Waltrrr wrote:

Howdy, Foax! We’re seeking a Devil’s Advocate regarding a DIY
construction project in the lowcountry of the Great Sovereign
Confederate State of Georgia. My vastly better half and I are preparing
to construct a playhouse for our grandchild. After careful research, we
purchased a slide-swing combo that ostensibly could be constructed over
a weekend. Of course, nothing was said about the fact that preparing a
38’ L x 23’ W x 1’ D safe playground area would require exponentially
more effort and time than that required to build the playhouse, which
leads me to the following questions:

(1) Are 787 cubic feet of mulch (the play area surrounding the
playhouse, filled to a depth of 9" – 12") truly necessary? Given that
the maximum height from which a child may fall is 90" (i.e., a child
leaps off the swing at it’s maximum extension) will such a “soft” area
truly protect life, or is it simply one more in the long list of “sound
good” manufacturer recommendations designed to shield the company from
Torts-R-Us? (I note that none of the seven public playgrounds near my
residence possess more than 1" of mulch at most. More than this, the
playhouse manufacturer recommends the purchase of a safety surfacing
called SofPlay, which sells for almost four times as much as the
playhouse itself. While I recognize many feel no cost is too great
where child safety is concerned, Reason suggests that this is an
illogical fallacy, especially in the absence of evidence that such a
quantity of “soft” ground is any better at mitigating injuries over
time than ground mulched to a lesser depth.)

This is assuming that you want to teach the kid that falling
from that height and at that velocity is harmless. If you
want them to learn about the laws of nature, leave it as dirt.

All of my children (and a lot of the neighbors children) have
survived on our unprotected playground equipment. We have a
rope swing, trampoline, see-saw, jungle jim and a big wire
spool that have taught our children that it is wise to NOT
fall and hit the dirt. It hurts.

(2) Assuming a deep mulch to be desirable, our initial response would
be to construct a 38’ L x 23’ W x 20" D area, level the ground within,
and border this with pressure treated 2 x 6s. After constructing and
“planting” the playhouse, we would fill the bottom of the play area
with pea gravel to a depth of 6” (to expedite drainage), cover this
with 12" of “rubber” mulch under a porous matting material, and top the
whole off with 2" of natural mulch, to be replenished seasonally as
required. The 64K questions: (a) Does this make sense, and (b) do y’all
have any better ideas?

Doesn't make a bit of sense to me. Unless you intend to open
it to the public unattended.

Thanks very much for your kind assistance. May our experience, and your
expertise, prove useful to future generations of overzealous
grandparents.

Man, what is it today? Jump on all of Roberts' pet peeves?


--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX