Conference 7.286::home_work

    
    
    	I put up a 8X8 in it was really small. My nighbor built a 10x10
    and it was alot better. If I had to do it again I would have a truck
    load of sand dumped out in my back an thats it.
    
    	-Steve-
    
    P.S.	Mine is made of 2x12x8's P.T. sunk in about 5 inches.

    Word of wisdom.  Make sure that you can cover it.
    
    You want your tots playing in a kitty litter box ??
    Puddy tats just wuv that stuff!

    
    The sandbox I built was 8 X 8 made with 2 X 10's.  I cut the top
    edge of each corner and put on a triangular piece of wood for a
    seat.  My yard also slopes off so I dug down a ways, leveled
    the sandbox and filled it with sand.  I wouldn't worry about drainage
    the sand drains very quickly.  We cover our sandbox with either
    a blue nylon tarp or piece of plastic sheeting.  We did not use
    pressure treated wood on advice from a friend.  Our friend said
    the kids have a tendency to come in contact with the wood quite
    a bit while playing in the sandbox.  The chance of splinters with
    unfinished PT wood is high.  PT wood splinters can cause some nasty
    problems in the hands and fingers of kids.  I decided to use good
    kiln dried wood, sand the touchable surfaces well, put multiple 
    coats of exterior stain on the wood and multiple coats of spar varnish
    to protect it.  Besides, do you really want the sandbox to last
    twenty years ?
    
    The kids have been in the sandbox for two+ years
    now, no rot, no splinters, all we do is add more sand every year.
    I went to Worcester Sand & Gravel and filled the trunk of my Subaru
    for $3.00.  The bagged sand was too dry, blew away easily and cost
    about $2.00/bag.
    
    

    On making a large cat-box...
    
    A neighbor went to landscape college, the way to prevent a fresh
    set of lincoln-logs for your kids to play with is to make it round,
    or at least octagon. Seems kitty likes to back into a corner...
    You will notice this at some public sandbox's with a "seat" across
    the corner, this reduces the angle at the top, and will do the trick
    as good as making the frame angle that way, much easier.
    
    C.B.

    Have you considered buying a plastic one? We got a "Li'l Tykes"
    (I think) Turtle. It has a cover to keep the sand dry and cat
    poop-free, and you can store it in winter.

    re:2  Fenced in yard= no putty tat problem.
    re: last  Yes, I have considered it, but I would like to use it
    for a flower bed when they outgrow it.   

    What makes you think a fenced in yard is puddy-tat proof??
    
    Even a cyclone wire fence is no good if someone leaves the gate
    open while you're gone for the weekend or overnight.
    
    Maybe cat resistant, not cat proof.

    I second the statement about fencing not stopping a cat.  We've
    got a 5 foot fence around our back yard, and the cats in the
    neighborhood use it as olympic high-jumping practice!!!  A cat
    can get almost anwhere he/she wants to.  A lid on any sandbox
    should be mandatory!!  We've got one of those little tykes
    turtle sandboxes, and it works great!  The lid stays on even in
    the highest winds.
    
    andy
    

    The plastic sandbox is great, we have one too, but, if you children
    get any large sand toys (my son has received various large Tonka
    trucks) the box is too small to be of much use.  I am now planning
    on building one this coming summer from plans in my Reader's Digest
    Home Repairs book ( a thoughtful gift from my father-in-law a couple
    of years ago).  Let me know if you want me to send you a copy of
    the plans (they do include a cover).
    
    Serv G.

    When my girls were small (my how time flys) I built a sandbox with
    a roof that lowered down. I really didn't need the top for cats
    but to keep the sun from burning the kids and keeping the sand dry.
    
    I had a live outside DOG that kept all the cats away except the
    black one with the white stripe. He put the remains next to the
    sandbox.....
    
    Jim

Odd...

When I grew up, we had a large sandbox must have been at least 8 feet square. No
cover, but a colored plastic roof to keep the sun and rain out a little.

We never had any problem with cats...  I think we had corner seats.

Make sure that your 'sand' is sufficiently wet that you can make things out of
it. 

Later, we but plastic sheeting on it, and used it for a greenhouse in the
winter.

Jim. 

>    I second the statement about fencing not stopping a cat.  We've
>    got a 5 foot fence around our back yard, and the cats in the
>    neighborhood use it as olympic high-jumping practice!!!  A cat
>    can get almost anwhere he/she wants to.  A lid on any sandbox
>    should be mandatory!!  

Funny, no one suggested using the local cats for target practice as they 
come over the fence! Or maybe small land mines! 8^)

Cats were never a problem in our kids sand box, but I got a couple of dogs 
that visit all the time and need some kind of "attitude adjustment"......

    JUST KIDDING!!!! NO FLAMES, PLEASE!

    	VIC

    Knew I'd find a topic about sandboxes......Almost started a new one...
    
    I'm building a 4x8 sandbox for the kids.  We figured it would outlast
    one of those small plastic ones that are too small.  Figured this would 
    be the simplist project of 'em all.  But of course I forgot to add in the 
    "DIY'rs Additional Mandatory Project Problem."
    
    I was going to just use 1 sheet of P.T. plywood for the base.  P.T.
    wood still has nasty chemicals in it though.  Any ideas on what another
    alternative might be?  The P.T. panel is about 20.00 for 1/2"
    So price is also a consideration.
    
    I want to keep the price of "x" sandbox floor under 15.00.  I was
    thinking of a 4x8 sheet of thick plastic similar to the thickness of
    the plastic sandboxes like that turtle one everyone's seen.  But where
    do you get this kind of stuff?  Any other floor options?  I was also
    thinking just going with a regular sheet of 1/2" plywood and painting
    2 or 3 coats on it but surely this would still rot pretty quickly.
    In the previous notes people had no real floor but just dug out the
    soil and added tons of sand?  Is this the best alternative?  I'm only
    using 2x8's to frame this thing would I need to go far below ground
    level to make sure the kids don't start digging up dirt along with the
    sand?  What about worms and ants and other bugs coming up from below ?
    
    That's why I wanted a floor in the first place as I remember.  Just
    want sand in that sandbox!  I should also mention that this sandbox is
    an integral part of a wooden swingset that I'm custom building from my
    own homemade plans so the 2x8's are going to be _well_ secured with or
    without a floor to the sandbox.
    
    thanks for any help,
        Steve
    

The previous owners of my house made a sandbox out of 2x8 untreated wood.  They
simply removed the sod from the area, laid down a square of that pourous weed
control mat that landscapers use under bark mulch, placed the 2x8 frame on top,
and loaded it up with sand.  The mat allows for drainage, and keeps the insects 
out.  I have really sandy soil, by the way, and lot of ants, but never saw a
hill in the sandbox before I disassembled it.

I would not recommend using any pt wood, even if you did want the sandbox to 
last 30 years.  I don't think these folks even painted/stained/sealed the wood.
If you do want to make it more durable, you might use some of the end cut 
treatment available for pt wood that has been cut, and paint it on the bottom
inch or two of the frame boards (before they are assembled), then apply some 
kind of non-toxic water seal to the boards.  If you wanted to get REAL fancy,
you could upholster the top edges with vinyl coated canvas, and foam rubber.

    
    If your worried about things in the sand, you'd better build it
    inside.....  Any one I ever build was just dig a pit, frame it.
    Little seats in each corner and fill it with sand.  They last
    as long as the kids stay kids....
    
    

    I just got back from Belgium a week or so ago.  While there, I saw
    what may be the ultimate sandbox.  The neighbors of the people we
    were staying with had dug a hole roughly 2 meters x 2 meters x 2 meters
    deep, with a view to putting in a garden pond. They lined the sides
    with concrete block and put about 6" of gravel in the bottom in
    preparation for installing a waterproof liner.  However, while their 
    kids were young they didn't want a 6' deep pool of water in the back 
    yard for the kids to fall into, so they filled the hole with fine sand 
    to make a sandbox.  My son loved it.  He could really DIG! 

    Make that sand box big enough.  I made the one for our son
    6x6 and it's just barely big enough.
    
    Also, make it deep enough.  Anything under 12" deep is, IMO,
    too shallow.  Kids love to dig and tunnel.
    
    If I had to do it over, I'd make it about 10x10, around 18"
    deep, AND, I'd include somewhere in it a place that can be
    filled with a few inches of water.  Kids love to play with
    water in the sand.
    
    I also made ours out of pressure treated lumber.  So far I've
    seen absolutely no evidence that there's any danger associated
    with the stuff.  I've heard lots of "what if" concerns, but
    I've never actually encountered any evidence of anyone ever having
    been harmed by the stuff.
    
    Also, you don't need that really expensive sandbox sand.  Any
    old sand will do.  The stuff that's used to make concrete with
    is perfectly fine.  The kids won't care.
    
    Also, consider building a cover for it in removable sections.
    
    For the 6x6 I built, the cover consists of 3 2x6 sections.
    Each section is a frame of 1x4 covered with hardware cloth.
    This makes it really easy to cover and uncover, and allows
    rain, etc to go through and keep the sand clean, while keeping
    out cats, etc.
    

    I think 10x10 is kind of out of the question here.  It's going to be
    4x8 to "start" with and can grow to 8x8 if need be or at least my plans
    allow for that.  A hinged cover will be a good idea but it'll have to
    be a plactic tarp for now.  I guess I'll just dig out the soil and add
    sand.  The gravel yard that I frequent in Templtown has washed sand for
    under $10 a yard which should be perfect for sandboxes.  I have sandy
    soil about 7" down in the back yard after the real soil so it should
    end up about 12" or more deep.  Now to just dig and take 10 trips to
    the gravel yard... Can't wait to unvail this monster playset to my son
    next week at his birthday (I'm keeping the whole thing under tarp until
    then and keeping it well hidden while working on it!!)
    
    thanks for all the help,
    Steve
    

    >>For the 6x6 I built, the cover consists of 3 2x6 sections.
    >>Each section is a frame of 1x4 covered with hardware cloth.
    
    
    Forgot to ask...... Just what is hardware cloth?  That hinged idea is
    good...might make that soon instead of dealing with a piece of plastic.
    
    Steve

If there are any cats in the area, rig up some sort of cover for when the
box isn't being used, the cats will love the box as much as your son...

-Mike

    re .19 ....hinged....
    
    I wouldn't hinge the cover.  The three frames that I built
    are all separate frames, and light enough that a couple of
    young children can move them one at a time, thus allowing
    them the opportunity of opening up and closing the sandbox
    without requiring adult help.  If you hinge them together
    they become very bulky to move, even for adults, and it's
    real easy to pinch fingers.  The cover has to be real easy
    to move way out of the way.
    
    Also, depending on how often cats frequent your yard, I'd
    not wait too long to make a cover.  (I'm making the rash
    assumption that no one wants cats playing in the sand box.)
    
    A real annoying problem for us has to do with toys in the
    sandbox.  We don't mind the kids getting them out and using
    them, but it's really annoying putting them back, since the
    kids have to carry them to the shed, whereby they inevitably
    dump half the sandbox on the floor of the shed.  You might consider
    putting some kind of simple storage for toys near the sandbox.
    
    
    Back to the cover once again.  One of our neighbors used a
    simple wooden frame and covered it with those plastic straps
    that you find on garden chairs.  That looked really attractive
    and was also quite light to handle.
    

> simple wooden frame and covered it with those plastic straps
> that you find on garden chairs.

Hey, that's a good idea! You just solved a problem which has been
bugging me since we decided to make a sandbox for the kids. Thanks!
Geez, I love notes!

    re. 24
    
    I seem to remember that a yard of sand weighs closer to 3000 lbs,
    rather than 2000 lbs.
    
    Bob (who used and moved 6 yards for a patio, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow
    by wheelbarrow ...)

>    RE: hardware cloth
>    Not a bad idea but I still bet a cat could pee right through it. 

     I doubt cats would have any urge to though. They like to get
     into sand (or cat litter, etc) so they can bury their excrement.
     If they can't do that the sand box should be no particular
     attraction for them.

     ...Robert

2700 lbs for a yard of sand is what they told me the last time I bought some.  
They put at least 1.25 yards into my 2000 trailer, which made for a really
exciting drive home.  I don't think I want to do that again... well, it was
an old car anyway!  

	Enjoy,
	Larry

    Like I said 4 (or more like 5) trips to the gravel yard...
    
    Steve

    I called my local gravel yard today and asked about sand.
    
    They have "morter" sand which is about 7.50 a yard and the secretary
    said this is what everyone uses for sandboxes.  She said it's washed
    and is very fine sand.  They also have "washed sand" for about 3.50 a
    yard.  I'll have to ask them when I check it out what the difference is
    but I assume the cheaper stuff is coarser (?) and not as finely sifted.
    
    (There's also a note going on about this in PARENTING...)
    
    Whats the safer stuff?  People have been saying that fine sand causes
    problems with the kids?  I imagine if it's damp (how else do you make a
    sand castle) that it wouldn't be so "dusty"???
    
    Also for what it's worth they sell 5 gallon pails for about a buck (but
    don't have any now, of course) and she said it takes about 30 of these
    to equal a yard.  They'll charge .25 a full pail of sand (comes out to
    about 7.50)  That'll be about 3 car trips with 12 full pails.
    (Yes I _can_ count but I need slightly more than a yard...)
    
    
    BUT I STILL NEED THE PAILS.  Any ideas  (Someone mailed me about dunken
    donuts using them for fillings, but a phone call revealed that they
    havn't used them for that in 5 years, the filling come in tubes now...)
    
    Gotta get some (empty) buckets (hopefully free) and soon,
    
    Steve

    
    re buckets:
    
     hit on all your friends and relatives who are planning to seal their
    driveways. The latex base sealers wash out nice and clean, and one or
    two driveway jobs will get you all the buckets you need.
    
    
     Bob

    RE: buckets..  
    
    Couple of places to check - I know burger king still uses the 5 gallon
    	buckets.  May want to check other fast food/restaurant type places.
        Stop in to all you see - surely some will have them available..
    
    The Dunkin Donut shop by my house uses the 2 gallon or so, as I have
    	frequently seen them stacked by the door - guess they let the folks
    	grap them as they need them....
    
    
    SP

    re washed sand vs. fine sand
    
    Last fall we put in a 16'x24' sand box/playground (with wooden swingset 
    in the middle).  We used washed sand and have no problems with it
    
    It does not seem to find its way into the kids clothes as much as the
    finer sand does.
    
    Someone mentioned what to do with the toys that tend to fill up a big
    sandbox.  We use one of those plastic turtle sandboxes (my son's
    original sandbox) for the toys.
    
    We haven't had any trouble with cats either.  Biggest problem was
    leaves in the fall, then buds this spring.  It's impossible to rake 
    the sand.  We had to get a leaf blower, which works fine.
    
    -donmac

re: buckets:

	Try local bakerys.  My family bakery still gets oil and fillings 
in 5 gallon buckets.  I forget what he sold them for if someone asked but I
used to grab a few every time I went down to Quincy.

Brian

Delis get potato salad, cole slaw, pickles, etc. in 5-gallon buckets.

I've seen and gotten square ~4 gallon food buckets at flea markets for a
buck each.

-Mike

    One word of warning regarding 5 gallon buckets:  don't let them turn
    into play things if you have small (toddler) children.  Also, be
    careful if you use them (as my wife does) in the laundry for
    pre-soaking.  Every year, there are quite a few drownings as a result
    of a small child leaning into a 5 gallon bucket with water in it.  They
    can fall in head first, and can't get out.
    
    Mark Lovik

I see the warning on the bucket but have never heard of or read of a drowning.
The buckets are still worthy of caution and respect but I've wondered if that
warning wasn't more a result of consumer liability paranoia. 

sceptic

There was a case here in Colorado Springs a few months ago.  The baby lived,
but apparently it was close.  The baby had fallen into a 5 gallon bucket
with only a couple of inches of water in it.

It does happen.

	-JJ

    saw a show on TV (20/20 or something) sure thing, several hundred deaths
    so far. The manufacturer will send you a warning label if you so
    desire.
    
    8^(

   Well, this one has been quiet for a little while, so I guess I'll wake
   it up... :-)
   
   I believe I understand the issues with PT lumber, and since I have
   little kids, a well, and a septic system to deal with, I probably
   won't use PT lumber for this project.  I read somewhere (not sure
   where, since I can't find it in here) about someone who built a
   sandbox with an attached cover that could be raised up to double as a
   small roof/sun-shade when the sandbox was open... had anybody seen
   plans for something like this?  Do you know where I might find plans
   for such a beast?  I have some ideas myself, but if there are plans,
   I'd like to review them...
   
   Thanks,
   
   - Tom
   
   To clarify... my description of the sandbox cover may be a bit vague,
   so here goes an attempt to clarify things... consider a sandbox that
   has the look of a 4-poster bed.  That is, the box part is the same,
   but there are 4 vertical posts - 1 at each corner.  The cover is
   1-piece and is somehow attached to the 4 posts.  Further, the cover
   can be raised up and secured at the top of the posts to act as a bit
   of a sun-shade.  I'm wondering how it is attached to the posts
   (galvanized pipe, notched wood, something else?), how it is raised
   (pullies & rope?), and how it would be secured to the top to keep it
   safely attached and out of the way.  Thanks.

    Not really what you are looking for, but I just put together a sandbox
    for my kids.  I used rough cut lumber (2 x 12 x 8), think the kids will
    outgrow the box before it deteriorates...  It is quite large, think I
    put 3 tons of sand in .....   Anyway, I also made a 'teepee' like gizmo
    out of pvc pipe that goes into the sand, then a tarp goes over this to
    make a tentlike structure to keep out the neighborhood cats, leaves, 
    rain, etc..   It is located under trees, so the sun is not a problem...
    
    
    Steve
    
    P.S.  The lumber cost roughly $15, the sand about $7...

   re: .-1

   Rough cut?... did you sand it down or just use it as is?

   You said that the PVC structure sits in the sand... is it permanent
   and you simply take the tarp off, or is the cover (pipe & tarp)
   removable?  
   
   Did you truck your own sand, or get someone to dump off a load for
   you?  If you're in central/northern Mass, where did you get your sand?
   
   Thanks,
   
   - Tom

For $7, he didn't get someone to dump it...

    I used the rough cut as is, no sanding, no real need to sand...  The
    teepee sits in the stand, comes out after you take the tarp off.
    Actually, the legs come off as well (so the kids can handle it better).
    Yes, I picked up my own sand (shovel into to truck at the sand pit
    and again off the truck at the sand box).  Got the "good" kind of sand,
    the kind moms hate, as it tends to stick to you, but the kids love
    it cuz you can build sand castles and stuff....
    
    SP

    One sandbox I build used stone dust...another used gravel. Kids liked
    it, and stuff stayed off the clothes.
    
    Marc H.

    Any good places to get sand around Pepperell, MA?  What should I expect
    to pay for delivery?
    
    							John

   Isn't Sanvell out on Rt 119 near the Littleton town line?  Check the
   papers and phone book for landscaping places, too - some of the places
   that handle stuff like bark mulch also deliver gravel and sand and
   loam.  Not sure about delivery, though...  
   
   - Tom

    
    Sanvell hasn't been Sanvell for years (despite the carved stone 
    sign that says "Sanvell"). It's current name is Middlesex Mining 
    Materials (or something like that). 
    

   re: Sanvell
   
   Thanks... I wondered what happened after they had that auction a while
   back...

It wasn't SanVel when they had the auction, either.  It was Lonestar by 
then and had been for some time.  Lonestar were the folks who produced the 
shoddy pre-stressed concrete roadbed sections for the Northeast Corridor 
railroad.

Middlesex Materials (Chelmsford based, I believe) runs the place now.

    So would you recommend Middlesex Materials as a good place to get sand? 
    Does it even matter?  Does sand quality vary?
    
    							John

    I'm putting landscape fabric down under the sand in the sandbox I'm
    building and I'm looking for a way to seal the seams.  Is there any
    type of tape that will stick even if it gets wet.  I want to prevent
    little hands from trying to pull up on the seams once they dig down to
    the bottom of the sandbox.
    
    I also want to build a box to hold sandbox toys.  Is there a type of
    plywood that will stand up to weather if I paint it?  Nothing too
    expensive, I hope.
    
    						John

    
    Fold the fabric up the sides somewhat and tac it wait a strip.
    This will keep it from getting pulled up.
    
    They sell PT plywood.... or Marine plywood.  Or maybe make a 
    small "house" and put some scrap Vinyl siding and roof it..?
    
    JD  

    I don't know about land scape fabric. It seems to me that if your
    concern is that the little ones will try to pull up the seems of
    the sand box. They will have a field day with your very expensive
    land scape fabric.
    
    Gee what is this black cloth thing lets dig and pull it out. and
    it will tare when they use their digging toys.
    
    What i did was to dig out a square the size of the box and down
    about 1 foot. 
    
    by setting the sandbox into the ground and back filling, the kids
    can not pull the sides up. unless they dig all around the inside
    and half a dozen of them all get on one side and on the count of
    three left.
    
    I put cross brases ( seats ) on every corner and then filled the sand
    box up ( about once a month ).
    
    Don't know if anyone ever tried to left the sand box up, but they
    sure did some diging.
    
    
    Don

    The best sandbox I ever saw was over in Belgium.  Somebody had a
    small concrete garden pool, about 6'x8'x3' deep, about like a small
    vertical-sided swimming pool.  When their kids came they figured
    it was somewhat dangerous, so they drained it and filled it with
    sand so it became the sandbox.  The kids can *DIG!* and never
    find the bottom.

PT Plywood is your best bet but it costs about $24 a sheet.  Your other 
option is to buy regular plywood and treat with a waterseal such as 
Thompsons. However, note that by the time you buy the regular plywood, 
waterseal, brush you'll be up to the cost of the PT in no time.  Even if 
you paint regular plywood, the parts that touch the ground will rot out in 
a year unless you use about 5 coats of a good enamal.  Unless you want 
beauty, go with the PT, it'll take less time and doesn't cost that much 
when considering everything else.

As or the underside of the box, I don't understand the reason for the 
fabric?  If it is to keep them from digging into your lawn or to keep sand 
from the lawn it won't work so don't waste the money on the fabric.
If you don't want them to dig and you don't want sand on the lawn (to keep 
the mess down or your options open for moving it, etc) use the PT plywood 
on the underside.  My kids are young so they are not yet into digging for 
china, once they are and I find a permanent place for the box i'll take off 
the bottom and sink it/stake it as suggested by -.2.

Have you thought about a cover?  You'll need a cover to keep animals, bird 
droppings, tree junk, etc out of the box.  I used 1 x stock to make a frame 
that fits over the top and is pitched so the water runs off.  I then just 
stretched a piece of canvas over the frame and stapled it (tip - if you use 
canvas, stretch it as tight as possible in as hot weather as possible, 
it'll reduce the sagging to a minimum once it has been on for a while) 
works and looks great when the box is not in use. It is lighter than you 
think (mine is 6x8) so it is easy to take on and off.
   

    The fabric is just to provide a bottom.  The sandbox is dug into a hill
    so that the bottom is about 6 inches deep on one end and 20 inches deep
    on the other.  My wife said that she and her sisters liked to dig down
    to find the bottom of the sandbox so we should have a definite
    boundary. The box is 8x8 so I need three strips of 36 inch fabric to
    cover the bottom.  I was looking for a way to join the seams so that my
    son doesn't see the seam and decide to look under it.  I thought about
    the possibility of him tearing it and figured I'd just see what
    happens.  I don't think it will tear too easily if I only let him use
    plastic implements.  I don't want to use a solid bottom since I want
    the water to drain out through the bottom.
    
    As far as covers go, I was going to make a cover for it out of hardware
    cloth that will let rain through.  After all, you can't build much of a
    sand castle if the sand is dry all the time.
    
    At Home Depot, I saw some exterior grade plywood.  I guess that would't
    stand up to the weather if it was painted.

      This doesn't answer the basenoters question but I just wanted to
      give a little warning about covered sandboxes....

      When I was a child, my grandparents had a sandbox with a little
      roof over it to protect it from the sun.  Well, a hornets nest
      was under that little roof and I got stung... not badly but I
      never went back into that sandbox!

      Karen

    
    Do you have a sewing machine?  Landscape fabric should be easy to
    stitch.   To join the lighter kind, I just overlap it a few inches and
    glue it with a zig-zag bead of waterproof construction glue - liquid
    nails or similar. 

    I looked at liquid nails and some said it was waterproof but it also
    said it was not for outdoor use.  Any one use it outside?
    
    We were originally going to sew it together so maybe we'll go back to
    that idea.  Thanks for reminding me.
    
    							John

    I moved to a house where there is a lot of dead
    wood in the woods, which I plan to gather/clean up.
    Some are nice, I'd say 6 inc. diameter, and anywhere
    between 5 and 10 ft. long. We have a new saw, which 
    I haven't tried yet...
    
    Since I plan to build a sandbox for my son, I thought
    about using these logs to build it with. I could tie them
    with rope or wire, or even use huge nails.
    
    Does this sound completely off the wall?
    I don't expect it to last more than 2/3 years.
    I would cover it with plastic for protection from cats.
    
    Any comments?
    
    	Dirce 
    

Last summer I put together a sandbox-clubhouse as follows:

Formed the sand container out of PT 2x10's, etc. Pretty
conventional.

Placed 4x4 corner posts that go up about 5'. Nailed 2x6 bands
around the perimeter at the top of those posts. Put up rafters,
roof, and shingles leftover from an addition. From a vertical 2x4
in the middle of the front, I hung a "door" made from 1x3's.
Wrapped the walls with screening, including the open rafter ends
and door. A 1x3 strip goes around the perimeter at about the 2'
level as a surface for kids inside to lean against (instead of
the screen).

Keep a couple of low lawn chairs nearby to bring in with
your pina colada or strawberry daquiri while watching the
kids inside. Have had 2 adults/lawn chairs and 4 kids in there
comfortably.

Keeps kids and sand inside, bugs and cats outside. Usable in all
but driving rainstorms.

From the addition, had some leftover ridge vent... 
but decided not to use it:-)...

    don't know where "home" is, but using standard woods logs in a sandbox
    around here (NW Ohio) is an invitation for ants, esp. carpenter ants
    and red ants..  most wood that is exposed to moisture (as would be the
    case in a sandbox) is going to rot as well.
    
    being the unfortunate recipient of an ant attack when i was a kid, i
    can tell you first hand that your kids will not appreciate getting
    gnawed on.  use pressure treat.