how do we build a giant outdoor drainable sandpit?

[zazi]

Hi...
i have a friend who wants to build a very large sand pit that can sit in the sun and get dry after large tropical rain showers....
any suggestions or tips?

 

[natalie_ca]

They don't look that hard to build. Here is a link that sells sand boxes. The base is made from a water permeable membrane that allows the water to drain out.

Check with your local pool or hardware store to see what they recommend for such a membrane.

http://www.gardeners-world.net/prod_show.asp?id=334

 

[zazi]

thanks. had a look at the link...
i know that they are going to build it into the ground ....
will send them this link
the real reason they are building it is so their outdoor cats which have taken to peeing on their porch can use it as a litter box...

they have masses of space ...
and about 28 cats!

 

[weldrwomn]

unless the sand is really deep and the ground underneath is extra permeable, I would go the extra mile and build a french drain or something similar under the sand pit. standard landscaping cloth is water permeable and won't let sand through.

So, what I would do is:

Dig a nice, deep pit
Put river rock in bottom 1/3 of pit
Put pea gravel in next 1/3 of pit
Put landscaping cloth down on pea gravel and up the sides of pit, securing it into the ground on the sides of the pit with landscaping staples
Fill remaining space in pit with sand

All the gravel and rock is so that large amounts of water will quickly drain through and not sit in the sand. If there is a lot of water, then I would dig at least 4-6ft down for the pit.

 

[zazi]

hey thanks....
that sounds like a good plan to start with......
will fwd the details...