cracks will change over time due to atmospheric conditions. When wet, the wood will take in water, swell
and the cracks will close up (not disappear), when dry the wood contracts and the cracks will open up.
Whilst this can sometimes seem alarming, the round timber frames are designed and dimensioned to ensure these
natural characteristics do not have an impact upon the structural integrity of the frame. All of our wooden play frames
are rigorously tested by an independent test house and fully comply with the relevant toy safety regulations.
Because of the natural characteristics of such wood products, it is vital that parents check their play frame regularly to
identify any splintering or lifting of the surface layers of the wood or any exposure of rough wood due to changes in
cracks and splits. Affected areas must be rubbed down using coarse sandpaper to restore a smooth. Safe surface.
Very occasionally these characteristics can develop to a point where replacing the pole may be required. This can be if a
crack is in a particular position or if a crack exceeds certain parameters. Examples of this are:
•
Where cracks open up in excess of 5mm in width.
•
Where cracks of a significant width extend over half the total length of the timber.
•
Where cracks run through fixing points.
TP826 827 Knightswood Double & Deck In8048-A 27.02.18 NEW.indd 3
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TP826 & TP827
27/02/2018 15:57
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