There are many projects going on in parallel at the RDS farm. In particular natural building projects. But we make sure to take the time for side projects as well! The building of our double wooden swing was a very quick and rewarding project.
We used Ceder wood which is a native tropical wood and does very well outdoors, especially if well maintained. One thing that’s very important for maintaining wood is to allow it to breathe naturally. Wood expands when it gets wet and shrinks when it dries. This flow of moisture is normal and Ceder wood can last a very long time outdoors while “breathing”. But if you use conventional commercial products to seal the wood what happens is that the added rigid layer eventually cracks and lets in some moisture – which is then trapped inside the wood, speeding up the degradation and rotting process. Conventional sealers are also toxic. Using natural products like pure oil (tong or linseed are common examples) can help protect the wood from sun and rain exposure. The flexible oil will “breathe” with the wood.
After a few design sketches, we put the swing together, chose a nice branch on which to hang it and set everything up tightly. We used a post of Melina wood to reinforce the branch and burnt the part that goes in the ground to increase its longevity. Here’s what it all looked like:
OH-YEAH!!!
This is awesome. I’m sure the tree will love all the attention it will get and enjoy seeing all the smiling faces playing on the swing this summer.