How to Build a Kids Deck

Survey your yard and choose a location for your deck. Think about how children will access the deck from the interior of the home and determine where the deck stairs will lead. Make sure there are no underground utilities near the proposed deck and that trees or other plants will not impinge on the deck in the future. Sketch the deck to scale on graph paper and take the plans to your local planning office to obtain a deck building permit.

Level the area by removing debris and rake the ground smooth. Build the deck low to the ground, if possible, for the safety of the children. Remove siding if necessary and install ledger board on the house with galvanized nuts and bolts. Using the building code as your guide, install footers that will hold the deck. Install the main girder beam for the length of the deck and add the vertical columns. Put the joists in place along with the decking boards.

Install railings all around the deck according to the height and placement regulations that conform to local building codes. Make the spaces between the rails narrow enough that a child cannot slip through. For an extra safety measure, install protective mesh railing guards to prevent children from poking their head through the spindles or climbing on the railing.

Set up security gates for the stairs. The security gates should swing inward, so a child cannot lean on an improperly closed gate and tumble down the deck stairs. Keep deck furniture and deck storage units away from the children’s deck so a child cannot climb up and over the deck railings.