The play structure back by the garden has been a good source of entertainment, but it was beginning to become a little dangerous. It was leaning and many of the boards were rotten and beginning to break. With the grandkids climbing all over it, I wanted it to be safer and, if possible, more fun.
I took the old structure down one fastener at a time and saved them all in a lunch bag (which I filled). I didn’t want kids stepping on old rusty nails and bolts. Plus disassembly allowed me to see how it all went together.
Initially, I believed the vertical supports to be made of steel, but they were just 4X4s encased in plastic. Over the years, the plastic began to leak and served to keep moisture against the wood inside, rotting it further. Once I saw that was the case, I knew I would be replacing the whole thing.
So I bought some lumber and decided to make some changes to the original design. It would still have a lower and upper deck, but I wanted it to be a little roomier underneath with space for an adult to crouch under… maybe have a picnic below the deck.
The slide sits about a foot higher now. (I didn’t necessarily want it to be steeper, but this was the side effect.) I made some improvements to the ladder design as well. It is strong enough to support an adult human now.
Most of the design is similar, but I settled on a single beam for the swings to hang from. The whole structure stands about a foot higher.
I think the longer chains make swinging nicer. There is no cover yet, and I am still deciding how to appoint the downstairs area. I have several ideas.
I also need to see about adding some bracing and finishing a few details, but so far, the new swing set has met with approval from the grandkids.