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Are you ready for a ride? This is going to be a long one. I’ve divided this post into two parts – construction and decorating. So if you’re just after the post-construction pretty stuff click here.
Tools:
Mitre Saw
Drill
Stud Finder
Nail Gun (or hammer and nails)
Level
Playhouse Materials:
Screws – Timber Batten Bugle Head Type 171“`f
Nails
Laminate Flooring (ours was the last pack of a discontinued line).
Kmart Wooden Cubby House (or make your own)
Trim – We used Primed MDF in different widths.
MDF – to clad the bottom of the poles.
Step 1: To begin we made the slide platform by using the LVL timber to make a frame. We screwed it into the studs every 450mm using the Batten Screws to ensure it was strong enough to hold multiple children.
We also added a leg to the front corner by screwing two LVL pieces together and attaching it to the platform.
Step 2: To attach the slide we found timber that fit nicely into the undersides of the slide. We then screwed them to the platform and attached the slide through the sides onto the timber pieces.
Step 3: Repeat Step 1 to make the larger platform. Again, we screwed this into the studs and added four front supports. While we were installing the platform we used several props along the back to keep it up while screwing it. We kicked them out afterwards and it’s super strong.
Step 4: We added Yellow Tongue flooring to the platforms.
Step 4: We cut some Yellow Tongue sheets to size – one for each platform and screwed them into the top. This was a cheap way to make a nice surface for the platform flooring to be laid on to later.
Step 5: We added the Kmart house to the front by making a frame to support it and then nailed and screwed it into the platform we had made. We also screwed the ladder into the frame for the kids to access the top platform.
Step 6: The next part involved screwing two posts to the top level to construct a balustrade from. We did this by drilling up through the flooring into the poles. We then ran two horizontal rails across between them (one at the top, and one at the bottom).
Step 7: We nailed a thin square piece of trim to the underside of the top rail and the top side of the bottom beam. Then, working from the back side, we nailed the vertical stiles into place. This is the same way real balustrade is contructed so we knew it would be safe for the kids.
Step 8: We created a pillar bottom around the two base posts by nailing wider rectangles of MDF around the bottom in a column. Then we trimmed it out with skirting boards and some trim on top to give it some style.
Step 9: We made some stable doors by cutting down the old sides of the original playhouse. These were pretty thin so we added a frame on the back to give them some strength. We intalled them with hinges and a sliding bolt lock, then decided they needed to be fancier, so we added a border and the cross detail with trim. We also rebuilt the main door at the same time, the kids wanted it to be full height and we’d come this far, so I made it work, again using panelling from the sides of the old house.
And that’s the entire build wrapped up! Click through here to read about the choices we made to decorate the playhouse.
Sarah xx
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