What can I use for a playground surface border?

[JTsMom]

We want to fill it with pea gravel.

[bubbaray]

We used "rough 4x6" treated timber.

[neeleymartin]

we used railroad ties(sp.) we also have pea stone within. works great and looks as good as it functions.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Landscape Timbers, 8ft long and less than $2 each! DH screwed them into the ground with some kind of spike thing found near them at Lowe's. Thy double as a nice balance beam.

[JTsMom]

Did you all find something that was non-toxic/not too chemically treated, or were you just not too concerned with that? I'm finding composite material timbers, but they are $$$- we're talking another $500-600 to do a 28X28 area for just the barrier!

Here's what I came up with on HD's page- nothing for $2 for sure!

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=landscape+timbers&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

And here's the other kind of stuff I've found:
http://www.playproviders.com/sandboxtimbers.html

[brittone2]

we have (and love) pea gravel, and DH just cut some cedar trees (that weren't doing very well) down on our property and used the whole log, kwim? Worked well and very non toxic.

We have a sawmill in the area that also sells cedar planks, etc (we used some to build our kids' fort/play structure). If you have something like that in your area you could call and find out if they offer cedar in some form?

[JTsMom]

My eyes are spinning cartoon-style at this point! I can't believe what a pain in the neck this is getting to be. No cedar trees on our property, unfortunately. How lucky for you though, and I'll bet it looks beautiful too!

I did find a sawmill that processes cedar, so I'll give them a call.

I also saw plastic decking pieces on HD's website- I wonder if that would work.

I know everyone here said to remember to calculate the prep costs, but I'm still amazed at how it's adding up. I thought the pea gravel would be the only really pricey thing, but every element is expensive. I haven't even figured out how we're going to level the are yet. It's mostly level, but it still needs a little work.

[neeleymartin]

Landscape Timbers, 8ft long and less than $2 each! DH screwed them into the ground with some kind of spike thing found near them at Lowe's. Thy double as a nice balance beam.

that's just what we used, but we paid $17/piece!!! you got a great deal. the spike thing is re-bar(at least that's the pronunciation).

[WatchingThemGrow]

Here are the $2 landscape timbers (http://www.lowes.com/pd_4574-432-8LST23N_0_?productId=3185179&Ntt=landscape%20timbers&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?mastheadURL=$firstReferURL=http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151$langId=-1$catalogId=10051$N=0$newSearch=true$Ntt=landscape %2Btimbers$x=18$y=9$qvRedirect=$findStoreErrorURL= StoreLocatorDisplayView$masthead=false$storeSearch ZipLayoutButton.y=0$newSearch=true$zipCode=27517$N tt=landscape%20timbers$NttParam=landscape%20timber s$URL=TopCategoriesDisplayView$selectedLocalStoreB eanArray=[com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStore Bean@2bd9d0b0,%20com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.b eans.LocatorStoreBean@2bf850b0,%20com.lowes.commer ce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean@2b96d0b0,%2 0com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStor eBean@2bb6d0b0,%20com.lowes.commerce.storelocator. beans.LocatorStoreBean@2fc910b2]$y=9$storeSearchZipLayoutButton.x=0$isQvSearch=$x= 18) at Lowe's. And thanks neeley for the re-bar cue. DH says my vocab is getting smaller and smaller as the # of DC has gone up! We got Landscape Fabric (http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=412949) at Sam's as well as rubber mulch there also for maybe $8-9/bag. Oooh cool...look at this playground border (http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=434315)they sell.

We dug down a little bit

[JTsMom]

Here are the $2 landscape timbers (http://www.lowes.com/pd_4574-432-8LST23N_0_?productId=3185179&Ntt=landscape%20timbers&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?mastheadURL=$firstReferURL=http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151$langId=-1$catalogId=10051$N=0$newSearch=true$Ntt=landscape %2Btimbers$x=18$y=9$qvRedirect=$findStoreErrorURL= StoreLocatorDisplayView$masthead=false$storeSearch ZipLayoutButton.y=0$newSearch=true$zipCode=27517$N tt=landscape%20timbers$NttParam=landscape%20timber s$URL=TopCategoriesDisplayView$selectedLocalStoreB eanArray=[com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStore Bean@2bd9d0b0,%20com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.b eans.LocatorStoreBean@2bf850b0,%20com.lowes.commer ce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean@2b96d0b0,%2 0com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStor eBean@2bb6d0b0,%20com.lowes.commerce.storelocator. beans.LocatorStoreBean@2fc910b2]$y=9$storeSearchZipLayoutButton.x=0$isQvSearch=$x= 18) at Lowe's. And thanks neeley for the re-bar cue. DH says my vocab is getting smaller and smaller as the # of DC has gone up! We got Landscape Fabric (http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=412949) at Sam's as well as rubber mulch there also for maybe $8-9/bag. Oooh cool...look at this playground border (http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=434315)they sell.

We dug down a little bit

When I pull up the first link, they say $4 for me- maybe it's a regional price? Do you remember what they are made of? I keep reading railroad ties are soaked in creosote- maybe it's just some of them?

The playground border is perfect, except for the stinking price. At 24 ft., we'd need to buy 5 of those, so $420ish plus tax. There has got to be a more economical way!




I found this site:
http://www.abswood.com/pages/price.htm?gclid=CNDrpqzPgaECFVZY2godY0FHFQ#Cedar

Looks like they are in Atlanta, and they have various sizes of cedar. I wonder what size we'd need though.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Wow, you're right! I pulled up my dad's Lowe's in Marietta, and $4 for the same landscape timbers that are $2 in the Triangle. Our ground was low and had to be dug out/filled in with dirt/leveled quite a bit to get the right surface to start our prep. You may just have to get a few pieces of stuff and see what's going to work for your situation. You may have to buy the bigger railroad ties b/c IIRC pea gravel requires greater depth than rubber mulch.

Did you look at the website that tells you the safe depth to fill in the ground?

[JTsMom]

Craziness- it figures. Sigh.

I think we need it to be 6" deep. This is the set:
http://shop.bjs.com/-1199-99-less--100-Online-Instant-Coupon-on-Adventure-Playsets-Mt--Rainier-Wooden-Play-Center-with-Built-In-Picnic-Table-Swing-Sets---Climbers_stcVVproductId70225774VVcatId545653VVview prod.htm

I think the highest fall point is about 6'.

[tiapam]

Have you seen this:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Productgroup.aspx?Prodid=11215415&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|50126&N=4035346&Mo=5&No=4&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=79374&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

and a bit more info, incl videos:

http://www.frameitall.com/

[JTsMom]

Yeah, that looks like the same stuff, but even more expensive! $600. Yikes.

[o_mom]

Craziness- it figures. Sigh.

I think we need it to be 6" deep. This is the set:
http://shop.bjs.com/-1199-99-less--100-Online-Instant-Coupon-on-Adventure-Playsets-Mt--Rainier-Wooden-Play-Center-with-Built-In-Picnic-Table-Swing-Sets---Climbers_stcVVproductId70225774VVcatId545653VVview prod.htm

I think the highest fall point is about 6'.

You can still use the landscape timbers from Lowes, just stack them two deep. Basically, you put one on top of the other, drill down through both pieces together and then drive the piece of rebar down through the hole and into the ground. You drive the spike down so it is set a half inch or so below the top and not sticking out.

I think you would need around 20 of those 8' timbers - 5 for each side, so even at $4 each, that's only $80.

ETA: I think they are treated wood, not the creasote of RR ties. Not great, but for edging vs. the actual playset (where they would be grabbing, climbing, etc.) it might be OK.