How to Secure a Metal Swing Set in the Ground with Concrete
Swing sets provide hours of enjoyment for children. As a parent, your main concern is that the swing set is safe. The safest way to set up a metal swing set is to anchor the legs in concrete. Swing sets simply set on the ground will rock back and forth, especially when more than one child is swinging at a time. The rocking can gain momentum and cause the swing set to tip over. Setting the poles in concrete will stop the swing set from rocking.
Drive stakes into the ground to mark the location of each ground pole or leg on the swing set. Face the pointed tip of the stake at the ground, and hit the opposite end of the stake with the hammer.
Open an 8-inch-deep-by-10-inch-wide hole for each pole on the swing set, using a post hole digger. To use a post hole digger, grasp a handle in each hand, and keep the handles together. Raise the post hole digger straight up, and bring it back toward the ground with force. The blades will enter the top layer of soil. Pull out on the handles to move the blades together. When the blades move together, they will also grasp dirt. Lift up the post hole digger while keeping the handles separated, and push the handles back together to release the dirt away from the hole. Continue this pattern until you have the correct number of holes.
Place a house brick in the bottom of each post hole with the widest edge facing up. The bricks will prevent the swing set from sinking in the dirt. Set the swing set in place, and hold a level on the top bar of the swing set. Add gravel under each brick to adjust the height as needed.
Pour the contents of one 40-lb. bag of concrete into the wheelbarrow. Add the recommended amount of water to the concrete, and mix with the shovel until there is no dry material. Shovel the mixed concrete into a hole, and smooth it with the concrete trowel. Repeat this step for each hole. Allow the concrete to dry overnight.
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Writer Bio
Based in Oklahoma City, Debbie Tolle has been working in the home-improvement industry since 2001 and writing since 1998. Tolle holds a Master of Science in psychology from Eastern Illinois University and is also a Cisco-certified network associate (CCNA) and a Microsoft-certified systems engineer (MCSE).
