Wood Playground
Introduction: Wood Playground
It all started when I looked to buy a playground to my daughter. While looking to pre-built module from regular shops, I told to myself: "hey, that doesn't look complicated. Seriously, how hard can it be?"
From that point, I started looking online for inspiration, starting to draw something fitting my garden. After many loops, I finally found the perfect design, according to me.
Criteria were having a main cabin, big enough for an adult to be in (at least to tidy it up when messy), a second floor for when the children are bigger, a swing and a slide. Additionally to this, I wanted the whole thing to be scalable over time (e.g. add a monkey bridge in a few years).
Everything was designed using CAD for ease (it's nice to refer to a plan sometimes), which evolved a bit during the construction. Attached is the actual design of it, feel free to use or modify it for your own personal projects.
I'm sorry if I misuse technical terms, I'm not a professional wood worker, nor English is my primary language.
Supplies
I used impregnated pine so I didn't had to treat it after (hopefully).
* Main structure is made of 9x9cm posts (~55m)
* and 7x7cm posts (~100m)
* floors are made of 14.5x2.8cm planks (~110m)
* walls are made of 14x1.6cm planks (~90m)
The main tool I used was a miter saw (bough one for the occasion, no regrets). Beside of this, a good drill was essential.
Step 1: The Main Structure
The whole structure is based on stilts.
As mentioned, structure is made of 9x9cm posts as vertical studs and 7x7cm posts as horizontal joists. I guess it's not that common to use square section wood for joists, but all in all it was easier to find square section posts (and then cheaper) than rectangle ones, when speaking about class 3 impregnated pin.
Structure is not directly in contact with grass, to avoid rotting (even if 9x9 studs are class 4 and should not be damaged by direct contact with water). Better be safe than sorry.
I used galvanised steel anchors (~70cm high) to support studs. They are simply sunk in the ground. 431
The 4 ones around the swing however are loaded with concrete (quick concrete, dry in 20 minutes), so the pendulum movement doesn't move them over time.
I made a grid using strings planted in the ground to have the perfect location of every anchor. But even with that, a lot can happen when sinking 70cm of steel into the ground. Most of them are not straight, but that could be corrected with the play in the wood. Once done, errors in the anchors doesn't matter.
Step 2: Attaching the Joists
I thought about this part for longer than anything else. Not being in the wood world, nor having experience, nor having professional tools led me to drop all wood arrangements you would normally see (and use way more steel...).
I used a steel square (4x6x6cm), screwed in studs and tied to joists with an M8 nut and a security bolt. Joists posed on other joists are simply screwed.
Step 3: Adding Triangles, Adding Support
Because rectangles tend to transform themselves into parallelograms, I needed to add triangles.
For this, I cut (a lot of) piece of wood (about 45cm, cut at 45°) to reinforce the structure. As the structure was not straight before starting, I used straps anchored to what I could find or bring, and straightened everything.
To get a good result (being alone to fix them), I tied them hard with clamps and wood falls (the piece you get when you cut the edge of a pole at 45°), then screw them in place. This technique was amazing, and ensured the reinforcements stayed in place, before and during screwing.
In doubt (and also because I like the aesthetic of it), I put them everywhere I could. That's probably too much and I could have dropped some, but once again I'm not a professional, better too much than not enough.
Step 4: Floor and Wall
Structure being over, time for closing the cabin.
Nothing really complex in this step. Everything is screwed to joists or studs.
Hopefully, I did this when weather was bad for several weeks, and planks were swollen. So when they were fixed, I didn't need to pay too much attention to dilatation space. 787