Removing an Old Swing Set and What to Do With It

What to Do With an Old Swing Set?

Swing sets have come a long way since we were kids. When we were little, we had a piece of tire rubber attached to an aluminum rod by a bit of baling twine. Bruises, cuts, and blisters were an every day event.

These days, swing sets come with every modification imaginable, not to mention they are infinitely safer. My sons swing set comes with, multiple swings, monkey bars, two slides, a little house, a three-story rock wall, two canopies, a telescope, a Mr. Fusion, and a flux capacitor.

Putting the thing together requires the intellectual genius of the engineer who built the Hoover Dam. It took me hours and hours, well let's be honest, months, to finally finish assembling the damn thing. I was even able to stash the extra parts at the bottom of the trash can before anyone could ask me what they were for. And it was all worth it to watch my kids' faces light up every time they played on it.

But that was ages ago. Those same kids only get excited now when I give them money or tell them I upped their data plan. And the behemoth swing set sits unused and unloved in my backyard.

My kids, like yours, have outgrown it and so, it's time to find something else to do with it. We’ve come up with a few options to make the most out of a once beloved family toy.

HOW TO REMOVE AN OLD SWING SET

If your swing set is irreparably broken or damaged then getting rid of it is the way to go. If it's old and unsafe there’s really nothing else for you to do other than remove it or repurpose. Luckily demolishing a swing set it is a lot easier than putting it together was.

Demolition is one of those things that make adulting worth it. You get to crush, smash, destroy and annihilate things. The more adult toys or tools you have at your disposal, the more fun you get to have. If you are really succeeding at this adulting game then you have a tractor, a front loader is best but you can make do with any Caterpillar you have access to. Just mount up and crush the playset like a bug.

demolishing tractor — Who doesn't own one of these?

Maybe you have a chainsaw that you haven’t played with, I mean used, in a while. Start that sucker up and go to town.

If you're unfortunate enough that you lack these basic machines then you will have to go about demolition day in a more primitive form. You need some boring though useful tools; things like hammers and wrenches. Don't get me wrong, I love a good wrench set but there is just such a fundamental joy that comes from smashing things.

Before you get started, you should take a really close look at the playset, you may have put it together but that was hundreds of beers ago. Refamiliarize yourself with how it is assembled. Also, take note of any damage or rotting. If the wood is rotten then you might have an easier time breaking it apart rather than unscrewing all the joints. Take a minute and evaluate just what you might be getting into; if you’re sure you want to tackle this project yourself then review our quick demo guide to learn exactly how to crush that backyard eyesore into smithereens.

Call 602-799-4181 for
Quick Swingset Removal

Call for fast and easy disposal of an old swingset.

We will dismantle and haul off the entire set, and we’ll even clean up before we go. To top it off we’ll sort all of the pieces and take everything we can to a recycling center instead of hogging up valuable landfill space. It's a quick job for our expert junk removers, give us a call, and your set will be gone before you know it.

Wooden Swing Set Demolition

wooden swingset

A wooden playset is more challenging than tearing down a metal one. They are usually bigger than metal ones and come with more parts and accessories. That means more pieces to take apart. Then once you have finished demolishing it, you have a variety of materials to dispose of.

Again if you can crush the thing with your mighty mystical Bobcat weapons then go for it, crush it like the ugly, persistent, infestation that it is, but without the help of a Bobcat, you’ll need to dismantle the playset step by step.

Things You'll Need

Ladder
Rust Doctor or WD-40
Wrenches
Hammer
Cordless drill
Socket set
Case of beer

Step 1

This is going to take a while so get ahold of Postmates and have them deliver three servings of hot wings in about two hours, you’re going to need the sustenances to reboot your energy and your determination. You should also set up your trash bins or Bagster® to toss debris into as you go along. It will save you a ton of time on the back end.

Step 2

Hit those screws and bolts with WD-40, Rust Doctor, muriatic acid, whatever you have on hand, and let them start working while you take on the accessories.

Step 3

Remove all the large plastic add ons. Although it seems like this might be the simplest thing, it’s actually the worst. The slides are like your journey through puberty, awkward and never-ending. You’ll need to remove a thousand bolts and screws before you’ll be able to cast them aside. It's also a two-person job because of their size and shape. It's hard to hold them in place long enough to get all of the bolts out.

slide removed

Step 4

Once you’ve finished removing all of the tunnels and slides, you’ll have to repeat the whole process again for the rooftop, assuming it's a plastic shade cover. If it is made of wood and is part of the playset frame then leave it for now.

Step 5

Next, work on the swings, removing them from the crossbar; you’ll also need to get rid of the trapeze, glider and anything else attached to the swingset crossbeam. Then, find the rope ladder and set that thing on fire, or just remove it and toss it with the other parts in the trash bin.

taking off swings

Step 6

After you’ve gotten rid of the accessories, head up the ladder and remove the screws that hold the swing crossbeam in place. You’re going to want a buddy to help hold the beam in place while you work on it. Watch your heads though, because, hopefully, the crossbeam will drop like Jackie Smith’s football career after Superbowl XIII, as soon as you’ve removed all the bolts. Once it’s down you can go after the rest of the swing frame, dismantling any support beams.

Step 7

Next, you’ve got to hit the playhouse itself. There will be large blocks of wood all over this thing that will give you a challenge. If there is a lot of damage or rot to the wood you might have an easier time sawing through the wood rather than trying to take out the screws.

If not, the first thing you should do is remove all of the railings and walls. You might have to remove the plastic window frames and metal brackets to get everything off the playset frame. About the time you're done with the siding, your hot wings should be arriving. Take an extra long break to rejuvenate and prepare yourself for the final stretch. Then make sure your cooler is stocked with enough beer to get you through the finish line.

removing the base

Step 8

Now, you need to work your way through the playhouse deck. Some playhouses have an open floor to allow for a sandbox or other such nonsense, which means the deck is in the middle of the frame instead of on the ground. As you smash your way through the mid-level deck, the integrity of the frame is going to diminish. Expect that it is going to fall over and be ready to move out of the way. Don’t try to catch it, just let it go. That means you should double check that none of your little ones are running around. Safety first.

Hopefully, once it hits the ground it will splinter into manageable pieces. You might even be able to ditch the tools and just tear the thing apart with your bare hands. A sledgehammer might be fun too. Just destroy the thing until the pieces are small enough for you to easily carry out.

The deck will probably be the most difficult part of your deconstruction regardless of where it is placed, though a mid-level deck will be a bit more tricky.

If the deck is at ground level, the frame supports should drop one by one as you dismantle each joint.

After that, all you have to do is haul off the parts, piece by piece and you’re done.

Metal Swing Set Demolition

metal swingset

Even though metal sets have fallen out of favor in recent years, they are still found lurking in backyards, silent predators, preying on the weak and thin-skinned. Charred flesh and sutures are their calling card and they must be eradicated from all the earth before humanity can be safe.

While you may have survived years of leg burns and dozens of stitches when you were a child, it is our responsibility to protect future generations from the torments of metal playsets. Our children's children must never suffer as we have suffered. Death to all metal playsets!

Before you murder your own metal torture-set prepare yourself by gathering up as many tools and supplies as you can.