DIY Network

Playhouse: Evaluating the Situation Playhouse: Evaluating the Situation From "Grounds for Improvement" episode DGFI-211

Figure A

A playhouse can excite and stimulate a child's imagination. But in the case of the playhouse Doug and Allison Sexton were given, refurbishing is needed to make the structure safe for their daughter (figure A). Although the playhouse is large and well built, it's also heavy; and because it's sitting on a slope, just moving it is a major undertaking. It has to be made level and safe, though, before its new owner can assume occupancy.

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Jackie Taylor and Dean Hill, the Grounds for Improvement design team, have a plan to make the structure level and secure, along with a few improvements to make it more engaging and fun. First, the house needs to be leveled, a plan that calls for lifting it and building a foundation beneath it to keep it level and firm. Next comes a makeover, which includes a fresh coat of paint, a new sandbox, shutters, window shelves and a garden door. After the landscaping is finished, the Sextons' daughter may just want to move in permanently.

Tools
Circular saw
Miter saw
Cordless drivers
Corded driver
Table saw
Shovels
Rakes
Wheelbarrow
Hose tarps
Paint
Paint trays, rollers and brushes

Materials (playhouse and sandbox)
6"x6"x12' timbers (3)
6" x 6" x 8' timbers (7)
24" pieces of rebar (10)
Timber spikes (18)
Two tons masonry sand

Materials (shutters, door, shelf and window box)
1"x6"x8' boards (12)
1"x2"x8' boards (6)
Door hinges (2)
Planter box brackets (4)
Door latch
1-1/2" 16-gauge brad nails
Pneumatic brad nailer (can be rented for approximately $15 a day)
3" exterior screws
Safety glasses

Materials (walkway)
Five tons base gravel
8' sections of brick edging (2)
Two gallons exterior latex

Plants
Three cubic yards mulch
One crepe myrtle
Yews (5)
Perennials (12)
Spirea (6)

First the area is cleaned and all unwanted materials are removed (figure B). The front of the house is sitting 14" off the ground on cinderblocks; the blocks need to be moved so a pressure-treated sill (the lowest part of a house's frame that rests on top of the foundation) can be built at the front of the house before the structure is leveled. Old 4x4 pressure-treated lumber is used to leverage the building up, and the cinderblocks are moved to the sides of the building, giving clear access to the front of the building (figure C). Next some of the brickwork on the building is removed to help make it level, and the foundation site is excavated. While the work is ongoing, the horizontal boards used to lift the building help protect the raw edges of the building from damage. Once the front of the house is safely secured, Dean and Doug level the ground at the front and place treated lumber where it will sit. When the front is level, the process is repeated at the back of the house.

Figure B

Figure C

RESOURCES :

Black and Decker tools
Website: www.blackanddecker.com
Black & Decker, Inc. (Corporate)
Website: www.bdk.com/main_bd.htm

Porter-Cable Tools
Porter-Cable Corporation
Website: www.deltaportercable.com

Irwin Industrial Tool Company
Website: www.irwin.com

Ames True Temper Tools
Ames-True Temper
Website: www.ames-truetemper.com

American Society of Landscape Architects

Delta Tools
Deltak Power Tools
Website: www.deltamachinery.com

Plants provided by Skinner Nurseries Inc.
Skinner Nurseries Inc.
Website: www.skinnernurseries.com

Fountain provided by Al's Garden Art
Al's Garden Art
Website: www.alsgardenart.com

Sealants
OSI Sealants, Inc.
Website: www.osisealants.com

Lumber
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Website: www.realcedar.org