Morning all,
My current project is to build a playhouse for our 2 girls. I've looked around the net for flat packed deliveries - some look really good, but on closer inspection appear to be made of cardboard. Internal frames built using 2x1 (at the most!), flimsy roofing etc etc. I am not a carpenter by trade, but am pretty handy with most things and think I can have a go at building a playhouse from scratch (refloored the whole house - including stairs, installed decking etc etc, so reasonably competent with wood and tooling).
I have spent a good amount of time on google, and searching these forums, and have built up a reasonable base of knowledge on shed building.
Initially, I was planning on building decking, and then placing a flat-pack playhouse on top. I got as far as building the base for the deck before deciding to build my own playhouse. My plan now is to use the bearers as the basis for the playhouse, and then deck around the bottom up to the sides of the shed to finish off the 'setting'.
See the pic of what I've done so far. The area will take a 2100x2400 playhouse. The bearers are pressure treated 2x4 fixed at 550mm centres using 6x100 decking screws. I sat the bearers off the ground using 2x4 and screwed again using the 6x100 screws. These are screwed with 2 directly into the bearers, and one down from the top of the 'posts' at an angle. I intend on putting joists across the bearers in the area where the playhouse will sit to ensure strength. All end cuts have been treat with cuprinol end-cut preserver/sealer.
I paved the area a year or so ago with cheapish flags set on a dry mix of sand/cement. They aren’t the most even in the world and are riven, but are very solid with no movement.
A couple of questions at this point please:
1. Will the support posts I have used be enough to support the weight of the playhouse ? Should I be adding more and/or adding more to the joists when then go in ? I wanted to lift the bearers to ensure I had the right water run-off taking into account some of the unevenness of the flag stones, and to stop them fully sitting on the ground and rotting.
2. Would 2x3 or 2x2 be enough for joists between base bearers, or should I stick with 2x4 ?
3. Can I screw/nail the playhouse base directly to the bearers, or do I need to make another base frame and screw this to the bearers, and then a ply on top of that ? I will be using 3/4" exterior ply for the floor. I will likely add another bearer or two (if the base can go directly onto them) to align with the sides/front/back of the shed so that the base can be screwed round the edges. I initially did not space the bearers according to the size of the ply, as this was not the original plan. Hmm – just a thought though. I may well have to put in another floor frame else I wont be able to fixed the vertical wall frames as I cant get under the bearers to screw in from below…. Would any metal strapping or other metal work be enough to hold the verticals to the bearers if I cant get screws in from below ?
4. I am going for a 2100x2400 playhouse, should I be using 2x4 for the wall framework ? Advice on this seems to vary- from 2x4 to 2x1! I obviously want to keep an eye on costs, but am happy to spend more to get a better and sturdier result.
5. I am planning on shiplapping the outside. I assume this can go straight onto the wall frames and I don’t need to skin them with ply first ?
I would like to put in some sort of insulation inside and am planning on styrene between the shiplap and an internal skin of ½” ply. Sound reasonable ? This would keen it a little warmer in there, whilst also created a nicer/safer internal wall for the kids.
Sorry for the long post – but any help/advice would be greatly appreciated – especially with regards to the construction of the floor on the bearers and if I need another frame on top.
My current project is to build a playhouse for our 2 girls. I've looked around the net for flat packed deliveries - some look really good, but on closer inspection appear to be made of cardboard. Internal frames built using 2x1 (at the most!), flimsy roofing etc etc. I am not a carpenter by trade, but am pretty handy with most things and think I can have a go at building a playhouse from scratch (refloored the whole house - including stairs, installed decking etc etc, so reasonably competent with wood and tooling).
I have spent a good amount of time on google, and searching these forums, and have built up a reasonable base of knowledge on shed building.
Initially, I was planning on building decking, and then placing a flat-pack playhouse on top. I got as far as building the base for the deck before deciding to build my own playhouse. My plan now is to use the bearers as the basis for the playhouse, and then deck around the bottom up to the sides of the shed to finish off the 'setting'.
See the pic of what I've done so far. The area will take a 2100x2400 playhouse. The bearers are pressure treated 2x4 fixed at 550mm centres using 6x100 decking screws. I sat the bearers off the ground using 2x4 and screwed again using the 6x100 screws. These are screwed with 2 directly into the bearers, and one down from the top of the 'posts' at an angle. I intend on putting joists across the bearers in the area where the playhouse will sit to ensure strength. All end cuts have been treat with cuprinol end-cut preserver/sealer.
I paved the area a year or so ago with cheapish flags set on a dry mix of sand/cement. They aren’t the most even in the world and are riven, but are very solid with no movement.
A couple of questions at this point please:
1. Will the support posts I have used be enough to support the weight of the playhouse ? Should I be adding more and/or adding more to the joists when then go in ? I wanted to lift the bearers to ensure I had the right water run-off taking into account some of the unevenness of the flag stones, and to stop them fully sitting on the ground and rotting.
2. Would 2x3 or 2x2 be enough for joists between base bearers, or should I stick with 2x4 ?
3. Can I screw/nail the playhouse base directly to the bearers, or do I need to make another base frame and screw this to the bearers, and then a ply on top of that ? I will be using 3/4" exterior ply for the floor. I will likely add another bearer or two (if the base can go directly onto them) to align with the sides/front/back of the shed so that the base can be screwed round the edges. I initially did not space the bearers according to the size of the ply, as this was not the original plan. Hmm – just a thought though. I may well have to put in another floor frame else I wont be able to fixed the vertical wall frames as I cant get under the bearers to screw in from below…. Would any metal strapping or other metal work be enough to hold the verticals to the bearers if I cant get screws in from below ?
4. I am going for a 2100x2400 playhouse, should I be using 2x4 for the wall framework ? Advice on this seems to vary- from 2x4 to 2x1! I obviously want to keep an eye on costs, but am happy to spend more to get a better and sturdier result.
5. I am planning on shiplapping the outside. I assume this can go straight onto the wall frames and I don’t need to skin them with ply first ?
I would like to put in some sort of insulation inside and am planning on styrene between the shiplap and an internal skin of ½” ply. Sound reasonable ? This would keen it a little warmer in there, whilst also created a nicer/safer internal wall for the kids.
Sorry for the long post – but any help/advice would be greatly appreciated – especially with regards to the construction of the floor on the bearers and if I need another frame on top.
