Written By - Myrtha Chang - 08/31/2007
Link to Original Article here

One of our favorite thing to do at a beach campground is to build sand castles. For hours. Anyone can pile a mound of sand, but to build a castle worthy of your dreams, make sure you dont make these..

5 common sandcastles building mistakes

Mistake 1. Location, location, location

The most desirable stretch of land is about 20 feet of the tide line. Farther away and the sand is too coarse and dry. You want fine sand (no shells, pebbles, weeds) with a high silt content. But too close to the water and the rising tide may wash your castle away.

Mistake #2. You did not bring the right tools

Everyone remembers the buckets and shovels. But 2 very important tools are: spray bottle to keep sand damp and carve-able, and a mallet to knock the sand out of the mold. By the way, different size paper cups make great watchtowers for fending off marauding sand fleas.

Mistake #3. Weak foundation

The saddest thing is to see a fine sandcastle droop lopsided because the builder did not lay a strong foundation. Use a stick and draw the castle’s base in the sand. Dig a hole down to the water table, where the sand is dark and moist. Dump a few gallons of water and let it sink in. Then add sand, more water, and pack. Repeat, sand, water, pack a few times until you have a firm, flat platform.

Mistake #4. You didn’t pack it, man!

Use a mould. Add water and sand alternately inside the mould, stomping (tamping) it as you proceed. The key here is to make the sand very wet, and to compress it as tightly as possible to remove all air spaces and pockets of dry sand. A mallet is very handy to tap the base to pop the sand mold out.

Mistake #5. You ignored Feng Shui

Maintaining balance is crucial. If you carve away a chunk from one side, remove an equal amount from the other. Do not attempt to complete one side at a time. Start from the top, work down, and always carve outward to retain structural integrity.

Good luck. Never stop building sandcastles, never stop dreaming…

Watch slide show below of amazing winning sand sculptures from famous national competitions, the kind where you have to be invited to participate.