The two story playhouse is jam packed with extras and with plenty of space for many kids to play at the same time. The customer has a large family and regularly has additional little ones that she needs to entertain. She wanted a playhouse that is unique, safe, cute, and functional both day and night. We were definitely able to bring that plan into reality starting with the below sketches.
The Plan
When working with the customer during our planning and designing discussions, we started with three main features (1) two stories, (2) a sandpit, and (3) a tube slide. The rest of the project evolved from there. Let’s dive into each feature and the journey to get it done.
1st floor
- a covered sandpit (secured when open)
- 2 entrances (one with a door and the other open)
- 3 windows without inserts
- interior and exterior light with switch
- power outlet (tamper resistant)
2nd floor
- accessed by ladder with hand rails
- covered patio with railing
- 4 windows with inserts (for safety)
- planter boxes
- low maintenance decking with hidden fasters
- interior and exterior light with switch
- power outlet (tamper resistant)
- tube slide access
Other
- two-toned paint
- black hardware
- black sand pit cover (sturdy yet light enough to be lifted up by one person)
And off I went to the shop to scheme and sketch. This build took quite a few days so I will run through this build in phases:
- Sand pit
- 1st floor
- 2nd floor
- Siding and trim
- Custom accessories
The Build
Sand Pit
The customer prepared the sand pit before I started. I consulted with her on exactly what was needed for good footings and a moisture barrier for the sand. She and her family did a fantastic job. Day 1 was wet and rainy, so I set up a canopy and got to work.
1st Floor
The first floor framing required a little more design than a typical shed or playhouse since I needed to fit in 4 windows and 2 doors in 3 walls and still be strong enough for the second floor and roof. I ended up putting in studs and trimmers on 1 foot centers with double top plates. Typically, a shed or playhouse, would not need that much stability, but I wanted to make sure that the second floor was well supported. Also, notice that I needed to install the siding first on the back wall since it butts up right against the fence. That would have been impossible after the fact.
2nd Floor
This structure is open to the elements. Because of this, the second floor needed to be exterior grade. We went with Trex decking and hidden fasteners. In addition to looking clean, this design is relatively maintenance free and will keep little toes from splinters. The second floor has 3 more windows and 1 door with a balcony. To keep these windows safer, we added inserts on the second floor. They were added later on in the build.
Siding and trim
Typically, I would have installed the siding one floor at a time but I wanted extra durability and stability so I let the siding sheet flow from the first floor up about 1/3 of the second floor wall. During this phase, I finished the siding, trim, caulk, and balcony. The toughest part of this phase was painting the interior. It was a tight space that soaked up a lot of paint. But when I stepped back and removed all the masking materials, it was so worth it.
Custom accessories
Every piece of this project was custom made. The door, shutters, planter boxes, second floor window inserts, ladder, etc. Each of these were made in the shop and installed onsite. The customer wanted some of these features to pop so she introduced a soft blue green to the white base.
The Result
We pretty much covered each feature except for two that brought it all together. The slide and the electrical.
The slide
The slide is accessed directly through the wall of the second floor. The overall height of the second floor had to match precisely with the height of the slide. I had to reinforce the frame around the slide in order to bolt it in. I also needed to add a block to the bottom of the slide and secure it to the first floor wall to make it more stable (not shown here).
The electrical
Being exposed to the heat, rain, and snow, the electrical needed to be run through PVC pipe with covered switches. I added a switch to the first floor for both the interior and exterior lights as well as a switch for the second floor lighting. That way they could work independently. I even added an electrical box to each floor with tamper resistant outlets so they can plug in devices, lamps, fans, and easy bake ovens.
I was so excited to have the chance to build this one-of-a-kind playhouse. I know the kids are going to love it. They were frequently walking around asking about what I was doing and what new cool part I was going to build. It made the work very rewarding.
You actually make it seem really easy together
with your presentation however I to find this topic to be really something which
I feel I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely large for
me. I am taking a look ahead on your subsequent submit,
I will attempt to get the hang of it! Lista escape room