How to Frame an Elevated Fort

Elevated Base

• 1

  Check with your municipal building office for regulations and required paperwork for building a structure. There are many requirements to protect the structure and surrounding structures from natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

• 2

  Find out where your gas, sewer and water lines are by calling the appropriate utility companies.

• 3

  Select a location for the elevated fort. A good site has few rocks in the soil and doesn’t flood.

• 4

  Measure a 6-foot square area. Mark each corner with a stick. Dig a deep hole -- the depth depends on local regulations -- at each corner. Make the hole 4 inches deeper than you planned to make it.

• 5

  Pour 4 inches of gravel into each hole. Insert the concrete form -- the length of which depends on local depth regulations.

• 6

  Set a post into each hole and make them level. Brace each with four of the 2-by-4-inch-by-4-foot boards. Pour cement into the space around each post. Allow it to set for at least 24 hours.

• 7

  Measure 3 feet up from the base of each post and mark it with a pencil.

• 8

  Line up a 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot board at the 3-foot mark for two posts and screw it in place. Repeat the process with the other 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot boards to form the outside of the fort platform.

• 9

  Center and insert a 2 1/4-inch lag bolt through each of the 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot boards so that each bolt enters the center of a post.

• 10

  Attach galvanized angle brackets on the bottom interior of each corner.

• 11

  Position a 24-inch brace with 45-degree angled ends at each corner and screw them in place. These go from the post out to the bottom of the platform base. There are two for each post. Use the decking screws to secure them.

• 12

  Screw in floor joist brackets centered at 10 inches on the inside of two parallel sides of the boards forming the fort platform. Use the decking screws. Insert the joists into the joist brackets, starting with the center one.

• 13

  Lay the 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot decking boards on top of the platform, perpendicular to the joists. Use decking screws to attach them to the joists and the four exterior 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot boards.

• 14

  Measure up from the top of the fort platform 2 feet and make a mark on the outside of all four posts. From this mark, measure up 3 feet and mark the outside of all four posts.

• 15

  Line up a 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot board at the 2-foot mark for two posts and insert two 2 1/4-inch lag bolts on each end, centered over each post. Repeat the process with the other 2--by-6-inch-by 6-foot boards to form the outside of the fort platform.

• 16

  Line up a 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot board at the 3-foot mark for two posts and insert two 2 1/4-inch lag bolts on each end, centered over the post. Repeat the process with the other 2-by-6-inch-by-6-foot boards to form the outside of the fort platform.

Fort

• 17

  Screw a 6-foot picket fencing section onto each of the four sides of the platform, including the exterior sides of the platform base, the 2-foot mark boards and the 3-foot mark boards.

• 18

  Mark the center front of the fort. Eighteen inches to the right of this mark attach a 4-by-4-inch-4-foot board to the platform base’s exterior board with a 5-inch lag bolt. Use decking screws to attach the board at the 3-foot mark and the board at the 2-foot mark.

• 19

  Attach a 4-by-4 inch-by-4-foot board 18 inches to the left of the center mark with a 5-inch lag bolt. Use decking screws to attach the board at the 3-foot mark and the board at the 2-foot mark.

• 20

  Attach angle brackets to the inside base of each 4-by-4-inch-by-4-foot on the interior base.

• 21

  Cut a door space through the picket fencing between the 4-by-4-inch-by-4-foot boards, using the circular saw.

• 22

  Cut two of the 2-by-6-inch-6-foot boards in half. Cut 4 inches off of two of the boards. Form the boards into a square and screw them together using decking screws to form a doorframe. Sand it to make it smooth and attach it to the door space.

• 23

  Slide the doorframe into the door space. Screw it in place.

• 24

  Form a tamped earthen ramp up to the door.