Anchoring kids swing/playframe to the ground

[chris.gid]

Picked up a used kids playframe at the weekend that someone had custom built from C16, wooden boards and round poles. It had been concreted into the ground (see pic) but i just cut it off at ground level so need to find a new way of securing it down. Rather than concreting some more posts into the ground (and then bolting/ screwing the existing frame to those) i was thinking of either using ground screws or fence spikes. Ground screws would hold it solid and be easy to remove at any point in the future, but will cost me over £200 inc delivery in hand installation tool. Spikes will be about £50 (was going to use 3 for the swing poles and then 2 for the left corners, rest would just be held with those concrete decking block things (or just a wooden post in a shallow concrete foundation which i can dig up easily).

Do you think fence spikes will hold after repeated use of the swing, i have removed a few in my garden before and they take a lot of persuasion with a sledge hammer and a mattock)?

 

[baldkev]

The ground spikes are probably a good option as although it costs more, they'll go in fast, come out fast and leave minimal impact once the kids are older....
But any of your suggestions will be fine....
Or just ban the kids from using it and dont bother fixing it off

 

[paulrbarnard]

I fixed ours using galvanised angle iron hammered a couple of feet into the ground at each leg on a 45ish degree angle then bolted the frame to those. That held up for many years.

 

[chris.gid]

The ground spikes are probably a good option as although it costs more, they'll go in fast, come out fast and leave minimal impact once the kids are older....
But any of your suggestions will be fine....
Or just ban the kids from using it and dont bother fixing it off

Hmmmmmmmm.......think I'm going to want to use the swing

 

[chris.gid]

Thanks for the suggestions, will have a go with the fence spikes, worst case scenario they come loose and I have to replace with ground screws in the future.

 

[Fergie 307]

Spirafix ground screws, they are about £15 quid each anecdotally good.

 

[chris.gid]

Spirafix ground screws, they are about £15 quid each anecdotally good.

Hmmm interesting, i had looked at them before and discounted them as they looked quite flimsy. My worry would be that given how narrow they are they would work loose quite easily. Will e-mail the company and see what they say.
Thanks

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I fixed ours using galvanised angle iron hammered a couple of feet into the ground at each leg on a 45ish degree angle then bolted the frame to those. That held up for many years.

I used a similar technique to stop a trampoline blowing away in the wind. Very successful, but the trick is to keep the above ground part safe.

 

[Fergie 307]

Hmmm interesting, i had looked at them before and discounted them as they looked quite flimsy. My worry would be that given how narrow they are they would work loose quite easily. Will e-mail the company and see what they say.
Thanks

don't know where my spell checker got anecdotally from. I used these on a similar swing and climbing frame set up for about 15 years and they didn't work loose. When the kids grew up gave the whole thing to a neighbour, they are still using it with the same anchors. On the ones I had the spiral blades were about 2 inches wide. I assume they are still much the same.