A question regarding building a sandbox cover

[89th]

Alright, this is probably a dumb question. But...

I have an octagon shaped sandbox in the backyard. It has a durable waterproof fabric cover, but when it rains it pools water on the cover, I have to use a bucket to bail out the rain water. I've tried putting objects (like an upside-down circle plastic kiddie pool underneath to help make a "dome" but it's not perfect. Always pooling water...

Anyway, so I bought two pieces of 4x8' exterior plywood, and I plan to join them with hinges to make a makeshift roof I can put under the sandbox cover. This should, in theory, keep the cover flat and minimize any pooling of water.

The dumb question... each piece of plywood is about 40 pounds. So this will be an 80 pound cover. Would it be dumb or smart to drill a bunch of 2-3" holes in the plywood to remove weight without hopefully compromising the rigidity of the wood?

[89th]

[89th]

[Mik]

I'd be tempted to buy a sheet of plexiglass cut to fit the sandbox. No water, no pools, quite light.

[Mik]

The issue I'd see with your approach is that you've doubled up the work to cover and uncover the sandbox. Sheets of luan might be lighter and served the same purpose.

[89th]

Not a bad idea. I looked into it before and it cost over $200 I think? Might be worth it though considering the alternatives I've tried, including this wood hack.

[Mik]

If you had the wood cut to cover I don’t think you’d need the cloth. On the other hand, is it really that much water? For $100 you could get a submersible pump to drop in it. They come in handy for all sorts of things.

[89th]

The cover is needed mainly because a hard flat cover would be swept away with the wind. The pooling water is annoying but not impossible. I have to bail it after a good rainstorm and ideally I can keep the sand dry underneath. I hand carried the 1,000 pounds of sand to fill it and have done it twice, I prefer to avoid that again! The kids love it though, so it’s worth it.

[89th]

Appreciate your insights. I feel like for many house projects I’ve asked about you always provide really great feedback and ideas.

[Mik]

I’m always happy to share the things I have painfully learned over the years.

[89th]

An update. I switched to a new plan. Bought 3 panels of 31 gauge corrugated steel roofing, they are lightweight but hold good tension due to the ripples. Cut the two end pieces down to size and it works. Much lighter and does the job for now.

[Horace]

IMO you should cover the whole thing rather than just 2/3rds.

[Axtremus]

After the kids grow up and write their memoirs, they can claim to have survived growing up in an octagon covered by corrugated sheet metal like a Van Damme movie.

[George K]

@Axtremus said in A question regarding building a sandbox cover:

After the kids grow up and write their memoirs, they can claim to have survived growing up in an octagon covered by corrugated sheet metal like a Van Damme movie.

LOL

[Jolly]

Beware. Tin cuts.

[89th]

Soothe. I am the one that removes it to be safe.

[Mik]

@89th said in A question regarding building a sandbox cover:

The cover is needed mainly because a hard flat cover would be swept away with the wind.

????

[LuFins Dad]

A tin roof? Really? That is so offensive. Have you even watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? I’ll give you a hint, it’s racist.

[Jolly]

@LuFins-Dad said in A question regarding building a sandbox cover:

A tin roof? Really? That is so offensive. Have you even watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? I’ll give you a hint, it’s racist.

I'll have you know this appeals to all races...

[LuFins Dad]

@Jolly said in A question regarding building a sandbox cover:

@LuFins-Dad said in A question regarding building a sandbox cover:

A tin roof? Really? That is so offensive. Have you even watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? I’ll give you a hint, it’s racist.

I'll have you know this appeals to all races...

Apparently it didn’t appeal to Brick all that much…