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CHAPTER 1
Planning & Basics
Before starting a large project, it's important to get a clear idea of where to build it, what landscaping work is involved, and how much it will cost. If the structure will be anywhere close to the property lines and will be difficult to move after you build it, make sure you know exactly what setbacks are required in your area. Talk to an inspector about what you're planning to do — it doesn't cost anything; in fact, you probably will get some good advice or handouts about construction details, and it might save you from big problems later on.
If you live in an area with a neighborhood homeowner's association, or your house is part of a condominium development, check your deed and talk to your neighbors before starting any permanent or semi-permanent projects to find out if there are restrictions. You'll also need to know how deep to dig footings and what to do if you have bad soil or a high water table. This all sounds worse than it is — one or two phone calls usually resolve all of these questions, and it's best to get the answers at the start.
You also should estimate the cost of materials to avoid surprises. For complicated projects like a treehouse or a large playset, lumberyards and home centers will estimate costs for you if you give them a detailed scale drawing of what you plan to build. It's always a good idea to add 10 percent for waste and mistakes.
In this chapter:
• Working & Building Safely
• Finding the Right Spot
• Outdoor Building Materials
• Tools
Working & Building Safely
Before building anything, locate your lot lines and any buried utilities. Make note of overhead utility lines, and make sure your play structure is far enough away from them so the two don't touch — the general recommendation is to make sure utility lines are at least twice the height of the structure (which includes most building projects, including swingsets). Play areas must be at least 6' from any building, tree, or other obstacle. The clear area in front and back of swings must be at least twice the height of the swingset (measured from the center of the swingset).
Before buying any lumber, make scaled construction drawings. It will make buying materials and building the structure much easier and help you avoid expensive mistakes. If you need to obtain a building permit, inspectors will also want to see your construction drawings.
Safety Equipment
Protective gloves play two important roles when you are working outdoors: they protect your hands from abrasions when working with tools or handling building and landscaping materials, and they prevent contact with chemicals such as solvent-based finishing products. Wear well-fitted work gloves whenever they do not interfere with important dexterity concerns. Wear rubber gloves when working with solvent-base paints, stains, and sealers or other chemicals that are not suitable for skin contact.
Wear ear protection when working with power tools or working around other loud noises. Basic construction earmuffs (A) are inexpensive and reliable. For a slightly higher cost you can purchase electronic versions that feature noise canceling so only objectionable and dangerous noises are blocked. Disposable foam ear plugs (B) will do in a pinch, but they tend to loosen. Foam earplugs connected with a head band (C) stay put longer.
Protective eyewear is perhaps the most important safety gear you can wear. Quality protective eyewear has lightweight, shatterproof lenses that are resistant to fogging. Some are tinted to protect against UV rays. If you will be working around chemicals or airborne irritants, wear safety goggles that fit your face snugly. Some prescription glasses are rated as safety glasses, but don't assume that yours are: wear goggles over them if you are not certain.
Respiratory protection is worn in areas where ventilation is poor or whenever you are cutting treated lumber or working around airborne particulates, noxious gases, or fumes. A paper mask with an N-95 rating and two straps (A) will block particulates such as sawdust, insulation dust, and most allergens. A half mask (B) has replaceable filters that block out additional particles, along with some fumes. A respirator (C) provides the most complete breathing protection. It has interchangeable cartridges (D).
Finding the Right Spot
After you decide on a project for your yard — but before you buy any supplies — you'll need to figure out exactly how big the project needs to be and then lay it out on the yard to make sure it's going to fit. If you're constructing a large play structure or sports court, draw an accurate site plan of your yard on a sheet of graph paper. If you need a permit, the building department will also require copies. Draw in the property lines, existing structures, trees, gardens, and any other nearby features that may impact your new project. Make sure to note the location and height of overhead utility lines. They should be distant at least twice the height of the swingset or fort; if not, contact an electrician or the utility company about having the utility lines moved or raised.
Make several copies of the site plan, then sketch in the structure you plan to build so you can determine if you have enough clearance, both for the structure and for the activity that will be going on around it. Playgrounds need an additional 6 feet of clearance all the way around the built structure and swingsets have to have clear space from their center equal to twice their height (thus, if the swingset is 8 feet high, you'll need 16 feet of open space on both sides of the beam).
Improving Uneven Ground
Create level areas for playing lawn sports such as croquet, badminton, and bocce. Drive stakes to outline the perimeter of the area you want to level. Run mason's strings between the stakes and level them. Find the high point and add soil to raise the surrounding ground. Or, find the low point and excavate around it.
Use a hand tamp to compact the soil you add. Don't overtamp the soil where you'll be planting grass or it could become too dense for a healthy lawn.
How to Improve Drainage
Remove a section of sod and dig a shallow drainage trench sloping to the center, creating a V shape. Use the shovel to smooth the sides as you work.
Replace the sod in the trench, compressing it against the soil and then thoroughly watering it to create a natural-looking swale.
Terrace Hillsides with Retaining Walls
Timbers are a fast, relatively inexpensive way to build a retaining wall. Fill the space behind them with gravel to keep them dry, and lock the wall against the hillside with T-shaped "deadman" anchors.
Interlocking blocks are a permanent solution to a sloping yard. They don't require mortar and are simple to install.
Outdoor Building Materials
Backyard recreational structures have to stand up to years of hard use and hard weather, and any material used to make them must be both sturdy and rot- or rust-resistant.
Generally, the least expensive and most widely available wood used for exterior structures is pressure-treated pine (here, "pine" typically includes several evergreen species related to pine, including spruce and fir). Current treatment solutions for preserving wood include C-A (Copper Azole), ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quartenary), and Borate. All may be used for any backyard application as long as the wood will not be exposed to salt water on a regular basis. If your wood is green-treated (C-A or ACQ), you must use hot-dipped, galvanized fasteners that are made of triple-dipped, stainless steel, or specially coated screws approved for treated wood. Green-treated wood products cause metal to corrode rapidly, which can lead to premature structural failure if you use unapproved metal hardware. CCA, the controversial arsenic-based treatment chemical, was pulled from the market several years ago.
Cedar, which is naturally rot-resistant, is sold at most lumberyards and home centers, though in some areas it may be available only through special order. Although cedar generally costs more than treated pine, it will not last as long as treated lumber if it's in contact with the ground (you can increase cedars rot resistance by treating it with wood preservative). Often, builders will use treated pine to construct structural members such as posts and framing, and then use cedar, which is warmer and more attractive, for decking, railings, and trim.
Other naturally rot-resistant woods sometimes sold at lumberyards are redwood, cypress, and ipé (a South American wood), but these are not as widely available and can be prohibitively expensive.
Composite and plastic lumber suitable for exterior projects are sold in increasing quantities and selections at home centers and lumberyards. It's more expensive than treated wood but has a perfectly smooth appearance and won't warp, crack, or splinter as it ages. It's an excellent choice for trim and decking, but it is not rated for structural use. Decking must be supported every 16 inches to avoid sagging. This type of lumber can be cut and drilled just like wood but may require different fasteners, so check the instructions when you buy it.
Cedar and pressure-treated pine are used frequently for building recreational structures, but composite boards and other species of wood can be used effectively under some conditions. Wood and wood-based products for outdoor building include: Douglas fir (A), cedar (B), pressure-treated pine (C), hollow composite material (D), solid composite material (E).
Use exterior-rated fasteners for outdoor projects. Shown here is a sampling of outdoor fasteners and hardware: Triple-dipped galvanized joist hangers (A); galvanized/exterior-rated carriage bolts, lag bolts, washers and nuts (B); triple-dipped galvanized post standoffs (C); galvanized corner brackets (D); joist-hanger nails (E); coated deck screws in various lengths (F); galvanized common nails (G).
HAULING MATERIALS
You can save delivery charges (usually $35 to $50) and control delivery times by hauling landscape materials yourself in a pickup or trailer. The yard workers at the supply charge with a front-end loader or skid loader. Do not overload your vehicle. Although most operators are aware of load limits, they will typically put in as much as you tell them to. As a general rule of thumb, a compact truck (roughly the size of a Ford Ranger) can handle one scoop of dirt, sand or gravel, which is about 3/4 of a cubic yard; a half-ton truck (Ford F-150) will take a scoop and a three-quarter ton truck (F-250) can haul two scoops (one and a half cubic yards) safely. Be sure to check the gross vehicle weight and payload data label on the driver's door.
Tools
Most of the projects in this book can be built with standard construction and yard tools, but you may want to rent specialty tools on a project-by-project basis. Everything from small hand tools and power tools to front-end loaders are available at tool rental stores, and it's well worth a visit or a look at a rental catalog to see what's available. Although rentals can be expensive, they can literally save days of hard labor, not to mention sore backs.
Pneumatic tools include: air compressor (A), framing-nail gun (B), air hammer with chisel bits (C), finish-nail gun (D), air hose (E).
A two-person power auger makes quick work of posthole digging. Be sure to have your property inspected and flagged for underground lines before you dig.
A few of the hand power tools you'll need for just about any backyard building project include an impact driver (A), a jigsaw (B), a circular saw (C), and a drill/driver (D).
Specialty tools include: tamping machines (A), sod cutter (B), power auger (C), hand tamper (D), chainsaw (E).
Hand tools include: caulk gun (A), tape measure (B), chalk line (C), compass (D), garden hose (E), bow saw (F), plumb bob (G), combination square (H), speed square (I), pressure sprayer (J), mason's line (K), pry bars (L), square and round shovels (M), garden rake (N), posthole digger (O), hoe (P), carpenter's level (Q), framing square (R), putty knife (S), wood chisel (T), awl (U), socket wrench (V), hammer (W), rubber mallet (X), pruning shears (Y), metal shears (Z), bar clamps (AA), pipe clamps (BB).
CHAPTER 2
Play Structures
At a time when technology dominates children's lives, a place for them to enjoy pure, unadulterated play is more essential than ever. Simple, physical play is not only great exercise, but it's also a key part of childhood, one of the joys of literally not having a care in the world.
Sure, you can head to the nearest park or school playground, but just how often can you honestly say you'll do that? The much better option is a backyard play structure, one that kids can enjoy on a whim and that you can supervise with a cool drink in your hand and a hamburger on the grill.
The right play structure isn't necessarily the biggest or fanciest. It's the one that is best suited to the age, abilities, and preferences of your child. That usually means choosing a playset design based on the age of the children that will use it most. Low platforms and easily gripped features will be much better for younger children, while older kids can safely face the challenges of a more vertical structure, one that includes a high slide, ladder-access fort, or monkey bars.
No matter the size or complexity of the unit you build, it has to be safe. That starts with the base you set down underneath the play structure and continues through every detail of construction. You'll find all the fine points of play-structure safety in the pages that follow, and you'll also find a look at the different options for building one. You can buy precut systems that take all the guesswork out of the project in exchange for a significantly higher price tag, or you can build your own design from scratch. That will entail a lot more work but will also yield the satisfaction that the play structure is tailored to your children and their friends.
In this chapter:
• Choosing a Play System
• Playground Safety
• Precut Playground Kit
• DIY Playset
• DIY Swingset
Choosing a Play System
You have several options when it comes to making your backyard a kid's paradise. You can always go the quick and easy route by having professionals do the whole project for you, soup to nuts. Of course, that can set you back quite a bit of money. Fortunately, if you're the roll-up-your-sleeves type, there are plenty of other options to getting a play structure built. Pick the right option for you, your budget, and your skills.
Hire a playground builder. This is the simplest option. A number of local and national companies offer a wide range of models, from basic play areas to small mansions, that they will build and install. The advantage of hiring one of these companies is that they have experience, use high-quality materials, offer dozens of fun options, are up-to-date on all the codes and safety features, guarantee their work, and they don't require anything from you except money. The disadvantage is that it can be a lot of money-three to four times as much as a comparable precut package that you assemble yourself.
Buy a precut package. This option is the simplest and most failsafe for the DIYer. The playground is already designed, all the pieces are cut (although some packages require you to buy additional standard lengths of lumber), and all accessories and hardware are included. You'll have to dig holes and do some drilling and bolting, but other than that you just follow the instructions. Most companies offer a number of options and add-ons, so you can usually get everything you and your children want in a playground. Plus, the safety features are all designed in. The disadvantage is that you're paying several times the cost of the materials for someone to design the playground and cut and package all the pieces for you.
Buy a plan. Detailed playset plans including full lumber lists are available in books and online for prices ranging from free to hundreds of dollars. The more expensive plans often include some hardware and accessories, and may even offer customer support; the free plans are of varying quality, ranging from up-to-date plans available from lumberyards to reproductions of ancient magazine and book plans. These can be good starting points for a moderately experienced DIYer who can read blueprints and make adjustments as necessary.
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Excerpted from "Play Structures & Backyard Fun"
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