Swing sets are a great add on to the backyard environment when you have kids.
Of course, adult will also enjoy the swing set too with the right seats.
But before we use it, we have to build it!
How far apart do swing brackets need to be? How much space to the chains?
Those are the questions you should ask yourself before you get started.
The recommended safe distance between swing brackets is 18 inches. You can squeeze it down to 16” if you want to put on an extra swing, at the same time the US Consumer Product Safety Commission says 18 to 20 inches safe distance.
You may be thinking what a difference in number between the two, but the truth is as long as you’re between 16” and 18” it will be safe.
Remember, always back to cover their butts, to the point of being impractical.
Of course, they are not wrong they are putting children’s safety first.
But the truth is most swings do not have a full 20 inches between swing brackets, unless you are talking about state park type swings.
Always follow any manufacturers installation instructions when installing any equipment!
How Wide Should Swing Seats Be?
Most swing seats should be around 17” to 18” long, 8” wide, with a dip of at least 1” without any weight on them.
If you’re setting up a swing for the first time, you want to mount your swing brackets like the above example, but allow for the width of the seat.
It would look pretty dumb if your chains were too close together and the seat was too long.
Remember: The seat plastically deforms downward, and if you, someone you know, or a child sits down in the seat, you don’t want the chains touching and rubbing against your ears.
Does the swing bracket distance determine how long the beam needs to be?
The distance that you want to go in between the swing brackets will dictate the length of the beam; unless, of course, you have a pre-cut exterior wood beam already.
In this case, the beam length will dictate your spacing with the swing brackets.
The CPSC recommends a 30” gap between swing seats and the foundation of the swing set, supporting beams, and other designated parts of the swing set if you want to go 24” between swing brackets.
If you are designing your own swing set, you want to decide how many swing seats you want on a single beam.
If you want more than three swing seats, you will probably need to add a middle support beam that separates the two sets of two swings.
Just make sure you allow for distance; you have to allow for a 30” distance to the middle support beams as well.
Key Takeaway- No matter how many swings you end up selecting will in-turn influence the length of gauged beam you will have when you are done!
How Do You Space your Swing Brackets?
Getting the proper space and measurements correct is important, especially if you are using a beam that is already cut to length.
You want as many swings as you need on there without sacrificing safety.
Typically, the main beam that supports the swings will extend off the last support beam on the outside probably by 2 ft.
In the other direction it will butt up in proximity to the structure of the swing (which probably consists of:
- A playhouse
- A slide
- A ladder
- And other play structures.
You want to start out measuring the entire distance of the beam.
Then, you can figure out number of swings you can install between the load bearing beams that come down, attached perpendicular to the main beam.
- You need to account for 30” away from the structure and 30” away from the other commodious, load bearing beams.
- Then you can proceed to install the brackets along the beam, and you can choose anywhere between 16” and 20” from swing brackets, and 24” between swings.
- Some websites recommend 8” between swings and you can definitely do that; however, if you have very small children accidents are more likely to happen the closer the swings are together.
- If you had a 12’ beam, you could easily install 3 swings with 18” to 20” swing brackets apart and then 20” between each swing. You could add a 4th swing, by adding 4’ length to the beam to make it an even 16’.
How Much Space Should be Around the Swings?
The distance from the lowest point of the swing to the ground should be about 12″ for very small children, then add 4″ every couple of years thereafter.
Also, you could dig some channels out from underneath each swing, this is often seen in parks and playgrounds.
There needs to be a minimum of 6′ of empty area around the swings, all the way around with a 6′ deck height; if you want to get the most use in terms of the children getting the longest time playing on the swings until they no longer play on the swings.
Conclusions
If you have kids, swing sets are a great thing to have, and building your own swing set is probably easier than you would think.
If you keep distances in mind, you will end up with a nice swing set for the kids to enjoy for years to come.