Thread: Will weatherboards brace enough?

Finally finished it, mainly by myself, my older boys lost interest and wanted to play games on their computers instead. One reason to build it was to stop this and give them another interest. It would be an expensive structure if someone was paying me wages. 1 day to build the door + more time fitting door and handle another day to make the steps.
We are all happy with it and the sliding windows in either side tend to keep it cool enough and the rain doen't get in anymore. It is also very stable thanks all for help.

She'll have fun in that.

One suggestion though. I would have made the ladder less steep so they were a little more like stairs, it's very easy to take a tumble down something that steep.

Hey, a nice looking little building and yeah, I reckon that it would cost a fair bit if you'd had somebody do the job for you. And so you didn't need braces down below the floorline so it worked out pretty well eh? And the kids have lost interest,- well, the way you built that it'll be there for the grandkids.. cheers ,Lenco.

Yes Murray they are step steps about 4:1 but the older boys ride their bikes past the front so I couldn't stick it out to far. My wife wanted a vertical ladder to make it more like climbing equipment, so it was a compromise like most things.
Thanks Lenco, yes didn't want braces underneath. I was thinking that when the little fella gets to old for it I could put it on the back of the ute with the legs hanging over the sides and move it

Fair enough about not wanting the ladder to stick out too far. If that was the case then you could have turned the ladder/stairs by 90 degrees and have them coming down across the face. Just a thought.

Yeah, ok, -I've had the pleasure of designing a few staircases to fit into extensions and new homes I've built and it's surprising how much room they take up.But the way I see it is you cant mix and match. It's gotta be a stair or a ladder, mainly because on a ladder type you are going to be walking backwards so you can only make the run and the angle a certain steepness otherwise it'd be too hard or you'd have to be an ape.But on a stair scenario you are walking down and you simply must have the tread width otherwise it's dangerous, plus you'd need handrails..Personally for kids I'd go the ladder and if room a firemans pole to slide down. Cheers.

Yes they are certainly not stairs you couldn't go down forwards. So they are steps or a ladder or perhaps a stepladder. I like the pole idea; my boys suggested a flying fox across the yard.

Yeah Glenn, I wasn't trying to be a smarty or airing my knowledge,- I reckon those steps you've built are ideal. I have new grandkids so in a coupla years I reckon a cubbyhouse could be a project for me. I'm sorta in limbo right now and almost retired but I reckon by the end of next year I'll be able to do what I want in my new shed .-I haven't built it yet but have all the gear and have dug the holes.I go out every week and check if the holes are still there,--Well you can't rush these things..cheers.

Looks Good lenco.

My only concern is the steps with that outward opening door.

Thanks Artme, but the step builder is Glenn, not me. I guess without a landing the door is a bit tricky. If it opened in, one of the kids inside is likely to push it shut when somebodies trying to get in (kids are funny that way). Still, you can't have it all ways. When I think of it a slider would be nice too. I don't think I'll say anymore otherwise Glenn is going to tell me to rack off, ha ha ha. He 's put a lot of time in on an excellent job. Cheers.

I put the door outward opening for several reasons; as lenco said if it opened inwards kids may push it shut and push someone from full height, I put a hook and eye so it can be opened up and kept out of the way, it was easier to weather proof. A trapdoor through the floor would have been easier but I was worried about someone falling through the hole.