So let’s tackle the big question, how does King Swings install our custom swing sets on less-than-level sites? In general, King Swings can install swing sets on a slope 12’’ over 20’. Anything more than that, and you will want to get your playground site leveled by a landscaping company.
“Awesome,” you say, “How do I figure if my slope is greater than 12’’ over 20’? And what do you do to ensure the set is stable if my slope is under that?”
I’ll get to that, but for those who will stop reading before the end, as long as your slope isn’t over 12’’ over 20' we can install the swing set.
King Swings generally deals with slopes by digging down or blocking up the set. The closer to the extreme, the more digging and blocking we must do. Fortunately, the swing beams come extra long, so we can cut those to basically level.
Digging down makes sense, but what does blocking up look like?
If you have a significant slope, we will use pieces of Trex decking or pressure-treated wood to block up the swing set to stabilize it. We use these because they will not rot and because they are thin enough to make small adjustments. The weight of the swing set or playhouse will keep it on these props. The more extreme your slope is, the higher we will have to block up the swing set.
If you wish to hide the props, you can fill in dirt around the supports or hang some fake grass fabric over the supports. For example, in the image of the Galaxy below, you can barely see the supports on the bottom corners of the tower.
The longer your swing set, the more your yard’s slope will be a factor. Custom swing sets with things like bridges, ball pit blasts, and massive playhouses are more sensitive to slopes.
If your yard is slopey and you are thinking about a swing set or playhouse like Chatea or a Palace, we would like to see a picture to make sure you will be happy with the end result.
You have two options.
Send us a picture of your site, and we can generally tell if your slope will be an issue. We have installed thousands of sets on all kinds of slopes, and Allen, our install manager, can tell by looking at a picture if the slope is bad.
When you take a picture, if possible, catch something in the background that helps show the slope. A fence is perfect as we can figure out how long the panels are and how far they are dropping.
If we are not sure even after viewing a picture, then we may ask to do a video call and have you physically walk over the area so we can see it “in person.” Or you can get an APPROXIMATION of your slope with these simple steps. Here is a simple way to get an approximation of your slope. And in case you haven’t caught on yet, this is an approximation.
Now, you will want to leave a little margin of error when you do this because, well, you are using a string you took from your shoes, shorts, and sweats, but this will give you a guesstimate.
Below are some swing sets or playgrounds that we installed on some slopes. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words; let’s just hope these pictures are SEO keyword rich. The last picture shows an extreme example of a set installed on a nasty slope.
If you have any questions regarding slopes, King Swings, and custom swing sets, please reach out to our swing set design team! They would love to help you out!
Looking for more delivery and installation info? Check out our prices here! And where all we install here!