Tuesday, December 14, 2010 Gorilla Playsets Blue Ridge Chateau II Swing Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, this playset has really been fun for the kids.They love the slide and rock climbing wall.The rope ladder is a little tough for them though.Overall, they have had hours of fun playing on it.

The downside on the playset was the assembly.Now I want to be clear on this.I have many years of carpentry experience and I am a seasoned DIYer with the rest of things around the house.So this isn't a case of someone not having the proper tools, knowledge, or ability to follow a schematic or other technical writings.Here are the problems that I ran into:

Missing components:Several pieces of lumber were missing from the item list.In addition, more than 20 bolts and 40 wood screws were missing.I also found panhead screws in the set that were the incorrect size for the application.

The factory did a poor job on their predrills in the lumber.On a couple of pieces, I had to redrill and countersink holes.Had I not done this, the entire assembly would have been out of square.

There were three pieces of lumber that were split.I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here though because one cannot account for what happens during shipping.

Now, replacing the parts that were missing was relatively simple.Call the 800 number and they will send you whatever you need.But, it takes a while for the parts to get there.Also, the 800 number isn't answered on the weekend.Only Monday through Friday 8 to 5.Of course, this is usually of little help to the DIYer since he or she has probably set aside two days on the WEEKEND to assemble the set.Guess what?You get to cancel out another weekend to complete the project now.

The wood is touted by the manufacturer to be choice pieces.It's actually midgrade stuff really with more knotholes than I would expect to find in a $1600 playset but they seem to hold up.All the edges are sanded to remove rough surfaces and reduce splintering.The hardware is high quality and easy to maintain.

3 stars overall.I think that I could do some better for the money that I spent.

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Product Description:
Gorilla Playsets Blue Ridge Chateau Swing SetParents and Children alike are raving about this beautifully designed and constructed premium swing set built by Gorilla Play sets. The Blue Ridge Chateau swing set features several child pleasing ways to enjoy the backyard again. Since all Gorilla swing sets are constructed with pre-cut, pre-drilled, pre-sanded, and pre-molded lumber, installation with our detailed 3-D instructions is simple and painless. With its choice grade factory stained wood th