We have a plain A-frame swingset. The kids are almost too big for it, but they're not growing out of enjoying it. Thankfully, they also have a tree to climb in the back yard, so that extends their play area.
5 months pregnant, I borrowed our neighbor's power washer -- it was a fun toy!! All the neighbors who got a view of my ever-larger rear end while up on the slide platform thought I shouldn't be up there doing it . However, it was serious instant gratification. The swingset was grey from weathering for 8 years. I thought the wood was that color throughout. I washed it for about an hour and it washed away the grey and got that wood color back. The neighbor's was 12 years old and he did his for 4 hours (serious perfectionist). His wood looks brand new. He's going to sand his. I didn't bother (I'm a serious NOT perfectionist). Besides, most of the splinters I saw were on the top bar and the kids aren't supposed to be up there, anyway. So, if they come in with splinters, I'll know where they've been.
Then we bought a gallon of deck sealer and brushed it on. The kids used brushes & I used a small roller. The first coat took about an hour to put on (Ds#3 & I worked on it together - the other kids pooped out after 10 minutes, the wimps). It soaked in right away. So Ds#3 & Dd#1 put on a second coat, that took about 40 minutes. It dried quickly, but not completely in the hour we waited. Then, the girls & I put on the a third coat (over the not dry 2nd coat - you're not supposed to do that) in about 30 minutes - that finished off the gallon. If you don't need to put on that many coats, it would have only taken 1/2 gallon for the first coat.
We were told to seal our swingset every year. We do it every 3rd year or so to keep down the splinters.
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