Sunken Trampoline

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peelabee

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SUNKEN TRAMPOLINE! I really, really, want to sink our trampoline into the ground. Has anyone done this? Do I need a builder or a gardener? (hubby not interested in doing it!) Any pros or cons? My kids love the tramp but I hate looking out at it!
Many thanks in anticipation
Peelabee
 
do you not have a net around it?

Con is that without the net even if it is sunk is that there will be a hard lip that can obviously cause harm. Also kids may be tempted to jump from tramp to ground this can cause serious back problems as it pits such a strain jumping from soft surface to a hard surface.
 
My friend has two sunken trampolines in her garden and they are fabulous. I know what you mean, trampolines can be an eyesore in the garden. The first time I saw my kids bouncing about on my friend's two ground level trampolines, I thought I was drunk. It looked hilarious. My friend has playbark all around the trampolines and on top of them, so they are not obvious in the garden at all.

The previous owner of her house had them excavated by a landscape gardener, and there is a water pump fitted underneath them as they need to be emptied of water if it rains heavily. I might have it done myself, this summer.
 
+1

Excavate the ground under the proposed position. Make sure you allow for drainage pipe to allow collecting water to flow away to soakage.

Position the trampoline and backfill some of the soil to help anchor it in place.

Finish around the outside with a soft surface, ideally rubber tiles pinned in place bark mulch will do just fine.

There is a lot of work involved so be prepared to hire a digger and a skip if you have no where to put the soil.

When the kids are finished with the trampoline you have a perfect place for a pond and decking!
 
That's a brilliant idea Peelabee, the kids will love it. Had the same thoughts some years ago but it seemed like too much work so I left it above ground.

Health & Safety is a definite necessity but you have to moderate it with a large dose of common sense. I refused to put a net around my trampoline because I saw several of my neighbour's kids use it to bounce off. In 5 1/2 years of constant good weather usage I've only ever had one kid come off the trampoline and hurt themselves (a mild sprain). The only way for them to learn is to take the risk and then learn to make adjustments. Just think of the things you got up to as a kid yourself, assuming you're old enough that is

If your recessed trampoline is surrounded by grass you will be fine, you will possibly get some bruises and scrapes and even some sprains and breaks but this is part of growing up and is infinitely better that rearing a child who doesn't understand the consequences of risk-taking.

Your biggest problem will probably be from some adult visitors who have a had a few too many at your summer BBQ and decide to 'have a go' on the trampoline!!

 
how would you fill the gap in between the trampoline and the edge of the garden., I would be afraid of a child walking over to it and slipping between the edge of the ground and the edge of trampoline...
 
Thanks to all for those very interesting comments.
Jack, have safety net - hence the eyesore!!
Michaelm - you sound like my hubby - he's trying to veto too (who wins in your house?).
Sconhome - what a wonderful idea for area after kids are finished - think hubby afraid we'll be left with huge hole in the garden!
Dulwichmum - delighted to hear a good report.
Galwegian44 - I agree kids need to learn to take care of themselves and to take some small risks in life - God knows, there weren't half the safety precautions when i was a kid and we certainly risked things regularly!! To be honest, one of my greatest fears of injury was kids bouncing off the safety net into each other (especially my 16 year old son and his buddies!)
Vacuum Box - thinking of using some of the dug up soil to make little hillocks surrounding the tramp (think teletubby hills!)

Peelabee
 
ok.. but if you think of it, once you trampoline goes into the ground, you are going to be left with a slight gap between the trampoline and the hole that you dug ... after a while from kids and adults using it I would imagine that this "gap" would get bigger.
 
a friend of mine dug holes for the legs of the trampoline and dropped it down into them. they left the trampoline top about 6 inches off the ground which allows the air to escape when people are jumping on it. it's still ok a couple of years on ... but kids have grown out of it. must admit trampolines are great fun ... don't think i'll ever grow out of it!
 
peelabee said:
Michaelm - you sound like my hubby - he's trying to veto too (who wins in your house?).
Click to expand...
On an issue like this, me.
peelabee said:
To be honest, one of my greatest fears of injury was kids bouncing off the safety net into each other (especially my 16 year old son and his buddies!)
Click to expand...
That's exactly what my lads (10 & 8) use the net for. They also jump off the garden wall over the net onto the trampoline . . no talking to them.
 
Don't dig the hole beyond the circumference of the trampoline itself. Just dif out far enough so that when you lower the trampoline into the hole there is an overlap so that the area at the edge where the springs connect to the outside frame is actually over the ground. This will not impact on the trampoline as this part does not go down as the kids (or adults ) jump.


 
How to recess a trampoline

I have recessed a trampoline for a client a couple of years ago. The new sleepers were concreted into the ground, drainage with a sump pump and storm water connection was installed and the area at the base was paved. This means the area can be used as a sunken patio, fire pit, or even puttin the hot tub into after the trampoline isn't needed. the net was taken off for the photographs, but can be put on at any stage.

On my Facebook - ianpricedesigns I have 3 different sunken trampolines with 3 different treatments.

Please do not just bury the trampoline legs into the ground. They may start to rust and are very difficult to remove once the trampoline is no longer needed. A solid wall is highly recommended and not just a hole dug into the ground with the potential for children to disappear into. This is obviously dangerous.

Do it once, and do it right and as I have said the recess can be given a new lease of life when the children have grown up.
 
I'm guessing the excavation would need to be approx 1m deep. Don't forget that ground conditions are a big facter here. If the sub-soils are in anyway granular then the excvation will collapse in on itself and would need to be retained/propped. Even relatively shallow excavations like this can be quite dangerous if they collapse. Just bear this in mind!
 
I suddenly feel that what my house plans are sorely missing is a sunken trampoline. Damn you internet!

<goes to do some research, and try and convince girlfriend of the necessity>
 
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