Before doing any work you need to think about where you’re going to locate the climbing frame. You’ll probably want to put it somewhere you can see it from the house, so that you can keep an eye on the games without having to wander down the garden. It’s a good opportunity for children to get accustomed to a degree of independence. You also don’t want to put it somewhere it will interfere with other activities in the garden – you still need to get the mower out of the shed, or take the dustbins to the street.
You also need to think about your neighbours. Some neighbours will take pleasure from seeing and hearing children happily playing – but others emphatically will not. It might surprise you to learn that there are planning constraints relating to the size and location of climbing frames. It’s not the purpose of this article to discuss this in detail – if you buy a commercially available climbing frame, or have one built by a specialist, then it shouldn’t be a problem. If you are in doubt then check the Government’s Planning Portal website. But regardless of the regulations, it’s probably best to avoid putting a tower right next to your neighbour’s barbecue, and to think carefully about which way it’s facing.
Then there are the engineering aspects of choosing the right spot. In general the climbing frame will require a flat and level area on which to rest. And you will require additional space for the children to access the facilities, whether they be slides, swings, ladders or climbing walls. In general a reasonably flat space of around 1.8m (6 feet) clearance for access is reasonable. If you’re lucky your garden has a good horizontal plot just waiting for a climbing frame. More likely you’ll have to do some work to create the required space.
First you need to mark out where the base of the equipment will be located. If there are external accessories like a slide, don’t forget to include them. Is the ground horizontal and flat? Ideally you’d use a long builder’s spirit level to check the horizontal, but you can get a spirit level app for a smart-phone, which is better than nothing. Place a straight length of wood on the ground and check the angle. Turn it through 90 degrees and check that direction too. Move around and check it in a few places and directions. If it’s not level, you’ll need to do some work. There’s a lot of detailed information on the web about preparing the ground for climbing frames and sheds. As well as the overall gradient, you need to take care of lumps and bumps. Tree stumps and rocks must be completely removed before you can start thinking about assembling the play equipment.
As with most work, the quality of the end result is all in the preparation, and it’s not always as simple as you expect. One way to guarantee a good result is to employ an experienced and trustworthy installer who specialises in climbing frames and play equipment. They will be able to assess your site, recommend the right sort of equipment and then take responsibility for getting it installed. Calling in the right professionals will not only get you the best results – it might even save you money in the long run.
