Please help - before I strangle my husband - swingset advice

[kaw1218]

It will be easier if you pack all your stuf, sell your house and move closer to a park!

you always have the perfect answer!!

 

[Disney Doll]

When I first read the title to your pots, I thought you wanted help strangling your husband!

Dress the whiny kid up in her nsowsuit and send her outside to "help daddy". I bet the swingset will become amazingly level amazingly quick!

 

[Jpgirl]

It has to be level-we've built 2 of them-our own design not a kit. We set ours up in a "play yard." Made a big square-cleared it of grass-layed pea gravel -framed the square with land scape timbers leveled the pea gravel-put the swing set in-checked all aspects of level-put 10 inches of finely shredded mulch. Voila. My husband is an engineer-nothing he can't build or fix. It has to be perfect the first time, every time. A building inspector came out to inspect a deck one time, his comment was -it would last through a hurricane and a smmall nuclear explosion. Needless to say that swing set wasn't going anywhere-as far as I know it's made it through our kids and 2 owners after we sold-maybe 17 years?

 

[luvmy2sams]

It has to be level-we've built 2 of them-our own design not a kit. We set ours up in a "play yard." Made a big square-cleared it of grass-layed pea gravel -framed the square with land scape timbers leveled the pea gravel-put the swing set in-checked all aspects of level-put 10 inches of finely shredded mulch. Voila. My husband is an engineer-nothing he can't build or fix. It has to be perfect the first time, every time. A building inspector came out to inspect a deck one time, his comment was -it would last through a hurricane and a smmall nuclear explosion. Needless to say that swing set wasn't going anywhere-as far as I know it's made it through our kids and 2 owners after we sold-maybe 17 years?

Did we marry the same man? I love it, though. There's nothing that can't be fixed...to perfection.

 

[mumom95]

We put our wooden swing set in a few years ago and we have a very hilly, bumpy back yard, so I just asked my husband.

He said it does need to be level, maybe not 100% but pretty darn close. He just put some of the posts farther into the ground than others, to get it level.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

It will be easier if you pack all your stuf, sell your house and move closer to a park!

You weirdo. That was my exact thought when I read the OP.

 

[monorailsilver]

Yes level & yes I feel your pain!

When I just had my oldest dd & my dh was out mowing the lawn she'd be looking out the window & wanted out with dada. That wasn't happening since it was lawn mowing & he didn't want her out there since he was using the push mower then.

When she was a year old we got her a swing set. I went to my parents house for the day & my dh built it while I was gone. He was just putting on the swings as I pulled into the driveway. Needless to say she was excited.

Fast forward to this summer. Wood boring(?) bee's made some nice holes in the main beam not to mention it was showing it's age (2 kids later too). My then 6 yo wouldn't go near the swing set after the bee incident. And my dh was able to tell how deep the holes were so we thought it was unsafe.

So we got a new swing set in August.

So you could imagine my 3 kids (then 6, nearly 4 & 1 1/2) all over my dh while he was building it & I had to help him with some parts.

It took a few weekends to get it all up-I work on Sunday plus we were missing some parts so they needed to be ordered.

Let us just say my dh lost some hair during building the swing set.

So I end in I feel your pain & it is cold where I live too (southern, CT) & my kids were out for an hour & their ears were chilly.

 

[crz4mm2]

Strangle him while you still have probable cause.

good one.

I have strangled for less.

 

[SydneyBristow]

When we set up the kids playground at our old house we had the same problem. We ended up getting some wooden 4x6's from Home Depot and framed out a big rectangle for the play area, then we filled it with mulch. We had no problem getting it level and it was a softer ground for underneath which is safer. It didn't cost a lot either and was easy to do.

Good luck!

 

[Kathi OD]

Sounds like with all the energy DH has expended moving the freaking thing around the yard, he could have already dug the holes to make the thing level.

 

[Chloe'sMom]

It has to be level-we've built 2 of them-our own design not a kit. We set ours up in a "play yard." Made a big square-cleared it of grass-layed pea gravel -framed the square with land scape timbers leveled the pea gravel-put the swing set in-checked all aspects of level-put 10 inches of finely shredded mulch. Voila. My husband is an engineer-nothing he can't build or fix. It has to be perfect the first time, every time. A building inspector came out to inspect a deck one time, his comment was -it would last through a hurricane and a smmall nuclear explosion. Needless to say that swing set wasn't going anywhere-as far as I know it's made it through our kids and 2 owners after we sold-maybe 17 years?

did I mention my husband is a designer/engineer?

~amanda

 

[Chloe'sMom]

When I first read the title to your pots, I thought you wanted help strangling your husband!

Dress the whiny kid up in her nsowsuit and send her outside to "help daddy". I bet the swingset will become amazingly level amazingly quick!

I haven't bought a snow suit yet for her because she was growing like a weed during the winter months and I knew I would spend $25.00 on one and then it wouldn't fit. I tried ebay for a cheaper one but kept getting outbidded. Next year though - it will be a necessity. We were able to avoid playing in the snow this winter, something I'm sure we won't be able to do next year.

~Amanda

 

[mvazul]

My husband says we need pictures and a video to get a true sense of what needs to be done!!



Seriously, my husband said, yes, it does need to be level. He said he would dig holes, pour cement and place the poles/support in the cement. Good luck with the new swingset. I'm sure your little one will love it once it's done.

Michelle

 

[Southern4sure]

did I mention my husband is a designer/engineer?

~amanda

I feel your pain, my dh is also a designer/engineer = perfectionist. UGH!!

Anyway, we were blessed with a level yard but my cousin who lives in Atlanta had to build a platform. They live on a mountainous terrain so there was no way to have a swingset unless a platform was built. I swear it could be seen from space. I know it's not something your dh would want to hear right now but it's an option.

Good Luck!

 

[KirstenB]

Our yard is not level either, so dh bought some concrete blocks and dug them into the ground at varying heights, then installed the swingset on top of them. He said they're at the hardware store and you can use them for decks too.

The ones that stuck up out of the ground, he then boxed them in with 2x4's so nobody would get hurt on the concrete that stuck out.

 

[disneymom3]

do you have a level? stick it on the cross bar over the top and dig one side accordingly until its level....

would that work?

me= being no expert on this subject and sticks to plastic Little Tykes play structures because my husband cannot hammer a nail.

You are good, though! Because being that my husband cannot hammer a nail either, I happily hired the guys are Rainbow to set up the swingset and that is exactly what they did!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

My husband is an engineer-nothing he can't build or fix. It has to be perfect the first time, every time. A building inspector came out to inspect a deck one time, his comment was -it would last through a hurricane and a smmall nuclear explosion. Needless to say that swing set wasn't going anywhere

I'd like to trade in my current model for one of these.

 

[grlpwrd]

My husband is a design engineer, but I found a used playset off of Craigslist so I am the one who put it back up. I took pictures before we disassembled it from the prior owner's home just to make sure I assembled it right in our yard. I also replaced the hardware that showed wear and stress and some of the wood that didn't make it. (I worked in home improvement for several years during my first round of college.)

Not only did it have to be level and anchored correctly, but I had to lay out mulch beneath it for safety. That was a bear to do - digging first by hand and all. Ugh. lol

I don't blame the OP's husband for being conscientious about it. Safety first.

 

[chris1gill]

Not only did it have to be level and anchored correctly, but I had to lay out mulch beneath it for safety. That was a bear to do - digging first by hand and all. Ugh. lol

I don't blame the OP's husband for being conscientious about it. Safety first.

You don't say... you did it right. DH dug the holes, filled them with cement (no lie) and lowed that enormous playset into the holes, we had a crane there since it was moved from our prior house however.... point being that thing was cemented in, level, never to be moved again!! It could sustain any amount of wind thrown at it, hurricane strength even, it's going NOWHERE LOL....