Growing up my did built my sister and I a treehouse behind our house. The treehouse was a platform anchored by four tree trunks. The running joke is that the treehouse never expanded beyond that. While we rag on my dad the treehouse was never completed the truth is that never mattered to my sister and I growing up. We loved that little platform he made for us. We spent so much time hanging around that tree house. There weren't even any slides or swings. We were so happy and thankful that our dad took the time to build that platform even if it was never completed.
I wanted my kids to have those memories. Christine and I have been contemplating a play structure for a few months. Initially she was opposed to the idea of building one ourselves. After a month of searching we didn't find any option we were excited about. Only then did she warm to the idea of building it ourselves.
The one caveat Christine attached to the DIY approach was we follow some kind of plan. One of the key factors is we didn't want a play structure taking up all the space in our small yard. Ultimately we decided to follow this design. We liked the small footprint and modern look. As soon as Christine said yes I put the order in for the lumber before she could change her mind!
The Build
Honestly, this build was pretty easy. Time consuming, but easy. The biggest issue was the inaccuracy of the plans. Some of the cut lengths in the plans were not correct. Luckily I figured this out in the second step and only had to recut one piece of wood to correct the mistake. After that the build plans were more of inspiration instead of following them step-by-step. And things turned out okay!
The roof in the plans had some 2x4s, which looked bulky, so I used 1x4s for a sleaker look. Instead of building the roof on the ground and moving it on top of the posts I ran some 1x4 stretchers between the posts and then attached the 1x6s to the stretchers with some screws through the stretchers. Some additional overhang was allowed for the 1x6s to give the slanting roof the look of a SoCal lifeguard stand.
I didn't like the idea of the girls having to step up and over the 2x4s at the base of the structure to get to the play area under the platform. To make that area more accessible I plan to add a floor that is flush with the top of the 2x4s. This is the last bit of structural work to do once we finalize what we want to utilize that area for.
Since the wood is pressure treated we won't be able to apply any paint or aesthetic finishes until the spring while the wood dries. In addition to the paint we're also considering adding some kind of scalloped trim around the roof for an added aesthetic element.
Wrapping Up
Overall, I'm happy with the decision to go the DIY direction. I'm really pleased with the end product. The end product is a unique play structure I hope the girls will enjoy for years.
Was it cheaper than buying one? Maybe. In all the project cost ~$1000 for all the pressure treated lumber, slide, rock holds etc. That's maybe a couple hundred dollars cheaper than some of the options we were considering, but doesn't include the materials for painting that we'll do in the spring. One caveat is I had all the required tools. Other than a few screws I didn't have to buy any tools for this project.
The other consideration is time. The build took roughly twenty hours spread over two weekends. I don't know what the expected build time would be from a kit for a similar structure. My assumptino is twenty hours is longer than using a kit, but probably not exceptionally longer.
We did have help. My father-in-law and our friend Joe helped. My dad even pitched in to make up for the treehouse he never quite finished when I was younger!
So far the kids have loved having this in the backgroud. It was a ton of fun to build. Looking forward to all the memories the girls will have!