Building a kids slide platform... any handyman advice??
I just bought the kids a neat "dual slide" heavy duty playground slide off Kijiji and am embarking on building a structure for it... The problem is I belong to the Tim Taylor school of handymen as opposed to the Mike Holmes type. 
Fortunately the slide is only 45" off the ground (at the top) so I'm not TOO worried about the kids dying in a horrific slide collapse.
My plan was to build a cedar platform 5 feet wide and 4 feet long/deep, slide out to front and stairs out the back.
- 8 foot 4x4 cedar posts on the corners
- 2x6 cedar boards for the "deck" frame and joists (16" on center)
- 5/4x6 cedar deck boards for the deck
My plan was to just use 8 foot posts and use them for the railings as they will extend "through" the deck another 51 inches (4.25ft aprox)... is this a sound idea? Are 4x4 posts good for this type of thing or are 6x6 required? I've been looking at full size deck building instructions and am not sure if this plan is over built or what. I haven't even started planning the railings or stairs yet... those seem quite a bit more complicated
Any thoughts apreciated!
Fortunately the slide is only 45" off the ground (at the top) so I'm not TOO worried about the kids dying in a horrific slide collapse.My plan was to build a cedar platform 5 feet wide and 4 feet long/deep, slide out to front and stairs out the back.
- 8 foot 4x4 cedar posts on the corners
- 2x6 cedar boards for the "deck" frame and joists (16" on center)
- 5/4x6 cedar deck boards for the deck
My plan was to just use 8 foot posts and use them for the railings as they will extend "through" the deck another 51 inches (4.25ft aprox)... is this a sound idea? Are 4x4 posts good for this type of thing or are 6x6 required? I've been looking at full size deck building instructions and am not sure if this plan is over built or what. I haven't even started planning the railings or stairs yet... those seem quite a bit more complicated
Any thoughts apreciated!
)