Where to get large diameter PVC pipe or tubing

[Mosey]

I have this crazy idea to try to make a water slide for the kids. I won’t need a ladder or anything, since I have a 15 to 20 degree hill available right in the back yard (they're only 6 years old, so they don't need to go too fast). My plan is to put an inflatable pool at the end for them to splash into and use a small pump to pump the water from the pool to the top of the slide. The hard part, and probably expensive part, is figuring out what to make the slide out of. The only idea I have so far is to use some kind of large diameter pipe or tubing, at least 18 inches in diameter and smooth on the inside, and cutting it in half to get a U shaped slide.

How big do they make PVC pipe? Any other ideas for what to make the slide out of?

 

[rocky2]

Since the lil munchers are so young, why not a Fisher-Price plactic sliding board or a plastic one from a swing set at Toys R' Us. De-burring and rounding the edges of the PVC might be a pain in the behind, and if you miss a spot could be a pain in the behind for the lil ones too.

 

[RobS]

Danny, you can get PVC culvert pipe pretty big but make sure you get the double wall stuff. That corrugated single wall could make for a painful ride down /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

I always see a lot of the stuff at Carter Lumber in our area. Also try a plumbing supply house. Ours didn't carry it but directed me to a place that does /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Knight9]

Wow!!! Very ambitious!! My kids get a much simpler "removable" version kind of like the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.qualityrecreation.com/w90072.html>slip 'n slide</A>. Basically, just some heavy duty poly cut to about 3' wide pinned down at the edges with landscape pins. Works great with the water flowing down it....and at the end of the day it gets folded up and the grass is barely dented! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Kevin

 

[Mosey]

I got them a slip and slide last year and it tore apart when they slammed into the end of it. Of course, I set it up so they could slide down the little slide on their swing set and get up more speed!

 

[chim]

Make sure the pipe is UV stabilized. I picked up a leftover piece of PVC pipe a number of years ago with the same idea. As things sometimes go around here, the pipe sat for a year or so without any activity on the project. One day I noticed the pipe had split. Whe PVC pipe breaks, it leaves some nasty edges...........chim

 

[rdln]

form trough with clean fill sand and line it with 6 mil plastic or pvc shower stall liner sheeting in 5' widths and fix soaker hose to crest to keep slide wet

 

[Knight9]

Mosey,

Oh ya...I'm not saying buy them a slip n' slide...they are too cheap!!! My parents bought the "grandkids" a slip n' slide to use at Grampa and Gramma's house. I think it lasted about 1 1/2 hours /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif. Then we made one out of very heavy duty poly. Still using it.

Kevin

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Mosey,

Have you thought about pond liner or the roll rubber roofing? Seems that stuff should be though enough to slide on without tearing up, and would be easier to dispose of after the kids get too big to play with it anymore.

SHF

 

[dourobob]

Another possibility would be talking to some swimming pool companies about old or faulty vinyl pool liners. I know this 'cause we are in the process of replacing ours again - second time in three years - the first one lasted 18 years and was replaced two summers ago. Now the company (bless them) is replacing this two year old one under warranty because a seam was not finished properly - the removed liner works for decorative pond liner, waterproofing around the end of a culvert, lining a cracked birdbath, etc, etc.

Bob

 

[beenthere]

I don't know about the pond liner, but the rubber roofing (I have some) would not work as a slide. Not unless it was close to verticle. It is not slippery - at least dry. Maybe oiled up it might work, but that gets a little kinky.

 

[Soundguy]

Irrigatio/sprinkler, and underground utility companies deal in plastic pipe the size you need.

Soundguy

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

I'm not sure, but I think the pond liner and rubber roll roofing are about the same material, aren't they? (EPDM?)

SHF

 

[House]

I had a similar idea last year and talked to a sprinkler/irrigation company. They wanted $400 for a 12' piece of abs pipe (I think it was 18" dia).
Cheaper to buy a roto-molded slide from a playset supply company, similar price but you get a nicer looking finished product.

 

[chim]

We did a state prison job a while back, and they had two different types of "rubber roofing". One was the Firestone or Carlisle EPDM black stuff you see all over the place. But on the kitchen roof, the roofing was white in color, and more slippery than snot on a doorknob. We went on this flat roof a few times, and it was real slippery even from dew in the early AM. I was on it once when there was some slushy snow, and it was a challenge to stay on my feet. The contractor said it was a different composition because the black material wasn't as resistant to the grease that would end up there from the kitchen exhaust h fans....................chim

 

[bgott]

I don't know how you'd connect them but you could find a few of those 55 gallon plastic drums. Split them from top to bottom and heat weld them some way. I see them for sale around here on the side of the road for around $15 or so each.

 

[EdKing]

We have a water slide at our "Over the Hill" party every summer. We use a long narrow tarp, can't remember where we got it. See attached pic.

 

[Mosey]

Thanks for the ideas. Now that I have some ideas to look for, I'll have to get to some places and start looking at what they have.

 

[JimMc]

At our church camp, we used mine conveyor belting. They change it out fairly often and roll it up. When wet, it becomes very slick. If the curves are gradual enough, you can even put banked turns in.