1.What type of wood is a climbing frames made of?

There are a few different types of wood used in climbing frame manufacturing; these are Scandinavian Redwood, Marine plywood, pine and Spruce.

All these types of woods contain the same qualities, there strong, durable; have a nice colour and grain.

Climbing frame timber must be thick to withstand all the stress it will be put under when in use; an ideal timber thickness would be 7cm’s by 7cm’s, the wood should be planed to a smooth finish so that there are no sharp edges.

Some climbing frame manufacturers will use cheaper types of wood for example Fir this is a cheap soft wood which will be covered in plastic instead of being pressure treated. Once the plastic falls off the surface the wood will absorb all moisture and start to break apart.

The Timber used in making climbing frames can come in two types of shapes; there is round wood and squared wood.  The shape of the wood will not make the climbing frame any stronger it will just make the unit look different, although round wood does have a tendency to develop splits and cracks but this will not alter the strength of the unit.

Thomas Staton - An expert in Climbing Frames and Climbing Frame Accessories.