Playset Services- Handyman Nightmares Sunray

Making Backyards Fun Since 1997

This is what it's supposed to look like when complete.

This is what the family was left with after their handyman installation. They called that pile of boards to the right "extra pieces". They built the a-frame assembly upside down and when the holes didn't line up right they buried the other end 8" in the ground and still didn't get the swing positioned correctly. We tend to make the a-frame end 1-2 high to allow for settling. They took 3 long days to do this. These yahoos charged $300 for this mess.

The reason they had "extra pieces" was because they put the deck supports on the outside of the corner post (they belong on the inside) and then had to use the boards meant for the roof to make the decks. Because the deck supports are wrong, the ladder is attached improperly creating an entrapment area at the top of the ladder. If you can see the back of rock wall, you'll notice the upright supports are turned the wrong way significantly reducing the weight limit on the wall. The roof does not need an explanation.

Bolts extending beyond the surface of the wood is usually bad mojo for playset manufacturers. This creates a hanging hazard. It would very easy for a child to get their hoodie stuck on this and be trapped hanging from the fort. A minor issue, but the little board to the right doesn't belong there. There was so much done wrong, not to mention the damage done to the wood from all those bolts and screws being in the wrong place. Playsets are inherently dangerous, but they're designed to be as safe as possible given their nature. Mistakes like this can't be tolerated.

This is the happy Dad after our installation/ repair. We let him help to keep our fee down. We don't usually do that, but this guy was already out $300. We could have built this from the ground up in 4-5 hours for $425 to begin with. It took 6 hours to take it apart and rebuild it correctly. We charged $425 for the redo.

Who you gonna Call? Obviously we want you to call us. We pride ourselves in the types of techs we accept to begin in our apprentice program. It's not enough to come and build swing sets to get a check. We look for people who love this type of work and have the skills to be the best. We've done this long enough to know when someone doesn't have what it takes. Contact us and you'll see we why we think we're the best.

Some things to think about.. It's easy enough to find someone looking to make some money from craigslist or from a local free paper. We have phone numbers, references, a recognized logo, a vast website to showcase our work, we perform background checks, and we sponsor a training program designed to make our installers knowledgeable and confident about this line of work. We are preferred installers for playground companies such as Cedarworks and Kid's Creations.

More things to think about before you hire a playset installer:

	Do they have a website? In the 21st century what real business doesn't?
	Beware of swingset installers who don't list a phone number or an e-mail address in their ad. Where will they be next month?
	Do they have pictures of real work and references to prove the quality of their work?
	Is that guy you hired to build your family swingset a criminal?
	Believe it or not finding the cheapest deal isn't always the best thing. Beware of installers who don't charge enough. They could be hard up for cash and don't care what happens after they're paid.
	Beware of installers without yellow page recognition. Cell phone based businesses come and go and then they're gone.