Swing sets offer hours of extreme fun and enjoyment for kids of all ages. However, they can also pose some serious risks to children if not well anchored.
The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has revealed that over 200,000 children are taken to the emergency room annually because of injuries related to the playground. so, which is the best way to anchor a swing set?
The best way to anchor a swing set is by use of concrete and ground anchors. Ensure that the surface for anchoring the swing is safe for your children to land. consider using wood mulch, grass, sand, or rubber mats, or any other surface you feel is safe to avoid cases of injuries.
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The 2 Best Ways to Anchor a Swing Set
- Using Concrete
- Using Ground Anchor
Anchoring swing set using Concrete
You will need Concrete, 4 Anchor bolt, 4 screws or bolt, Drill, Shovel, Gravel or sand, Tape measure, Hammer, and Post hole digger.
Concrete helps to firmly secure your playset on the ground. Below, we’ll describe the process that you need to follow when securing your set using concrete.
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Step 1 Mark the Ground where you’ll Position Each leg
Mark the location where each leg of the swing set or ground pole will be set up. Use the shovel to mark each leg.
You can do this by facing the pointed area of the shovel onto the ground, then using a hammer; hit the opposite end of the shovel. To make digging easier you can move the swing set away.
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Step 2 Dig the Holes
Using the post hole digger or the shovel, dig approximately 10-inch-wide and an 8-inch-deep hole in all the places you had marked the swing set’s leg position in step 1.
Using the hole digger, ensure that each hand holds on to the handle while keeping the handles close together. Lift the digger up, and then using force to bring it towards the ground.
The blades of the digger will penetrate the soil’s top layer, taking hold of the dirt. Raise up the hole digger and keep the handles apart, then push them back together and release the soil from the hole. You should continue this process until all the required holes are dug.
Step 3 Attach the Ground Anchors in Each Leg
Attach the ground anchors. You can secure the ground anchors by drilling holes in all the legs of the swing sets, then, insert a bolt through the anchors to the set’s legs. Put a brick in all the holes while ensuring the wide edge is facing up.
The purpose of the bricks is to ensure the set doesn’t sink in the dirt. Read Also: Stain For Cedar Swing Set.
Step 4 Add gravel or sand then Pour contents of concrete
Place your set in place. Add gravel or sand to each hole and adjust the height appropriately. Pour contents of concrete in the wheelbarrow and put the appropriate amount of water, mix them together. Using the shovel place the mixed concrete at roughly one inch inside each hole.
Step 5 Attach the Swingset
Place the legs of the swing set appropriately in each hole. Ensure the anchor bolt is extended inside the hole. Smoothen the concrete out and allow it to dry overnight.
Ground Anchor For Swing Set
You will need Hammer, 4 Metal Ground Anchors, 4 Bolt Cap, 4 Screws or Bolts, 4 Wooden Spikes, Drill, Drill bit, Gravel or Sand, Metal Bar. Read Also: Stain For Swing Set.
Using ground anchors is considered the easiest method to secure your playset to the ground. Go through the following process to anchor your set on the ground.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to set up the swing set. once you’ve set it up, its time to anchor it to the ground
Step 1: Confirm the Presence of Holes on the Legs of the Swingset
Confirm that your set has holes near the bottom of all legs. You can drill, in case you notice it lacks either of the holes.
Then, position your swing set where you would wish it to stand. Harmer a wooden spike on the ground where each leg will be positioned, according to the anchor set you’ll choose.
If you are using a one-piece anchor, just hammer the wooden spikes in front of all legs. Now move your set from the work area to allow you room for the set-up.
For the two-piece anchor, inject the wooden spikes directly into the ground where each leg would be located.
Step 2: Attach Anchors on the Holes
Now remove the spikes and inject the anchors in the marked areas. Using a metal bar, swivel the anchor inside the ground, while keeping all the anchors vertical.
When you decide to use ground anchors, you have two options: an anchor set with one piece and an anchor set with two pieces.
Read Also: Outdoor Playsets for Toddlers.
Step 3: Attach the Swingset legs to the Anchors
After you’ve inserted the anchors deep into the ground, attach the legs of your set appropriately each corresponding to its anchor.
For a one-piece anchor, ensure you drill a hole near the bottom of the leg of the swingset and bolt it through to the ground anchor.
If it’s a metal swing set, and it didn’t come with pre-drilled holes, you can drill the holes using the drill bit. Use the bolt caps to cover all exposed bolts.
For two-piece anchors, you will fix an anchor attachment on each leg of your set. Use the bolts that come with the attachment to firmly fix the attachments.
Read Also: Swing Sets For Small Backyards.
Step 4: Cover the Swingset Surface Appropriately
Lastly, cover the area surrounding your swing set using gravel or sand, or wood mulch, this will offer a cushion against injuries to your kids while they are playing.
Considerations: What’s the Best Way to Anchor a Swing Set?
Although it’s impossible to eradicate all dangers in children’s play areas, you can protect your kids from swing set instigated injuries. You can incorporate a swing set anchoring mechanism to firmly keep your structure on the ground.
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When you anchor your set properly, it’s unlikely that it will tip over and hurt anyone. Thus, it’s important that you use concrete or another suitable ground anchor to properly secure the set. This way both you and your kids will be safe and chances of injuries will greatly reduce.
Before anchoring your swing set, you may want to compare various techniques for securing a set to the ground, and then get to select the option that will work best for you. In this article, we’ll describe two main methods for anchoring a swing set on the ground.
Method 1 will describe using concrete to secure the set firmly on the ground. While method 2 will explain how to use anchors to properly secure a playset/swing set on the ground. Also, check out Best Swing Set For Older Kids.
Conclusion
Securing your swing set will go a long way in ensuring kids remain safe as they play. Always check to see that the swing set is properly anchored and that the bottom of each leg is properly covered to prevent cases of injuries.
Confirm that no hardware is left exposed before allowing kids to play on the swing set. Check to see that the attachment fits on top of the anchor. If it fits properly on the ground anchor, inject a bolt and secure the leg in position.
