AAA State of Play is a leading supplier of commercial playground equipment including playground structures. As such, we provide live support for installation as well as paid installation services. The video below is one part of a series of explaining the general process of installing a traditional playground structure.
Structures in the video:
The deck layout is one of the first and most important steps in constructing the playground. After direction and placement of the structure is determined, decks must be laid out to mark holes for the main support posts. These holes must be dug to an average depth of 18 inches in-ground. Most playground structures accommodate post lengths for 18 inches of post in-ground for anchoring and an additional 12 inches submerged by protective surfacing. Therefore, if you are only applying 6 inches of surface, hole depth will be 24 inches as you have a total of 30 inches of post to play.
Most structures come with a site plan including measurements between posts and decks. These measurements are used to place decks on the ground in position to where they will eventually be connected to posts. As you see in the video, hole position is very important. Off a few inches in a single hole, and your post will not fit, requiring the hole to be dug again. You will use a tape measure and other tools to precisely mark on the ground the position of posts before digging. This method also provides the construction team to measure the safety are to verify the structure placement does not have any hazards such as existing equipment, trees, curbs, etc.
Deck Layout Suggested Tools:
- Tape Measure
- String Line
- Stakes for String Line
- Marking Paint
