DIY sandbox with a lid can be done in several steps. The first of these involves proper placement. This indicates the need to locate the play area where children can be easily observed. This will ensure safety. Among other things, the sandbox must meet hygienic requirements. At the same time, you should not have a place to play under the trees, as they will become a source of falling leaves and bird droppings. However, care must be taken to protect from the sun. Children, among other things, should be comfortable using your design. It is also important to consider the number of children who will use the sandbox.
Features of building a sandbox
A do-it-yourself sandbox with a lid, as a rule, is made according to certain rules, which are prescribed by standard standards. Thus, it is preferable to choose wood as a material for the reason that it acts as the most environmentally friendly material. It is preferable to make the shape square, the side can be equal to 2,5-3 m. It is important to bring sand in moderation. It will need approximately 2 m³. If you want to make a standard sandbox, then it is preferable to use pine boards, which have a thickness of 25-30 mm.
Do-it-yourself sandbox with a lid must be made according to safety rules, this indicates that all details must be carefully processed. If it is planned to make the structure standard, then it will be necessary to allocate a square-shaped area with a side equal to 2 m on the territory of the site.
Preparation before starting work
In the example, a do-it-yourself sandbox with a square-shaped lid with a side equal to 1.7 m will be considered. This will save free space in the garden, and this will be enough for three kids. Initially, you need to mark the site for installing the structure, it will be quite simple. To carry out this kind of work, it is necessary to prepare four pegs and a certain amount of twine, a tape measure will also come in handy. The site must be carefully prepared in advance. Why, by means of a peg and a rope, it is necessary to mark the perimeter of the future structure, which will allow digging a hole inside the fence. Its depth should be equal to 25 cm. It is not worth getting rid of the fertile layer of soil that remains after excavation, it will come in handy in other parts of the territory. As a result, you should get a platform whose dimensions are 170 x 170 x 25 cm.
Working on the base of the sandbox
When a do-it-yourself sandbox with a lid is made, a pit can also serve as a base, but in this case, problems that are expressed in frequent sand pollution cannot be avoided in the future. This, in turn, will imply the need to change it frequently. It is for this reason that it is necessary to think in advance about how to make the sandbox clean. If you make the base as dense as possible, then this will prevent the mixing of soil and sand. Thus, in order to solve this problem, it is necessary to first level the bottom of the pit, and then lay the sand preparation. It is not necessary to make a layer whose thickness is more than 5 cm. The sand must be carefully compacted and then covered with a special material.
Alternative base
After the dimensions of the sandbox are determined and the hole dug, you can think about what the base will be like. The above option can be replaced with paving slabs, however, much less effort will be spent with sand, and the effect will be the same. You can cover the sand with geotextile or agrofibre. You should not use polyethylene for this, since after the first precipitation, the structure will have to be removed in order to rid the base of accumulated moisture. But geotextiles perfectly cope with the task assigned to it. This material will allow moisture to pass through it, which will go into the ground. But the sandbox will be well protected from moles and insects. If you still decide to use the film, thenholes must be made in it. For this, you can also use plywood, in which holes must also be made beforehand.
Sandbox making process
Before you make a sandbox with a lid, you need to prepare bars with dimensions equal to 450 x 50 x 50 mm. They have to be mounted at the corners of the structure. It must be remembered that part of the wooden element will be 15 cm in the ground, this indicates the need to treat the surface of the bar with an antiseptic. You can use bitumen for protection. The bars need to be driven into the ground at the corners of the sandbox. For each side of the installation, it is necessary to make a shield made of pine boards. Its width should be equal to 30 cm, while the thickness is 2.5 cm. Why it is permissible to use one wide or narrow board is not so important. However, do not neglect the need to treat the surface of the shields, so they should not have knots, chips or notches. On this we can assume that the sandbox made of wood is almost ready. It remains only to make bumpers for her.
Production of bumpers and other additions
Four boards are to be laid along the perimeter of the structure. Each of them should first be planed and checked for the absence of notches. Sides can be used as seats. You can also add a cover to the installation. This will prevent rain from falling on the sand, the latter of which will not be blown away by the wind. In addition, for the time beingthe structure is not used, it will be protected from debris. In addition, small animals will not be able to enter the sandbox space.
Before you build a sandbox, you need to consider whether it will have a lid. The latter, if necessary, should be made of a wooden shield, which is fixed on several boards on bars. It will need to be lifted and removed by adults before children can use it. However, the child will not be able to do this, which is why the lid can be equipped with a door, which should consist of two parts. For her, you need to make 2 shields, fixing them on hinges. If the doors are equipped with handles, even a child can open them.
The drawing of the sandbox must be prepared before the start of work, this will avoid many mistakes. The cover, by the way, can be replaced with an awning or a dense polyethylene film. For a while, until you are present at the cottage, the awning can be fixed with a good rubber band or bricks.
Making a canopy
It is preferable to place a canopy or a fungus over the sandbox. When carrying out work on the manufacture of such an addition, it is necessary to use the same wood. Thus, the leg of the fungus can be made from a bar with a size of 100 x 100 mm. It is necessary to use an element whose length is 3 m. It is worth considering that the leg must be driven into the ground by 1.5 m or more, this is the only way to achieve the stability of the fungus. Do not forget that the leg must betreated with an antiseptic. For the cap of the fungus, it is necessary to make triangles from the boards in advance. From the inside, they need to be nailed to the leg, while on the outside, the fungus must be sheathed using thin plywood.
If you used the recommended sizes of the sandbox, then you can use a width of 2.5 m for the mushroom cap, this will be enough for children to play.
Sandbox content selection
You can prepare a sandbox drawing yourself or use the one given in the article. As a rule, river sand is chosen for children's facilities of this type. This is due to the fact that it is considered the purest of all the others and does not contain foreign impurities or does, but in the smallest amount. You can replace it with the one purchased on the building materials market, this option is more expensive, but may be more preferable. Thus, quartz sand is also suitable, this should be kept in mind by the craftsman. However, whatever sand you choose, you must first sift it. Sandbox with lid "Sunflower" can be filled with special sand, which is designed for children's games. It allows you to sculpt figures well, as it contains some amount of clay. In addition, this material contains special fragrances that repel unwanted visitors - dogs and cats.
Specialist recommendations
Boards must be processed with a planer, and then sanded with emery. After the beam is mounted in the corners, strengthen the lower tier to it, which consists of boards,screws can be used. Care must be taken that the steel caps do not stick out. The lid can be non-removable, but simply opening on canopies. Loops for this are attached with self-tapping screws.
Surface treatment of structure
The scheme of the sandbox with a lid will allow you to do the work correctly. Before fixing the elements of the cover, it is necessary to paint the frame. The most successful solution is nitro paint, it must be applied in two layers. The agrofibre laid on the bottom can be strengthened to the sides with a stapler. If all the work is carried out according to the recommendations, then the structure will turn out to be durable, it will not have to be repaired during operation or some component parts should be replaced. It is important to use only high-quality materials when carrying out work, since the lifetime of the installation largely depends on them. It is important to be able to work with wood so that the child does not get splinters during the game.
