This is a great video! I’m just so confused 🧐I’m a new single mother w 3 boys snd wanting to make this for them for a zip line. I just dk the builders lingo. I will keep watching and hope I just get smarter watching videos 😅
This is a nice video, thank you for posting. I would suggest putting the 4 x 4's on some kind of concrete though. Even your standard pressure treated lumber is more resistant to rot and termites, that is only up to a certain point. The lumber is only treated on the outside, so a treated post in the ground is still susceptible in the middle to rot and termites. Just a thought. It is good to see you working with your son. That is awesome.
I placed concrete in the bottom of the holes @5:27 in the video. Also, my 4x4's are rated for direct burial (the 2x6s and 2x8's are "above ground only" ECL2 pressure treated).
Thank you, this has been one of the most helpful videos for planning my project. One question - I'm planning an 8 * 8ft platform ~6ft off the ground, with a simple structure on top (stud walls and a pent roof, nothing fancy). Do you think 4*4" posts will still be sturdy enough, or should I use 6*6" posts?
Walls and a roof will probably double your total weight. I would suggest using 6x6s. Another advantage of that is that you could cut a 1.5 inch slot into them to rest the 2x10 on. Then you could get away with only a single lag bolt to hold them in place, and the weight would not be supported by the lag bolts.
@@summetj Thanks for the input, sounds like 6*6 is the way to go. I also like the idea of a notch to rest the support beam on - but I'm curious why you suggest a 1.5 inch slot for a 2 inch beam... wouldn't you cut it 2 inches deep so it supports the whole thing?
Hi jay, I just saw your video. I was very impressed by your descriptions and thoroughness. After some time has passed, would you have done it differently?
The 2x6's on the side are holding up the last foot of deck board. You can place a 2x8 there instead, but if you want the deck board to be below the top of the 2x8, you would need to also add a "ledge" (of a 2x4 for example) for the ends of the deck boards to rest upon) inside of the 2x8.
You can get a full set of materials here: www.summet.com/blog/2020/05/29/build-an-8x8-play-structure-with-dimensional-lumber/ There are 2 2x8's for opposite sides of the parameter (which hold up the 2x6 joists) and the other two sides of the parameter are 2x6's bolted to the upright 4x4's. (Note that the 2x6's are mounted at joist level, while the 2x8's are mounted the width of a deck board higher, as the deck boards overlap the end 2x6's but butt up to the 2x8's.
@@Heypockeyway I only needed the strength to support Joists on two sides. Also because the other two are lowered 3/4 of an inch I felt it would look better to have them a little short than hanging down extra long. The thumbnail of the video shows you one 2x8 and one 2x6 at a corner so you can look at that.
Yes, certainly, use a post hole digger to make a much smaller hole just for the post. The only risk is that your poles may start to sink into the ground (at an uneven rate, causing the platform to tilt), and they may not last as long in the ground without the concrete around them. (But if they are ground contact rated pressure treated poles, they should do fine until the kids grow up.)
I posted it at the bottom of my blog page: www.summet.com/blog/2020/05/29/build-an-8x8-play-structure-with-dimensional-lumber/ (However, it is only a mockup/visualization of the bottom level, and does not include the benches or ladder.)
I did not keep a close accounting but it's definitely in the multi-hundreds of dollars. The composite deck boards were probably the most expensive single bit. If you substituted plain wood you could save a decent amount of money there.