Garden Playhouse/Swingset help

JFKIRELAND

Hi Folks,
I am looking for some guidance if you can.

I want to purchase or build a playhouse with swings and slide in the garden for the kids.
Is there any way of purchasing the requisite wood and labour that could reasonably match the pricing of a flat pack kit (€570) such as the one here: http://www.selwoodproducts.com/admiral-swingset-210101.htm?
My preference is to buy Irish and use local skills, however all online quotes so far are circa double the price.
If anyone has any insight or thoughts, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
JK
(Mods: Feel free to move to a more proper thread/forum if needed.)

wexie

JFK,

I built this a few years ago and it was about as expensive/cheap as buying a flatpack kit. BUT....it turned out to be bigger, sturdier and better built than the flatpack kit it was modeled on and custom built to our sloping site.

I got the swings, slides and handgrips from these people, at the time they were offering (by far) the best prices for the slide and the swings.

Throw in a few bags of cement and gravel and you'll end up with something that will be a lot sturdier than anything you can buy flatpack (if you're anyway handy), you'll feel a lot more satisfied and you can adapt it to your circumstances. The main challenge was to put up the upright posts and I got a few friends to help with that.

I rang around to local lumber mills for prices, haggled a bit and got them to deliver. No specialist tools were used at all and like I said, if you're anyway handy this will be lots of fun and not all too challenging.

And the satisfaction of seeing your kids being super excited over something daddy built is just wonderful

P.S.

I did also mail a few people for prices on wood but most of them didnt want to know and one in particular (crowd in Wicklow) simply didnt want to sell me the wood unless I paid them to design and do all the work as well. In the end I just went to a lumberyard and just told them what I needed and to price it up. (local crowd in Gorey, very helpful). You're right in saying that some of the quotes are ridiculous.

Tom Joad

Found this book on amazon and used it to build one - (ended up building one pictured on front cover). http://www.amazon.com/Playsets-Bette...ref=pd_sim_b_6 - its very very similar to the one you have linked to.

Timber cost me circa €300, adding another €50 for nuts and bolts, had to buy slide and swing - slide cost €90 and swing was another €40. So all in all had a finished product for under €500. It took me about 3 full days to build - not overly complicated and as long as you take your time and follow instructions I reckon any diyer would be able to complete.

playhouse12

Hi i design built my own timber swingsets,absolutely very strongly built,using 4x4 treated posts,4x2 treated timber for surround framing,all roof areas closed in,lower deck comes with picnic table and benchs,all secured,with safety railings,upper internal playroom,lookout windows,10ft slide,access ladder,swingbeam and 2 swings.
I ofted design this in sections,i built it first,but dont screw it together totally,as i may have to bring in through a side gate,and then assemble it.
I also have a company that supplies me with self assembly swingsets,all timber cut to size,all hardware,instructions,etc.

woodturner

A sawmill close to me sells douglas fir at very good prices. He currently has 6' lengths of 6x1 for €1.50 each. A 16' length is €4. 2X2 are €1 each. He has other sizes and lengths along with posts for fencing etc.

playhouse12

thanks,i used douglas fir when i first started,but was losing too much time,as they didnt have rounded edges,and i found when framing,that the posts werent exactly straight,and when rounding edges,a chunk would come waay leaving large splinters,then had to go sanding,