D.I.Y. cubby houses

[Yorky88]

I just decided on a whim to build my boys a cubby house on the weekend and I just wanted see what other people have done.

If you have built a cubby I'd love to see it.

My cubby is still a work in progress but  I will post some progress pictures below.

I am building this completely from scratch and off the top of my head without any plans.

[Jason]

Sorry to see you haven't got a response from @Yorky88 or @ProjectPete as yet @Tara86. Let me also tag @woodalwaysworks, @LePallet and @MitchellM for you, who also might be able to assist with your question about what wood to use. 

Jason

[Yorky88]

Hi @Tara86 so sorry for the late response, work has been crazy busy lately. I built my boys cubby house completely from heat treated pallet pine. I just used 60mm, 50mm decking screws and 70mm galvanised buggle head screws where necassary. I guess it really comes down to personal preference at the end of day as to what hardware you prefer to use both have their pro's and cons it realy comes down to how much you want to spend on hardware and what you prefer to work with.

As far as timber goes I would suggest that you use a hardwood being that it will be outside or you could use a treated pine however you have to be very careful using chemically treated timber in kids play equipment. its not reccomended for health reasons.

As far as design goes depending on what you already have in place I would Customise it/ build it to suit your requiements. 

Anything else i can help with please dont hesitate to ask and ill do my best to get back to you sooner than least time haha 

[Tara86]

@Yorky88 no need to apologies I completely understand. It’s amazing how quickly time gets away when we’re busy!! 

Ha ha we use the exact same screws too. So happy to know they are efficient as I was worried being an elevated cubby house you’d need something more commercial grade.

Also thanks for the tip about chemically treated timber. My middle child would most likely have an effect from it. I’ve heard about it but it didn’t even cross my mind!! 

So far I’ve drawn up a design and broken it down into steps. Then working on what options would best suit my dimensions etc. I’m planning on using 100 x 100 hardwood posts and hardwood sleepers to join them as well as act as side supports for the deck. Then the same timber as our deck for joist and bearers. 

Thanks for your help and advice. Helps me narrow down which types I need and what not to use. Really appreciate it 👍🏼

[MitchellM]

@Yorky88 G'day, sorry about my delay in replying, but I tend to spend more time at work than at home.

You asked for our projects and here is what I have been working at. 8 pallets saved from landfill, I am actually fairly happy at what I have achieved, this is my first time trying a larger project with pallets. 

Feel free to give any advice etc.  

[Mikezoom61]

Newbie here and first post/first cubby house build sohappy to take advice/criticism...

Really enjoying this thread and everyones progress builds so here is mine. A couple of points first though...

* Yes I have used some treated pine materials

* Probably way too many screws on some of the pallet fencing

* The ladder is taken away and will not be fixed until the rest of the railings are in place

Apart from that take a look and happy for any advice as to roofing & support. There will be a slide added to the right side which looks higher than it is (1.3m) and maybe later some other additions.

[Jason]

Great work @Mikezoom61! Many thanks for sharing. Looking forward to seeing how the cubby progresses. Let me tag a few of our members like @Yorky88, @LePallet, @MitchellM and @ProjectPete for you who might like to share some advice about roofing and support.

Feel free to post anytime you need a hand or have something to share. We're looking forward to reading more about your projects and plans. And please let me know if you ever need help getting the most from the site or have any feedback about how we can make Workshop even more useful to you.

Jason

[Alisha81]

@Yorky88 Did u have to cement it in the ground 

[Jason]

Check out this amazing cubby house by Queensland mum Eleesha Quinn.

There's a story about the build at news.com.au. Eleesha modified the STILLA Hideout Tower Cubby House.

If you've got a cubby house you've built recently, we'd love to see it. And do let us know if we can provide a hand with your cubby house design. 

Jason

[Dani1]

Great design!!! I was wondering what height is the first level from off the ground. Want to build a cubby house over an exisiting sand pit. 

[Jason]

Sorry @Dani1, can you please clarify which cubby you are referring to? There are lots of great cubbies that have been shared on this discussion! I'd be happy to tag the relevant member so they are alerted to your question about the height if you could please let me know which one. 

I'm sure the ever-helpful Workshop community will be happy to assist with the project. I reckon it's probably a really popular project to tackle at the moment to keep the kids busy and entertained!   

Welcome to the community, I'm sure you'll find plenty of helpful advice and inspiration from our amazing members. 

Jason