The Wendy House.
This Wendy house is basically a playhouse with a few feminine touches added. A Wendy house can give children hours of enjoyment. And with a little imagination, customized touches can be added to create a unique and special environment.
This house stands 2 metres high, is 2.3 metres long and 1.2 metres wide with a 700mm wide deck along the front.

Explanation of timber sizes.
The timber sizes referred to in this project are the finished or 'actual' sizes. For example: If you went along to the timber yard and asked for a piece of 75x50 dressed framing, the actual timber size would not be 75x50, but rather 65x46.

Confused? Well 75x50 was the approximate size of the timber before it was planed, dressed or gauged and is still referred to in timber yards as 75x50, even though the finished size is 65x46, give or take a mil. Hence the term used in this page 'ex 75x50'. For more timber terminology explanations click here

About the timber.
All timbers used for the construction of the Wendy house are readily available at most timber merchants or building suppliers.
The floor base is constructed of 145x46 (ex 150x50) treated dressed (gauged, smooth finish) covered with standard 90x32 pine decking.
All the framing stock is 65x46 (ex 75x50) with the exception of the ridge beam which is 90x46 (ex 100x50) and the posts which are 65x46 (ex 75x50) treated for outside use.

The Plans. (The following images might take a tick to load)





The Floor and Frame Cutting List.



The Instructions.

Step one: The pieces
Cut all the timber as shown in the cutting list above.

Step two: The base and floor
On a level, flat piece of ground make a rectangle by nailing the two longer joists (a) to two of the shorter joists (b). Nail another three intermediate joists (b) in place evenly spaced (see above floor frame plan). Use 90 or 100mm galvanized nails.

Check that the floor base is square by measuring diagonally from corner to corner. When the diagonals are equal, then the base is square.

Cut the decking to length (20 lengths @ 2300mm) and lay and fix to the base beginning from one side. Use 75mm galvanized jolt head nails.

Step three: the wall frames
Lay out the bottom plates (d) flat on the floor to form a rectangle 2300x1200. Lay the top plates (e) on top of the bottom plates and mark the stud positions on the edge of both plates (see above plate and stud layout diagram).
Separate the plates (d & e) and lay the studs (f) in place. Cut and fix nogs (g) between studs (f) as shown in 'the plans' diagram above.
Nail the wall frame together.
There will be four wall frames in all, the two end frames and the front and back frame.

Stand the frames up in place and nail together. Ensure the bottom plates are straight and fix to the floor.

Check all corners are vertical (plumb) and fix temporary diagonal braces to the insides of the wall frames.

Step four: the roof frame
Centralize the two ridge supports (i) on top of the two end frames and fix in an upright position.

Balance the ridge beam (j) on top of the ridge supports (i) and fix in place with nails skewed (angled) through the ends of the ridge beam into the supports.

Fix the 10 rafters (k) in place (5 each side) beginning with the end rafters and then the intermediates.

Fix the lower rafter supports (m) in place at the lower end of the top rafters (k). (See diagram below.)

Fix the lower rafters (l) in place on top of the lower rafter supports (m), so that the top of the lower rafters (l) are at a point running 335mm up from the bottoms of the top rafters (k). (See diagram below.)



Nail the beam (n) to the end of the lower rafters.

Fix three posts (o) plumb under the beam (n). One post in the middle and one at each end.