Building the Base Brad Staggs, host of DIY Playgrounds, explains how to build a playhouse -- complete with windows and a porch. Note: Project plans may be viewed with  Materials: Pressure-treated pine lumber: 2" x 8"; 2" x 4"; 5/4" x 12"
Exterior-grade 3/4" plywood
T-111 siding
Wood corner molding
Quarter-round molding
Roofing shingles (scalloped sheets and plain square-tab)
18" x 18" sheet of Plexiglas
Router and piloted router-bit
Circular saw
Reciprocating saw
Power drill and screwdriver attachment
Speed square
Torpedo level
Tape measure
Utility knife
Straightedge
Roofing cement
Pencil
Galvanized screws (2 1/2" and 3")
Galvanized nails
Safety equipment: safety glasses, dust mask, work gloves, protective clothing
Playground projects such as this playhouse will be exposed to the elements, so use materials that resist moisture, rot and insect infestation. Pressure-treated lumber lasts longer than ordinary lumber because it has been specially processed to resist decay and insects. Likewise, nails, screws and other fasteners that are galvanized (zinc-coated) resist corrosion and are less likely to cause rust stains in the wood. Because pressure-treated lumber has been processed with strong chemical preservatives, you should wear work gloves, long pants and other protective clothing when working with it. When cutting it, wear safety glasses and a dust mask. Dispose of scraps and sawdust properly, keeping them away from children and pets. Never burn the scraps. When working with power tools, wear protective eyeglasses and ear protection, and follow the manufacturer's safety recommendations closely. Select a level area of the yard with good drainage where you can site the playhouse. If there's not a perfectly level spot, level an area using fill-dirt or gravel. Pressure-treated wood scraps or wedges may also be used to level the base. The base of the playhouse is a 6' by 8' deck constructed from pressure-treated 2" by 8" boards, secured by two center joists and covered with flooring planks. The deck will extend about 2' beyond the front of the playhouse to create a small porch. - Cut 2" by 8" boards to length to form a 6' by 8' rectangle (figure A). Don't assume that lumber sold in 8' lengths is exactly the right length. Measure carefully, and cut the boards to 8'. For the 6' side, cut pieces to 5' 9". The finished side (after the front and back pieces are attached) should then be exactly 6'. Butt-joint the baseboards together, using 3" galvanized screws.
Tip: When cutting lumber with a circular saw, use a speed square butted up to the base plate of the saw (figure B) as a guide to make a perfectly straight cut. - The decking boards will run the 6' width of the base, so the floor joists must run the 8' length, perpendicular to the decking boards. Measure the inside length of the base, and cut two floor joists to fit (figure C) . Attach the joists with galvanized screws. The recommended distance between floor joists for an ordinary deck is 16", but because this one will be used mainly by small children, you may spread the joists a little further.
- Cut the decking planks to length, and attach them to the foundation with galvanized screws or nails (figure D). You may need to rip the last board so that it fits flush with the edge of the frame. If you use screws, drill pilot holes first to prevent the wood from splitting.
Building the Walls With the base and flooring finished, begin constructing the walls. Although you're building a miniature house, don't be tempted to use "miniature" materials. The framing and studs should be made from 2" by 4" lumber, not smaller 2" by 2" boards. - The frames for the rear and side walls will be inset from the edges of the base by about 1/2" -- allowing space for the wood siding. Before attaching the walls, mark a chalk line 1/2" from the edges for positioning the walls. The surface of the siding should then be perfectly flush with the edge of the base.
- For the rear wall, cut two 2" by 4" boards to a length of 7' 11" for the top and bottom plates. This length allows 1" for the siding -- 1/2" at either end of the house. Next, determine how many 2'-centered wall studs you'll need for the first wall. (Ours has five). Make certain that one of the studs is positioned at the 4' mark. Cut each wall stud to a length of 3' 9". This will provide a finished height of 4', including the top and bottom plates. Attach the wall studs between the top and bottom plates (figure E).
- Attach the completed wall to the foundation along the chalk line (figure F ), allowing 1/2" from the rear edge for siding.
- For the side wall, cut a top and bottom plate, each 3' 4" long. This provides 8" for the front and rear walls, allowing for a completed side wall that is 4' long.
- Find and mark the center of each plate, then measure out 9" in either direction from the center mark on each. Attach studs outside these marks and at each end. The space between the two center studs will provide the opening for an 18" window. The center studs form the vertical framing for the window.
- Measure and mark centerlines on the two inside studs, and install horizontal braces 9" above and below the marks. This completes an 18"-square window frame (figure G).
- Lift the rear and side walls into place, and attach them to each other and the flooring with galvanized screws (figure H).
- Construct the front wall as the back, with one difference: add a single cross-brace between two of the studs, 6" below the top plate. This will frame the door.
- Once all four walls are in place, install braces at either end, extending 14" above the top plate. These will support the ridgepole -- the horizontal beam running the length of the roof, to which rafters are attached. The 14" height above the top plate will provide a proper pitch for the roof. The roof will have an 8/12 pitch--meaning that the roof will go up 8" (the "rise") for each 12" of lateral span (the "run").
Tip: Determining the pitch of a roof and measuring and attaching rafters are more complex procedures. To help make the job easier, consult a Rafter-Angle-Square Instruction Manual -- a thorough instructional guide that generally comes with a quick square at the time of purchase. (See Resources, below, for additional information.) - Make the ridgepole from a 2" by 4" cut to a length of 7' 11", center it atop the two 14" braces, and attach it with screws. With the ridgepole in place, hold a 2" by 4" extending diagonally from the ridgepole to the front wall (figure I). With a pencil, mark a horizontal line at the top of the 2" by 4" flush along the flat side of the ridgepole. Similarly, make a vertical mark at the bottom end of the 2" by 4" flush with the flat top of the top plate (figure J). Making these cuts, and cutting off the bit of excess overhanging the wall, will result in a rafter that rests snugly against the ridgepole and top plate (figure K). Make the remaining rafters in the same way.
- The rafters should be mounted on 2' centers, meaning that each rafter sits directly atop a wall stud. This provides optimum support for the roof, as the bulk of the weight is transferred from the rafters to the walls and foundation of the structure. Before attaching the plywood roofing, install collar ties (figure L) -- horizontal supports that run from rafter to rafter and help prevent the roof from sagging or pushing the walls apart.
- For the roofing, cut two 8' sheets of 3/4" exterior plywood to a width of 28" -- the span from the outside wall to the ridgepole. Butting the two halves of the roof at the ridgeline is not critical because it will later be covered with shingles. Attach the plywood to the top of the structure with 2" galvanized nails inserted into the rafters at about 1' intervals (figure M).
Wall Siding, Windows, Door and Shingles Cover the sides of the playhouse with T-111 siding, which is easily attached and may be cut with a router to provide openings for the door and windows. - Measure the outside of the walls to get exact dimensions, then cut sheets of T-111 siding to size with a circular saw. For the ends, simply hold a piece of siding up to the end of the structure, and scribe a line on the siding, tracing the outline to cut a piece that will fit with the angle of the roof (figure N). Mount the pieces, attaching them to the frame and studs with galvanized screws or finishing nails.
- Attach drip molding along the seams of the roof (figure O). Wooden outside corner molding will give a finished look to the rough corners.
- Cut the window hole in the siding, using a router and piloted router bit. First drill a hole through the siding at an inside corner of the window opening. Use a drill bit large enough to make a hole that will accept a router bit. Cut out the window opening by running the router bit all the way around the inside of the window frame (figure P).
- The Plexiglas window is held in place with quarter-round wood trim. Miter-cut four pieces of quarter-round to frame the inside perimeter of the window opening. Install the pieces adjacent to the siding in the window opening with finish nails. Insert an 18" sheet of Plexiglas into the opening, and install another set of quarter-round pieces to hold the glass firmly in place.
- Router-cut the door opening, using the same technique as with the window. You'll need a reciprocating saw to cut out the lower section because the router won't be able to cut all the way to the floor. With a palm sander, smooth out rough edges and eliminate splinters.
- Now you're ready to shingle the roof. For a decorative look, use shingles with a scalloped design. Install the first row of shingles upside down along the lower edge of the roof. Use galvanized 7/8" roofing nails so the nails won't protrude through the underside of the plywood. Use about four nails per shingle. Nail a second layer of shingles on top of the first so that the bare roof isn't exposed through the shingle slits (figure Q).
- Align the next row of shingles overlapping the first, staggering the horizontal placement so that each slit is covered by the tabs of the shingles above. The overlapping tabs from above will cover the roofing nails in each adjacent row below (figure R).
- Overlap and stagger each row in this manner all the way to the ridgeline. Trim off any excess shingle with a utility knife and a straightedge. You may need to cut the final (top) row of shingles lengthwise to fit the ridge of the roof exactly.
- A ridge cap will help prevent water from leaking through the roof. Make a ridge cap by cutting rectangular sections of ordinary square-tab shingles, trimmed at an angle (figure S), and overlapping them along the ridgeline. Trim the last ridge-cap shingle to fit the end of the ridge exactly, and use roofing cement to cover and seal the exposed roofing nails on the last shingle.
Finishing Touches Now that the structure of the playhouse is complete, you can add finishing details to enhance its appeal. Cut a door, slightly larger than the door opening, from the siding material. Reinforce it with strips of wood nailed to the back, and attach it so that it overlays the door opening. Use an auxiliary strip of siding for a spacer so the door hinges can be attached flat against the door (figure T). You may wish to paint the outside of the playhouse to make it more attractive and help protect the wood. Mock shutters (figure U) can be fashioned from 1" by 8" pine cut to the length of the window and attached at the sides with screws extending through from the inside wall. You may want to paint the shutters in an accent color or make cut-out designs to offset them. Use your imagination to come up with your own personal touches: consider putting up window curtains, planting a flower bed, adding a mailbox, putting down a small rug or other floor covering and providing some kid-sized furniture.
RESOURCES :
Johnson Professional Rafter-Angle-Square Instruction Manual
Johnson Level & Tool Mfg. Co. Inc.
Mequon, WI 53092-4456
Phone: 414-242-1161
Fax: 414-242-0189
Website: www.johnsonlevel.com
Georgia-Pacific Information
For product information, click here.
For more Georgia-Pacific contact information, click here.
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Atlanta , GA 30303
Phone: 404-652-4000
Fax: 404-230-5624
Website: www.gpplywood.com
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | Playhouse |
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