How to Build a Playhouse for Children

Form the Frame

• 1

  Choose the size, location and layout for the playhouse, and cut four pieces of pressure-treated lumber in the size needed for the playhouse. These pieces of wood will be the four sides of the frame. Additional boards will be needed to create a joist system. Cut the additional boards in a size that matches the plan you are following.

• 2

  Draw lines on the wood every 16 inches with a marker or pencil. These marks indicate where the cross boards will be attached.

• 3

  Insert the additional boards, making sure they are flush at the top and aligned with the lines you drew in the previous step.

• 4

  Nail the boards into the cross boards with a nail gun. Hammer two or three nails in each end.

• 5

  Set markers by driving corner stakes into the ground to mark the locations, and set the frame aside.

Build the House

• 6

  Tie a piece of string around all four posts to create a square. The string will help you stay in line when you work on the foundation.

• 7

  Dig up the sod in each corner where the frame was marked. Pour sand into these spaces and lay a flat paving stone in each corner.

• 8

  Make sure the foundation is level. If the foundation is not level, add another stone to the lower side until the entire foundation is level. You can also add sand to the lower spots to offset any settling later.

• 9

  Lay the frame on the foundation, and top with strips of roofing felt that are just as wide as the boards in the frame. This will keep the floor from squeaking when the kids are walking inside the playhouse. Staple the felt down.

• 10

  Assemble the floor boards by laying boards on top of the frame and driving galvanized screws through the boards and into the frame. Repeat until you have covered the entire frame.

• 11

  Cut boards according to your specific plan, and drive galvanized screws into each piece of wood to ensure that each is connected. Repeat with all four walls.

• 12

  Place the first wall onto the edge of the floor, and screw the bottom plate of the wall into the floor boards.

• 13

  Place the second wall adjacent to the first wall, and screw the bottom plate into the floor. Screw the corners of both walls together to ensure that they are connected, and repeat with the third and fourth walls.

• 14

  Trim sheeting, such as T-111 siding, to fit the walls, and nail to the wall frames at the top in a horizontal fashion, using a nail gun. Place each nail 16 inches from the last nail.

• 15

  Check to make sure the sheeting is aligned from top to bottom, and nail the edges to the wall frame from top to bottom, 16 inches apart. Repeat this nailing step on all of the wall studs and all four walls.

Build the Roof

• 16

  Construct the roof trusses by connecting four 2-by-4s. The sizes of these pieces of wood depend on the size of your playhouse; refer to your layout plan.

• 17

  Place a triangular piece of wood, called a gusset, at the top corner, and attach all pieces of wood together with screws.

• 18

  Place eaves on the top of each wall to support the roof. Screw in 2-by-6 pieces of wood so that they overhang.

• 19

  Align the truss on the outside of the eave, and secure with screws that are driven into the wood from underneath. Repeat until the frame of the roof is complete from one end to the other.

• 20

  Install roof sheeting in the same manner that the wall sheeting was installed, making sure that the nails are 16 inches apart. To make this step easier, draw lines on the sheeting so that you know where to place each nail. When cutting the sheeting for the roof, make sure that it over hangs 1 inch on each side of the playhouse, and attach boards at the edges to hide the trusses.

• 21

  Install an aluminum drip edge so that water does not leak through the sheeting when it rains. These strips should be installed on each edge of the roof.

• 22

  Lay roofing felt on top of the roof sheeting as a waterproof barrier, and tack down with staples. Begin tacking from the bottom, and move upward. Overlap the top portion with another strip to ensure maximum protection.

• 23

  Install shingles on top of the felt.

• 24

  Install windows, nailing the edges of the nailing flange with roofing nails. Cover the nailing flange with 1-by-4 framing to make it appear finished.

• 25

  Decorate the playhouse by painting and adding other pieces of decor to your liking.