Clubhouse, Playhouse, Treehouse!

I don't know how many of you have seen the arbor in our backyard. It was built by the previous owners. They had a cute picnic table under it. But since we already have a patio off the downstairs and a deck off the upstairs, I was never sure why I needed another picnic table in the corner of my yard. So although the arbor was pretty, it wasn't all that functional. I just looked at it periodically and questioned it's value. (My backyard only has so much space.)

I mentioned this to my Dad and he said,

"Well, let's turn it into a clubhouse!"

So we did.

Since the roof was already built, and was about 10 feet high, we figured we had plenty of space for a two-story structure. So, we began by creating a floor in the middle.

Using 2x6 beams, we made a solid base and then placed trex decking across for a sliver-free floor. This took two days.

Although we tried to make the whole project as interesting and kid friendly as possible, Bryce did not believe the fact that all of this effort was really for him.

He felt like he'd been set aside with the lumber.

After we built the floor for the upper level, we built a railing that went all the way around. Each of these pickets had to be individually cut and drilled into place using a spacer so the distance between them would always be the same. This took two days.

After all the pickets were in place, we secured a handrail that went along the top. We also cut a hole in the side where we would build the ladder. This took another day.

This is the old floor that the previous owners put down under the arbor. We decided it needed to be redone to better fit the space and also to properly bury the water line that ran underneath.

I don't know if you've ever layed bricks before but it is the most tedious, patience-testing process imaginable. It took us all of one day just to relay this floor.

Here is Spencer on the new floor. We ran the bottom of the railing along the bricks and put two cans of cement in the front to hold the future handrail.

Rain Delay.

Grandpa also hung a swing for the kids to play on from our tree. This is looking sideways into my neighbor's yard. The arbor behind is not ours.

We put a sandbox in the back corner behind the clubhouse.

Grandpa built this ladder to fit perfectly in this spot.

It is nice and wide and perfectly slanted so both kids and adults can get on the upper level.

You can see the sandbox back behind the ladder. It is wedged between a 2x6 piece of trex and both my neighbor's fences. This is as far as I could possibly get it from my house and still be in my yard. I hoped this would curtail the sand from making it's way into my house.

My Dad said that is impossible.

Our last project was raising the original roof 10 inches higher. This gives the older kids plenty of head-space on the upper level. (The upper roof is 60 inches high and the lower level is 50 inches from the bricks to the ceiling.)

Finally, it's done!

We placed GrandMary's darling wicker furniture on the lower level. It is Chelsea's favorite little space. Carter likes the upper deck and Spencer is in heaven in the sandbox. Bryce still hasn't quite grasped the fact that he will get more use out of the clubhouse than anyone else. But at least he's not trapped in his carrier next to the lumber pile, so he's fine with it. Thanks Grandpa! It's the coolest clubhouse--playhouse--treehouse ever!