So I don't know how it is where you all live, but in my city, ALL playgrounds are closed pretty much indefinitely. And I've got a 3-year-old and a 4.5-year-old ready to tear our house down around us. So I need to build us a playground.
Unfortunately, a lot of other people seem to have had the same idea, which means that the only slides I can find online are either poorly-reviewed or REALLY expensive. So I'm asking: If you had to build a slide in your backyard, what material would you choose for the slickest, fastest, most durable sliding experience?
Current contenders/ideas:
-Some kind of laminate or melamine.
-A thick layer of tabletop epoxy polished up real good.
-literally just cutting a bunch of PVC pipes in half and laying them down next to each other.
Thoughts? Bonus points if water can be run over it without damaging it.
I can only remember my grade school slide that was stainless steel.
we would throw a handful of sand on the slide for a lubricant and pick up
maybe 3.72 more miles per hour at the end when we popped off.
ok - serious, I would go with a smooth laminate such as Formica (not Wilsonart).
or if you want it to last for generations, some .040" aluminum sheet.
I just remembered that I have some .020"x 24" aluminum flashing that I
bought at the Box Store that you might look into.
I can only remember my grade school slide that was stainless steel.
we would throw a handful of sand on the slide for a lubricant and pick up
maybe 3.72 more miles per hour at the end when we popped off.
ok - serious, I would go with a smooth laminate such as Formica (not Wilsonart).
or if you want it to last for generations, some .040" aluminum sheet.
I just remembered that I have some .020"x 24" aluminum flashing that I
bought at the Box Store that you might look into.
I thought about metal, but the temperatures here regularly reach 100-105 degrees during the Summer, so I feel that would burn their butts clean off. However, if no alternative presents itself, I may have to go that route.
You think Formica would have the slickness a slide needs? And the durability?
Mack - go to your Box Store and compare the slickness between
the different laminates (in the kitchen dept). also, there is a 4x8 white plastic
sheet PVC material in the building supplies dept. that may be cooler to the bottoms.
(and cheaper).
Unfortunately, my local Box Stores (HD and Lowes) don't seem to have any laminates in stock that aren't flooring (I can order online, but can't exactly touch and feel them!). That said, I think you're right: I'm just gonna have to get out there and start touching things.
I'm curious about the white PVC sheet you're talking about. Are you thinking something like this? This is cheap, so if it has the slickness and durability (maybe doubtful), I think we have a winner.
my neighbor had a birthday party for some kids and he rented a big
inflatable water slide for the kids. even the adults enjoyed it.
can you imagine a Slip-n-Slide on a steep angle with a water flow ????
maybe even a little soap squirted on the slide periodically.
[but actually, when you think about, you can add your own water flow
with a piece of small PVC pipe hooked to a water hose to any slide you build].
my neighbor had a birthday party for some kids and he rented a big
inflatable water slide for the kids. even the adults enjoyed it.
can you imagine a Slip-n-Slide on a steep angle with a water flow ????
maybe even a little soap squirted on the slide periodically.
[but actually, when you think about, you can add your own water flow
with a piece of small PVC pipe hooked to a water hose to any slide you build].
Oh yeah, that's exactly the plan. I already made my own little structure out of PVC with a hose hook-up and holes drilled in it, and it works really well, but the boys can only run through it so many times. So I'm going to get the same hookup and attach it at the top of the slide, and add maybe a little pool or "tray" of water at the bottom.
corrugated plastic is what I use for sign material.
it will work "for awhile" until it goes flat, but will still do the job.
all it is is plastic cardboard.
maybe even plastic carpet runner would work with a water flow.
after you get the slide completely built, you could make a "waterfall"
at the top that the kids would have to go under on the way down.
be advised that this could result in broken bones, black eyes, and other
bad things that happen to children. (and some adults). so plan accordingly.
I guess I am thinking way too big: I imagine a slide that is 20-30 feet long.
The only FRP-stuff I'm finding at my local stores are textured wall pieces. If they were smooth, it looks like it would be ideal, but I think the texture would make it too slide-resistant.
heh - I used the all vinyl stuff - it clicks together very tightly.
a non-textured finish would probably be quite slick.
36" (?) lengths - but the end click-lock together as well.
just ran my hands around the floor - the seams are actually quite smooth. I did find one spot that would need a sandpaper hit for bare legs - it might be a bump on the subfloor...
There are many aquapark in ızmir... There are two type playground slide ... polyester resin and epoxy resin....
Polyester resin is cheap than epoxy resin...
Gumulduraquapark/IZMIR
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I am reading all the suggestions, and wondering, "If whatever surface you choose is super-slick, how will you get it to adhere to the substrate (plywood or whatever) that is underneath it?"
I think you make the base, then put the Formica in place, then put the rails on the sides on top of the Formica and fasten the rails from the underside to the rails are holding the Formica in place.
I think Formica with a little texture would actually be slicker than gloss. Shiny stuff tends to be sticky. Some shuffleboard wax would make it extra fast.
For the rails I’d use something like Trex which has no grain and no chance of splinters.
Build the slide out of plywood and put some PVC trim coil over top. The most important part, by far, is the proper lubricant when using the slide. Water isn't good enough, I suggest using bacon grease...it's sustainable, biodegradable, and your kids will smell delicious by the end of the day.
So many good suggestions! I definitely thought about finding large drums or a huge pipe, but I imagine those would be quite costly. I ended up going with this to start with (although it has a smooth surface rather than the Cracked Ice texture). It was relatively cheap, felt fairly slick at the store, and is advertised as being completely waterproof. I'll update how it performs once I finish the little "deck" and then the slide itself. The underside of it doesn't have the same coating as the top side, so I'm hoping something like rubber cement or whatever will hold it nice and tight to the base. If it doesn't work, then I'll need to seek out a more expensive solution.
I used this in my shower for the walls and as I remember, there is something in a caulking tube to adhere it with--ask at the store you bought it, they'll know. It was easy to do.
I have had aluminum boats in the past where I glued carpet and aluminum
sheets to P/T plywood with Weldwood Contact Cement that held up well
for years. always outside in the elements.
so my vote is for the Contact Cement. (just know that it may be difficult
to remove if you ever have to separate the two).
looking forward to seeing all the kids on the block lined up for their turn on the slide.
I have had aluminum boats in the past where I glued carpet and aluminum
sheets to P/T plywood with Weldwood Contact Cement that held up well
for years. always outside in the elements.
so my vote is for the Contact Cement. (just know that it may be difficult
to remove if you ever have to separate the two).
................
Contact cement comes right up with lacquer thinner. I use hypodermic needles and squirt into a crack or space where the aluminum sheets join the plywood. As soon as you have a small amount lifted, slowly pour the lacquaer thinner into the crack and lift the aluminum right off.
Did it all the time when re-laminating counter tops that were too difficult to remove. Obviously, this might not work out with carpet. LOL
Consider an inexpensive short-term solution. A $30.00 melamine covered MDF board should give many months use before deteriorating if the edges are somewhat sealed. One sheet will give two 2' x 8' sliding surfaces. Put the slide frame together with screws so it can be disassembled to replace the slide surface. By the time both boards are no longer useful, kid outdoor supplies could be back to normal. You want it to be sturdy enough to be safe but not so well built that when the kids outgrow it, the slide will become a storage problem. Heirloom slides don't fit well in the attic.
Whatever you chose it has to be relatively impervious to weather. And UV is a killer for almost everything.
My parents bought a play set for me that was all wood out of necessity. I got it about the end of the war. Metal for non-essential usage was unavailable. The slide was made from four or five ¼ inch by 3 or 4 inch slats and probably 10 feet long. These were attached to a form that is best called joists with side rails that were 2 x 3s. The slats were unfinished and something that looked like clear maple. A few times a year, I would wax the slide by sliding with wax paper under my butt.
This was in Brooklyn and outdoors all year. To my recollection, the set was used by myself and a younger brother for about 10 years.
Over the last 30 years, I've used this stuff for various projects ... https://www.daymotorsports.com/roll-plastic-13815
Orginally only available in black or white ... several colors available nowadays.
A little update! Like I mentioned earlier, I went with the polywall stuff from Home Depot. I attached it with basic construction adhesive, and it worked very easily with clamps and screws along the sides. Sadly, I didn't do the appropriate prepwork for applying pressure to the center, so I had to use a few screws down the middle to hold it down. I was a little stumped when it came to filling those holes, but I found some very nearly flush smooth plastic plugs that worked incredibly well: they're noticeable but barely. right now, the slide is perfect for my boys. I just need to finish the sides and waterproof the edge somehow, and we'll be ready to turn it into a full-on waterslide!
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