Turn that old shed or garden hut into a magical children's playhouse
Having just demolished my old garden shed to make way for a veggie garden, this project that turns an old shed or garden hut into a children's playhouse struck me as a wonderful way to re-purpose a hut or shed rather than throw away.
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The old shed had fallen into a sad state and was in bad need of TLC, but the idea to turn it into playhouse came to mind. The roof was still there and all that would be required was replacing some boards and adding a few extra pieces. Rather than go to the hassle of having to disassemble and toss out the decision was made to turn it into a children's outdoor playhouse.
With a few supplies that you will find at your local Builders Warehouse you can create an area where children an spend hours during the summer months.
The first step was to clean out the shed and remove all the damaged wood panels. The original floor was beyond repair, so a frame was laid and a sheet of OSB (oriented strand board) fixed over the top.
The removed side panels were replaced with PAR pine boards, with cutouts made for the windows and door. Rather than fit glass in the window frames, a screen mesh was fitted. This is an inexpensive option that provides plenty of ventilation and you won't have to worry about children breaking glass.
The screen mesh was stapled around the window frames and topped off with pine trim. Both the interior and exterior were primed with wood primer and painted with exterior water-based velvaglo for a child-friendly finish that would also be durable and weather the elements.
To dress up the new children's playhouse a few decorative details were added. Acrylic crystal doorknobs add a feminine touch to the girly playhouse and a curtain rod mounted along one side to provide shade.
The inside has an inexpensive carpet, as well as wall shelves for storage, a couple of cabinets for play, and a place to sit.
The solar light provides illumination for night time play and, since it was too far to run a cable from the main house, offers the perfect solution.
If you need to replace the roof on a garden shed, you will find IBR sheeting as affordable solution, and your local Builders stocks a selection of products to choose from.
