THIS ISN'T A PLOY TO GET MY KID TO PLAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THE HOUSE WHILE STILL BEING ON OUR PROPERTY, WAIT, IT ISN'T?...
IT IS A WAY TO GET THE KIDS TO PLAY OUTSIDE, IN THE SHADE. A PLACE TO KEEP THEIR OUTSIDE TOYS AND NOT HAVE THEM STORED ON THE PATIO. A PLACE TO GET DIRTY AND TO GET LESS DIRTY AS YOU WALK ACROSS THE YARD BACK TO THE HOUSE AT THE END OF PLAYTIME.
IT IS A WAY TO GET THE KIDS TO PLAY OUTSIDE, IN THE SHADE. A PLACE TO KEEP THEIR OUTSIDE TOYS AND NOT HAVE THEM STORED ON THE PATIO. A PLACE TO GET DIRTY AND TO GET LESS DIRTY AS YOU WALK ACROSS THE YARD BACK TO THE HOUSE AT THE END OF PLAYTIME.
My son loves playing under our Meyer Lemon tree in the corner of our backyard. I have been wanting to build something for him since before he was born, and I was thinking maybe a playhouse or a sandbox (unfortunately, he's too small for a treehouse). I decided I really didn't have the room for a playhouse with a roof since the lemon tree is low, so I thought a deck of his own could be fun and could also house a sandbox.
The internet has provided me with so many ideas for reusing old shipping pallets. I want to share my ideas, so I thought I would document my pallet project. As you can see in the picture, pallets are often discarded and they are often left curbside in industrial areas for recyclers to pick-up. So you should have more trouble thinking of what to build with pallets, than you would trying to find them.
There are so many different sizes and quality levels with pallets and it might be easier to let the available pallets you can find help to shape the project.
I needed a basic "L" shaped deck, so after finding a perfectly sized long pallet for the long leg of the "L", I just used a standard single-sized pallet for the return leg. The picture shows one pallet on top of the other so it might be difficult to see that there are two pictured.
I needed a basic "L" shaped deck, so after finding a perfectly sized long pallet for the long leg of the "L", I just used a standard single-sized pallet for the return leg. The picture shows one pallet on top of the other so it might be difficult to see that there are two pictured.
One thing I didn't realize when "building things with pallets" was that I was going to have to disassemble the pallet if I wanted to make this work as a deck. The spacing of the slats leaves too large of gaps for a deck, and ripping down thin filler pieces didn't make sense since the wood can be weak and I didn't want the filler pieces to break when stepped on or screwed through.
The good news is with most pallets the bottom "skid" pieces of wood can be used to fill gaps or replace bad wood on the top of the pallet. So I essentially had to disassemble the pallet down so that just one slat of wood held all of the cross pieces in place, like an "E" shape. Disassemble carefully as the wood is soft and had knots so it can split and break if you aren't slow and methodical, and maybe even if you are.
The good news is with most pallets the bottom "skid" pieces of wood can be used to fill gaps or replace bad wood on the top of the pallet. So I essentially had to disassemble the pallet down so that just one slat of wood held all of the cross pieces in place, like an "E" shape. Disassemble carefully as the wood is soft and had knots so it can split and break if you aren't slow and methodical, and maybe even if you are.
Here is the letter "E" shaped frame I was left with after pulling off all but one of the slats. This allows me to place it around the tree trunk, using the open side of the "E". I re-purposed old tile and other bricks to help level these joists and provide a solid footing.
I didn't have to adjust spacing of the joists or add more for support. Even though the pallet wood is low quality, they are made to be tough and support a lot of weight.
I didn't have to adjust spacing of the joists or add more for support. Even though the pallet wood is low quality, they are made to be tough and support a lot of weight.
Once the tiles are covered over with mulch, it looks good and is stable. I imagine that this method for footings is best used when you are in a corner like I am, or if you are surrounding a tree trunk like I am. I can screw into the fence on both sides to keep lateral movement to a minimum while the legs and footings do the heavy lifting. Worst case the tree won't let the deck slide off of the footings, and with my leveled deck surface most of the forces acting on it will be downward anyway.
Once the supporting members were level and stabilized, I began screwing the slats on, starting from the back wall were my "key" slat was holding the "E" shaped frame together. I screwed them using the original nails holes where I could, but pre-drilled and screwed them where I couldn't. I used a 1/4" drill bit as a spacer between slats, but I also fudged it in places to average out the spacing for the best fit. This is enough space to allow debris to fall through, but not my child.
I had originally spaced the boards so that the tree hole would just a gap in a single slat board. But "fudge happens" and I ended up needing to notch the adjacent slat, so I got creative and made a little house shaped hole to be cute. Success! Cuteness!
I also supported the board that was cut through to create the hole. I used a piece of 2x4 wood screwed to the adjacent slats to transfer the load and add support.
I also supported the board that was cut through to create the hole. I used a piece of 2x4 wood screwed to the adjacent slats to transfer the load and add support.
I then turned my attention to the other leg of the "L" shaped deck. Here I would be placing a storage tub recessed into the deck to use as a small sand box. I got a clear storage tube with a lid at Ikea that was low and large.
I created a frame to fit the Ikea storage tub and worked to screw it to the frame pieces, level it, and support it.
I created a frame to fit the Ikea storage tub and worked to screw it to the frame pieces, level it, and support it.
I used some of the tile I had left over to create a stable base for the sand box. I placed the tub in the hole and shimmed with tile to get uniform support to the bottom of the tub, using sand could work too.
While the tub is strong, it is plastic and it will be loaded with play sand and a toddler or two so you'll want make sure it is supported from underneath to prevent any broken plastic or broken dreams.
While the tub is strong, it is plastic and it will be loaded with play sand and a toddler or two so you'll want make sure it is supported from underneath to prevent any broken plastic or broken dreams.
Once the tub frame was the way I wanted it, I then just filled in the remaining slat pieces to complete the deck and dropped in my Ikea tub as a sandbox. Having a lid means no litter box.
Hey look, he likes it! It's not finished quite yet but it's a good sign when you can't keep the kid off of it.
Hey look, he likes it! It's not finished quite yet but it's a good sign when you can't keep the kid off of it.
Due to that area of our back wall being a little bare, I wanted add some greenery and something interesting for the kid. I came across a pallet project on the internet that used a pallet against a wall as a sort of "living wall" tiered planter. I also had a bunch of 4" potted succulent plants that I bought in bulk and never got around to planting them. This plant wall could be the perfect use.
I found another pallet for the planter wall. It had a few broken slats, but I planned on only needing 3 tiers so I can just get rid of the broken slats and work with the best parts. What I need is to create 3 troughs or planters that I can fill with soil and plants.
Someone went crazy with the nail gun on this pallet, so the drilling out the nail heads tip made disassembly possible. So I removed the slats next to the middle slat.
Someone went crazy with the nail gun on this pallet, so the drilling out the nail heads tip made disassembly possible. So I removed the slats next to the middle slat.
Here I have removed some slats so that I end up with slats at the top, bottom, and middle on both sides to create the planter troughs.
I took the best of the slats I removed and reinstalled them where I had broken slats before.
I took the best of the slats I removed and reinstalled them where I had broken slats before.
Once I got all of the slats screwed in where I needed them, I then used some PVC-coated shading cloth stapled (or screwed) to the upper edge of each side of each trough. The shade fabric will form a "U" shape in each trough and should be sized so that it doesn't show from underneath (when viewed from a distance).
Each planter is narrow due to the pallet's original dimensions, but you could customize the size if you wish.
Each planter is narrow due to the pallet's original dimensions, but you could customize the size if you wish.
Here it is, in place, ready to be planted. My plants had grown a bit since I purchased them and then wondered where to put them for so long. I was able to split the larger plant's root balls so they will fit the pallet's narrow troughs.
So now I just had to plant what I had and add potting soil to fill in any gaps. I put what I thought to be more toddler-durable plants in the lower
So now I just had to plant what I had and add potting soil to fill in any gaps. I put what I thought to be more toddler-durable plants in the lower
FINISHED PRODUCT - LEMONS ANYONE?
OK, so it took me much longer than I thought to complete this project, but I think it was mostly due to having not totally figured out how I wanted to level and support the platform. I was using old tiles in stacks, but it used up a lot of tiles and wasn't that stable. Using a few tiles as footings and then cutting a wooden leg to sit on them made more sense.