Hi all
I've got a load of 50mmx50mm treated timber and I'd like to turn it into a little raised 'house' with some steps for my 4 and 7 year old. Something the rectangular part of the image below, but smaller with dimensions about h=1600mm w=800mm d=800mm. Minus the cross beam and swings / slide.
My question is = when attaching the frame together, do I need to use coach bolts for stability? All the shop bought ones seem to have coach bolts, but they also have larger timber - 4 by 2s, for example. I'm sure 50mmx50mm timber will take their weight no problem, but a large coach bolt through the middle of seems like it would mean drilling a hole almost half the width of the timber to take the nut..
Would it be dangerous to just use a couple of decent length screws on each lap joint and drive them in nice and tight? Or are coach bolts the only option for structures like this?
Thanks for any advice..
I've got a load of 50mmx50mm treated timber and I'd like to turn it into a little raised 'house' with some steps for my 4 and 7 year old. Something the rectangular part of the image below, but smaller with dimensions about h=1600mm w=800mm d=800mm. Minus the cross beam and swings / slide.
My question is = when attaching the frame together, do I need to use coach bolts for stability? All the shop bought ones seem to have coach bolts, but they also have larger timber - 4 by 2s, for example. I'm sure 50mmx50mm timber will take their weight no problem, but a large coach bolt through the middle of seems like it would mean drilling a hole almost half the width of the timber to take the nut..
Would it be dangerous to just use a couple of decent length screws on each lap joint and drive them in nice and tight? Or are coach bolts the only option for structures like this?
Thanks for any advice..