DIY Foam Pits

Knowing how to build your own foam pit allows you to practice your BMX tricks whenever you want to do so, rather than when you can schedule time at a retail practice or training facility. Be advised that purchasing the foam to fill your foam pit is not an inexpensive proposition, but it's important to purchase the appropriate foam when filling your foam pit. Typical furniture foam used in sofas and beds is too soft to be used in foam pits. The foam needs to be much denser than that to absorb the speed and force with which BMX trick riders strike the foam.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • Shovel
  • Level
  • Sand
  • Tamper
  • Dirt
  • 4-by-4 lumber
  • Screws
  • Drill
  • 1-inch thick plywood sheeting
  • Lag bolts
  • 5-inch drill bit
  • Foam chunks
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure out the distance you want your foam pit to be. Many back yard foam pits are 50-by-50 feet.

    • 2

      Dig out the area six inches deep and make sure it's level. Fill in four inches of sand and level the sand. Tamp it to compact it. Use a yard roller or a hand held tamper to compact the sand. Top with two inches of soil, leveling it and compacting it as well.

    • 3

      Build the floor frame of your foam pit. Use 4-by-4 lumber for the framing. Position a 4-by-4 post every four feet. Screw your frame together with wood screws and a drill. Cover the floor frame with 1-inch thick plywood sheets. Stagger the seams for strength and screw through the plywood and into the framing. Countersink the screws for safety. Position your floor in place.

    • 4

      Construct your walls. Use 4-by-4 lumber for your studs. Make your walls at least 10 feet tall. Cover the walls with 1-inch plywood by screwing through the plywood and into the studs. Bolt your walls to your floor and to each other with lag bolts.

    • 5

      Put a 5-inch drill bit on your drill and drill multiple drain holes into the floor of your foam pit. Position the holes every three feet in each direction.

    • 6

      Wrap your foam pit in vapor barrier on the inside and the outside to help prevent the wood from rotting. Staple the vapor barrier to the wood to secure it in place.

    • 7

      Fill your foam pit with foam. Purchase high quality foam that's dense rather than lower quality foam used in furniture construction. It'll cost more to fill your pit but it'll last much longer, making it a better financial decision in the long run.

    • 8

      Purchase a water proof tarp that's large enough to cover your foam pit. If you can't find one, you can use several and overlap them to help keep rain out of your foam pit.