Log Seats & Log Steppers
Why use Ironbark for playground seats and log steppers?
Ironbark refers to a number of species of Australian Eucalyptus species, which come in amongst the best performing hardwood timbers in terms of strength, durability and tightness of grain.
These qualities make the Ironbarks particularly well suited to use in a play space, where it's important or installations to be long-lasting, hard-wearing and less prone to splitting or splintering.
Some other timbers perform well outdoors, but lack the Class 1 in-ground durability rating of Ironbark (e.g Jarrah or Spotted Gum), or are perhaps more prone to splits and splitting and become sharps and splintery to touch (e.g White Mahagony, Bloodwood).
In play spaces, where injuries that can arise from sharp edges or finger entrapments, it's particularly important to have a tight-grained timber that gets minimal splits.
What colour is Ironbark?
Ironbarks are rugged-looking trees with often black or dark grey fissured bark.
Once this bark is removed, the underneath visible layer of sapwood is relatively smooth, and has a light yellow-orange.
When cut into or milled for posts, this reveals the durable 'heartwood' of the tree, which is often pink-red or orange in colour.
Over time, the logs or milled timber will grey off and get a lovely silvery tone.
