Well      04/10/2019

Making a slide for a child with your own hands: advice from the experts. Puppet theater at home. Unusual transforming tables for sand animation

Setting up a playground is impossible without a slide. But you need to choose the design very carefully and take into account all the nuances. This means safety, comfort, and ease of making it yourself.


Kinds

Speaking about the types of children's slides, we must first distinguish two types: garden and located in the house. Most often, home structures are placed in the bedroom. They can be made from randomly selected materials, even plywood or particle boards. This is unacceptable on the street - the adverse meteorological influences there are too strong. But the basic approaches to design remain unchanged.



The difference may be due to the materials used to make the slide. For it they use:

  • tree;
  • metal.
  • ease of assembly;
  • minimum occupied territory;
  • possibility of obtaining various forms;
  • convenience and safety;
  • seasonal versatility.


Plastic allows you to make slopes in the form of a spiral, pipe or wave. The excellent heat capacity of the plastic slope allows it not to overheat in the summer, and also maintain comfortable temperature in winter. The work is very simple, you just need to assemble the parts in accordance with the instructions. However, plastic is fragile, especially if we talk about cheap Chinese samples. It doesn't last long enough.


Often on site nearby apartment buildings you can see metal slides. They are very durable and serve long time. Even with active use, the attraction will work enough for several generations to use it. You can make a structure with different heights and with unequal lengths of descent.

However, before choosing such a structure for your yard, you need to take into account its weaknesses.


Metal conducts heat too well. In hot weather, it gets very hot, and when cold weather sets in, the skaters easily freeze. This can lead to bad health consequences, even if they are not noticed in the heat of the game. You also need to remember that metal requires maintenance. And if the ramp is made of steel, it may corrode.


Wood is attractive for many reasons. It is safe in environmental and sanitary terms. Wooden structures are relatively lightweight and can be placed in any location. Weather conditions do not prevent their use. But we must understand that even the most best wood may become deformed due to dampness and temperature changes.


For protection it is carried out special processing. However, it complicates and increases the cost of the construction process. In addition, it is necessary to carefully select impregnation compositions, since not all of them are safe enough. But wooden slide can be easily repaired with your own hands. And during the construction stage you will not need to use a welding machine.


The large area occupied by the slide (especially together with the descent) requires a more thoughtful approach to organizing this element of the playground. Limit your choice suitable material it is forbidden. Often the slide is complemented by a house. Not only does it provide another place to play, but it also provides shelter from the rain during the summer months. It is also worth mentioning that the types of slides differ both in the presence of the house and in the size of the structure.


Drawings and dimensions

In order to properly build a slide for children on a summer cottage, it is necessary to draw up drawings and diagrams. If the slope profile found on the Internet does not suit you, you need to turn it clockwise (to increase) or counterclockwise (to decrease) the angle. The steeper the slope, the more enjoyable it will be for children. In addition, such a design will take less space, which is especially important in the country.

But when the slope of the slide is tilted by more than 40 degrees, careful calculations must be made so that the braking section does not turn out to be excessively long.

Typically profiles are drawn to the same scale, from bottom to top. At the same time, they try to ensure that the distances between the starting points coincide. After this, vertical secant lines are prepared, between which there should also be an identical distance. The angle of the slope is determined by how large the free space is.

If there is a wall, a pool or other dangerous places in the courtyard of the house near the slide, you need to plan to build the steepest possible slide.


When drawing up drawings, it is necessary to take into account not only the accessible territory, but also the age of the children. So, if the design is designed for a category of 3-7 years, you can make a playing surface at a height of over 2 m. But in this case you will have to make barriers from metal, the height of which will be at least 0.7 m. If children of any age can use the slide, the openings of the fences can be a maximum of 0.5 m. In this case, the height of free fall should be limited to 2 m.

When a fall from the upper platform is likely, it is necessary to provide for the laying out of an impact-absorbing coating during the design. They are often not indicated in the drawings support structures. And also there may be no other deepening elements. The form should be as simple as possible, since it is difficult to build a structure with a sophisticated configuration. The drawing of a slide for the street should be made in such an orientation that the descent is not directed towards the roadway.


Design

IN early age Children's imagination does the main work itself. It is able to “colorize” a seemingly unremarkable element on the site, presenting it as a fairy-tale space. But it is quite appropriate for some adults to want to help the imagination, to push it in a strictly defined direction. And if it is difficult to diversify the slope, then the ascent can be presented much more interestingly than a simple staircase. Excellent solutions this kind can be:

  • slide in the form of a “tractor”;
  • a house on a tree;
  • "locomotive".



How to do it yourself?

On the Internet you can easily find many schemes for arranging a children's slide. But you should seriously pay attention only to such drawings and drawings that show the barriers in detail. Children of any age play with abandon and lose their sense of reality. Therefore, both fences and railings must be present. Special attention should be paid to the materials from which the slide as a whole and even its minor parts are constructed.


There are two main requirements: sanitary safety and minimal risk of fire. All wooden and metal constructions must be sanded to minimize the risk of injury. When thinking about a future structure and constructing it, you need to exclude any slotted partitions and gaps. When playing, children do not watch where they put their fingers or even their heads. It is useful to imagine the slide through the eyes of a child, and then it will become clear where dangers may be hiding.

The step-by-step design of sports equipment begins with the preparation of the descent. It is made from boards that match in length and width. The wood is carefully sanded to ensure a safe descent. To connect the boards, bars are used, placed from below. The next step is to attach the side parts of the structure to the descent.

In order not to carefully calculate all the proportions, you can simply repeat standard sizes factory slides. It is 1.3 m in height at an inclination of 55 degrees. The boards of the side parts are selected and placed so that the ends are at the top of the site. They function as handrails that you can hold on to before descending. The sides are secured on both sides with self-tapping screws so that they hold onto the base of the descent.


Important: the side parts should be thoroughly processed. All sharp corners are cut off and even ground sandpaper. To spend less time and effort, you can simply take a grinder with a grinding disc. Next you need to do the marking. At this point you will need a garden auger.



Recesses in the ground obtained with its help are needed for installing timber. Note: the bottom of this beam should be lubricated with mastic. Now the places where it was placed are being concreted. Only this solution ensures the reliability and stability of the structure. It is recommended to mix the mortar using M500 cement in standard proportions.

Grooves are cut in the upper part of the beams with a saw. They are needed to install the trim strips. The parts are connected using self-tapping screws. The slats solve two problems at once: they increase rigidity and ensure the safety of children. Now you need to attach a couple of wooden crossbars to the frame.

A ladder is attached to them on one side and a prepared descent on the other. When this work is completed, it is necessary to build a wooden floor. When making it, boards are laid, attaching them with self-tapping screws.


Important: boards cannot be placed closely. The gaps should be such that there is no risk of injury, but water can drain freely.

If you need maximum strength, joints wooden parts reinforced with steel corners. It is recommended to make the slide twice as long as it is tall. When choosing a site, you need to make sure that it does not end up in a lowland. When it rains for a long time, a “swamp” will form there. All wooden and plastic parts must be impregnated with fire retardants.

But the construction of a wooden slide can happen differently. An alternative scheme involves first removing all the soil and leveling the excavation. This is necessary if there is fertile land there - then it will not be empty and will be useful somewhere else. Next, the site is covered with sand and after a while, when it settles, the entire area is compacted. This time should not be wasted, you can:

  • prepare wood;
  • dry it;
  • cut according to the drawing;
  • sand;
  • impregnate with protective components.

The steps, handrails, railings and boards that will be needed to build the “tunnel” are painted twice with enamel. They need to be sanded between paintings. This concludes the preparatory stage. The time has come to build a foundation: in holes prepared using garden borer, install fittings. It will certainly be verified according to the building level.

When the reinforcement is placed, it is immediately concreted, and the corners are welded on top. The pillars that will be placed at the base must be sawed in certain places. These recesses will allow you to fix the timber at the corners with self-tapping screws. Next, the pillars are connected to each other using jibs. The staircase is made like this: stringers are attached, and then steps are placed on top of them.

But the ladder cannot be used normally if it is not supplemented with a launching pad. When this work is completed, it is necessary to prepare the base of the descent (it is made of timber). A steel curved profile for the slope is installed. A plywood shield is placed on top of the base under the slope. A sheet of iron is nailed onto this shield.

The outer edges of the sheet are folded and secured to the profile. Otherwise, injuries are inevitable. Now you can cut gaps in the boards and wrap the edges of the sheet there. A boardwalk is being prepared under the ramp. The sides are covered with plywood. Now you can:

  • put up the sides;
  • complement the stairs with railings;
  • build hipped roof, cover it on top with plywood.
  • sheet of plastic;
  • linoleum;
  • galvanized steel 0.05 cm thick.

It is not advisable to use laminate for slopes. Under constant load or simply upon contact with water, it is easily deformed. And here are some more recommendations:

  • You can increase the protection of wood from moisture by polishing it with wax;
  • for covering a wooden slide Oil paint much worse than acrylic compounds and varnish;
  • you can’t place a slide near poisonous plants and honey plants;
  • you must immediately ensure that there are no pipes or electrical appliances nearby;
  • You cannot orient the slope towards the roadway, fence or main wall.


Beautiful examples

It would take a long time to list the rules for building slides and study the nuances. But it is much better to take the initiative and focus on ready-made design ideas. The photo below shows a simple light-colored slide built almost entirely from wood. Only the surface of the slope is lined with sheet iron. At the same time, the protective sides are completely wooden. Contrary to the fears of some people, this decision does not look sad at all.


But you can also make a multi-colored colorful design, even complemented by a rather long transition between ascent and descent. A couple of tent buildings provide shelter from not too heavy rain. There is an even simpler option, in which the entire surface is made of wood. This design should be chosen when you need only functionality and not brightness. appearance.


To learn how to make a slide with your own hands in one day, see below.

Do children's activities seem unsafe to you? Are you afraid that your child might get injured while looking for adventure? The best way out of the situation is not to ban, but to provide a safe place for games! Moreover, making a children's slide with your own hands is not so difficult. For this you will need a minimum of material, construction tool and a little imagination. A practical advice on construction, design drawings and recommendations regarding the choice of building materials can be found below.

What you need to know to build a children's slide

The proverb about the need to measure several times before cutting is especially relevant when building a play complex for a child. After all, mistakes in this matter are unforgivable!

Playground slide with swings

Five golden rules for a play slide

A children's slide must first of all be safe and comfortable:

  1. The descent must necessarily have a “brake pad” - a section where the ramp is parallel to the surface of the pad. Otherwise, the speed of descent will not decrease, which may lead to injury to the child.
  2. The length of a self-made children's slide should be exactly twice the height of the structure. So, if the length of the ramp is 5 m, the height of the launch pad cannot be more than 2.5 m.
  3. There should be no buildings or fences within a radius of 1 m near the descent area. This is necessary so that the child cannot hit himself if he accelerates too much.
  4. It is necessary to provide a special covering in the descent area (sand, rubber mats, etc.). IN rainy weather There shouldn't be a swamp there!
  5. If a sandbox or hammock will be placed under the structure, you need to sew up the “ceiling” in advance and make a roof over the launch pad (to drain water). Otherwise, sand from children's feet will fall onto the heads of those located below.

How to choose material for a slope

The choice of materials for covering the descent is not that great. And, taking into account the requirements that ensure the safety of the child, it is completely narrowed down to several options. But, before listing the features of these materials, let’s look at what you cannot use to make a children’s slide with your own hands:

  • Polycarbonate (especially cellular). This material, firstly, does not glide well, and secondly, when broken, it forms dangerous chips. In addition, in summer, polycarbonate expands, creating waves. Therefore, the slide will quickly become unusable in hot weather.
  • PVC panels. Very fragile material that cannot be transferred harsh winters.
  • Glass mats. Strictly not recommended for contact with the skin of a child.

Winter slide made of monolithic polycarbonate

How to achieve a “mirror” wood surface

Building a wooden children's slide with your own hands is a reality! But only if you are ready to devote several days to making a slippery wooden ramp. After all, in order to apply several layers of yacht varnish and sand the surface in between applications, it will take a lot of time.

Why is a wooden slide attractive?

Pros of a wooden slide:

  • The child will be surrounded by environmentally friendly, natural materials.
  • The surface will not heat up as much in the heat as, for example, metal.
  • In winter, a wooden slope can be filled with water and turned into an ice slide.

Disadvantages of a slope made of wood:

  • If there is sand on the site, then varnished surface It will become unusable very quickly. Children will bring sand on their clothes and scratch the slope with it, like sandpaper. So be prepared to renew your coverage annually!
  • The slightest oversight while sanding the surface can result in splinters and scratches for the baby after skating.
  • Sliding speed wooden surface in any case, it will be low, which will quickly make a wooden slide uninteresting for growing children.
  • In the summer, it will be impossible to convert the slide into a water park, that is, supply water to the slope.

A selection of drawings of a wooden children's slide for making with your own hands:

A simple drawing of a wooden slide

Low descent for small children

Play complex with slide

Simple model

Advice! Instead of wood, it is better to use Finnish plywood to cover the slope of the slide. It is much more moisture resistant and perfectly withstands the effects of precipitation.

Secrets of slippery surfaces

A few secrets on how to make a wooden children's slide truly slippery:

  • A wooden slope (dry and sanded) can be coated with a special oil that protects the surface (for example, Pinotex). This must be done in several layers. Thanks to this procedure, the wood will not lose its smoothness, and moisture will roll off well without destroying the surface.
  • Sanding the wood layer by layer after each application of varnish will help achieve the effect. mirror surface and make the slide really slippery.
  • A plywood slope can be covered liquid acrylic, used for bathtub renovation. In addition to excellent glide, this option is also good because you can choose almost any color of the coating! But it should be remembered that scratches will form on it quite quickly, into which dirt will invariably accumulate. This will not affect the functionality of the slide, but the appearance of the structure will be spoiled.

Sanded wood escapement

Advice! The joint of plywood sheets looks much more aesthetically pleasing if their edges are sawed off with a jigsaw at an angle of 45º. In this version, the sheets are arranged as if overlapping, and one element “crawls” onto the other.

Metal coating – we care about the safety of the baby

A ramp made of stainless steel or galvanized sheets is a “classic of the genre” when building a children’s slide with your own hands. But this solution also has its drawbacks.

  1. Firstly, in order to cover the entire slide you need to either overlap it or spend money on a much more expensive sheet of metal bigger size(Sheets are available in lengths of 2.5 and 6 m). There is a third option - take the time to find a construction company that will agree to “cut off” the required piece of stainless steel from the existing roll.
  2. Secondly, stainless steel (like other metals) gets very hot in the sun. Therefore, it is recommended to place the ramp on the north side in order to reduce the intensity of illumination of the structure. But such a layout is not always possible on the site!
  3. Thirdly, thin steel is very sharp and completely unsafe for a child. A carelessly bent corner can cause serious injury to your baby! Therefore, you need to bend the sheet extremely carefully, firmly fixing it to the base board.

Metal slide with handrails

Advice! Instead of a galvanized sheet to cover the slide, you can take alucobond (an aluminum panel) and attach it to liquid nails. The advantage of this solution is wide color palette material!

Secrets of a good metal slide:

  1. The shield under the stainless steel sheet must be perfectly flat, without protrusions or differences. After all, stainless steel is extremely thin and does not compensate for surface imperfections. To do this, it is better to pre-cover the construction boards with fiberboard boards.
  2. It is not recommended to buy a mirror stainless steel, since it heats up much faster and more strongly on sunny days. Much more best option– polished stainless steel.
  3. The sheet should be much wider and longer than the slide itself. After all, for the safety of the child, this covering around the entire perimeter needs to be folded and hidden under some kind of plinths or boards.

Advice! You only need to fasten the sheet of metal along the edges (to the sides and bottom). It is strictly forbidden to make fastenings on the surface of the slide slope!

Flooring slide - cheap and cheerful

Another interesting and inexpensive option is to cover the slide with a sheet of linoleum. The advantages of this solution are obvious:

  • the material is relatively cheap (you can buy scraps, which are sold at half the price);
  • Ideally not needed for linoleum Smooth surface due to its thickness and softness;
  • the base under this material does not rot, it protects the wood from moisture and temperature changes (if linoleum is on the sides, in the summer you can make a water slide);
  • linoleum softens impacts and does not form dangerous sharp corners, chips or splinters, like other coating options.

A linoleum slide is suitable for home

But such a slide also has quite a few disadvantages:

  • the coating must be changed annually due to its rapid wear;
  • in very hot weather, linoleum can melt, which is dangerous in terms of getting burns;
  • the sliding speed on this material is very low;
  • the design with linoleum does not look very aesthetically pleasing.

For optimal gliding, felt or felt mats can be provided for skating.

Building a wooden slide for a child - step-by-step instructions

Every child's dream is a multifunctional playground, with which you can realize any ideas for games. So, step-by-step instruction for building a children's slide with your own hands.

Proper preparation is the key to successful construction

Preparatory stage:

  1. Remove fertile soil at the construction site and level the soil. Fill the area with sand and let it settle and compact (it is advisable to complete this stage in the fall, and begin building the slide in the spring).
  2. Prepare wooden blanks (stringers, railings, boards for steps and “tunnels”, beams for the base): if necessary, dry everything, saw it to the selected size and carefully sand it, and then soak it with a protective mixture.
  3. Paint the steps, handrails and boards for the “tunnel” with multi-colored enamel in 2 layers with intermediate sanding.
  4. From 12-gauge plywood, cut out the side elements (for lining the tunnel) and the sides of the slide. Treat the elements with impregnation.

Installation technique for the base structure

Frame installation:

  1. Build a foundation. To do this, you need to make holes with a garden drill, install the reinforcement in them at a level and fill everything with concrete.
  2. Weld the corners to the fittings. Make cuts in the pillars for the base of the slide and mount the timber on the corners, securing everything with self-tapping screws. Connect the pillars to each other with jibs.
  3. Make a staircase: fasten the stringers (it is advisable to add boards on the back side for additional structural rigidity), put steps on them.
  4. Install a launch pad with a ladder leading to it.
  5. Next, make a base for the descent from timber and install a curved metal profile (25x40) for the slope.

Bearing structures

The final stage - we finish construction

Do-it-yourself slope and lining of a slide for a playground:

  1. Lay a plywood board on the base for the ramp and make a galvanized iron deck. Fold parts of the sheet along the perimeter and attach them to the bottom metal profile. Cut a gap in the boards forming the platform and also wrap the iron flooring there.
  2. Make a tunnel from boards under the slope. Sew up the side parts with plywood.
  3. Install bumpers on the slide and railings on the stairs.
  4. Install a hip roof and cover it with pre-treated plywood.
  5. Sew up the side parts of the structure with sheets of plywood and cut holes in them for the climbing slide.

Organization of the slope and lining of the slide

Creative slides – making a child’s dreams come true

Children's imagination is strong and sometimes incomprehensible. In a child's imagination, even the simplest hut can easily turn into a beautiful castle! Therefore, a simple descent with a ladder will be enough for kids to have fun. However, there are many options for how to make a children’s slide with your own hands in an extraordinary and creative way - examples in the photo.

Downhill Tree House

Under the protection of the stone lion

Advice! In order to maintain interest in the slide for a long time, it is advisable to provide additional entertainment elements at the launch site.

A playground is the dream of every child aged 3 to 13 years. And in order for the play area to meet the changing needs of children, all the details need to be thought through at the planning stage. You may need to invite a specialist to do this, who will save you from the need to make a children's slide with your own hands. And then a real play complex will appear on your site - safe and comfortable.

Video: DIY children's slide

Children carry a powerful charge of energy, so a playground is an indispensable attribute of any summer cottage, where there are children.

Absolutely any number of entertainment items can be installed on the site. It all depends on the financial capabilities and wishes of the owners.

You can also please your children by doing some entertainment with my own hands. As an example, a children's slide. Absolutely simple to construct, and will delight you for many years if you take the process seriously.

The process of creating a slide and the end result will serve as an additional source of joy with minimal costs. A children's slide at the dacha will be the best entertainment for children.

Wooden slide

Such a building can even be placed inside the house, if the size of your area allows it. When building a slide, it is important to remember that you need to use environmentally friendly raw materials, since the child will be in direct contact with it. Best for this type of entertainment suitable for children wooden slide.

But if you decide to build from other materials, then make sure that there are no harmful components.
This also applies to bright colors, which are usually used to decorate the slide.

It is important to control such insertions as to the content harmful substances, and resistance to fire.

Install strong railings regardless of your child's age. In any case, this will protect you from unwanted injuries and falls. The railing will also act as a support for the child’s balance.

Wooden slide safety

A children's wooden slide should first of all be a safe object for play. It will fit perfectly into any exterior and interior of the house thanks to its calm style. It will not be the first to catch your eye, but will only emphasize the previously created style.

In the summer, in the sun, a wooden slide heats up slowly, without burning the child on contact, like, for example, slides made of metal. This is a big plus when children often play outside.

Such a slide can be installed anywhere on the site, and not just where there is always shade and coolness. The child will get burned on the metal, and the wood will only become warm in direct sunlight.

Even if a plastic outdoor slide is more convenient, its weak frame will not serve you for long. It will crack, and the child may get injured from riding such a slide.

Location of the slide on the site

The slide must be located away from extraneous buildings and trees. This precaution will not be superfluous, because it will make your baby’s games more comfortable.

You can also dot the perimeter around the slide with grass or cover it with a special artificial turf. The descent from the slide will be softer in the future and the child has a minimum chance of falling.

The base is best secured or concreted. Even if the child cannot move the structure with his own hands, then from frequent rolling it may itself tip over.

The height of the structure should depend on the age of the child. It is advisable not to exceed more than 2 times the height of the person who will use it. There should be no cracks, openings or holes in the structure.

Take this seriously, as children, while actively moving, do not notice small obstacles. The child may get caught or stuck.

DIY slide

If you are interested in the question of how to make a high-quality children's slide with your own hands, then you need to follow all these tips. Then the child, while riding down the slide, will be completely safe and will remain without unwanted injuries.

Note!

If we are talking about wooden structure, then you can develop drawings of a children's slide yourself. Choose the color, texture and even shape at your own request or use an already ready photo children's slide to complete the picture.

The materials you will need are nails, boards, slats and wooden beams. Also make sure you have a hammer, saw and plane. These are the most basic tools for the job.

You can simplify your construction by using manual or electric drill. When assembling the structure, carefully check that there are no nails sticking out anywhere.

The stingray may be from plastic material. After all, over time, a wooden slope can develop clues if it is not treated with anything.

But with a metal slide everything is much more difficult. Here you will already need a machine for welding metal. If you decide to make the slope metal, then paint it with a special paint that will not allow it to heat up quickly.

Note!

Photo of a children's slide with your own hands

Note!

Skiing down the mountain is a favorite pastime for children of all ages, and only adults can provide them with convenience and comfort in this activity, and they will have more than enough fun and enthusiasm. A slide can be built from a variety of available materials, and which ones will be discussed in this article.

What do you need for a slide?

In order to make a slide with your own hands, you can use metal, plastic, wood, as well as scrap materials left over from an old cabinet and desk. With even a little imagination, you can build a real miracle from them and place them in the corner of the children's room to the delight of your baby.

You can make a slide for your child from an old desk.

For this you will need:

  • varnished cabinet door;
  • plywood sheet;
  • small boards, which can be pieces of a shovel handle, legs from a table or chair.

Manufacturing stages:

Making a snow slide

Making a mountain out of snow with your own hands is very simple. The main thing is to wait until the temperature outside approaches about 0 ᵒC. And, of course, it is important to have enough snow.

You will also need:

  • shovel made of metal or plastic;
  • construction spatula, scraper;
  • bucket or watering can;
  • warm mittens.

Manufacturing stages:

  1. The primary task is to determine the location of such a homemade attraction. To minimize injuries, it is imperative to ensure that you roll out onto a level area so that
    the child could roll evenly until it came to a complete stop.
  2. The height of the slide is determined based on the age of the skaters. For children under 3 years old, a rise of 1 meter in height will be enough, and for older children you can build a higher slope, the main thing is that the slope does not exceed 40 degrees.
  3. Roll several large balls and form them into a foundation. future construction. If you plan to make a fairly high slide, then you should think about how the children will climb it. The problem can be solved by making the same snowballs that can be laid at the foot in the form of steps.
  4. Use a spatula and scrapers to level the surface of the steps and leave the structure until cold weather sets in.
  5. The slide should be filled in cold weather. It is not recommended to use buckets or a hose for this, as there is a high risk of large holes forming. It's better to use regular garden watering can or the one that housewives use for watering indoor plants.
  6. Using a piece of plywood or a shovel with a wide working part, slowly pour water onto the structure. Or you can cover the raised area with a large piece of fabric and pour through it - this will help the liquid to be distributed more evenly over the snow.
  7. If you don’t have anything at hand except a bucket, then you need to mix the water in it with snow and cover the surface with this very slurry, leave it to freeze overnight, and repeat the procedure in the morning.
  8. That's it, the slide is ready. If necessary, potholes can be smoothed out with a spatula.