Discussions with Zharphyn

I have mentioned before that I plan on building anelaborate fort structure in my backyard in which my children can play. My daughter is turning three in mid-May and she has developed a love for climbing and jumping. She loves going to the local gyms and indoor playgrounds. On more than one occasion, I have been forced to drag her, literally, kicking and screaming away from a outdoor playground. I am thinking that it might be time, or maybe even past time, that I started construction.

I talked to my municipality regarding bylaws, to find out what regulations are in place that might prevent some of the structure that I envision. I am allowed up to 4.5 metres in height, and it needs to be minimum 1.5 metres from the rear and side property lines. I think that I can handle those limitation, but I will have to measure how close to the corner of the property I need to be.

After that, renting the powered post hole digger to dig holes for the four anchor posts. I will then laminate together two by fours to create the anchor posts and cement them into the holes. I will build some of the framework onto the posts to hold them in the correct position while the cement cures, but that will likely be all that I can do for that day. Once the four anchor posts are installed, it should be a relatively simple process to start creating floors and walls. My wife wants a swing set for the kids, so I may have to build something in the middle of the yard to support that. I can later incorporate the swing structure into the bridge that I plan to build to the tree in the centre of my yard. The tree will ultimately be getting a high lookout tower, but that is several years away. Call me crazy, but I do not want my three year old high up in a tree.