Outdoor Projects/ Outdoor Structures/ Playground/

How to Put Together a Backyard Playset

Transcript

Install a Backyard Play Structure with Two Stories, Ladders, and Tube Slide from a Kit. You Supply and Cut the Lumber.

Product Information
For more information on playsets by Swint N' Slide, CLICK HERE.

Call it a playhouse, a fort or anything your child wants. You and a helper can install this wooden outdoor play structure using a ready-made hardware and accessory kit that requires only purchase and cutting of lumber to fit. The kit's straightforward assembly instructions and cut list make this a true weekend project. Add pea gravel base and you're set.

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cutting wooden components with circular saw and combination level
Step 1

Assemble the Playhouse Front and Back Frames with Stainless Screws

Cut wooden components. Assemble the play structure's front and back frames per manufacturer's directions. Snap a chalk line on your patio and set boards on chalk lines to guide assembly. Drill pilot holes and use stainless screws for preliminary joints.

hammering a central carriage bolt among the stainless screws
Step 2

Flip Play Structure Frames and Secure Joints with Carriage Bolts

Flip frames over and secure each joint with a central carriage bolt, washer and nut. Hammer in bolts and tighten nuts with a socket wrench. Raise and level the frames, clamping them to braces on stakes driven into the ground.

adding stainless steel for preliminary two-by-six joints
Step 3

Connect Frames with Two-by-sixes at Ground, Middle and Top

Connect plumbed frames with two-by-six horizontal members--two at ground, middle, and top levels. Drill pilot holes for stainless screws and install carriage bolts in joints. Add two joists at mid-level to support the deck boards to be installed later.

driving heavy stakes to stabilize the play structure
Step 4

Stabilize Structure with Heavy Stakes around Inside Perimeter

Stabilize the play structure to prevent tipping by bracing the bottom with heavy stakes. Drive them with a sledge hammer against the inside perimeter of the base and secure them with 3-inch stainless screws.

spacing deck planks with a carpenter's pencil
Step 5

Install Deck Planks and Siding with Galvanized Screws

Install decking spanning all four joists. Space deck planks with a thin strip of wood or flat carpenter's pencil and secure with galvanized deck screws. Clamp and install siding planks on upper and lower levels in the same way.

building a landing for the rope ladder
Step 6

Build a Landing and Attach the Play Structure's Rope Ladder

Build and attach a small wooden frame at ground level as a landing for a rope ladder. Attach the ladder to the upper railing with eye-bolts and to the bottom frame with heavy duty staples. Ensure tension is tight.

testing the climbing rope's weight-bearing capacity
Step 7

Attach the Climbing Rope with a Long Eye-bolt and Nut

Attach the climbing rope to the extended two-by-six on the top frame. Pre-drill for a long eye-bolt, insert the bolt and secure it on top with a nut. Have a full-sized adult test the rope to ensure its weight-bearing capacity.

tapping the dowel into position with a mallet
Step 8

Assemble the Ladder with Two-by-fours and Wooden Dowel Rungs

Clamp two-by-four ladder rails together and drill rung holes through both simultaneously to ensure holes are identically spaced. Insert the dowel and seat with a mallet tap. Secure rungs with screws and attach the ladder to the play structure.

rolling the tube slide into position
Step 9

Roll the Tube Slide into Position and Attach

Position the tube slide bottom in pea gravel and roll it upright to the play structure's upper frame. Attach the slide with bolts driven through each of the pre-drilled holes in the mounting flange at the upper end.

draping the awning over the ridge beams
Step 10

Attach the Ridge Beam and Install the Awning

Attach the ridge beam to support awning supplied with the play structure kit. Drape the awning over the beam and attach it to the upper frame with screws and fender washers.

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