Whether you're building a fort for the kids, a grown-up meditation/reading space, or a luxury bedroom for your bed and breakfast, a treehouse can take more consideration than you might expect. Here are some things to think about before you even buy a piece of lumber, so your project turns into the stellar masterpiece you've always imagined.
Do choose your site carefully. Think about the view from above, and make sure you're not obstructing any views for you or your neighbors.
Don't compromise the health or integrity of any trees for your treehouse. If you're using a tree as your main support, make sure it has the strength to support your structure and will be stable over the long term. Never use rare, fragile, or diseased trees.
If you're not sure about this, try these strategies:
- Use several trees, instead of just one, to divide the stress and weight.
- Forgo using trees altogether and place your house atop a platform. You can build the structure around a tree with gaps for it to rise through the floor and roof (leave enough space for growth) and still have the aesthetics and shade of a tree.
- Use braces from the base of the treehouse to the trunk of the tree to help spread the weight.
Do draw, find, or buy plans for your treehouse. With whole television shows now devoted to treehouse building, there are a plethora of designs online as well as at home supply and lumber stores.
Do choose the right hardware for the job. This should be specified in your plans. For example, floating brackets will allow for movement in the wind and keep the tree from torquing or the treehouse ripping. One large bolt, instead of multiple nails and screws, will help maintain the health of the tree. Longer bolts will allow the diameter of the tree to increase with growth. There are treehouse suppliers online that can provide specialized hardware for your project if you can't find it locally.
Don't waste the space under your treehouse. If the roots of the tree aren't shallow and subject to damage from trampling, you can use the space beneath your structure for a host of different functions:
- screen house
- sandbox
- toy storage
- garden shed
- swings
- hammock hanging
Do assemble your treehouse on the ground and lift it into place afterward. The easiest way to do this is with a construction crane. You can rent a small crane (from an outlet such as Simon Crane Rental) with or without an operator to assist with your project. Just know that if you want to operate the crane yourself, you may be required to certify on its operation first; ask the construction equipment company about weekend courses for this.
Using a crane has multiple benefits:
- It saves time, allowing you to potentially complete the project in a weekend.
- It significantly reduces the risk of injury.
- It allows you to build the treehouse with fewer people.
- It's easier to build sections of the structure on the ground than in the air.
Don't forget to add some fun accessories when you're done! Depending on how you intend to use your treehouse, you may enjoy any number of these fun items:
- zip line
- scramble net
- slide
- bridge to other structures on your property
- fire pole
- ramp
- dumbwaiter
- electrical or solar lighting
- patio furniture
- bed for cool summer sleeping
- mosquito netting
- telescope or periscope
- music system
- birdhouse or feeders
A treehouse can be one of the highlights of your home if you take the time to build it with care. Follow the tips above, and you may wind up with the most sophisticated and unique building on your block!
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