Cubby house base ideas?

Hi everyone, newbie here! I'm wanting to install a Cubby House with an adjacent carport on an uneven grassed area & trying to figure out what the best option would be for the base? Hubby & I obviously have different opinions, and neither of us really have the experience so need plenty of advice. I don't know the correct "terms" for everything, so hopefully you can decipher what I mean. I've already read alot of member posts on here to try & get even a basic understanding. I've attached photos to help explain & what we're trying to achieve.

Hubby wants to put it on top of some conjoined-pallet-type structure & sit it directly on the ground. I'm wanting to build a low-level deck on small footings so it's elevated slightly & not have as much ground contact ie. less worry about drainage/rot/pest damage issues etc.

We've looked at other base options like digging out the grass, putting down weedmat & gravel, or pavers with sand etc, but we don't want a permanent solution, as we'll eventually want to dismantle or move it & replace the Cubby with a trampoline. So I want to keep the grass/ground underneath the structure.

Can anyone tell me what the pros/cons are for both options? Or have any other suggestions? Is it possible to just have the whole thing sitting on pallets on the ground? Or a timber sleeper base? Can you build a deck on small footings without having to cement in the posts?

Thanks in advance 🤗

House with adjacent carport idea

Flat base straight on ground idea (or on pallets)

Slightly elevated on footings with a couple of steps.

Or could we do something like this? Would this be ok?

Thanks!

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Comments

EricL

Hello @SxcMnx

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about what base to use for your cubby house.

It's great that you've been exploring options and having a read of the low-level deck possibilities on the site. I know you're hoping to save the turf once it's been covered, but unfortunately, anything that cuts the sunlight from the turf will kill it.

If you're looking for cost-effective, ease of use and long service life, I suggest using pavers. It's easy to layout, it won't' rot or get eaten by insects and vermin and will not warp. It can be removed and used in another project or location and can be sold as seconds.

Timber pallets are prone to rot and warping when exposed to moisture and wetness for long periods of time. Some pallets are preserved in toxic chemicals and not recommended to be used for D.I.Y. projects. Unless disassembled and reassembled, they will not provide a flat stable surface.

Timber Sleepers are big heavy pieces of timber. It is chemically treated to withstand ground contact and to resist insect attack and rot. You would need to get playground safe sleepers. It would need to be cut to size and assembled to form a sound base for the cubby house. The cut ends must be sealed to prevent them from being exposed to the elements and insects.

Among the three products I've mentioned, I recommend pavers. It is the safest base among the three, it's the easiest to use and is movable and transferable. It's a base that will provide you with the knowledge that the cubby house is on a safe platform. It will provide years of service and will continue to provide service long after the cubby house has served its purpose.

Let me tag our experienced members @pete_brig and @JoeAzza for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

SxcMnx

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/17710#Comment_17710

Hi @EricL

Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply.

I failed to mention that the Cubby we will have is actually 2 Flat packs joined, and doesn't have an existing floor. I also want to add-on a front porch with a roof, have ballastrades, letterbox etc. Hence why I thought building a deck would be the way to go, to then attach the house & build the add-ons straight onto it.

There was a member post by @weekenddiyer that has the same house built on a platform with a ladder, slide & sandpit underneath - I'm essentially wanting a similar thing, just not raised up high with as many extras.

Is it possible to have a deck/platform that just sits on small footings on top of the grass? (After we level it). Or will we need to cement in those footings?

This is the ultimate goal, but raised OFF the ground & have small steps at the front.

Kind of like this.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/71491#Comment_71491

Sure, you can build a deck platform @SxcMnx. It'll look fantastic.

It doesn't sound like you need it there for decades, so I'm not particularly concerned about it being so close to the ground. I'd suggest the most straightforward way would be to construct the frame with H4 treated pine sleepers, similar to what @weekenddiyer did. You can then just clad over the top with your decking so kids can't make contact with them. That will mean you can use whatever sleepers are available.

Since the sleepers are H4 treated, you can level the ground where they are going to sit and place them directly on it. Alternatively, you can use adjustable pedestal feet which will allow you to place the sleeper frame on uneven ground. It would be a good idea to place a paver under each of the feet to spread the load over a larger area. These pavers will be hidden under the platform.

I've put a rendering together for you below, and the deck is drawn to scale. It's using 200 x 50mm 2.4m Treated Pine Sleeper H4 and 90 x 19mm L/M Decking Merbau SpecRite Pre Oiled KD Select.

Building a platform like this will give you the wow factor that it looks like you're going for.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

SxcMnx

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/99022#Comment_99022

Thankyou @MitchellMc that's perfect! ( I was hoping you'd show up as I've seen your other helpful tips) 😆

I'm assuming that rendering is 2.4 x 1.2? And the joists are at 40cm intervals? Is that what you meant by drawn to scale? That's about the size we want. There's 2 cubbys being joined back to back, so they'll sit along the length of the deck with room at the front for the verandah if that makes sense. I'll also be wanting to add a carport with a skillion roof off to the right, so the base will be L-shaped. I'm assuming I can just make another 1.2 squared frame & attach it? Does the 2.4 length not require any noggins? (Think that's what they're called). And would it be best to use those metal brackets to secure the joists to the frame instead of just screws? Would you mind linking all the recommended hardware aswell so I can make a shopping list please? And I can see that the decking boards are pre-oiled, is there a recommended top coat for them aswell? Preferably a matt/satin finish, not glossy.

Much appreciated!

pete_brig

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/116300#Comment_116300

Hi @SxcMnx

Yes, another great suggestion from @MitchellMc along with drawings for visualisation. Just a couple of comments from me.

Because you're going to cover the grassed area, the grass will die & need to be replaced when you remove it but it won't be hard to lay some turf 🙂
Depending on your budget, you could use treated pine decking and stain or paint it
If your space doesn't have too much fall/unevenness, digging out a level area is more work but will be cheaper than using the adjustable feet Mitchell suggested. If you need to level the site, a cheap option is to use pieces of treated timber e.g sleepers or fence posts

I'm sure your kids will enjoy your creation.

Cheers, Peter

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/116300#Comment_116300

The rendering is 2.4 x 1.2m, and the joists are spaced at 400mm intervals @SxcMnx. You can create whatever shape you like for the structure, and the sleepers are pretty substantial, so I don't see any need for noggins. You could use brackets to secure the joists to the frame, but screws are perfectly fine.

The only other hardware you'd need is the screws for the decking boards. I like the Zenith 12G x 65mm Stainless Steel Self Drilling Decking Screw - 500 Pack as there is no need to pre-drill and countersink the holes. The topcoat for the decking will be decking oil or stain. There are no glossy deck finishes that I can think of, so you'll be OK with an oil. The Cabot's 4L Deck And Exterior Merbau Oil Based Timber Stain is quite matt, but it looks very much like an opaque paint if used with thick coats.

Mitchell

SxcMnx

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/126185#Comment_126185

Awesome! Thankyou so much @EricL, @pete_brig & @MitchellMc for all your advice, solutions & product suggestions 🤗 We're well on our way to planning out our design, now that we know what to use & how to achieve the look we are after. Thanks again 👍

Sighman

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/132776#Comment_132776

Hey @SxcMnx,

How did your build go? I am planning on doing the exact same thing - but was wondering if the deck will sink? Also how long has it been since you've built it?

I will be building a low level deck with some adjustable support footings sitting on top of some pavers.

The deck will only be used for the cubby house, so it would need to support a few kids and maybe an adult or two at most.

Thanks in advance!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/136973#Comment_136973

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Sighman. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about this project.

Let me mention @SxcMnx, so they are alerted, and hopefully, they can provide us with an update on their cubbyhouse.

You shouldn't have any issues using adjustable support footing on pavers. However, it's stipulated in their installation instructions that the area on which the paver sits much be compacted. It would be a good idea to pick up a tamper and compact the soil before placing your pavers down.

Do you have any particular issues will drainage in the area or soil subsidence?

I'll be looking forward to hearing more about your project and assisting further.

Mitchell

SxcMnx

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/136973#Comment_136973

Hi @Sighman,

So we ended up totally changing ideas. We bailed on trying to join 2 cheaper cubbies & just purchased a larger pre-fabbed one that had it's own floor. So now that the base wasn't really going to be seen, we no longer cared about the "decking" look.

We ended up digging out the grass, but leaving the ground with a slight fall for drainage/run-off. And then we built a raft-type structure with the treated pine sleepers, and used offcuts to make 200mm x 200mm & 400mm x 200mm "feet" blocks to raise it up a bit more. We then cladded all the edges with treated pine fence pailings & painted the whole lot with 2 x undercoat & 2 x Weathershield (bcos we had painted the cubby anyway).

It's a very sturdy/heavy base & we had a substantial amount of rain in May without any sinking/movement so far. We are on clay though, which may/may not make a difference? It's held up to both my partner & I and our toddler playing in the cubby, plus the cubby itself obviously (so 200kg+). We're only hoping to get about 3-5yrs out of it anyway. Here's some pics I took along the way. Happy building!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139704#Comment_139704

That looks fabulous, @SxcMnx! Well done.

This would make an excellent entry into our Australia Best D.I.Y. Project competition. Would you like me to enter it for you?

Many thanks for sharing your excellent results.

Mitchell

Sighman

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139704#Comment_139704

Looks awesome @SxcMnx - love what you guys have done there. How many months/years has it been?

Thanks @MitchellMc for the advice. The soil has already been compacted 2 years ago when i had landscapers in to lay the grass. But yeah i will compact it again with the tamper.

I was considering pouring in concrete footers, but i wasnt sure if this was overkill. For now i'm thinking large pavers so i can maximise the distribution of weight.

For drainage, is it as simple as slanting the soil slightly? Or is there more to this?

KatieC

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141575#Comment_141575

Hi @Sighman,

Thank you for the question about drainage, @MitchellMc will be back online Friday so in the meantime let me tag @EricL to see what advice he would give. You can also check out this How to install garden drainage article that our member @Adam_W wrote. Do you have photos you can share of the area you are looking to build on?

Katie

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141575#Comment_141575

Hi @Sighman

The decision to put in concrete footers or pavers depends on how long you intend to keep the cubby house standing in the area. The drawback to a concrete footer is that it is very difficult to remove compared to a paver that can be simply lifted out of the way. If your cubby house is heavy enough, there will be minimal movement, but if it needs to be anchored down, then you've no choice but to use a concrete footer.

One of the things that need to be controlled in a slope is soil erosion. This is done by putting a weed mat over the soil and gravel over the weed mat. For superior control, you can use geofabric, this has the best form of filtration and will let very little soil pass through. The only other thing that comes to mind is that the drain coil must be properly aimed outside or towards a designated drain area on your property.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Sighman

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142978#Comment_142978

Thanks @EricL!

I was also thinking of using h4 sleepers instead of pavers so that I can distribute the weight load more. What are your thoughts on that?

And yes, good idea with the weed mat and gravel, I will be doing that.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143965#Comment_143965

Hi @Sighman,

You could likely use sleepers. I know in the United States they quite often use them to build decks over soil. I don't see why they wouldn't work as a base for your cubby house.

Mitchell

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