Ideas on sandbox?

[Weston]

We plan on making a sandbox at the end of summer...

I'm wanting to do it myself to save some loot. The idea I have so far is this-

Dig down 6 inches to a foot, leveling out at the bottom. Line the square *pit* with landscaping timbers until it reaches about 4 inches to the top. Then line the walls with this Recycled tire edging that I saw at Lowe's. Put landscaping fabric in the bottom, the 2 inches of gravel, then fill up the rest of the way with play sand.

Hopefully the end result will be a square sand "pit" with the edging just an inch or two above ground level and the sand coming to ground level.

My idea of a pit instead of a box is that Alex would be able to climb out of the box anyway, so its not like it would contain him. I think something that is flush with the ground would look better anyway.

Any ideas pro or con?

[Don-Dad]

Makes a good place for the cat's to go to the bathroom :P

I remember searching the web a few years ago for idea and found some neat ones that had covers.

[dabrewinguy]

The first one I built was 6'x6' square made out of 2x6 pressure treated lumber, I sank it down about 3 inches and lined the bottom with landscaping fabric. That thing would have lasted forever except that we build one of those great big playsets and now the sandbox is under one of the towers.

[Jackson's Dad]

J, what about drainage? One rainstorm and you'll have a quicksand box.

As a kid, my neighbors were always rebuilding something on their house. So me and my friend (the neighbor) just used the piles of sand and gravel the always has as our "sand boxes". (Not that I'm recommending this...)

[Weston]

J, what about drainage? One rainstorm and you'll have a quicksand box.

As a kid, my neighbors were always rebuilding something on their house. So me and my friend (the neighbor) just used the piles of sand and gravel the always has as our "sand boxes". (Not that I'm recommending this...)

Yeah.. the landscaping fabric with gravel on top *should* allow for drainage...lol... but good point and something to think about.

We have very clayey soil here (is that even a word?lol) So drainage isn't great but not the worst either. Very seldom is the ground ever super-saturated.

[Indy]

Bah, clay. I always laugh when I see the Garden Weasel commercials. That thing would never work here.

[Weston]

Bah, clay. I always laugh when I see the Garden Weasel commercials. That thing would never work here.

True... so true

[tt3]

My wife saw one at a yardsale years and years ago and promply found out why it was for sale once she got it back! :lol:

[Weston]

I bought a 14 inch rear tyne tiller a couple of years ago... Called the "Bronco"... I know they didn't intend the name to describe the action it made when in use... but it is a pretty good description in our soil.

[Indy]

We live in a neighborhood where they scraped off all the top soil and sold it off, leaving us with bare clay. The neighborhood used to be a farm field, so it's hard as a rock. There are some spots where I can't get more than 3 inches into the ground with a shovel, even when I stand on the shovel. It's easier to build up landscaping beds with new dirt than it is to try and turn over the existing dirt.

[SideShowCecil]

Sounds pretty good.

While I was in Revy this week I saw the bagged play sand comes in multiple colours now. They had yellow, a clay red and numerous shades of brown. I guess it’s the Martha Stewart influence; co-ordinate your kids sandbox with the colour of your house.

All of our public parks here have gravel instead of sand. Its fine 1/8 water washed gravel. I don’t know the reasoning behind it but it certainly is nice not having my shoes fill with sand.

[dabrewinguy]

I know a guy who's a diehard Vikings fan, he did all of his landscaping with purple woodchips and filled his kid's sandbox with the purple sand. What a knucklehead. LOL..just kidding.

[sao95]

I don't get why your putting gravel under the sand? get your sand from your local concrete facility and most places will let ya load up for next to nothing, good luck :)

[EX Race Driver]

Jmonkey, Sao makes a good point ........ my dad owns part of a concrete company that has plants in Raleigh ..... When u get ready for the sand let me know and I'll have him make a call for you.... Just go load up.... heck of alot cheaper than buying bags........

If its free its for me!!!!!!

[jeffus]

Well, the gravel will allow for some drainage.

As for the rain - how about a little umbrella or tent or canopy to prevent rain from getting in there and protect jr from the sun?

[dad305]

Man! building a sandbox sure sounds like a lot of work... :-k .... :idea: Hey!don't they sell those sand boxes for like $19.99?