Modern swings sets come in so many variations that in addition to swings, they might also have a slide, a tree house or monkey bars, turning the backyard into a private playground. If you have a sloped backyard, you might think you need to undertake the expense and inconvenience of leveling an area before installing a swing set. But if you are willing to work with a custom manufacturer, you can install a swing set designed to accommodate a slope.
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Measure the slope of the yard. Typical slope measurements are taken in degrees. To determine the angle of the slope, you’ll need to measure the length of the yard from the base of the slope to the top and the height of the slope. Use a long piece of string, a pole that is a bit taller than the slope and a level. Ask two friends to help.
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Direct one person to hold one end of the string to the ground at the top of the slope. Unravel enough string to reach the base of the slope. Loop the string without knotting around the top of the pole. Slide the string down the pole until it is level with the top of the slope. Have the second friend confirm that it is level by standing in the middle and using the level to confirm. This process will take some micro-adjustments, but once you have the string level, mark it’s height on the pole and mark where the string reaches the pole.
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Measure the length of the pole from the bottom to the mark to determine the height of the slope and measure the length of the string to determine the length. You can determine percentage of slope by plugging the two into the following calculation:
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Height/Length x 100 = percent slope.
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Then use a conversion table to find the degree of slope.
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Submit the degree of slope to your custom swing-set builder. The builder will tailor the A-frame of the swing to accommodate the slope. He will do this by making one side of the A-frame taller than the other or by making one side of each A-frame taller, depending on how you plan to orient the set to the slope.
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Install the swing set by sinking each leg into an 18-inch hole and fixing it in place using quick-set concrete. On a slope, stability is a bigger concern than on a flat area, so securing the legs in concrete should not be skipped even though it makes the location of the swing set more permanent.