DIY Swing Set

Assembling the Swing Set + Playground

1. 1 Prepare the area

   
   

   Prepare the installation area. Use strings and stakes to outline the area and then cut out the sod in the play area (buy or rent a sod cutter if you wish to replant the sod elsewhere in your yard). Level the ground. Where possible, level the ground using the lowest spot as a starting point and excavating high areas to that point. Add landscape fabric.

2. 2 Begin assembling a tower

   
   

   Towers are the principal structural elements in any playground kit. They support slides and other accessories. Generally, they are comprised of fairly simple frames and beams. For the kit shown here, assemble the framework of the tower one side at a time, and then join the sides together on top of flat pieces of 2 × 6 or 2 × 8. Use the drilling template included in the kit as a guide for driving countersunk screws. Locate screws carefully—metal brackets that cover the screwheads are often added later, so the screws have to be positioned carefully. Raise the tower.

3. 3 Screw the brackets

   
   

   Screw the brackets to the tower frame corners, making sure that the bolt hole on the long side of the bracket lines up with the centers of the 2 × 4s behind it. Using the large holes in the brackets as guides, drill holes for the bolts. To avoid splintering the back sides, stop drilling as soon as the bit starts to poke through the back, then finish drilling from the other side. Check to make sure everything is still square, and then install and tighten the bolts.

4. 4 Install the center joists

   
   

   Install the center joists that connect the platform frames, fastening them with countersunk 21⁄2" deck screws. Make certain all screwheads are fully seated beneath the wood surface,

5. 5 Install the deckboards

   
   

   Install the deckboards with 11⁄2" deck screws driven into countersunk pilot holes, starting with the 2 outside pieces. Try to make sure the ends of the deck boards are aligned during installation—clamping a stop block or spacer block to the deck-board support will help align your workpieces. The drainage gaps between the deck boards must be less than 1⁄4".

6. 6 Extend

   
   

   Extend the tower walls to the full height with additional 2 × 4 pieces. Use the drill guide or template (if provided with your kit) to ensure regular alignment of all screws.

7. 7 Install the outer framework

   
   

   Install the outer framework of 2 × 4s to support the roof of the playground structure, using corner brackets provided by the kit manufacturer.

8. 8 Add additional framing

   
   

   Add additional framing to strengthen the sides of the tower. The framing on the right will help support the swingset and the climbing bar and climbing wall; the 2 × 4s on the left are used to support the slide.

9. 9 Install the bottom railings

   
   

   Install the bottom railings and the top back and side railings for the tower structure. Clamp a straight piece of wood on top of (or underneath) the railing at the 1" point to create the setback and to make installation easier. Cut spacers to make the gap even, but check the gap before screwing in the last few boards, just in case, and adjust if necessary.

10. 10 Railings, siding, and trim

    
    

    Attach railings, siding, and trim. Install the front railing first, using a 3⁄16" spacer. Then, add the trim pieces. This step is easier if you tilt the structure backwards to the ground—but don’t try this without a helper.

11. 11 Roof frame

    
    

    Install the rest of the roof frame. Use clamps to hold pieces in position before attaching them. Check the center vertical pieces with a carpenter’s level to make sure they are plumb.

12. 12 Begin building the swingset

    

    

    The swing structure shown here is supported by a pair of angled posts in an A-frame configuration on the end farther from the tower, and a single angled leg on the tower end. Fasten the 3 legs of the swingset together (they are made with doubled 2 × 4s), and then bolt on the triangular bracket for each leg. Construct the assembly by bolting the triangular brackets together and then screwing on the crosspiece. Add the small brackets to the inside of the crosspiece, with the short legs against the crosspiece (inset). Trim the leg bottoms so they will lie flat on the ground.

13. 13 Join the beams and legs

    
    

    Screw the 2 × 6 beam pieces to the brackets, making sure the legs are exactly parallel and square to the beam. Drill the 3⁄8" holes for the bolts using the brackets as a guide. Then screw the second layer of 2 × 6s to the first with 21⁄2" screws.

14. 14 Attach the swing hardware

    
    

    First, turn the swing assembly over and place it on sawhorses. Drill guide holes and fasten the sides together with bolts. Drill guide holes for the swing hangers and lag screws and install them so that the moving hanger swings perpendicular to the beam.

15. 15 Add the swingset to the tower

    
    

    Lift the swingset into place and fasten it to the tower with a bolt through the swing beam and a 2 × 4 crosspiece near the base fastened with metal angles and bolts.

16. 16 Installing the climbing wall

    
    

    Attach the climbing wall supports to the tower frame with the provided brackets. The ends of the supports are angle-cut at the top and the bottom. Attach the top and bottom crossboards to the outer supports and then center the middle support board and attach it by driving deck screws through the crossboards and into the support.

17. 17 Add the remaining crossboards

    
    

    Add the remaining crossboards in the climbing wall, working down from the top and making sure the boards are fitted tightly together.

18. 18 Start building the climbing bar assembly

    
    

    The climbing bars function as a ladder that is mounted to the tower on the side opposite from the climbing wall. Assemble the climbing bar standards with four triangular metal brackets included with the kit. The stops on the sides of the brackets that contact the standard will set the correct angle for the standards if the boards are tight against the stops.

19. 19 Attach the climbing bars

    
    

    Attach the climbing bars to the standards, making sure the standards are parallel and oriented correctly. Use 11⁄4" panhead screws to attach the bars at 12" intervals on the bottom leg and at 103⁄4" intervals along the top (or as directed by the instructions for your kit).

20. 20 Connect the climbing bar to the tower

    

    
    

    First, dig holes into the play surface at the correct locations for the legs of the climbing bar standards. Set the legs into the 2"-deep holes (inset), and then fasten the top ends of the standards to the tower with brackets and lag screws.Playground 20 inset

21. 21 Anchor all sides of the swingset

    
    

    Anchor all sides of the swingset, along with the climbing bar and climbing wall, using screw-in anchors (see page 48). If the anchors don’t work properly in your soil type, dig a 2-ft.-deep posthole, fill it with concrete, and set the anchor in that. Bolt the anchor to the structure with 3⁄8 × 11⁄2" lag screws.

22. 22 Attach the slide

    

    

    First, position the slide (top photo) and then attach it to the tower at the top with fasteners as provided (or recommended) by the manufacturer. Then, bolt the slide at the base to a screw-in anchor. Tip: Attach the bottom of the slide to a 4 × 4 spacer and then attach the spacer to a screw-in anchor (bottom photo). This provides a solid footing for the slide while raising it so the bottom is not completely covered by groundcover or mulch.

23. 23 Add other accessories

    
    

    Add other accessories, including swings, the roof, and the climbing rope. You’ll need to drill access holes for the climbing rope in the climbing wall. Add approved groundcover