How to Make Foot Bridges
A foot bridge or pedestrian bridge is allows people to cross over a small body of water. With just some basic carpentry skills and materials you can find at any hardware or home improvement store, you can construct your own. The cheapest and most durable material to use for a homemade foot bridge is plywood. These steps will show you how to construct a 4-foot long foot bridge, but you can adjust the size according to your needs. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Sandpaper
- Two 4-foot by 2-inch by 1-inch plywood blocks
- Eight 4-foot by 6-inch-by-1/2-inch plywood planks
- Table saw
- 48 1-inch-long screws
- Drill
- Screwdriver bit
- Paint
- Brush
Instructions
-
-
1
Make sure that the ground on which you want to build your foot bridge is solid and dry. Measure how long you need the bridge to be and purchase your plywood accordingly.
-
2
Cut your plywood using your table saw. Cut two 1-inch thick plywood blocks to measure 4-feet-by-2-inches. However, if your intend your bridge to be longer or shorter than 4 feet, adjust the length accordingly, keeping the width and thickness the same. Cut an additional eight 1/2-inch-by-4-feet-by-6-inches thick plywood planks. If you're making a bridge longer than four feet, you'll need more of these planks. If you're making it shorter than four feet, you'll want to use fewer.
-
-
3
Position your two 4-foot-by-2-inch plywood blocks parallel to each other, 46 inches apart, so that they face upwards. Put your eight plywood planks on top of your two blocks, perpendicular to them. Allow one inch of each plank to protrude on each side of the blocks.
-
4
Attach each plywood plank to your plywood blocks. Use your drill to screw three 1-inch screws through your plank and into the block. Have each screw about an one inch apart, and have the outermost screws an inch from either edge of your planks.
-
5
Sand the upper sides of the planks using sandpaper.
-
6
Choose your color of paint and paint your bridge. Allow it to dry overnight, and create a tarpaulin arrangement using stakes if it rains.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Take precautions when using a table saw. Test out your bridge before your children use it.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
