Strong & Safe Lumber, Slides, and Chains

Stronger Lumber

It's simple - we use larger dimensional lumber, which creates stronger and sturdier playsets. See the difference for yourself.

All of our playsets are built with hand-selected choice grade Cedar lumber that is naturally resistant to rot, decay and insect damage. Huge 4x6 laminated timber swing beams and thicker deck boards are just a couple of examples where Gorilla goes the extra mile to build a stronger and more durable swingset.

Benefits of Laminated Timber

Gif showing how laminated timber beams are formed.

What exactly is Laminated Timber?

Before we dive into what makes laminated timber better than a single solid beam it would be helpful to understand WHAT laminated timber is. Laminated timber is a stress-rated engineered wood product that is composed of layers of bonded wood laminations running the length of the post. In other words, smaller dimensional lumber is glued together with super strong industrial glue to create a larger dimensional beam.

Dimensionally Stable

Laminated timbers are less prone to twisting, checking and warping than solid timber beams.

Because of the lamination process, the effects of any potential imperfections or knots in the individual pieces of lumber are lessened due to the close proximity of the other lumber - each board acts as a stabilizer for the boards around it.

Stronger Than Steel

Pound for pound, laminated timbers are stronger than steel and has greater strength and stiffness than comparably sized dimensional lumber.

During a load capacity test at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) 72-foot-long, 6,000 pound laminated beams withstood a range of loads between 69,000 and 95,800 pounds before failing (check out the video here)!

More Sustainable

Because laminated timber is made of smaller dimensional lumber, the beams can be manufactured from smaller trees from second-growth forests and plantations.

These second-growth forests take less time to replenish than the oldgrowth forests used for solid beams.

Beauty That Lasts

Larger, solid pieces of lumber are prone to “checks”, or surface cracks that can appear when lumber is exposed to the elements.

While not typically a safety hazard, checks can be an eyesore on your swing set.

Laminated beams remove the worry of having unsightly checks and cracks appear on your swing set and, with proper maintenance, will look great for years to come.

Stronger Slides

Our self-reinforced slides are made with more plastic for superior strength.

We don’t skimp on plastic so our slides are literally heavier and much stronger. Our wave slides feature a solid single wave design, the widest landing bed and the highest sides for maximum stability and safety. Special UV inhibitors make them heat and fade resistant in direct sunlight.

Stronger Chains

Our swing chains are rated to 800 pounds.

Most of the hardware components that you will receive are the same as commercial grade units. The swing chains are also safety coated to prevent pinching of little fingers.