# Playhouse - WIP - FINISHED!



## gidon (4 Sep 2007)

Ok it's not exactly fine furniture but with mounting pressure from my wife I finally set to work on making a Playhouse for the children.
Having never built anything like this I found a design in a book we both quite liked and I've used this as a basis for the design and to give me some tips on how a structure like this is built. It's good practice - I am planning to build a new woodworking shed shortly .

Here's the story so far:

£100 worth of wood - would have cost even more if I'd bought shiplap or feather edged stuff. As it was just bought B&Q value cladding which I'm hoping will be ok as long as I point the tonge upwards.






Floor built - tongue and groove floorboards screwed to some joists:





Very handy tool I dug out for screwing together the wall frames:





Walls built:





Gable ends (?). Knew my GCSE trigonmetry would be useful! Must remember next time though to take account of the wood thickness doh! Still got there in the end:





Everything ready to go in its final position:





Walls installed:





I've started on the roof and am probably going to use felt unless anyone has any other ideas. It's pretty wet here on the edge of Dartmoor!

It's all held together with screws. I'll still have to nail on cladding, fit the window, make and fit a stable door - like the book's tip of using a piano hinge to avoid trapping little fingers. And then add some decorative trim and paint.

I was planning to give a sealing coat of some stuff I've used for some new facia boards - Cuprinol Wood Preserver. And then some painting to finish. What do you reckon? Guess it's safe to use for children - can't find any info on that? I hate finishing so want the quickest method that will give decent protection from the elements and look nice. Did consider the shed spray you can buy - but want it to look like a wendy house.

Any comments, advice, criticisms welcome .

Cheers

Gidon


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## NeilO (4 Sep 2007)

nice one, Gidon...my little girl would love that in the garden, alas its not big enough.
and the playhouse looks bigger than my workshop....so maybe I would love that in my garden :lol:


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## ByronBlack (4 Sep 2007)

Where's the Tablesaw going to go?


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## gidon (4 Sep 2007)

Yes - it is a little on the large side (5x4")! But I don't want them growing out of it. And they could sleep in it too. Plus my plan is to chuck all the toys cluttering the living room in to it!
Of course I haven't excluded using it for woodworking too .
Cheers
Gidon


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## Dave S (4 Sep 2007)

I envy you - I really wanted to build one for my daughter, but simply have too much else on. So we went ahead and bought one, custom made with a 7' x 5' base.

Yours looks to be coming on well, and you'll be saving a shedload (sorry!!) of money doing it yourself - ours came in at over £400.

Had I made one, I was going to clad the sides before assembly - did you consider doing it that way?

I'd also be interested to hear about paint finishes as ours (or should I say, my daughter's) is just done with clear preservative so far. We'd like to paint it too.

One tip on the doors. Ours is made with a 1.5cm gap either side of the doors to prevent little fingers getting caught. A soft piece of plastic is attached either side of the doorframe to stop the rain getting in. Not sure if I've explained that clearly - I could maybe take a photo if any interest.

Look forward to seeing the end result. No doubt the huge smiles in the faces of your children will make it a very satisfying project  

Dave


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## gidon (4 Sep 2007)

Thanks Dave.
I'm going to try and clad it as is - using a nail gun. I was originally planning to disassemble it for cladding (after building the roof), but it was more fun having to buy another nailgun for the purpose . If it doesn't work out the nail gun will go back, I'll unscrew and get the good 'ole hammer out!
Yes would love a couple of pics - I think I get what you mean - but nice to see how it's done if not too much trouble. 
Yes will let you know how we end up painting it.
My older boy is so excited it's untrue. It's very sweet. He keeps wanting to help - but tricky finding jobs (well real ones ) for a two year old! 
Cheers
Gidon


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## Fecn (4 Sep 2007)

Looking good Gideon - Playhouse is on my list of projects, though it's most likely not until next summer for me. Keep posting the pictures - It's great to see the work in progress. 

Cheers.


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## Anonymous (5 Sep 2007)

Looking really good Gidon, the kids are going to love it. I love that little right angle clamp too, where did you get it?


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## Paul Chapman (5 Sep 2007)

That's looking lovely, Gidon. If you want a painted finish that's quite quick, this Woodshield by Sadolin sounds good and you can use wood preservative underneath it http://www.sadolin.co.uk/homeowner/prod ... escription

I've bought some but haven't tried it yet, so can't speak from experience, but I like their wood preservatives which I've used successfully.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## mailee (5 Sep 2007)

That is nice Gidon. I love this sort of work myself and enjoy building outdoor structures. I am sure your children will love it for many years to come. :wink:


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## gidon (5 Sep 2007)

Thanks guys will try and keep the pics coming.
Tony - think I got the clamp from Axminster (few quid) - hold on ... here it is. Found it wasn't quite accurate enough for what I'd bought it for but perfect for knocking together these frames quickly.
Thanks Paul - that stuff sounds good - I'll look out for it. Any idea what the wood preservative actually is? It seems like a sort of lightweight fast drying oil of sort. Like finishing oil or danish oil but lighter (in viscosity)?
Mailee - know what you mean! It's good fun - and it comes together pretty quickly.
Cheers
Gidon


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## Paul Chapman (5 Sep 2007)

gidon":150msp5k said:


> Any idea what the wood preservative actually is? It seems like a sort of lightweight fast drying oil of sort. Like finishing oil or danish oil but lighter (in viscosity)?



Not sure, Gidon, but there are PDF product data sheets on that site for all their products, so they might tell you what you want to know. A lot of their stuff is now water-based, so would be quite safe for children.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## mrbingley (5 Sep 2007)

Looks good  

What about using those felt shingles for the roof ?

Dunno how much it would cost for a roof that size, but would give it a tad more class.

Chris.


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## eg (5 Sep 2007)

It looks really good.

Reminds me of the Wendy house I built a few years ago back in Israel. The worst part was the shingles - it was a hot & humid summer  . The fun part was dis-assembling one of those solar garden lights, and fitting it in.

Anyway, I am sure your children would love it.

Eyal


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## gidon (5 Sep 2007)

Thanks Paul - will take a look.
Chris - that sounds a great idea. Is it difficult to do?
Eyal - that's fantastic! What did you use to clad it - I like it. And I'm getting more interested in those shingles! Looks way better than what I was planning. Lovely work on your website too. Where you from in Israel?
Cheers
Gidon


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## Dave S (5 Sep 2007)

gidon":31rsb6lk said:


> Yes would love a couple of pics - I think I get what you mean - but nice to see how it's done if not too much trouble.


Will see what I can do - probably be the weekend now that the evenings are getting dark earlier.

Dave


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## eg (5 Sep 2007)

I am not sure what I used for cladding - if I remember correctly it was treated pine, which comes with a profile of a shallow arc.

The shingles are Bitumen Roofing Shingles. I saw that Wickes (and others) sell them. Their price is £0.84 per shingle size 1000 X 336 mm. As the shingles overlap each other, you actually cover with each shingle only half of its size, so you end up using about 6 shingles per square meter (about 0.6 shingle per square feet).

When I am in Israel, I live in a small village in the centre of the country, not far from Netanya.

Eyal


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## gidon (6 Sep 2007)

Thanks both of you.
Cheers
Gidon


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## gidon (8 Oct 2007)

Been some progress - I'm getting there and at least my eager children can now stamp around in it!

Where I left of ...





Roof sections and ridge pole (?) finished. Made a right meal of cutting out the triangular section for that! Cladding with the tongue pointing upwards ...





Very happy that my mitre saw goes to 60 degrees! And the laser very handy for lining things up .









Cladding finished. OSB screwed to roof sections. I decided to go with felt shingles which should look good. But spent a small fortune on the OSB, underlay and shingles!





Felt underlay on. Folding on the corners.





Fittting shingle detailing strip around edges.





Next I need to finish the shingle edging, lay the tiles, make and fit the door, fit the window, fit trim and finish.

It's good fun - I'm enjoying it. Just wish I had more time to finish it in one go!

Cheers

Gidon


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## mailee (8 Oct 2007)

That is looking realy nice Gidon. I'll bet the kids can't wait to get in it. I love these sort of projects myself.


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## Lukey (9 Oct 2007)

Looking great, please please please remove the B&Q Stickers :lol:


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## Fecn (9 Oct 2007)

That's looking good Gidon... Please keep posting the pictures because I plan on doing my own play house next summer.

Are you going to be making things to go inside there too? Table, chairs etc.


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## Sawdust (9 Oct 2007)

Fecn":2timg34t said:


> ... I plan on doing my own *play house *next summer.



I think the word you are looking for is 'workshop' :wink:


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## gidon (10 Oct 2007)

Thanks chaps.
Erm - FECN - we actually bought a children's table and chairs from Ikea to go inside ! 
Yes removing those B&Q stickers is also something I still have to do!
Will keep the pictures coming - thanks for the interest.
Cheers
Gidon


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## Woodmagnet (10 Oct 2007)

Wait until the sun warm's the sticker's up a bit and they come off in one piece, or use a hair dryer. :wink:


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## Gary M (10 Oct 2007)

Sawdust":3ss93xs2 said:


> Fecn":3ss93xs2 said:
> 
> 
> > ... I plan on doing my own *play house *next summer.
> ...


 =D> =D> =D> =D> :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Excellent !!!

Gidon, looks well, you wont be able to get the kids in at night when its finished :wink:


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## gidon (26 Oct 2007)

Well really am almost there - had a few problems attaching the door (see here.) 
I still need to add door handles, turnbuckles and a few other odds and ends. Plus sand and finish.
Does anyone know what you're meant to do under the eaves? See the penultimate pic. I think I'm just going to install some wall plates (?) to fill the gap from the side frames to the roof. Is that right?

It took me ages to work out how to install these tiles - the instructions just confused me! Anywhere here goes:




First course done, now using a bit of tile as a spacer to install the remaining courses:




Easy once you get started:




Used detailing strip for the ridge:




Glued the loose flaps with mastic:




Starting the stable door:




Banana pine from B&Q!




Door finished (or so I thought):




Trimming to fit(!)




All installed - problem with screwing the piano hinge on (see here):




Moulding the side trim from spare cladding boards:







Side trim installed:




Void above side panels: :?:




Almost done (plastic window also now installed):




Thanks for looking,

Cheers

Gidon


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## oddsocks (26 Oct 2007)

Gidon, looks very nice. I built a similar playhouse/summerhouse with stable door some years ago but can't find any photos to post (the owner has since moved and taken it with them).

A suggestion with the doors seeing as children will be using it .....fit finger protectors on the hinge side - google search on finger guard gives plenty of suppliers http://www.fingershield.co.uk/

When I built mine finger guards were not well known (at least to me) so I made the door frame on the hinge site tapered (viewed from the top the outer face was full and the inner face was 20mm away from the door frame). The door frame stop on the handle side limited travel so that even when fully closed a finger could not be fully trapped (at worst pinched but with space to remove quickly).

You'll find this essential as even with just two children playing one will want it closed, the other will want it open - and it gets quicker and quicker!


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## Philly (26 Oct 2007)

Looking great, Gidon!
How much do you reckon it has cost you?
Philly


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## gidon (29 Oct 2007)

Oddsocks - you're right - thanks for the suggestion - the piano hinge will help a bit but will look into the finger guards.
Thanks Philly - reckon it's cost £200. But would have been cheaper without the felt shingles. 
Cheers
Gidon


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## gidon (11 Dec 2007)

I've forgotten to post a photo of the playhouse finished so here it is with a couple of coats of wood preserver:





I'm planning to give it a couple of coats of yacht varnish when we get a spell of dry weather. And I'll paint the inside.

It was great fun to make - recommend it to anyone with children.

Cheers

Gidon


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## Paul Chapman (11 Dec 2007)

That looks really nice, Gidon =D> 

I'd be inclined to stick with wood preservative rather than use varnish on the outside - won't varnish eventually peel and flake and mean that you'll be forever having to sand it down to get the old stuff off?

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## mailee (11 Dec 2007)

I would have to agree with Paul, varnish will peel off after a while. Preservative is a better bet for this. Looks great by the way, bet the kids love it.


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## gidon (11 Dec 2007)

Thanks chaps.
I guess I've never used this wood preserver stuff. I've done two coats - it's very thin. How many coats do you reckon? Do you reckon I can use it as a primer for painting the inside?
The children have hardly been in it - the weather's been erally bad - plus only just cleared our patio from mess from kitchen installation! If they don't use it it's be my finishing room (even if I'll have to be a little hunched over!)
Thanks
Gidon


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## Paul Chapman (11 Dec 2007)

Which one are you using, Gidon? I've only used Sadolin, which I think is very good.

The only other stuff I've had experience of is some water-based preservative which my daughter bought to do her fence which was horrible.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## gidon (11 Dec 2007)

This stuff Paul:
http://www.cuprinol.co.uk/products/wood ... rview.html
Guess my answer is there - I'm just not convinced for some reason.
Cheers
Gidon


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## Gill (11 Dec 2007)

Hi Gidon

I love your playhouse - it's far too good to let children anywhere near it  .

I've got a timber workshop which was treated with Sikkens Cetol about three years ago. You apply a base coat, then a top coat, applying further topcoats as needed. It's not cheap but it is good.

Gill


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## Paul Chapman (11 Dec 2007)

Looking at the instructions, it would appear that you can use it as a finish and you don't have to paint or varnish it. If you want a colour inside, why not try a coloured preservative? It sounds similar to Sadolin. I use Sadolin Classic which is very runny. 

The whole idea is that it soaks into the wood without leaving a surface film, so there is nothing to flake off. With paint or varnish it just sits there, on top of the wood. It doesn't move with the wood as it expands and contracts and eventually falls off :shock: :shock: And quite often the rain gets under the paint which makes the wood rotten.

After years of burning off paint and sanding I'd like to shoot whoever it was who came up with the idea of painting external woodwork. As far as I can see it never has worked and never will




:lol: :lol: 

(don't you just love those smilies  )

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## gidon (11 Dec 2007)

Glad I checked - cos I couldn't really be bothered to varnish it!
Hadn't really occured to me the issues with painting and varnishing - I may just give a coat of the Cuprinol on the inside too and be done with it.
Thanks Gill - will look into that too - I have a few other garden projects ...
Cheers
Gidon


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## RobertMP (11 Dec 2007)

I used that clear cuprinol stuff on my shed that I built 18 months ago. I understand exactly how you feel - it looks like you have done nothing to it afterwards! 18 months on it does seem to have worked as a few other shiplap boards I used elsewhere and didn't treat have gone very dark now and the shed still looks light coloured and fairly fresh looking.


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## gidon (14 Dec 2007)

Robert - thanks for that - that's very reassuring to know.
Cheers
Gidon
(I could have sworn I had already replied but for some reason my post is missing :-k).


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## CWatters (29 Dec 2007)

Looks great but how about adding fascia boards and a finial as per..

http://www.gardens-and-decor.com/WoodShedHighEaves2.jpg


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