Q–I have decided to build an outdoor activity center for my children. After looking at some of these at stores I am really discouraged at the installed price. I have a small budget of $900 and am quite handy. Do you think I can build a nifty playset for this kind of money? Do you have any design guidelines that might help me?
A–I think you can tackle a project like this if you have some general construction knowledge. You will need an extra hand from time to time, but, for the most part, it is a one-person job. If you build a playset like mine, you will be able to stay $100 under your budget. It may take you about 30 to 50 hours to build what I have in mind.
The key to this project is to think small. Children love spaces that are in proportion to their bodies. Their arms, legs and hands are smaller, too. You need to keep this in mind as you build ladders, railings and other grab bars. Ceiling heights should not exceed 6 feet if you want them to feel comfortable in their new clubhouse/fort/vacation home.
I built a combination swing set with slide, first-story playhouse, and second-story lookout post/fort that my children are continuing to enjoy. The fort has a steep-pitched shingle roof with a Plexiglas panel skylight. A climbing rope and trapeze beam are also part of the structure. A fireman’s pole is going to be added this spring.
The swing-set design needs to be right if you want safety and glee for your children. The bottom of the beam that supports the swings should be a minimum of 10 feet from the ground. This provides a generous radius for each swing. Use medium-grade zinc chromate-coated chains that will easily support the weight of an adult. The chains need to be connected to eye bolts that pass completely through the overhead beam. Don’t use lag-type bolts because they can pull out over time.
My playhouse measures 4 feet wide by 6 feet long. It has an interior ceiling height of 6 feet. The walls have one door and three windows. Directly above the playhouse is a second-story lookout post/fort. It is built just like a deck, with 36-inch-high pickets spaced on 5-inch centers. Children access this fort outpost by scaling a vertical ladder that’s attached to one side of the playhouse.
The lookout post/fort is covered by a shingled roof that protects the defenders from direct sunlight, rain or incoming mud balls. The bottom of the roof is just 4 feet from the lookout post floor. This gives occupants adequate protection from the elements and projectiles.
The 4-foot-wide end of the second story closest to the swing set opens to a platform at the top of the slide. This small platform is one step down from the second-story level. It is surrounded by a safety railing. This same platform will be the access point for the future fireman’s pole, which will be opposite the slide.
The large 4-by-6-inch beam that supports the three swings is supported at one end by the playhouse structure. The other end is supported by an A-frame of two angled 4-by-4’s that are sunk into the ground. If you don’t want to dig angled holes for these posts, an alternative way to prevent the bottom of the posts from spreading apart is by bolting two horizontal 2-by-6’s into the bottom of the A-frame posts.
Be sure to through-bolt all structural connections. Lag bolts can loosen over time and pull out as children stress the structure with swinging, climbing, and jumping. Periodically check the nuts and bolts and tighten as necessary. Always check them in the spring, before outdoor play activity begins, and once again in midsummer. You will be surprised at how wear and tear will loosen playset hardware.
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Have questions about the remodeling process? Write to Tim Carter, c/o The Chicago Tribune, P.O. Box 36352, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236-0352. Questions will be answered only in the column.
For construction plans for Tim’s Children’s Play Set and a list of needed materials, send $3 and your name and address to Tim Carter at the above address. Ask for Builder Bulletin No. 256.
For a list of past Builder Bulletins and a wide variety of individual job bid sheets, send a business-size, stamped, self-addressed envelope to the same address.
Ask the Contractor can also be accessed via the Internet at http://bancodeprofissionais.com/go/askcon.
