# Playscape teardown and assembly tips wanted!



## TheBEast (Nov 1, 2013)

So I've come across a decent plays-cape by Creative Playthings.  Its it pretty reasonable shape, six years old or so.  Best part is its free from a neighbor of my brother-in-law.  I've got to go disassemble it tomorrow.  I've got my Tundra and a large flatbed trailer so I'm hoping I won't have to disassemble it too much.  Anyone every done this have any tips/tricks or "wish I had knows this before hand" advice?

Thanks!  The 60 degree weather today BLOWS for November 1st!!

Ryan


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## Nick (Nov 1, 2013)

Is this for a kid? I am going to need a playground set next summer for sure. Unsure of where to even start looking. I was considering buying one of those kits of Amazon that include hardware and molded plastic pieces and a cut list of lumbar for Home Depot


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## spring_mountain_high (Nov 1, 2013)

if you live even remotely close to a halfway decent playground, don't bother...it will not get the use to justify the cost/labor and will be an unused rotting hulk within 2 years when the kid outgrows/becomes bored with it...i had to take a sawzall to the swingset the previous owners left at our house...our neighbors had a massive playset that never once was used in the 7 years i've lived in my house...finally last year i loaned him my sawzall and we took that one down too..unless you can get some sucker to take it off your hands (hi there BEast!), disposal is a pain in the arse as well...gonna need a dumpster, a bulk pickup or a truck to haul it to the dump


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## bvibert (Nov 1, 2013)

Is it a wooden playscape?


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## Puck it (Nov 1, 2013)

Waste of money guys.  I built a tree house and it was never used.


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## hammer (Nov 1, 2013)

I had a redwood playset when the kids were younger...had to disassemble and reassemble it due to some wood rot issues.  Main advice is to disassemble as little as you can, have a good impact driver (I had a portable drill which didn't work as well), and be prepared to replace hardware.

Ended up selling it on Craigslist when the kids got older, but I mainly asked for cash because I wanted to make sure the person picked it up.

Was good to have the set but in retrospect I wish we could have found a less expensive option.


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## Nick (Nov 1, 2013)

I feel like when I was a kid I used our swingset / playscape constantly.


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## TheBEast (Nov 1, 2013)

Nick - I've got a 5 1/2 yo and a 3 yo.  It will certainly get plenty of use and the $0 price tag is enticing.  They also have neighborhood friends that would use it.

Hammer - Good ideas.  I'm certainly thinking the least amount that gets disassembled the better.

I've got a great town dumb that would take this when its reached its useful life for $30-$40 so I'm not overly concerned what to do with it when its done or the kids don't use it anymore.


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## TheBEast (Nov 1, 2013)

bvibert said:


> Is it a wooden playscape?



Yup.  monkey bars, slide, rope ladder, spot for 3 swings and a little elevated tree house type area.


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## bvibert (Nov 1, 2013)

TheBEast said:


> Yup.  monkey bars, slide, rope ladder, spot for 3 swings and a little elevated tree house type area.



Sounds great, it will be well worth the effort to move it!

We have a small yard with no space for a playscape or swingset, but we still have a simple Little Tikes type playset from when the kids were younger.  They have far out-grown it (they're 8 and 6 now), but still play on it whenever they're playing in the yard.  I wanted to get rid of it over a year ago, but they insisted we keep it.


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## bvibert (Nov 1, 2013)

As far as dis-assembly goes.. I have no personal experience, but like has been mentioned I would try to take apart as little as possible.  Do you have someone to help you move big pieces onto the trailer?  I would also be prepared to cut stubborn/rusted hardware.


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## ALLSKIING (Nov 1, 2013)

TheBEast said:


> Yup.  monkey bars, slide, rope ladder, spot for 3 swings and a little elevated tree house type area.


 If you want to make it like new again pressure wash it or even better sand it the apply a stain!


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## spring_mountain_high (Nov 1, 2013)

^good advice...if it's more than a couple years old do yourself a favor and buy this before you head over there to take it apart:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kawasaki...d-Drill-Bit-Set-840979/203123585#.UnO9Y1Pucm0


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## TheBEast (Nov 1, 2013)

ALLSKIING said:


> If you want to make it like new again pressure wash it or even better sand it the apply a stain!



Yup plan on doing that in the spring.


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## TheBEast (Nov 1, 2013)

bvibert said:


> As far as dis-assembly goes.. I have no personal experience, but like has been mentioned I would try to take apart as little as possible.  Do you have someone to help you move big pieces onto the trailer?  I would also be prepared to cut stubborn/rusted hardware.



Yup got a couple helpers and a good sized trailer too!


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## TheBEast (Nov 1, 2013)

spring_mountain_high said:


> ^good advice...if it's more than a couple years old do yourself a favor and buy this before you head over there to take it apart:
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kawasaki...d-Drill-Bit-Set-840979/203123585#.UnO9Y1Pucm0



Yup got those too!  Good idea tho for sure.


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## ctenidae (Nov 1, 2013)

spring_mountain_high said:


> ^good advice...if it's more than a couple years old do yourself a favor and buy this before you head over there to take it apart:
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kawasaki...d-Drill-Bit-Set-840979/203123585#.UnO9Y1Pucm0



I wonder why those can't be shipped outside the continental US?


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## wa-loaf (Nov 1, 2013)

I got a free one a few years ago, it was kind of a mess and had some broken bolts. I took it apart transported it home and rebuilt it with a few extra nuts and bolts and rebuilt the deck. When I moved a few years ago I took it apart and brought it with us. Kids still play on it.


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