Swing Seats and Spares Direct to you at sutcliffeplaydirect.co.uk

Call us on 01977 653 200

FAQs

We’ve put together a series of Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand which of our products are best for you. To make it simple, we’ve categorised the Questions into 3 sections; General, Wood & Metal.

General FAQs

Our equipment is designed, manufactured and distributed from our purpose built factory in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, UK

As all our products are manufactured to order at our factory here in Yorkshire, we do have a lead time on orders that can vary between 6-8 weeks that is dependent on how busy the factory is.

Safety standards are a very important aspect of the equipment we produce. Wherever possible we obtain independent safety accreditation to recognised national and international standards. For example the vast majority of our fixed play equipment and play areas comply with EN1176 which is the leading play area standard in Europe. We also carry out and promote risk benefit assessment (RBA) as advised by the Play Safety Forum and endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive.

We believe passionately in designing play spaces that encourage children of all abilities to play together. Many of our products, right through from a simple springie to large play structures, have been designed to be accessible and playable for children with different abilities, we consider ourselves to be one of the market leaders in this area. If you have an interest in Inclusive play then please talk to us, as a company it’s something we place great importance on.

All our standard swing frames are supplied with anti-wrap bearings as standard, this prevents the swings from wrapping around the frame.

Sometimes swing chains are interchangeable but it will depend on the type and age of the frame. If you measure from the centre of the top bar to the ground and take a photograph of the swing frame we can advise.

We are happy to provide equipment on a supply only basis but would always recommend using a specialist installer to ensure your play equipment is fitted to the required safety standard. We recommend having your play area inspected by a qualified RPII Inspector before use.

Yes, all of our play equipment has installation and maintenance instructions, they are always supplied with the equipment on delivery. Most can be found under each product on our website, but if you have difficulty finding the one you need then we can send them through to you by email, fax or post.

Sutcliffe Play products are supplied worldwide. If you contact us on 01977 653200 we can advise you as to where your nearest site would be. We would also be happy to arrange a visit and acquire access permissions if these are required.

We understand the importance of replacing spare parts quickly. We carry stocks of the more common replacement parts such as swing seats, ropes, fixings, etc and we can usually dispatch these items immediately. Parts that need to be manufactured will take a little longer. However, as all Sutcliffe Play equipment is manufactured here at our factory in Yorkshire, you should never have to wait too long for any item that you require.

Our aim is to keep our play equipment serviceable for as long as possible so yes, spares are available after the warranty period has ended. If you know the part number you require you can contact us with that. If not we may need a little detail from you such as the unit number which can be found on the Sutcliffe Play identification plate, or a photograph to help us identify the unit and subsequent part. Once we have all the relevant information we can then let you know the cost of any spare parts you require.

Our aim is to keep our play equipment serviceable for as long as possible so yes, spares are available after the warranty period has ended. If you know the part number you require you can contact us with that. If not we may need a little detail from you such as the unit number which can be found on the Sutcliffe Play identification plate, or a photograph to help us identify the unit and subsequent part. Once we have all the relevant information we can then let you know the cost of any spare parts you require.

On all play equipment there is a unit number and date of issue that can be found on the Sutcliffe Play identification plate. Alternatively you could take a photograph and send that through to us so we can identify the unit and parts required.

Finding out if your play equipment is a Sutcliffe Play unit is quite easy. All our products have an identification plate fitted that will show the unit product code and a date of issue. Alternatively you could take a photograph of the play equipment in question and send it through to us. Not only can we tell you if it is a Sutcliffe Play item but our experts can usually identify any other manufacturers old products too.

Vandals using graffiti to deface play equipment is unavoidable but it can be removed using ‘Graffiti Remover’ which can be purchased from us by calling our Sales Office Department with code ADH120

No, the dish roundabout will not fill with water as it has 4 drain holes positioned in the bottom to prevent this from happening. The holes will need to be checked for debris during scheduled maintenance to ensure they are kept clear.

We have found galvanising to be the best finish for our dish roundabouts as it is very durable and will not scratch no matter how many tiny shoes scrape against it. However we can offer our dishes in a painted finish any colour you like. Just be aware that over time and constant use the paint may start to wear through.

We don’t think our decks are too big, we think they are just the right size as we believe in making good quality play structures with a good play value. To achieve this it’s important to allow children space to play together. If decks are too small play becomes restricted.

Our signature 9mm rubber decks have a steel core frame so they will be structurally sound, even from fire damage, but the rubber will slowly disintegrate if the unit is set alight.

To comply with EN1176 safety standards any play equipment with a critical fall height above 60cm does require a safety surfacing, but this is not a mandatory requirement. Tarmac can be used if an independent risk assessment is carried out. Items such as Ball Courts & Snug do not require safety surfacing.

We do not charge for our play area design services, and we would be delighted to work with you to develop your play space.

To produce a design for your play area, as a rough guide, our play area design team will require 1-2 weeks for a standard layout with 2-3 weeks for a more complex design, all dependent on the project and the detail involved. 

We have a team of experienced Area Sales Managers who will be able to meet with you, on site if necessary, to discuss your project. They will listen to your requirements and will be able to suggest suitable options for your play area.

We can supply a full set of CAD plans, 3d visuals, plan & pictures, technical support images, side elevations.

We can supply plans in AutoCad 2014, PDF, DXF & JPEG format.

We can make play equipment to order. A huge benefit of having local design and manufacturing capabilities is that we can deliver a truly bespoke solution for our customers, when required. 

We can supply our play equipment in different colours, our metal equipment can be powder coated to any colour you require. This would not then be a standard item and would incur an extra 10% specials charge.

Our products are manufactured to order but sometimes we realise a return might need to be made. In the first instance you would need to contact your Account Manager to discuss the return, they will then advise. Any items returned to us must be in their original condition – if not, we may be unable to accept them.

Timber or metal are both ideal for any playground but there are a number of factors to consider when choosing between the two:

  • Does it need to fit within the current surroundings or with established equipment?
  • Is it for a natural or urban setting?
  • Might vandalism be a problem? If so, metal would be the better choice.

Metal FAQs

Timber or metal are both ideal for any playground but there are a number of factors to consider when choosing between the two:

  • Does it need to fit within the current surroundings or with established equipment?
  • Is it for a natural or urban setting?
  • Might vandalism be a problem? If so, metal would be the better choice.

Metal will get hot in intense sunshine, but this has not stopped customers around the world installing our metal play equipment. We can offer timber units as an alternative or fit our metal units with plastic slides. We can also advise on the use of sun shades and other ways to prevent our play products getting hot.

We use reinforced aluminium uprights because aluminium is very durable and does not corrode. The aluminium we use is also 100% recycled, 100% recyclable and does not require any painting for the duration of its life. This cuts down the environmental impact of the play equipment and reduces your maintenance costs.

Our guarantee on structural steel is for 25 years.

Yes our metal equipment is suitable for coastal areas, the paint treatment we use is to an extremely high specification with a very high level of corrosion resistance. Also, if even higher levels of corrosion resistance are required we can additionally pre-galvanise our steelwork.

Timber FAQs

imber or metal are both ideal for any playground but there are a number of factors to consider when choosing between the two:

  • Does it need to fit within the current surroundings or with established equipment?
  • Is it for a natural or urban setting?
  • Might vandalism be a problem? If so, metal would be the better choice.

The timber used in our Orchard range is pressure treated against wet rot, dry rot and insect infestation, after the posts have been cut and drilled to ensure the timber is fully treated. It is guaranteed for 10 years. Robinia timber is used by our partner companies, this is naturally the most durable and strongest wood available to use without any treatment, again with a guarantee of 10 years.

The timber used in our Orchard range is pressure treated against wet rot and dry rot and Robinia timber used by our partner companies, is naturally the most durable and strongest wood available to use without treating.

It is very unlikely that children will get splinters as all the timber used is milled to a smooth finish and checked very carefully before dispatch.

Timber play equipment can be set on fire but all timber is very hard to set alight under normal circumstances, there would need to be a substantial fire source or an accelerant used before a fire would take hold.

Timber is ideal for use in coastal areas, so much so that it is used along many coast lines to help with their sea defences, these are known as ‘Groynes’. They can be engineered in the form of sea walls or jetties and help control erosion.

Our Orchard timber is locally farmed from UK forests in a managed sustainable process. The timber we use is between 20 and 25 years old, so by the time your play equipment is at the end of its life, newly grown trees will be ready for your next play products. Our partner companies also use suppliers that follow sustainable forestry management set by their countries state controlled Forestry Commissions.

Our guarantee on timber products is for 10 years.

Our timber play equipment is easy to maintain due to the pressure treatment process applied, the special protective caps and protective aluminium shoes fitted. We do recommend following a regular inspection and maintenance programme on your play area, as all equipment will last much longer if maintained properly with a robust inspection & maintenance programme.

The special rubber caps on top of the timber legs completely seal the ends of the posts and keep out any moisture, extending the life of the play equipment.

The unique aluminium shoe we use on our timber equipment protects the base of the timber posts once in the ground, ventilation holes also help to keep the post dry and extends the life of the play equipment. 

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