Best Wood for Playhouse Foundation
Going to build a kid’s playouse. Playhouse will rest on 12″ cement pillars over landscpae fabric covered with gravel. Due to slope of site pillars will be from 12 to 24 inches off ground. I plan on using a product from Depot called home advantage (looks likea cheap version of Advantech) for the floor decking.
Three questions:
1) Because the floor framing is so close to the ground would using PT lumber fo the deck framing be a good idea?
2) If PT lumber is used for the floor framing should there be a separation between the joist and the subfllor like maybe a strip of felt to keep the floor from wicking up moisture?
3) Should the underside the subfloor be waterproofed in some manner?
I guess this a kind of like something over a crawl space but it is not practical to enclose the area under the playhouse. I do want it last for a few years if possible.
Thanks in advance
Replies
I'd use PT joists and PT plywood, if you cannot find tongue and groove, then block between the joists with PT 2x4. I have built 2 play houses - one this way, and one that rotted very quickly - just as my kids were growing, it kept getting shorter and shorter...
In short, PT everything - moisture is everywhere.
If your flooring is going to be greater than 12" off grade and the underside is fully ventalated ie-not blocked off in any way, then I would use PT for the framing and as in my project use T&G 3/4 CDX ply,
How large is the playhouse----I have 4 sheets worth of floor and I didn't want the PT floor and didn't want any type of covering so this is what I did,
Putting the down side up I sealed the ply with 2 coats of polyurathane, didn't even buy any just what I had some satin some gloss--it was great to find a use for it.
I know PT would have been ultimatly cheaper but I couldn't wrap my mind around the kids playing on the PT floor. So in any case for what it is worth--hope it helps.
Mike
" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Playhouse will be 8 X 8 so it will be two sheets. Sorry guys I'm going to agree with Mike here, I don't want my kids playing on pt plywood so I'm gonna go with sealed up T & G. Will let you know if it lasts about ten years from now.
Just a side note about sealing the ply--Mine is 6" off grade on one end and 12" off grade at the other--I recently dug out under the floor to run condut for power and I can happily report after 3 years in Mn. the underside looks just like it did when I installed it--albeit with a few cobwebs--If you have any incling to power it do it now and not later like I did--digging and crawling is not my idea of party time--<G>Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
You didn't fill in any profile, so I don't know where you live, but in our humid (Mid Atlantic) climate, my kids feet would go through the untreated subfloor in a few years, unless it was high enough for a good breeze.
You could simply cover the PT with something else - $20 will buy you a 8x10 astroturf "carpet"
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
I built my kids a playhouse also. Its 8x8 on a slight hill so its about 12-20" off the ground. It rest on 4 pt posts and for the deck I used 3/4" plywood then I let the kids polyurethene the floor. Havent had a problem in two summers.
Before or after you installed it?Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Roar--couldn't resist.Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
If you think a poly floor is a bit much, I bet youd love to hear about the operating windows, shingled roof, and electricity.
Oh you mean they polyed the top surface----I thought you where referring to my post about protecting the bottom with poly so you don't have PT for the kids to play on.Playhouse now---kids get older--dad get a shed---With a view and power--thats my plan--Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Yep, are plans are the same. if we would ever stop having kids eventually I will have a shed. Its gonna be awhile though my youngest is only 3 mos. old.
Move over and make some room---I am in the same boat.Youngest son--be a year in couple of weeks, I wonder if I call one a shed and the other a playhouse if I could get both by the city. Hmmm--gets me thinking--Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
I got a "honey do" permit for the clubhouse. I asked the wife and she permit me to build it. I always pull permits for customers but for some reason not at home. As it turns out my kids best friends father is a city planner. Kind of funny, he saw it go up, knows I didnt pull a permit. I saw him at a birthday party and he just laughed and said "your secrets safe with me".
I believe Warren is kind of picky about outbuildings but I havent heard anything. Been two years now. So having said all that, it'll be awhile before I get a shed.
Built mine the summer of 02--This particular day I had the platform togethter and had the rafters ganged together on a set of horses nearby--How do I have such a vivid memory of exactly what was going on---Because the city has an arial picture of the work in progress.they weren't checking on me--they were photoing the city from the air to map out in the computer. Just so happened they were flyiing overhead and took the picture of my area the day I was doing it. Found out the next year at the city hall grand opening and stopped by the bulding dept. to see their new location.I was talking with the clerk and she asked me if I was a city resident.--Yes, Why? Would you like to see a picture of your house from the air. Cool--Sure. low and behold there was the shed, under constrution with the platform and materials in plain sight.I have no fear cause I checked the laws and built it 1/2" smaller than the legal no permit limit.She even printed one for me--kinda cool--kinda creepy.Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
I got mine built before the aerial photos. My son went on "Google World" and found our house sans clubhouse.
Well I was planning on a shingled roof, hardie clapboard siding but the opening windows are out of the price range for now. Gonna use 1/2 of a salvaged double hung hinged at the top so you can open for ventilation. Oh yeah gotta vent the ridge since those Kansas summers are hot. No plans for electricity or running water. Don't want to attract the attention of the MAN, so you gotta keep it under a hunnert square feet.
For the playhouse...
Storm windows are cheap ~$20 or so, and they open and close...screens too!
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
Nice idea never woulda thought of that. What did you trim the window openings with?
I used 1x4, and I think I made a subframe of 1x4 for jambs, inset 1x4" or so, then screwed the windows to that, then applied the exterior frame.
Your storm window design might be different. They look nice, and have screens etc, and the price was right.
A neighborhood kid recently broke one of the windows, and rather than replace the pane, I may just buy a new window and discard everything but the glass - cheaper that way.
I made windows for the dormers (3 1'x1' windows) and they took a lot more time money and ingenuity.
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
Go with the PT substructure, inc the floor. However, PT is anathema right now, so put somwthing over that the kids won't bite or give them slivers. Linoleum/vinyl flooring at the very least. This will also seal moisture from the top down. As to moisture from the bottom up, that shouldn't be a problem, unless you want to keep the kids for 50 years!
All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.
The play house I built for my kids has 4x4 PT posts and the rest is doug fir and cedar. I only need it to last 6 or 7 years and I dont want my kids in contact with treated wood