When buying a swing set for your home, don’t be tempted to just leave it on the yard as is. You need to anchor it to make sure that it won’t flip over.
Read on to learn the steps on how to anchor a swing set.
Why You Should Have a Swing Set at Home
If you have children, you should have a swing set at home. If you don’t have children, you should have a swing set anyway, especially if you have a large yard.
Here are some benefits of having a swing set at home:
It’s fun!
This should be enough reason to buy a swing set. If you have kids, it even becomes more significant.
Kids would love to go to the playground all the time. In fact, it’s essential that they have some active time as well amidst some fresh air.
You know
A lot of the kids these days are satisfied being cooped up inside the house with their gadgets. That’s not healthy at all.
So, if you have extra money, it’s always great to just have your own playground at home–even if it’s just a swing set.
At least, you don’t have to drive somewhere, like the local park or entertainment center.
It promotes a healthy lifestyle
As earlier mentioned, having a swing set makes the children more active. Don’t allow them to succumb to the temptations of mobile phones, tablets, PlayStation, among others.
Or if they do, at least, allow them time to soak up the sun outside with their swing set as well. Balance their fun.
It encourages bonding
One can swing on their own. Or they could ask somebody else to swing them so they could go as high as possible.
In other words, a swing set is something you could play with other people.
In essence
The entire family could bond at the swing set. Or the children could bond with other neighborhood kids through the swing set.
It will look good in the yard
Now, this is another thing. If you have a bare yard, a swing set will definitely elevate how it looks.
So there you go! Those are pretty convincing reasons on why you should buy a swing set, right?
How to Anchor a Swing Set
It may be tempting to just buy a swing set, assemble it and just put it in your hard as is, right? WRONG!
Remember that kids will be using this–it could be dangerous.
When the swing set is not anchored, it could topple down while the children are playing with it.
Here’s the deal:
There is no one perfect way to anchor the swing set. It actually depends on the ground.
Not everybody has a lawn where they can set up the swing. Some would have to anchor it on a cemented ground, and that’s fine.
So, let’s deal with the different materials as well.
How to anchor a swing set on GRASS / TURF
It’s always best if you do this work with a partner. If it’s a big swing set, then have a few friends around to help you out.
If you plan on putting the swing set on your lawn, here are the steps to follow:
1. Find a spot for your swing set
Here’s an important consideration: Your ground should be solid to ensure stability for your swing set.
You should have a packed soil in order to have a stable swing set. If you have clay soil, then great. If not, look for a place where the grass is really dense.
Also, you should find the most practical place for the set.
Meaning?
Find a place where there can be a bit of shade just during really hot summers.
You should also set up your swing set where the children can have maximum fun. Make sure it’s a safe place where there are no hard objects where they could possibly stumble upon.
2. Hammer stakes into the ground
You should have a stake for each leg of the swing set. What you do is position the swing set where you want it.
The legs will leave an imprint on the grass. That will make it easier for you to know where to put the stakes.
The stakes are just placeholders for the anchors. You want to make a hole to slide the anchors in.
3. Twist the anchors into the holes
Now, you can remove the stakes so you can put the anchors in their place. Twist the anchors into the soil and make sure you apply pressure .
4. Attach the swing legs to the anchors
It’s time to attach the legs of the swing to its corresponding anchors. There are bolts and screws that come with the anchor set.
Read the instructions to properly secure the anchors.
Basically
If you’re using the one-piece anchors, you just need to attach the screw or bolts in each of the eyes of the anchor. Then, you have to drill the screw into the side of the leg of the anchor–the one near the bottom.
For two-piece anchors, you need to put the leg attachment at the footing of each leg. Then you can drill the attachment using the bolts in the side of the leg.
5. Cover the base of the legs
For safety reasons, you want to cover the base of the legs of the swing set. You can do it with extra soil but mulch looks better.
Just to give you an idea, you can cover it with nine inches of mulch made of wood chips or some 12 inches of sand.
6. Test the sturdiness
You should try shaking the swing set. It should not budge. If it does, then you might have to redo the anchoring and push on deeper.
How to anchor a swing set on CONCRETE
Before we start, it’s best to indicate that concrete is not really the best place to have a swing set.
Why?
Because it could be quite dangerous for the kids–for anyone, actually. If somebody falls from the swing, they will make impact on a hard surface.
That could mean serious injuries.
However
It also provides a really steady foundation for a swing set. Having mentioned that, here are the steps to anchor the swing set on a concrete ground.
1. Find the position for your swing set
Look for the best place to put your swing set. Make sure that you won’t change your mind.
Once the swing set is in place, mark where the legs are positioned.
2. Drill the necessary holes
You will need flat-ground anchors to secure the swing set. Drill holes on the side of the legs where you will attach the anchors.
3. Attach the lag shields
Attach the lag shields into the holes that have been previously drilled.
4. Fasten the screws
Finally, fasten the anchor to the concrete with the use of the lag shields.
5. Cover the area with soft material
If kids will be using the swing set, it’s best to cover the entire area with something like a soft mat or maybe some clay material just to be safe.
Summary
Having a swing set at home is really fun. This is true if you don’t have kids, but most definitely true when you do have kids. It helps keep them active.
When you do have a swing set, make sure you anchor them to the ground to ensure stability. The steps on how to anchor a swing set is pretty simple, whether you have a lawn or concrete ground. Although, a lawn would be more preferable because of the softer soil cushion.
After anchoring the swing set, make sure you test its sturdiness by shaking it a little bit. If it doesn’t budge, then you know you have a stable swing set.
Useful Resources
- 9 Best Swing Sets of 2021 – Good Housekeeping
- Woman Turns Old Swing Set into Outdoor Seating – Daily Records
- The Importance of Play: How Kids Learn By Having Fun – Healthline
