My 12 yr old son and 3 of his friends are thinking of building a 2 story clubhouse. How do we build this??

Question

All 4 boys are about 100 pounds and 5 ft. Nothing fancy, just big enough to fit them all . I was thinking about three by three metres on each floor, with a cabinet in the roof. Nothing too fancy, the boys have a 250 dollar budget. If that isn't enough I could pitch in a bit. About how much would it cost? How much time will it take?? What supplies will we need?? How much man power should we have? How tall should it be?? I was thinking 2.5 meters each floor with some cabinets, a heater some chairs board games, a mini fridge etc. Each floor should be able to hold about 600 pounds.


All these things are necessary, signed Jay.

No madi, I'm going to build in out of straw. Sigh, some people amaze me.

Answer 1

I would buy one of those storage sheds at Home Depot or Lowes - one of the small, inexpensive ones. (I don't mean cheap, because they're not - but they are relatively inexpensive). The boys can have fun putting it together and they can also modify it and add things (like windows) to it. The boys will also learn a great deal just putting it together. Not only about construction but also about teamwork and the importance of working together. These are really sturdy and will take a lot of abuse from 4 healthy, young boys!

Answer 2

There are a few good ideas here and buying a storage shed is by far the easiest way to go, but not the cheapest. Building it is an accomplishment that will fallow these boys the rest of there lives and is a great character builder. The budget is a bit slim and two stories is quite a challenge. How about enough room for four five footers to hang out comfortably and even sleep over night with a cool rustic shack with loft that when they grow out of it you can use it for a storage shed. First an 8x8 floor framed with 2x4 on 2 foot centers covered with two sheets of 3/4 inch plywood sitting on cinder blocks set every 4 feet, that should be plenty strong. Now for the walls, use 2x4x8 foot studs centered every 2 feet, build the 4 walls on the ground (don't forget windows and doors) then stand them up and nail in place. Measure up 6 feet and place your loft beams in on the wall studs, floor it and don't forget to make a hatch. Roof time: 2x4x8 every two feet on either side of center with at least a three foot rise to the peak from the top of your wall. Cover with tin or wood and shingle and side with (for the rustic look and it's cheep), 6 foot 1x6 treated fencing.
If there is a habitat for humanity store in your area, they have really good deals on building materials. Enjoy!

Answer 3

It's stupid and irresponsible on her part as a parent. When I was 13 years old, all my friends were into doing homemade tattoos with india ink. We all thought it was the coolest thing and we often let other friends "ink" us. I'm 28 now, a mother, and I have these ugly unrecognizable blobs on my ankle and thigh. I refuse to wear a swimsuit or sandals, and I feel extremely awkward in situations where I am nude (doctor appt., etc.) With a family to support, I don't have enough money to have them removed. I'll probably go to the grave with these ugly blobs that I once thought were the greatest. I sincerely regret it. I'm not against all tattoos of course. But, you should definitely be of an age where you can choose wisely what you want permanently inked on your body. And by all means, it should be done by someone with years of experience! What you think is cool when you are 12, 13, 14 years old...will NOT be cool when you are an adult. This mother should have enough brains to realize that. Not only is she permanently "scarring" her own child, I doubt she is experienced enough in the tattoo arts to be doing some tasteful stuff. Long story short: It's a stupid idea and it makes me sick. If there is not some sort of law about this, then there definitely should be one!

Answer 4

Ok, I did the clubhouse from scratch thing for my son. I later decided that buying one would have been much cheaper and produced a heck of a lot better clubhouse when it was all done.

Getting a prefab unit still gives them plenty to put together and removes the need for saws and cutting tools.

Answer 5

try using , 2x4 , you need one per foot , if the walls are made say 8ftx8ft , that's about 40 2x4 you will need, @ $3,25 each
and use sheet ply , cost about $15 per sheet , stain or paint it, your floor needs to be made from , 3/4 inch ply,with 2x4 sub floor
here how i would do it , i would build a cube,shape, then a smaller one on top of that ,
$250 isn't alot , that mite cover your lumber just ....
ask at your local lumber yard, take the boys with you , and get a discount, o n the wood at least 10%
i wish you luck .

Answer 6

Two stories is a bit much. Those boys aren't going to be only 100 pounds for long.

Go with a one-level house and get some instructions at Home Depot or something.

Answer 7

If you're not handy, don't even attempt this.

Even if you're a DIY kind of person, these kind of things always turn out to be much more than you ever thought. And, with a $250.00 dollar budget, you would only be at the tip of the iceburg.

Listen to Steve in NC, buy a pre-fab and have your son and his freinds help you put it together. You will be much happier.

Good luck either way!!

Answer 8

You'll not do that for $250 or anywhere near it.
You'll spend more than that on sheathing.
Check out the price of lumber and plywood!
To be safe, the floor joists will need to be
at least 2"x 6", (and thats iffy for a 3 Meter span).
(Sorry, don't know metric lumber Std.s).

Answer 9

Blimmey!! Here in the UK you would have to have planning permission from the council for a start!!

Answer 10

a place with a big yard