The Importance of Ground Anchors With Play And Swing Sets

The safety of your kids is Jungle Gym’s key priority. Our playground equipment meets all current health and safety regulations and all wooden climbing frames are GS certified. To guarantee that your play equipment is completely safe, you need to place the wooden climbing frame on the right type of surfacing. After that, you will need to make sure you secure the play equipment with solid ground anchors. Ground anchors adhere to the safety guarantees of Jungle Gym by keeping the play equipment firmly in place under all circumstances.

In this blog we will tell you about the importance of using good quality ground anchors, how to install them, what types of ground anchors we provide and where to place them. With these tips you will get a safe playground for a lifetime of outdoor adventures.

Types of ground anchors

There are many options to consider when choosing the right surface. The first step in building a safe playground is choosing the right type of surface, with the right type of anchors. Each type of surface requires a certain type of anchoring. Jungle Gym provides twist-in ground anchors. These are always supplied with all our wooden climbing frames, especially designed for anchoring in concrete.

The twist-in ground anchors are also suitable for anchoring without concrete such as soil or clay with grass. Although we do recommend installing playground equipment with concrete. Ground anchors are made of stainless material, resistant to soil conditions and provide excellent stability.

The position of your climbing frame

Determine the right position of the playground equipment or swing frames before installing the ground anchors. Keep the position of the sun in mind. The slide surface should be faced away from the hottest midday sun so it doesn't heat up too much. Once you have determined the best spot for the whole wooden climbing frame, you can start placing the anchors. They should be placed at two diagonally located corners. Read the explanation in the manual carefully, so you take all the necessary steps.

Anchor the slide

Besides anchoring the climbing frames and swing set, it is of great importance to also anchor the slide securely. It gives extra strength and stability. Besides, it prevents space forming in between the slide and the tower. Some weather conditions can also cause damage to the slide if it isn’t safely secured.

Ground Anchor in Concrete

It is possible that the surface beneath your wooden climbing frame does not suffice. You can consider moving the wooden climbing frame to another spot in the garden. Another option is to use concrete when anchoring the climbing frame. Jungle Gym recommends using concrete to keep the ground anchors in place and to ensure your child’s safety.
Below you will find a step by step guide which you can also find in all playtower manuals:

Step 1: Dig the soil under two of the four corners, this will create a hole of about 55 cm deep and a diameter of about 40 cm.
Step 2: Mount the anchors into the wood of the playset by first drilling the holes and securing them to the posts. Then fill the holes in the ground with concrete. The anchor in the concrete should be filled up to the line (2), indicated in the anchor.
Step 3: Make sure the ground anchors are fully secured in the ground since children can trip over them if they stick out too much. Let the concrete harden before using the playground equipment, this will take approximately 24 hours depending on weather circumstances.
Step 4: Fill the rest of the hole with the remaining soil and cover it up.
Step 5: Once the ground anchors are fixed, and the concrete is dry, check the stability of the whole climbing frame so that you are sure that the play equipment is 100% ready for use.