Although Abby and Alicia Balderas have done a good deal of remodeling on their home, they've never built a structure from the ground up--which is what they're planning to do next. The couple wants to build a playhouse for their sons Kimo and Kalani and attach it to their existing swing set. With the help of their two young sons, they are hoping the project will take only three days.
Once the beams and crossbeams are measured, the construction begins. The couple, with a little help from 4-year-old Kimo, affix the brace beams and begin pre-drilling . When they realize they don't have enough hardware to finish the frame, they turn their attention to making the cargo net. Day one ends with the frame just seven screws away from being finished and the cargo net about 100 zip-ties away from completion.
Day two is delayed by an unscheduled run to the hardware store to purchase the much-needed hardware. They complete the frame and place it on skids, which will make it easier to move the fort when necessary. The floorboards go down easily, but once in place, Abby and Alicia decide that the floor should be re-enforced, a time-consuming process. With the fort's frame eventually complete, the family can concentrate on its more decorative elements--the railing and the Tom Sawyer pickets. They go up in no time, and it is back to completing the cargo net.
The third day is the time to add the finishing touches. The cargo net is in ship-shape, and the roof goes up quickly. Now for the toys--a second-hand ship's wheel turns the clubhouse into a pirate's ship, and no skipper can sail without a telescope at the ready! The Balderas family's project is complete, and in only three days! The couple worked together to successfully build a combination fort, ship and clubhouse that will capture their children's imaginations for years--and they had fun doing it.
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