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How to Build a Kid's Fort & Playhouse

When summertime rolls around and you're looking for something to keep your children occupied outside, a playhouse is just what you need. By following a few steps and arming yourself with the right equipment, you can easily build a playhouse in your backyard that will accommodate two or three children.

Things You'll Need

Electric drill
Phillips bit
4-foot bubble level
Box of 2 1/2- to 3-inch decking screws
Circular saw
Tape measure
Three 4-by-8-foot sheets of 3/4-inch oriented strand board (OSB)
Four 4-by-10-inch concrete blocks
Sixteen 8-foot 2-by-4s
Reciprocating saw

Instructions

- 1
  Find a semi-level area in your backyard where you would like to place the playhouse. Bury four 4-by-10-inch concrete blocks about 2 inches into the ground, one at each corner of the playhouse. Your playhouse floor will be approximately 4 by 6 feet. The blocks will provide a bit more stability than the ground alone.
- 2
  Mark two 8-foot 2-by-4s at 72 inches and cut with your circular saw. These two pieces form the front and back of the floor. Use two more 2-by-4s to cut side boards and two support joists at 45 inches each. These will go inside the two longer boards on each end and in the middle, evenly spaced. Use two of the 2 1/2- to 3-inch decking screws in each corner to secure the outer frame, and use two decking screws in each end of each floor joist.
- 3
  Measure the finished floor frame and cut the oriented strand board flooring to fit over the top of the frame. Secure the OSB to the frame with decking screws spaced approximately 8 inches apart all the way around the frame and up the middle on the two support joists. Place the finished floor on the concrete blocks and check that it's level.
- 4
  Build the front and back walls using the same procedure you did to build the floor. Cut four 8-foot 2-by-4s at approximately 72 inches and four more 2-by-4s into eight 45-inch boards. The longer boards form the top and bottom of each wall, while the shorter boards form the sides and studs. Secure the boards using the same procedure you did to fasten the floor. Fasten these walls, one at a time, to the flooring, spacing the decking screws two across and about 6 inches apart down the board.
- 5
  Build the side walls using the same procedure you did with the other walls. Studs are optional here, because the side walls are only about 4 feet by 4 feet. Cut two 2-by-4s into four 48-inch boards to form the sides of each wall, and cut two more 2-by-4s into four boards of 40 to 42 inches. Secure the side walls to the other walls and the floor.
- 6
  Measure each wall and cut the OSB to fit each. Mark areas on the front wall for a door and a window. Cut these with a reciprocating saw. Make the door big enough to accommodate an adult. Affix the outer walls first and then measure the roof opening from end to end and front to back, including the OSB. Use decking screws to attach all walls and roof.

Backyard Toys