swingset for my best little buddy

[nadz]

guys-

i have a new(used) wooden playset(a-frame, beam with swings-to small wooden tower) for my little girl, it was given to me, and i need to prepare a site for it in my backyard.

i was thinking about digging out a few inches and spreading some gravel to level the 'tower', and maybe driving some wide 'stake-type-devices' into the ground, to[nail to and]anchor the ends of the a-frame.

i was also thinking about spreading some pea-gravel, but i cant get a truck to my backyard....does that mean mulch might be a better alternative, if i am wheel-barrowing it to the backyard?

does anyone have any experience doing this?

am i over-thinking it?

[crokett]

I moved one 2 summers ago similar to what you have - swing arm supported by a-frame attached to a tower. I used bricks to level the tower and keep it off the ground. I dug shallow holes for the legs on the A frame, leveled that and back-filled with gravel. The legs don't move, even with me on the swing. I spread hardwood mulch around it.

[nadz]

crokett-

thanks for the reply, that's sound advice, i had thought about that rubber mulch- not sure what it's made of, but i decided it might be 'too permenant' of a solution to us, so we will probably just go with the same mulch i do my flower beds with

[jking]

You can buy small soil anchors at one of the large home improvement stores that is for holding down swingsets. I'm not saying wooden stakes aren't sufficient, b/c I know people who have used them with no issues. The anchors are another option. They work very well.

What does your site look like? Be careful digging an area out so you don't create a holding area for rain runoff. I've seen recommendations for 6" of sand or mulch (wood or rubber) around the swingset for cushioning. That's a lot of $ spent on sand or mulch. I'll let you decide what is practical for you situation & budget.

One piece of advice from my experience...if the tower has a sand box in the bottom that you think will get significant use, consider adding a board to make the vertical side of the box around 10" tall. Many of these types of swingsets call for a 2x6 around the bottom. It's very easy for sand to get knocked out of a 6" tall box. Now, purposely thrown or dumped is another issue.

[crokett]

We looked at the rubber mulch but it is hideously expensive, not biodegradable and can float away if the rain is heavy enough. With clay soil here + t-storms that is a concern. I didn't want gravel because it would scatter into the lawn and the mower would pick it up. After I got mine installed, I lined the base with landscape fabric and filled it with sand to create a sand box. I also added 2x6s to the top edges of the base to make seats.

[JoeyGee]

A couple years ago I requested samples of rubber mulch from an Internet site. I got 3 small ziploc bags. Two had shards of steel belts from tires, all about 3" long.

I didn't buy any.

[nadz]

thanks for all the replies guys, you've given me some great ideas

[docrowan]

We looked at the rubber mulch but it is hideously expensive, not biodegradable and can float away if the rain is heavy enough. With clay soil here + t-storms that is a concern. I didn't want gravel because it would scatter into the lawn and the mower would pick it up. After I got mine installed, I lined the base with landscape fabric and filled it with sand to create a sand box. I also added 2x6s to the top edges of the base to make seats.

We have an outside cat and I'm a little afraid of a setting up a sandbox. We've had the cat for almost two years and I still haven't figured out where she does her business. I want to keep it that way, too.