redwood playset repair

[Gil Liu]

We bought a ten-year-old Rainbow brand redwood playset. I'm replacing some parts that are structural supports, such as bracing below the floor of platforms. I'm using treated 2X4's for these replacements, as they won't be anywhere where the kids will touch them.

Here's my question: Would you use stainless steel screws and pocket holes for joining? I need to connect some of the floor supports to beams between platforms. The older parts had screws that went in "straight" through the width of the boards -- I don't have a long-enough drill bit to recreate these holes, but could of course buy one . . .

Thanks,
Gil

[Dennis Lopeman]

IMO - don't waste your time with pocket holes... either get the drill bit (from the BORG) or just screw right in - use deck screws... stainless steel is probably too expensive... it doesn't have to last forever, just until your kids are too old... at which point someone else gets the playset or it becomes firewood. :)

Oh - and maybe some pictures to help better understand what you're doing here... maybe I'm not "seeing" the whole picture here!

[Harish C. Mathur]

This is just fyi in case it is useful to you.. I just fixed up a Rainbow playset for my kids. The wood was "gray" from exposure. I was going to sand it - but decided to try a pressure washer. It did a outstanding job of quickly taking the gray stuff off. I still need to do some sanding... but it was way less. The set looks new. Also, you can go to places like "Jo-Ann's" and get canopy cloth to redo fort cover if needed.