What is the best way to shade an outdoor wooden swing set. the sun is on it for most of the afternoon?

Question

What is the best way to shade an outdoor wooden swing set. the sun is on it for most of the afternoon?

Answer 1

You have a few choices;

If you are looking for some shade immediately and fairly inexpensively you can get those shade cloth type shades from outdoor centres and set it up over the swing set.

If you are handy you can make one yourself.

Simply buy some shade cloth from a hardware store and hand stitch with fishing line to two pieces of timber dowel or even old curtain rails as long as they are big enough to cover the area you need and then attach one to each side of the swing set.

If you want a bigger area than this will do you may need to have corner supports, like the corner posts of a tent and set them up the same way with ground pegs and rope.

Go down to your nearest camping store and explain what you want to do and they should be able to help you.

Best of building luck, your children will think you are a champion

Answer 2

I would suggest you plant a couple of trees.

They will only give limited shade for the first year or two but will increase as each year goes by.

I would suggest a fast growing tree.  Consult with a local horticulturalist or your local garden center as to which species would do best in your climate zone.

Answer 3

A few trees would be a good idea for the long term but they sell those outdoor tent type coverings. You can find them in the camping section of your local stores. Effective but bit costly though.

Answer 4

I've been thinking about buying one of those tent thingies people usually use for outdoor picnics. There are some pretty inexpensive basic ones.  I guess you'd have to make sure it cleared the top of the swingset, though,and it'd have to be staked down really well. Or you could rig your own out of tarp and nylon rope somehow.

Oh, and if you go with a tree, poplar trees grow super-fast.