TheCompleteGuideto

TREEHOUSES2ndEdition

Design&BuildYourKidsaTreehouse

ContentsTheCompleteGuidetoTreehouses

Introduction

LoftyIdeas

TreehouseBasics

ChoosingaTree

GeneralTreeHealth

IsItBigEnough?

Location

Behavior

GroomingtheWinner

ChoosingaTreeSpecies

Planning&Design

BuildingCodes&ZoningLaws

ElementsofaTreehouse

DesignConsiderations

DrawingPlans

Lumber&Hardware

TreehouseSafety

SafeTreehouseDesign

WorkingSafely

TreehouseBuildingTechniques

BuildingPlatforms

PlatformBasics

PlatformAnchoringTechniques

InstallingDecking

PlatformDesigns

SingleTree:PlatformNestledinBranches

SingleTree:TrunkasCenterPost

TwoTrees:PlatformSpanningBetweenTrunks

ThreeTrees:PlatformSpanningBetweenTrunks

TwoTrees&TwoSupportPosts

Framing&FinishingWalls

FramingWalls

Siding&Trim

InstallingWalls

BuildingRailings

FinishingInteriors

Wall&CeilingPaneling

Shelves&Tables

Flip-downTable&Bunk

Doors&Windows

BuildingaWindow

WindowCutouts

Shutters&Pop-upWindows

FunDoors

ClassicDoors

BuildingRoofs

FramingtheRoof

Sheathing&Roofing

ModesofAccess

Ladders

Stairs

TrapDoors

Fireman’sPole

Swings&Playthings

ClassicTreeSwings

ZipLine

RockClimbingWall

WaterCannon

SpeakingTube

Slides

TreehouseProjects

Open-airTreehouse

GableHousewithEntryDeck

MoreTreehousePlans

Plan1:GableRoofwithAuxiliaryPosts

Plan2:A-framewithWalkoutDeck

Plan3:Half-coveredCrow’sNest

Plan4:WraparoundShedonStilts

Plan5:TriangularTreeHut

Plan6:Four-treeShanty

Resources/PhotoCredits

Index

Introduction

Atreehousemaybethetruestexampleof“living”space.Forkids,it’saroomthatneverhastobecleaned,aplaceformuddyshoesandbugjarsandadventuresrealandimagined;ahousethatyoucanpaintwheneverandhoweveryouwant,withoutgainingapproval.Foradults,it’saroomthatneverhastobecleaned,aplaceformuddyshoesand...well,yougettheidea.Butbestofallatreehouseisupinatree.Andthat’sjustcool.

Ifyou’refortunateenoughtohaveayardwithatleastonesizabletreeonit,you’veprobablyentertainedtheideaofbuildingatreehouse(afterall,youarehuman,whichmakesyouroughly96percentchimp).Sowhat’sstoppingyou?Let’ssee...you’renotacarpenter,yourdesignskillsarelargelyortotallyuntested,andyoudon’tknowthefirstthingaboutbuildingahouse,letaloneonethathovers10feetabovetheground.Nobigdeal—youcandothis.

Thefirststepistolearnalittlebitabouttreesanddecidewhetheryouhaveasuitablehost.Anddon’tworryifyouryardisn’tblessedwiththeperfectspecimen;thereareplentyofoptionsforthearboreallychallenged.Nextcomesabasiclessonintreehousedesign(ifyoucantellthedifferencebetweena2×4andalagscrew,you’lldojustfine).Hereyou’llalsolearntheimportantrelationshipbetweenthetreeandthehousedesignandwhythelivingwooddeterminesthebestplanforthelumber.

Thefoundationofanytreehouseistheplatform.That’swhat’sanchoredtothetreeandthereforerequiresthemostspecializedtechniquesandconsiderations.Butoncetheplatformisinplace,atreehousegoesupprettymuchlikeanyoutdoorbuilding,suchasashedoradoghouseforanIrishWolfhound.Yettreehousesaren’tjusttree-borneoutbuildings;manyofthemaremorelikeout-therebuildings,withfunkyangles,funaccessories,andallmannerofcustomdetailsthatsproutfromthebuilder’simaginationor,moreaccurately,fromtheirinnerchild.Zipline,anyone?

Whateveryoucandreamup,thisbookwillhelpyoubuildit.You’llbetalkedandwalkedthrougheachpartoftheprocesssothatallthat’sleftisaddingyourowndesignideasandinspirationfromothers(kidsinparticular).Mosttreehousebuildersfindthatcreatingahouseisasmuchfunasplayinginone.Ifthisholdstrueforyou,we’llprobablyseeyoubackhereagainwhenit’stimetoputonanadditionortobreakbarkonyoursecondhome.

LoftyIdeas

Justasnotwotreesareexactlyalike,notwotreehousesarepreciselythesameineverydetail.Infact,you’llfindasmuchifnotmorevarietyamonghousesintreesasyou’llfindamongthetreesthemselves.Thisdiversityofdesignhasalottodowithdiversityofbuilders.Treehousestendtoinspireourinnatecreativityandgrantuslicensetohavefuninawaythatterrestrialhousesandgaragesdon’t.Onthefollowingfewpagesyou’llfindastunningportfoliothatisatestamenttothediversityandcreativitythatsurroundthetreehouse.Frombrightandwhimsicaltosubduedandrelaxed,you’llfindawealthofthemes,motifs,styles,andideasthatwillinformandinspireyouinyourtreehousepursuit.

Thebiggerthetreethemoreoptionsyou’llhavefordesigningandattachingatreehouse.Here,acolorfullookouttowerwitharampandclimbingnetpiggybacksontoonesideofamatureoaktree.

Vibrantcolorsandfunshapesaddwhimsyandplayfulnesstothistreehouse,whichalsofeaturesauniquelimbpenetrationthroughasidewall.

Treehousesandspaceshipsoftensharesomedesignfeatures,contributingtotheout-of-this-worldappealofafortinthetrees.Despiteappearances,thestructurebeneaththistreehouseisashed,notanouthouse.(Butifitwereanouthouse,notethatthebuildersitedit,appropriately,beneaththetreehouse,notaboveit.)

Asecretgardeninthetreeswilldelightandcharmanyone,providingfertilegroundforstorybookdreams.

Rusticappealiscreatedbyusinglogsandlimbsinsteadoflumbertobuildyourtreehouse.Beaware,though,thatsomemunicipalitiesmaynotallowthispractice.

Buildyourowndoortocapturepreciselythefeelingyouwantyourtreehousetoputforth.(Besides,atreehouseisnoplaceforfancymanufacturedmillworkyoubuyfromthedesignstore.)

Atreehousecanbecomepartofatree.Byfollowingtheflowofthetreelimbsasyoudesignandbuild,youmayfindthatthetreesteersyouinintriguingdirections.

Keepingitsimpleisasolidapproachtotreehousedesign.Aplaintreehouseisablankslatefortheimagination.

Fourseasonsoffuncanbeenjoyedinyourtreehouse,aslongasyourcoatsandmittensareuptothetask.

Extrasupportfromasetofpostscanletyouinstallarelativelylargetreehouseinarelativelysmalltree.

Apairoftreesroughlythesamesizeprovidesolidsupportforatreehousethat’snestledbetweenthem.

Commonhousestylescanbeadaptedtoyourtreehousedesignwithpleasingeffect,aswiththechalet-inspiredtreehouseseenhere.

“House”canmeanmanythingsinatree.Aroofmaybeacanopyofbranchesandawallcouldbebrightboardsandstring.Docheckwithyourlocalbuildingdepartmentbeforefollowingyourfancytoofar,however.Theroperailingsseenherewouldbered-flaggedbyalotofinspectors.

Aclimbingnetandasturdyplatforminasprawlingtreespellbigfunforoneluckyfamily.

Atreehouseisafortressoffunevenwithsidingfrombarkslabsandatarpaperroof.Infact,thesesimplematerialshaveabeautyalltheirownthatmanydesignersfindappealing.

Withaplatforminplace,atreestructureisreadyforuse.Youmaywishtoaddwallsandaroofasyougotospreadouttheworkandallowyoutoadapttoactualneedsandpreferencesasyourkidsgrow.

Atreehousehasaninside,too,andliketheexterioritcanbeassimpleorascomplexasyouchoose.Thephotosonthispagedepictatreehousethat’sdefinitelyonthemorefinishedside,withsleepingbunks,hardwoodflooring,andevenelectricity.

Anelevatedhouseinthetreeswithanindependentpostsupportsystemhastheappealofatree-builttreehousebutwithoutmanyofthestructurallimitations.

Whatbetterplaceforadreamydeckthanoutsidethefrontdoorofyourtreehouse?

ShinglesidingandacompactCapeCoddesignlendtheflavorofoldNantuckettothistreehouse(eventhoughithappenstobelocatedinSaintPaul,Minnesota).

Anenclosedstaircaseinsidetheadjoiningfortprovidesshelteredaccesstothegangwayandthelookout

perch.

Ifalltheworld’sindeedastage,thistree-basedtheater/playhousefitsrightin(andwhataperfectvenuefortheNeighborhoodKidPlayersproduction).

Awell-designed,well-builttreehousecancompletelychangeyouroutlookongrowingup.

TreehouseBasics

Measurethecircumferenceofpotentialhosttreesforyourtreehousetodetermineifthetreeisbigenoughforthejob.Tosupportatreehouse,asingletreeshouldbeatleast5ft.incircumference.

Thedesignprocessfortreehousesisoftenabitmorefreewheelingthanitmaybeforterrestrialstructures.Infact,thetraditionalwaytodesignatreehouse(andatechniquestillusedfrequentlytoday)isbasicallytoclimbupintoatreewithboardsandfastenersandstarttobuild,makingitupasyougoalong.Oneofthegreatattributesoftreehousesisthatthereareveryfewrules.Buttherulesthatdoexistareimportantones.Andevenexperiencedtreehousebuildersspendtimeup-frontlearningtherules,assessingtheneedsofthetreehouseoccupantsandperformingoneofthemostcriticaldesigntasks:choosingthebesttree.

Inthischapter:▪ChoosingaTree

▪Planning&Design▪TreehouseSafety

FamilyD-I-YIfyou’rebuildingatreehouseforkidstouseorsharewiththeadults,includetheminthedesignprocess.Manyaparenthasgonetogreatlengthstosurprisekidswithafancytreehousethatultimatelydoesn’tgetused.It’slikegiftingayoungchildwithanexquisitetoyonlytofindthattheirfavoritepartistheribbononthebox.

Notonlywillkidsgetmorepleasurefromahousetheyhelptocreate,butbyfindingpracticalsolutionstobringtheircreativeideastolife,theyalsowilllearntheessenceofarchitecture.Whoknows,youmighthaveanotherFrankLloydWrightonyourhands,orbetteryetfortreehouses,anotherChristopherWren.

Encouragecreativitybysolicitingideasfromallofyourfamilymembersandtrytoworktheideasintothefinalplan.

ChoosingaTree

Daydreamingaside,findingyourhosttreeisthefirstrealstepinthetreehouseprocess.Thisisbecausethetreewillhavethemostsayinthefinaldesignofthetreehouse.Moreambitioustreehouseplansrequirehealthiertrees.Intheend,ifyourhosttreeisn’tuptothetask,you’llhavetoconsiderasmallertreehouseorfigureinsomepostsforstructuralsupport.

Lotsoftreehousesarehostedbymultipletrees.Thisisusuallyagoodideafromastrengthstandpoint.However,designingthehousecanbealotlikeworkingbycommittee,sincetrees,likepeople,tendtoactindependentlywhenthegoinggetstough.Formosttreehousebuilders,theselectionprocessisn’taquestionofwhichtreetousebutrather,“WilloldBarkeyinourbackyardsupportatreehouse?”Forthem,thehealthtestiscrucial.Youdon’twanttokillyourone,belovedtreebyburdeningitwithatemporarystructure.

Thischapterprovidessomegeneraltipsandrulestohelpyoufindasuitablehostforyourdreamhouse.Butbeforeyoustart,there’sthisadvice(itwon’tbethelasttimeyouhearit):Whenindoubt,askanarborist.They’reinthephonebook,they’renotexpensive,andtheycanadviseyouoneverythingfromtreediagnosistohealthypruningtolong-termmaintenance.

GeneralTreeHealthAtreedoesn’thavetobeintheabsoluteprimeofitslifetobeasuitablehost,butitmustbehealthy.Askingatreehowit’sbeenfeelinglatelyprobablywon’tteachyoumuch,soyouhavetotakeaholisticapproachbypiecingtogethersomestandardclues.Otherfactors,suchaslocation,canruleoutacandidatemoredecisively.

AGEMaturetreesarebest.They’rebigger,stronger,andmovelessinthewindthanyoungones.Theyalsohavemoreheartwood(thehard,innercoreofdeadwood).Whenyoudrivealagscrewintoatree,it’stheheartwoodthatreallyoffersgrippingpower.

ROOTSForsomereasonpeopledon’tlikethesightofexposedrootsatthebaseofatree.Sotheycoverthemwithdirtandflowerbeds.Thisislikeburyingsomeoneatthebeachandforgettingtostopattheirneck.Itsuffocatesthetreerootsandcanaffectthehealthofthewholetree.Ifyourtree’srootflaresareburiedfromre-gradingorgardening,takeitasawarningsignthattheremightbeproblemsbelow.

Anotherthingtocheckforisgirdling,wherenewerroots—oftenfromnearbyplants—havegrownaroundthetree’sprimaryanchoringroots,cuttingofftheirlifesupply.Treesnexttounpaveddrivewaysorheavilytroddenpathsmayhavesuffereddamagefromallthetraffic;anotherwarningsign.

Tomakesureyourtree’sfoundationstayshealthy,don’tgrowgrassoraddsoilovertherootflares.Keepshrubsandothercompetingplantsoutsideofthegroundareadefinedbythereachofthebranches.Andbyallmeans,keepcarsandcrowdsoffthebaseroots,especiallyontreeswithshallowrootsystems(seeChoosingaTreeSpecies,onpage27).

TRUNK,BRANCHES&LEAVES(ORNEEDLES)Inspectthelargestmembersofthetree—thetrunkandmainbranches.Lookforlargeholesandhollowspots,rotonthebarkorexposedareas,andsignsofbuginfestation.Checkoldwoundsanddamagedareastoseehowthetreeishealing.Avoidtreeswithasignificantlean,astheyaremorelikelytotoppleinastorm.

Treeswithmultipletrunksoftenarefineforbuildingin;however,thetrunkjunctionisvulnerabletobeingpulledapart,especiallyundertheaddedstressofatreehouse.Therecommendedremedyforthisistobindthetreeupabovewith

cablestopreventthetrunksfromspreading.Thisisajobforanarborist.Whenitcomestobranches,lookforstoutlimbsthatmeetthetrunkatanear-

perpendicularangle.Typically,themoreacutetheangle,theweakertheconnection,althoughseveralsuitabletreespeciesnaturallyhavebranchessetat45°.Deadbrancheshereandtheretypicallyaren’taproblem.Thesecan,andshould,becutoffbeforeyoustartbuilding.

Finally,lookatthecanopy.Inspringandsummertheleavesshouldbegreenandfullwithnosignificantbarespots.Needlesonevergreentreesshouldlooknormalandhealthy.

WatchYourWasteWoodWhenyou’rebuildingthetreehouseanddrillingholesforanchorscrews,payattentiontothewoodchipspulledoutbythebit:granulated,dustymaterialindicatesrotinsidethetreeandshouldbeinvestigatedfurther.Lookforcleanspiralsandtoughflakesorchips.

IsItBigEnough?Well,thatdependsonhowbigahouseyouwant.Thetruthis,intheend,you’llhavetobethejudgeofwhatyourtreecansafelysupport.Herearesomegeneralguidelinesforassessingtreesize,assumingthetreeismatureandhealthyandthetreehouseisamoderatelysized(100squarefeetorso),one-storyaffair:

•Asingletreethatwillbethesolesupportforthehouseshouldmeasureatleastfivefeetincircumferenceatitsbase.

•Mainsupportinglimbs(whereeachlimbsupportsonecornerofthehouse’splatform)shouldbeatleast6"indiameter(19"circumference).

•Thebiggerthetree,thelessitwillmoveinthewind,makingitamorestablesupportforatreehouse.

•Differenttypesandshapesoftreeshavedifferentstrengthcharacteristics—aprofessional’sassessmentofyourtreecanhelpyouplanaccordingly.

Buildinginagroupoftreesisagoodwaytoprovideadequatesupportforatreehouse,butitcomeswiththeaddedchallengeofdealingwithmultipleforcesanddirectionalmovement.

LocationOtherimportantconsiderationsforsitingyourtreehousearewherethetreesitsonyourpropertyandwhatsitsaroundthetree.Thewronglocationcanimmediatelyruleoutatreeasagoodhost.

Let’sstartwiththeneighbors.Ifthetreeistooclosetoyourneighbor’spropertyline,thusmakingyourtreehousealltoovisible,theymightcomplaintotheauthorities.Soonthere’saguyonyourdoorstepwithoneofthoseofficial-lookingmetalclipboardboxesfullofcitationpapersandotherthingsyouhatetoseeyournameon.Ofcourse,yourneighborsmightnotcarewhatyoudo,butit’sbesttotalkwiththemnowratherthanlater.Also,buildingtooclosetoyourpropertylinemayinvolvetheauthoritiessimplybecauseyou’rebreakingsetbacklawsofthelocalzoningcode(seepage29).

Treeslocatedonasteephillsidemaybetoostressedalreadytohandletheaddedweightandwindresistanceofatreehouse.Likewise,treesatwater’sedgearelikelytobeunstableandmaybefightingaconstantbattlewitherosion.

Treehousesinplainviewofroads,paths,orotherpublicbywaysarebeggingfortroublebecausepeoplearefascinatedbytreehouses.Motoristsdrivingbymightbedistracted,andkidsandteenagerswalkingbymaybetemptedtoexplore(ortrash)thehouse.

Otherhazardstolookfor:nearbypowerlinesorutilitypoles,roofsorchimneysthatcomeclosetothetreehousesite,andfencesandotherpotentiallydangerousobstaclesinthe“fallline”underneaththetreehouse.Anyparentknowshowcreativelykidscourtdanger.Trynottomakeittooeasyforthem.

WhattoLookFor

Avoidtreesnearroadsandbusypathways.Cars,kids,andpetsdon’talwaysmixwell.

Treestendtogrow.Takeintoconsiderationtheproximityofutilitylines.

Treesclosetowaterarevulnerabletoerosionandwillrequireconstantadultsupervision.Considertreesthathaveafencebetweenchildrenandwater.

BehaviorHowyourtreeactswhenthewindblowswillbecomeacriticalfactorinmanyofyourdesigndecisions.That’swhy,atthisselectionstage,it’swisetoruleoutanytreethatmovestoomuch.Youshouldnevertrytoweatherastormfrominsideatreehouse.However,thehouseitselfhasnochoicebuttostayput.

Gettoknowthetree.Ifthere’sawildbranchthatlikestoswinglikeascytheinthewind,you’llhavetoplanaroundit,restrainitinahealthymanner,or(ifnecessary)chopitoff.Theproblemofhighwindsisonlycompoundedwhenyoubuildinmultipletreeswhereindependentmovementofindividualtreescanexertsomenastyopposingforcesonyourlittledreamhouse.Treemovementisabasicrealityoftreehouseconstruction,andthereareeffectivemethodsfordealingwithit.Themoreyouknowaboutthetree,thebetteryoucandesignyourhousetogetalongwithitshostinallconditions.

TreeschoolAsatreehousebuilder,it’simportanttounderstandtheinnerworkingsofyourbenevolenthost.Thisnotonlybuildsrespectforsomeofnature’soldestlivingthings,itwillalsohelpyoudecidethebestandhealthiestwaystobuildinthetree—wheretoplacescrews,supportcables,posts,etc.Andyes,theremaybeaquiz.

TREEANATOMYAlleyestotheillustrationatright.Nowthen,atreetrunkandbrancheshavefourmainlayers.Theinnermostlayeristheheartwood,madeofdeadcellsthatformahard,strongcorethathelpssupportthetree.Next,thesapwoodislivingfibroustissuethatcarriessap(waterandnutrients)fromtherootstotheleaves.Surroundingthesapwoodisathinlayerofgrowingtissuecalledthecambium.Ithelpsdevelopnewwoodandtheinnerbarklayer.Finally,thebarkistheouterlayerofdeadcellsthatprotectstheinnerlayers.Underneaththefamiliarroughlayerofbark(calledcork)isasoftinnerbark—thephloem—whichcarriesfoodfromtheleavestotherestofthetree.

Asyoucansee,thetree’smainfoodsupplychannelslieclosetothesurface.That’swhyyoumustminimizeanydamagetotheouterlayers.Removingthebarkexposesthetreetoinfection,whilecuttingintothephloemlayerstopstheverticalflowoffood.Oneoftheworstthingsyoucandotoatreeistocutaringaroundthetrunkorabranch,orevenbindittightlywithropeorcable.Thisstopsallcirculationtotherestofthetree.

HOWATREEGROWSAtreegrowstallerthroughtheendsofthetrunkandbranches.Thatmeansthatbiglowerlimbs—thekindthataregoodsupportsforhouses—stayatthesameelevation.Trunksandbranchesalsogrowindiameter,thankstothecambium.Howmuchgrowthdependsonthetree,butasageneralrule,alwaysleavea1to2"gaparoundtreepartswhenencirclingthemwithframinganddecking.

GroomingtheWinnerOnceyou’veselectedthebestcandidate,it’stimetogetitprettiedupforthebigevent.Aroutinepruningisagoodidea,butdon’tstarthackingoffhealthylimbstomakeroomforabackyardMcMansion(seeProperPruning,below).Getridofdeadbranchesinthetreeandclearthegroundunderneath.Ifyou’dlikeasoftgroundcoverbeneath(arecommendedkid-safetymeasure),covertheareawithseveralinchesofwoodchips,preferablyfromthesamespeciesoftree.Don’tcovertheareawithsoil.

Later,whenyouhaveabetterideaofthesizeofyourtreehouse,makesurethestructurewon’tbeblockingtheroots’sourceofrainwater.Ifitwill,findouthowmuchandhowoftenyou’llneedtowaterthetreetocompensate.

ProperPruningThebesttoolforpruningisatelephone.Useittocallanarboristandhavethemassessthetreeandmaketheappropriatecuts.Ifyoudodecidetogoitalone,becareful,andfollowthesebasicrules:

1.Nevercutawaymorethan1/3ofthetree’sbranches.2.Startwithashallowundercutseveralinchesawayfromthebranchbarkcollar—thebulgewherethebranchmeetsthetrunk.Theundercutensuresthebarkdoesn’tpeeloffasthebranchdrops.

3.Completethecutfromthetoptoremovethebulkofthebranch.4.Makeafinalcutflushwiththeoutsideofthebranchbarkcollar.Donotcutintothecollar.

5.Leavethewoundtohealitself.Don’tpaintitoraddanykindofsealantorpreservative.

Startbyundercuttingfrombeneaththelimbwithyourbowsaworchainsaw.

Finishthecutfromabove—thiskeepsthebarkfromtearingwhenthelimbbreaksloose.

Trimthestubfromthelimbsoit’sflushwiththebranchcollar.

ChoosingaTreeSpeciesGOODTREESDECIDUOUS(BROADLEAF)TREES Characteristics NativeArea AverageHeightOak Strong,durable,low

branchesBlackOak:California,easternUS 30-80ft.

WhiteOak:easternUS 50-90ft. LiveOak:California,Texas,southernUS 40-50ft. NorthernRed:centralandeasternUSinto

Canada60-80ft.

Maple SugarMapleispreferredoverRed,butbotharegoodhosts

SugarMaple:northeasternUS,northintoCanada

60-80ft.

RedMaple:easternhalfofUS,northintoCanada

50-70ft.

Beech Smoothbark,horizontalbranches

EasternUS,southeasternCanada 60-80ft.

Apple Low,stoutbranches MostofUS,southernCanada 20-30ft.Ash Strong,straighttrunk;

shouldbecheckedforgoodhealth

EasternhalfofUS,southeasternCanada 60-80ft.

EVERGREEN(NEEDLELEAF)TREES Characteristics NativeArea AverageHeightDouglasFir

Long-living;large,maturetrunkshavefewlowbranches

Pacificcoast,USandCanadianRockyMountains

180-250ft.

Pine Fast-growing;branchesoftennumerousbutsmallandflexible

PonderosaPine:westernhalfofUS,BritishColumbia

100-180ft.

EasternWhitePine:northeastern,GreatLakes,andAppalachianregionsofUS

75-100ft.

SugarPine:California,Oregon,westernNevada

175-200ft.

Spruce Canbepronetoinfestation;shallowroots

BlackSpruce:Alaska,Canada,northeasternUS

30-40ft.

EngelmannSpruce:PacificNorthwest,RockyMountainstates

100-120ft.

Hemlock Immaturetreesmayhavelittletrunkexposure

GreatLakesandAppalachianregionsofUS,southeasternCanada

60-75ft.

NOT-SO-GOODTREES

DECIDUOUSTREES DRAWBACKSCottonwood Soft,spongywoodBirch Shortlifespan,weakbranchesPoplar&Aspen Shallowroots,shortlifespanBlackWalnut Branchesarebrittleandbreakeasily

Planning&Design

Ifyoubuiltatreehouseasakidyouprobablydidn’tspendalotoftimeplanningitbeforehand.Youhadplentyofideasandknewwhatyouwanted—atrapdoor,alookoutpost,atireswing,andmaybeaparachutingplatformorhelicopterpad—youjustweren’texactlysurehoweverythingwouldcometogether.Intheend,youdecidedtofigureitoutalongthewayandgotstarted.

Ofcourse,somepeoplemightusethesameapproachtoday(goodluckonthehelicopterpad),butbeadvisedthatalittleplanningupfrontcouldsaveyourprojectfromdisaster.Remembertheguywiththemetalclipboardfromthecityoffice?Youdon’twanthimshowingupwithademolitionorderjustasyou’renailingupthelastpieceoftrim.

Thischapterwillgetyouthinkingaboutgeneraldesignfeatures,suchasthesizeandstyleofthetreehouse,whereitwillsitinthetree,andhowyou’llgetfromthegroundtothefrontdoor—ifyouwantafrontdoor.Inthissectionwecovertheall-importantconstructiondetails,likeanchoringtothetreeandbuildingtheplatform,walls,androof.Inevitablythere’splentyofgive-and-takebetweendesigndreamsandstructuralnecessity.Butthat’swhatmakestreehousebuildingsuchafunandsatisfyingchallenge.Note:Beforerefiningyourtreehouseplans,seeTreehouseSafety(page50)

forimportantsafety-relateddesignconsiderations.

Planninganddesigningatreehouseisafun,instructiveactivitythateveryoneinthefamilycanenjoy.

BuildingCodes&ZoningLawsIt’stimetopinchyournoseandswallowthemedicine.Thesooneryougetitoverwith,thesooneryoucangooutandplay.Bycheckingintothebuildingandzoningrulesforyourareayoucanavoidthemistakeofspendingtimeonelaborateplansonlytorunintoabrickwallofbureaucracy.

Whenitcomestobuildingcodesandtreehouses,theofficialwordisthatthereisnoofficialword.Manymunicipalities—thegoverningpowersoverbuildingandzoninglaws—considertreehousestobe“temporary”structureswhentheyfitwithincertainsizelimits,typicallyabout100to120squarefeetandnotmorethan10to12feettall.Ifyouhaveconcernsabouttherestrictivenessofthelocallaws,keepingyourtreehousewithintheirsizelimitsfortemporarystructuresisagoodprecautiontotake.

It’softenlikelythatcityofficialsconsidertreehousestoominortobeconcernedwiththem.Ontopofthat,buildingcodesforearth-boundbuildingsarebasedonmeasurable,predictablefactorsthatengineersusetocalculatethingslikestrengthrequirements.Draftingasetofstandardsforstructuresbuiltonliving,moving,andinfinitelyvariablefoundations(trees)quicklybecomesacat-herdingexerciseforengineers.Thus,fewcodesexistthatsetconstructionstandardsfortreehouses.Thismeansmoreresponsibilityisplacedonthebuilder.

Whenitcomestozoninglaws,thecityplanningofficeisconcernedlesswithatreehouse’sconstructionandmorewithitsimpactonyourproperty.Theymaystatethatyoucan’tbuildanythingwithin3feetormoreofyourpropertyline(asetbackrestriction)orthatyoucan’tbuildatreehouseinyourfrontyard(theJonesesmightnotbethetreehousetype).

Thebottomlineisthis:Yourlocalplanningofficemightrequireyoutogetabuildingpermitandpassinspectionsforyourtreehouse,ortheymightnotcarewhatyoudo,providedyoukeepthebuildingwithinspecificparameters.It’suptoyoutolearntherules.

Someoftheelementsthatmayberegulatedbyyourlocalbuildingcodeandzoninglawsinclude:

•Sizerestriction(squarefootageoffloorplan).•Heightrestriction(fromthegroundtothetopofthetreehouse).•Setback(howcloselyyoucanbuildtothepropertyline).•Railingheightandbalusterspacing.

Althoughcitylawsareallovertheplaceregardingtreehouses,hereareafewtipsthatmighthelpyouavoidtroublewithyourtreehouse:

•Talkwithyourneighborsaboutyourtreehouseplans.Ashowofrespectanddiplomacyonyourpartislikelytopreventthemfromfilingacomplaintwiththeauthorities.Italsosmoothsthewayforlaterwhenyouhavetoborrowtoolsfortheproject.

•Becarefulwhereyouplacewindows(anddecks)inyourtreehouse.Yourneighborsmightbeatouchuncomfortableifyousuddenlyhaveacommandingviewoftheirhottuborastraightshotintotheirsecond-storywindows.

•Electricityand,especially,plumbingservicesrunningtoatreehousetelltheauthoritiesthatyouplantolivethere,whichmeansyourhousecrossesabiglinefrom“temporarystructure”to“residence”or“dwelling”andbecomessubjecttoalltherequirementsofthestandardbuildingcode.

•Don’tbuildinafront-yardtreeoranyplacethat’seasilyviewedfromapublicroad.Thepointisnottohidefromtheauthorities,it’sthatconspicuoustreehousesattracttoomuchattentionforthecity’scomfort,andthehousemightannoyyourneighbors.

•Inadditiontokeepingthesizeofyourhouseincheck,payattentiontoanyheightrestrictionforbackyardstructures.Treehousescaneasilyexceedthese,forobviousreasons,butneverthelessmaybeheldtothesameheightlimitsasshedsandgarages.

•Evenifthelocalbuildinglawsdon’tcovertreehouses,youcanlooktotheregularbuildingcodeforguidance.Itoutlinesconstructionstandardsforthingslikerailings,floorjoistspans,andaccommodationsforlocalweatherandgeologic(earthquake)conditions.Withappropriateadaptationsforthetreehouseenvironment,manyofthestandardsestablishedforground-houseswillworkforyourperchedpalace.

ElementsofaTreehouseTreehousescanrangeinstylefromminiatureversionsoftraditionalhousestofunkymasterpiecesoforiginalinspiration.Ofcourse,youridealtreehousemightbenothingmorethanaloftyhammockslungaboveapinedeck.Personaltasteiswhatit’sallabout.Herearesomedesignoptionstogetyouthinking.

WALLSWallsdefinethelookandshapeofahouseanddomorethananyotherelementtocreatethefeeloftheinteriorspace.Atreehousecanhavesolidwallsforprivacyandagreatersenseofenclosure,oritcanopenuptotheelementsandletthetreedefineitsboundaries.Ifyou’dlikebothoptions,consideranawning-stylewallwithahingedtopsectionthatflipsopen.

Enclosedwalls,eitherfullheightorstubwallslikethese,blockorpartiallyblockviewsintotheneighbors’yardandcreateasecretroomforkids.

Openwallsadmitbreezesandallowunobstructedviews,plusthey’reeasierandcheapertobuildthanenclosedwalls.Ifyouchoosenottobuildwalls,buildsafetyrailingsinstead.

Flip-uppanelsletyouopenupasectionofthewallorroofforairflowwhenyoudon’tneedtobattendownforshelter.

Roundorcurvedwallsblendnaturallywiththeshapeofatree.

ROOFS

Treehouseroofscantakeonalmostanyshapeandoftenexhibitacombinationofstyles.Incorporatingbranchesandtrunksintotheroofdesignmakesforinteresting,organicforms.Acommonapproachtodesigningaroofistostartwithatraditionalstylethenimproviseasneededtofityourhouse.Or,youmightdecidetoskiptheroofaltogether,preferringtheshelterofthetree’scanopyratherthanboardsandshingles.

Shedroofshaveaneasy-to-build,flatshape,makingthemagoodchoiceforalltypesoftreehouses.

Gableroofsareconsideredthemostclassicroofstyle,withangledwallsectionsateitherend.

Aremovableroofmadefromcanvasoraplastictarpmaybeallyouneedtoshelteratreefortorsundeck.

Hiproofsareslopedonallsidesandaremoredifficulttoframethanshedsandgables.

Aconicalroofisanimpressivewaytotoparoundedwall.They’rebuiltwithcloselyspacedraftersfanningoutfromtheroofpeak.

WINDOWS&DOORS

Thebestdoorsandwindowstouseontreehousesareeitherfoundorhomemade.It’sfuntodesignawallorentrywayaroundsalvagedmaterials—maybeareclaimedship’sportholewindoworacreakyoldcellardoor.Youcouldusenew,factory-madeunits,buttheirlargesizeandpolishedappearancedon’tfitmosttreehouses.Kidsespeciallyloveplayfuldesigns,suchasDutchdoors,withswingingtopandbottomhalves,orlittlepeek-a-booopeningsthroughwhichtheycandemand,“Whogoesthere?!”

Architecturalsalvageshopsarefullofinterestingfindsforwindowsanddoors.

Simplehomemadewindowsareeasytomakewithplasticglazingandscraplumber.

Dutchdoorsofferafunchangeofpacethatkids(andadults)findcharming.

Asoliddoorwithapadlockorboltlatchmaybeagoodidea,ifnotnecessary,forsecuringaremotetreehouse.

ACCESSOPTIONS

Perhapsthebestthingaboutatreehouseisallthecoolstuffthatyoucan’thaveinarealhouse,liketrapdoorsandcargonetsandfireman’spoles.AndwhoneedsafrontdoorwhenyoucanexitSWAT-styledownaclimbingrope?Okay,noteveryoneistherightagefortheninjalifestyle.Asturdyladderorevenastaircasearealsoperfectlyrespectablemodesforaccessingatreehouse.Butjusttobesafeyoumightwanttoincludeasecretescapehatchandzipline...incaseofanalienairassault.

Laddersprovidesafeandeasyaccesswhilemaintainingasenseofremoteness.

Stairsareagood,practicaloptionformulti-useandmulti-usertreehouses.

DECKS

Oneofthemostpopulartreehousedesignsincludesahousecoveringabout1/2to2/3ofitssupportingplatform,leavingtherestopenforasmalldeckorsittingporch.Thisisanicewaytoprovidebothopenandenclosedspacesforyourloftygetaway.Asmalldeckinfrontmakesagood,safelandingforastaircaseoraccessladder,whilealargedeckcanbetheperfectspotforhavingadrinkwithfriendsatsunset.

Withtheplatforminplace,it’seasytomakeroomforatreedeck.

Centeringasmallhouseonaplatformmakesaninstantwraparounddeck.

Stairsoraladderrequireatoplanding;addingafootortwoofspacetothelandingletsitdoubleasasittingarea.

DesignConsiderationsAskanytreehousenutaboutdesignandyou’reboundtobeadvisedtoletthetreeleadtheway.Thismeansrespectingthetree’snaturalstrengthsandweaknessesandnotover-stressingitwithanunsuitableorexcessivehousedesign.Italsospeakstoaesthetics.Muchofatreehouse’sappealcomesfromitshost,andthebesthousedesignscomplementthetree’scharacterormakeuseofspecialnaturalfeatures.Designingwithinthebranches,asitwere,isalsogoodtreehousephilosophyandmakestheplanningandconstruction—nottomentiontheenjoyment—ofyourhouseasfunasitshouldbe.

So,nowthatyou’vepickedatreeandhadatalkwiththefolksatthelocalplanningoffice,it’stimetogiveyourhousesomeshape;inyourmindatleast.Asyoumullovertheheight,size,andfeaturesofyournewhome,don’tbeafraidtomakesketchesofyourideas—despitewhatwe’veallbeentold,doodlingduringworkisactuallyagoodthing.Thiswillalsohelpwiththefinalstepofthedesignprocess—makingscaleddrawings.

PLATFORMHEIGHTThefirstbigdecisiontomakeishowhightosetthetreehouse.Ifitwillbeusedbykids,keeptheplatformnomorethansixtoeightfeetabovetheground.Anyhigherisdangerous,andkidswillhavejustasmuchfunatsixfeetastheywouldat12or20feetIfyourtreehouseisdesignedmostlyforadults,youcangohigher,butbeforedecidingaskyourself:

•Willyouneedeasyaccess?Ifyou’reusingthehouseasanofficeorstudio,considerthedifficultyofhaulingupsupplies(andlunch).

•Isconstructionfeasible?Buildingatreehouseisgenerallythemostpotentiallyhazardousaspectoftreehouselife.Also,constructioncouldbeslowedconsiderablybyaveryhighplatform.

•Willneighborhoodkidsbeabletoclimbupintothehouse?Ifso,youcouldbecourtingtroublewithaloftyplacement.

Regardlessofwhereyoubuild,youmustmakesurethetreehouseplacementisgoodforthetree.Arboristsrecommendbuildingbelowthetree’scenterofgravity.Thisissomethingyou’lljusthavetogetafeelfor,basedonthetree’ssizeandbehavior.Onegeneralguidelineistobuildinthelowest1/3ofthetree’soverallheight.Ifyou’relucky,yourhosttreewillmakeiteasyforyouandhaveaperfectopencradleofstoutlimbsatjusttherightheight.Alas,it’susuallynotthatobvious.

Anotherconsiderationispruningthetreetomakeroomforyourhouse.Whilethoughtful,therapeuticpruningisgood,andrecommendedbytreeexperts,removinglarge,healthylimbstopavethewayforeasyconstructionisreallystrayingfromthepointofbuildinginatree.Ifanobstructinglimbbecomesadeal-breakerforyourhouseplans,consultanarboristtomakesurethatremovingitwon’tharmthetree.

Itdoesn’ttakemuchelevationforkidstogetthatloftyfeelingintheirowntreehouse.

Finally,giveyourselfagood,oldfashionedvisualreference:Climbupinthetree(orontoaladder)andstandattheproposedplatformheight.Checkouttheviewandtheheadroom.Pictureyourselflounginglikethere’snotomorrow.Happy?Good.Nowyoucandecidehowtogetfromthegroundtoyourfinishedhouse.

ACCESSTohelpdeterminethemeansofaccess,lookagaintotheusersofthetreehouse.Older—thatis,mature—peopleprobablywouldpreferstairsoracomfortableladder,whilekidsusuallywantamorechallengingorfunroute(justsaynotomini-trampsandpolevaulting,however).Doyouwantaladderorstairsthatareeasytoreachfromyourregularhouse?Oroutofviewfromthehouse?

Makesureyourplannedmeansofaccessisviableforthechosenplatformheight.Onemodeofaccesstoruleout:stepsorrungsindividuallyfastenedalongthetreetrunk.Evenwhenbuiltproperly—withthreadedscrews,notnails—thesearefraughtwithsafetyproblemsandrequireanunnecessaryamountofhardwareplacedintothetree.

Don’tusethefamiliarnailed-onstepsforaccess.Theycaneasilygivewaytothesideorpullcompletelyoutofthetreewhileyou’reclimbing.

SUN&SEASONSAswitharegularhouse,sunlightandweatherareimportantdesignconsiderations.Perhapsyou’vedreamedofwakingupwiththesummersunriseorclimbingintoyourperchtocatchthesunsetafteralongdayattheoffice.Positionyourhousecarefullytomakethemostofyourfavoriteoutdoorhours.Forkids,somefullshadeisamusttoavoidprolongedsunexposure.

Withdeciduoustrees,thechangingseasonscomewithapotentialshocker.Whenfallhitsandyourhosttreeissuddenlyabareskeleton,yourtreehousemightstickoutlikeanembarrassingtattoo.Justsomethingtokeepinmindifyou’rebuildingwhenthetree’scanopyisfull.

Thesunmovesfromitshighpointinsummertoitslowpointinwinter.Shadowschangeaccordingly.Tryandkeepthesuninmindasyouplan.

SIZE,SHAPE&PROPORTIONS

Thinksmall.Oratleaststartbythinkingsmall.Here’swhy:Weightisanimportantfactorforanytreehouse.Thelargerthehouse,thegreatertheweightburdenonthetree.Abighousewillalsocatchmorewind,stressingthebranchesmorethanthey’reusedtoandgenerallymakingitharderforthetreetostayupright.It’snotunheardoftohaveadisproportionatelylargetreehousecreatesuchawindsailthattheentiretreeblowsover.Ifyoufeeltheneedtogobig,findabigtreeorbuildinagroupofverystabletrees.

Intreehouses,wallheightsdon’tneedtobethestandard8feetthattheyareinregularhouses.Foradults,6-1/2feetisabetterplacetostart.Thismakesthehousecozierandmorenest-like.Thenecessaryheadroomforakids’treehousedependsontheiragesandhowlongthey’relikelytousethehouse.Generally,6feetofheadroomshouldgivethemplentyofroomtogrow.

Todeterminehowmuchfloor(platform)spaceyouneed,trythis:Clearoutacornerofaroomwheretwowallsmeetatarightangle,thengrabtwotapemeasures.Pulloutthetapesandlocktheminplaceatanydesireddimensions—forexample,setbothat6feetfora36squarefeetfloor,orsetoneat8feetandoneat10feetforan80squarefeetfloor.

Laythetapesonthefloorsotheymeetatarightangle,representingthetwoimaginedwallsofyourarea.Stepinsidetheareatogetafeelforitssize.Bringinsomechairsandotherfurnitureyoumightwantinthetreehousetoseehoweverythingfits.Don’tforgettofactorinthetree,especiallyifyou’rebuildingyourplatformaroundthetrunk.

Notthatyourtreehousehastobesquare.Infact,thisisarareopportunitytobuildoutofsquare.Whynotatriangleorrhombusorsomethingmoreamoeba-like?Therearenopointsoffforignoringtraditionaldesignprinciples,likesymmetry.Youalreadyhaveahousethatfollowstherules.Whenitcomestotreehouses,quirksandfunnyanglesaddcharacterandmakeitmorepersonal.

Twowallsorrailingsandtwotapemeasuresmakeiteasytovisualizefloorspaceyou’llneedinyournewtreehouse.

USINGPOSTSTreehousesnobsmaybalkattheuseofsupportposts,butthisisnothingtobeashamedof.Postsofferaneffectivewaytocompensatefortreesthatcan’tsolelysupportatreehouseorforcaseswhereadesigncallsformoretreesthanyouhave.Postscanalsoservetoshoreupsupportbeamswithlongspansbetweentrees.

Keepinmindthatusingpostsplaceslimitsonthehousedesign.Namely,thehousemustbeclosetotheground.Thisisbecausethepostwillbecementedinthegroundandessentiallyimmovable,whilethetreeremainsfreetoswaywiththewind.Inmaturetrees,movementtypicallyisminimalinthelowest10to12percentofthetree’stotalheight.Therefore,ifyouusepostsasmainsupportmembers,andthetreeis60feettall,forexample,keeptheplatformwithin6to7feetoftheground.

STAYFLEXIBLEAsafinaldesigntip,keepanopenmindaboutchanges.Youmightfindyourselfinstallingthewallswhenyoudiscoverthatawindowthatwassupposedtooverlookthegardenactuallygivesyouabetterviewofthealley.Or,youmightbesurprisedbytheshadowswithinthecanopyanddecidetoaddanopeningtobringinmoresunlight.Buildingatreehouseisanorganicprocess.Bereadytoadapt.

Sturdypostsmakestrongtreehousesupports,butarerecommendedonlyfortreehouseswithverylittlepotentialmovement.

DrawingPlansSpendingalittletimetestingyourideasonpaperalmostalwayspaysoffwhenitcomestimetobuildatreehouse.It’saloteasiertomakechangestoafewpencillinesthanalumberframebuttedtoatree10feetintheair.

Startbytakingsomemeasurementsofthebuildingsite;thatis,thehosttrees.Measurethetrunks,mainbranches,andrelativepositionsofdistinguishingmarksandfeatures.Withthosemeasurementsandalittlefreehandsketchingofthetree,you’llbeabletomakereasonablyaccuratescaledrawingsofthetreeandtreehousefromvariousperspectives.

Drawtheplatformfirst.Gettingtheplatformrightisthemostchallengingpartofbuildingatreehouseandusuallyrequiressometrial-and-erroratthedrawingboard.Ifyoudon’twanttomakeacompletesetofplans,atleastdrawuptheplatformtotestyourideasbeforeyoustartbuilding.

Toexperimentwithideasforthewallsandroof,takeadigitalphotoofthetree.Printitoutatfull-pagesize,thenuseyourmeasurementsofdistinguishingfeaturestogetasenseofthephoto’sscale.Laytracingpaperoverthephototosketchyourideas.Takeadditionalphotosatdifferentanglestothetreetocreatethevariouselevationdrawings.

Elevationdrawingsshowthehousefromvariousangles.Thesearehelpfulforjudgingproportionsandplanningforinterveningbranches,etc.Sketchingoverdigitalphotoprintoutsgivesyouanaccuratepictureofhowthefinishedprojectwilllookinthetree.

Afloorplanshowingthecompletedplatformhelpsyoudivideupthefloorspaceandallocateroomfordecks,landings,andotheropenareas.

Aplanviewoftheplatformframinggivesyouabird’s-eyeperspectiveofthehosttreesandmaintreehousesupportmembers.

Lumber&HardwareTheclassickid-builttreehouseismadewithscrapwood,often“found”ataneighborhoodconstructionsite,andrustynailsfishedoutofacoffeecan.Addsometarpaperandcarpetremnants,andyouhaveyourselfanawesomehideaway.It’sstillagreatwaytobuildatreehouse.Butifthat’swhatyouhadinmind,youprobablywouldn’tbereadingthisbook(you’dbeusingitasaroofshingle).Sowhatmaterialsshouldyouuseonyournexttreehouse?Theshortansweris:everythingrot-resistantandcorrosion-resistant.

Forlumber,themostcommonlyavailabletypesofrot-resistantwoodarepressure-treatedpine,cedar,andsometimesredwood.Allofthesecanwithstandyearsofweatherwithoutrotting.Evenifyourtreehouseiskeptdrywithasealedroof,it’sagoodideatouseoneoftheseoutdoorwoodtypesontheinteriorpartsaswell,becauseyou’reboundtogetsomemoistureinside.

Keepinmindthatthereputationsofcedarandredwoodforrot-resistancereallyapplyonlytoall-heartwoodmaterial,thehigherqualitylumbercutfromthetree’shardcenter.Common-gradesapwoodcedarandredwoodaren’tmuchmorerot-resistantthanstandarduntreatedlumber.Also,cedarandredwoodhavelowerload-bearingcapacitythanstandardSPFandtreatedlumber,sobesuretocheckspanratingsbeforeusingthemforplatformbeamsorothercriticalstructuralmembers.

Ifyouuseplywoodinyourproject,choosethematerialbasedonhowmuchitwillbeexposedtotheelements:“Exterior”plywoodissuitableforpermanentexposure,while“Exposure1”plywoodisdesignedforoutdoorsbutshouldbecoveredbyothermaterials,suchasroofing.Marineplywoodisapremiumplywoodproductdesignedforgoodlooksandoutdoorexposure.It’smadewithwaterproofglueandwon’tdelaminatewithmoisture,butthepanelsshouldbefinishedtopreventdecayanddiscolorationofthewood.

Forhardware,usehot-dippedordrop-forgedgalvanizedsteel—availableinmanytypesofbolts,screws,andconnectors.Aluminumroofingnailsarealsoacceptable.Stainlesssteelisthebestandstrongestrust-proofmaterialbutcomesinasomewhatlimitedvarietyofhardwareandcostsalotmorethangalvanizedsteel.

Foranystructuralconnectionstothetree,usescrewsandboltsinsteadofnails.Boltsshouldbeatleast1/2"indiameterandalwaysgalvanizedforcorrosionprotection(ormadeofrust-proofmaterial).Nailssimplycan’tbetrustedintrees.There’stoomuchmovement,andthelivewooddoesn’tholdnailsasconsistentlyorpredictablyasdrylumberdoes.Galvanizednailsarefine

forframingconnectionsandgeneralconstructionofthehouseparts,althoughinmanycasesyoumightprefertousedeckscrewsorgalvanizedwoodscrews.Withthesmaller2×2and2×3framingusedintreehouses,assemblyiseasierwithscrews.

SpecialtyconnectionsandanchoringsystemsmightcallforExtraHighStrengthcableandhigh-tensilegalvanizedchain.AnotherhardwareoptionavailablethroughaspecialtysupplieristheGarnierLimb(GL)treehouseanchor,whichscrewsintothetree’strunktoserveasaheavy-dutylimbforsupportingplatforms(seepage62).

RECLAIMEDLUMBER&MATERIALSBuildingatreehouseoffersagreatopportunitytoscroungearoundrecycledlumberyardsandarchitecturalsalvageshopsformaterialslikeweatheredoldtimbersandone-of-a-kindfixtures.Ontopofbeingafunscavengerhunt,thisisalsothebestwayto“buildgreen.”Onenoteofcaution,however:Inspectoldlumbercarefullybeforeusingitforstructuralmembers.Significantcracks,excessiveknots,andevidenceofrotarecommonindicationsthatthewoodmightnotbereliableorstrongenoughforitsintendeduse.

Lumberfortreehousesmustbesuitableforoutdoorexposure.Thisincludescedar,redwood,pressure-treatedpine,andexterior-gradeormarineplywood(notshown).

COMMONLYUSEDHARDWAREFORTREEHOUSES

MORECOMMONLYUSEDHARDWAREFORTREEHOUSES

TreehouseSafety

Ahouseupinatreecomeswithsomerisks.Butsodoesanelevateddeckoffofyourkitchenorajunglegyminyourbackyard.Whatmakesyoucomfortableusingthesethingsonadailybasisisyourbeliefthattheyweredesignedthoughtfullytopreventcommonhazards,combinedwithyourownregularmaintenanceofthestructurestoensuretheirsafety.Thesameappliestotreehouses,althoughtreehousespresentanadditionalsafetyconsideration:buildingofftheground.

Therefore,treehousesafetycanbedividedintotwocategories:safedesignandsafeworkingconditions.Bothareequallyimportantandperfectlymanageable,andbothshouldbefollowedregardlessofwhousesthehouse.Akids’treehousenaturallyinvolvesmoresafetyconcernsthanoneusedexclusivelybyadults.However,keepinmindthatyouneverknowwhenchildrenmightvisit,andit’stoolateoncethey’reupthere.It’slikebringingatwo-year-oldintoanon-babyproofedhome.Theadultsaresuddenlyscramblingmadlyastheydiscoverallthethingsthatareperfectlysafeforthembutpotentiallydeadlyforatoddler.

Safetyisimportantduringallphasesofconstruction.

SafeTreehouseDesignTheprimarysafeguardonanytreehouseisthesupportingplatform.Italonekeepsthehouseanditsoccupantsaloft.Evenifeveryotherelementisdesignedtothehigheststandards,atreehouseiscompletelyunsafeiftheplatformisn’tsound.Alaterchaptercoversplatformconstructionindetail,sofornow,justtwoquickreminders:

1.Keepplatformsforkids’treehousesat8feetabovethegroundorlower.2.Inspecttheplatformsupportmembersandtreeconnectionsregularlytomakesureeverything’singoodshape.

Withastrong,stableplatforminplace,youcanturnyourattentiontotheotherelementsofsafetyindesign.

Everything’sridingonthetreehouseplatform.Besuretokeepitingoodcondition.

RAILINGSEverypartofatreehouseplatformthatisn’tboundbywallsmusthaveasturdyrailing.Buildingcodesaroundthecountryagreeonrailingspecifications,andthesearethebestrulestofollowfortreehouses,too.

Ingeneral,railingsmustbeatleast36"tall,withverticalbalustersnomorethan4"apart.Arailingshouldbestrongenoughtowithstandseveraladultsleaningagainstitatonce,aswellasroughhousingkids.Ontreehousesforsmallchildren,useonlystandard2×2lumberorotherrigidverticalbalusters,notropeorcablebalusters.Forkidsofallages,don’tusehorizontalbalusters.Theseworkwellforcattlefencing,butkidsaretootemptedtoclimbthem.Seepage93formorerailingspecificationsandinstructionsonbuildingrailings.

Sound,code-compliantrailingsareacriticalsafetyfeaturefortreehouseusersofallages.

Asturdyhandleisawelcomesighttotiredclimbers.Makesureallhandlesandmountinghardwarearegalvanizedorotherwisecorrosion-protected.

ACCESSLANDINGS

Eachtypeofaccesstoatreehouse—ladder,rope,stairs,etc.—hasitsowndesignstandardsforsafety,butallmusthavealandingpointatwhichtoarriveatordepartfromthehouse.Inmanycases,thelandingnecessitatesagapinarailingorotheropeningandthusapotentialfallhazard.Keepthisinmindwhenplanningaccesstoyourtreehouse,andconsidertheserecommendations:

•Includeasafetyrailacrossopeningsinrailings.•Leaveplentyofroomaroundaccessopenings,enoughforanyonetosafelyclimbontothetreehouseplatformandstandupwithoutbackingup.

•Considernon-slipdeckingonlandingstopreventfallsifthesurfacegetswet.•Addhandlesatthesidesofaccessopeningsandanywhereelsetofacilitateclimbingupanddown;handholdscutintothetreehousefloorworkwell,too.

•Installasafetygatetobaryoungchildrenfromareaswithaccessopenings.

WINDOWS&DOORSTheobvioussafetyhazardforwindowsanddoorsisglass.Sotheruleis:Don’tuseit,especiallyinkids’treehouses.Standardglassistooeasilybrokenduringplayorbyswayingbranchesorrocksthrownbytauntedolderbrothers.Instead,usestrongplasticsheeting.Thestrongeststuffis1/4"-thickpolycarbonateglazing.It’sratedforoutdoorpublicbuildings,likekiosksandbusstops,soitcaneasilysurvivetheabusefromyourownlittlevandals.Plasticdoesgetscratchedandsomebecomescloudyovertime,butit’seasilyreplacedandisbetterthanatriptotheemergencyroom.

Evenmoreimportantthantheglazingistheplacementofdoorsandwindows.Alldoorsandoperablewindowsmustopenoveradeck,notadroptotheground.Ifadoorisclosetoanaccesspoint,makesurethere’samplefloorspacebetweenthedoorandanyopeninginarailing,forexample.

GROUNDBELOWTHETREESinceoccasionalshortfallsarelikelytooccurwhenkidsareclimbingaroundtrees,it’sagoodideatofilltheareabeneathyourtreehousewithasoftgroundcover.Thebestmaterialforthehealthofthetreeiswoodchips.A6"-thickbedofwoodchipseffectivelycushionsafallfrom7feet,accordingtotheNationalResourceCenterforHealthandSafetyinChildCare.Also,keepthegeneralareabeneaththehousefreeofrocks,branches,andanythingelseonewouldprefernottolandon.

Asoftbedofloosegroundcoverisrecommendedunderanykids’treehouseorareaswherekidswillbeclimbing.

CONSTRUCTIONDETAILS

Oneofthefirstrulesofbuildingchildren’splaystructuresistocountersinkallexposedhardware,andforgoodreason.Ifyoufallandslidealongapost,youmightgetascrapeandsomesplinters,butyou’remuchbetteroffthanifyourkneecaphitsaprotrudingboltonthewaydown.Followthecountersinkruleforallkids’treehouses.

Speakingofsplinters,takethetimetosandroughedgesasyoubuildyourhouse.Yourkidsandguestswillbegladyoudid.Alsokeepaneyeoutforsharppoints,protrudingnails,andanyrustymetal.

MAINTENANCETreehousesfightaconstantbattlewithgravity.This,combinedwithoutdoorexposureandthethreatofrustandrot,makeregularinspectionsofthehouseacriticalsafetyprecaution.Inspectyourtreehouseseveraltimesthroughouttheyearforsignsofrotordamagetostructuralmembersandallsupportinghardware.Alsocheckeverythingafterbigstormsandhighwinds,asexcessivetreemovementcaneasilycausedamagetowoodstructuresorbreakanchorswithoutyouknowingit.Testsafetyrailings,handholds,andaccessequipmentmorefrequently.

Inspectthetreearoundconnectingpointsforstressfracturesanddamagetothebark.Weightedmembersandtensionedcablesandropesrubbingagainstthebarkcanbedeadlyforatreeiftheycutintothelayersjustbelowthebark.Checkopeningswherethetrunkandbranchespassthroughthetreehouse,andexpandthemasneededtoavoidstranglingthetree.Finally,removedeadordamagedbranchesthatcouldfallonthehouse.

Neglectedsupportbeamsandconnectionsarethemostcommoncausesoftreehousedisasters.Checkthesepartsoftenforrot,corrosion,anddamage.

TreefortKnoxLockingupmayseemunnecessaryformostbackyardhideaways,butforsometreehousesit’sasensibleprecaution.Forexample,treehouseslocatedoutofyourdailyview,especiallythosenearapublicroad,canattractalotofnegativeattention,likevandalism.Moreimportant,kidsjustcan’tresistgettingintostuff,andyoudon’twanttofacealawsuitbecauseyoumadeiteasyforthemtowaltzintoyourhouseandgethurt.Ofcourse,youhadnothingtodowithit.Buttrytellingthattoaplaintifflawyer.Thesearejustsuggestions,notlegaladvice:

•Installastrongdoorwithapadlock(3/4"plywoodbackedbyalumberframeisagoodchoice;itmaybeugly,butit’sstrong).

•Postsignagestating“NoTrespassing,”“PrivateProperty,”“Danger,”orsimilarwarnings.

•Installwindowshuttersthatlockontheinsideorcanbepadlockedfromtheoutside.

•Useplasticinsteadofglassinwindows(thepolycarbonateglazingmentionedonpage53won’tbebrokenwithrocks).

•Usearetractableorremovableladderastheonlymeansofaccess,andtakeitawaywhenyouleavethetreehouse.

WorkingSafelyOff-the-groundworkhasitsownlonglistofsafetyguidelinesontopoftheregularsetofbasicconstructionsafetyrules.Sinceyoucanlearnaboutgeneraltoolandjobsitesafetyanywhere(pleasedoso),thefocushereisonmattersspecifictotreehousebuildingandrelatedgravity-defyingfeats.Butherearesomegoodpointstokeepinmind.

Duringconstruction,laddermanagementisanexceptionallyimportantaspectofjobsitesafety.Sincetreesgenerallydonotaffordflat,smoothareasfortheladderrungstorest,addingpaddedtipswillhelpstabilizetheladder.Andremember,afallofjustacoupleoffeetfromaladdercancauseafracturedelboworworse.

Workingoutdoorspresentschallengesnotfacedintheinterior,suchasdealingwiththeweather,workingatheights,andstayingclearofpowerlines.Bytakingafewcommon-sensesafetyprecautions,youcanperformexteriorworksafely.

Dressappropriatelyforthejobandweather.Avoidworkinginextremetemperatures,hotorcold,andneverworkoutdoorsduringastormorhighwinds.

Workwithahelperwheneverpossible—especiallywhenworkingatheights.

Ifyoumustworkalone,tellafamilymemberorfriendsothepersoncancheckinwithyouperiodically.Ifyouownaportablephone,keepitwithyouatalltimes.

Don’tusetoolsorworkatheightsafterconsumingalcohol.Ifyou’retakingmedicine,readthelabelandfollowtherecommendationsregardingtheuseoftoolsandequipment.

Whenusingladders,extendthetopoftheladderthreefeetabovetheroofedgeforgreaterstability.Climbonandofftheladderatapointasclosetothegroundaspossible.Usecautionandkeepyourcenterofgravitylowwhenmovingfromaladderontoaroof.Keepyourhipsbetweenthesiderailswhenreachingoverthesideofaladder,andbecarefulnottoextendyourselftoofaroritcouldthrowoffyourbalance.Movetheladderasoftenasnecessarytoavoidoverreaching.Finally,don’texceedthework-loadratingforyourladder.Readandfollowtheloadlimitsandsafetyinstructionslistedonthelabel.

HARDHATAREA(HEADSUP!)Thegeneralareaunderneaththetreeshouldbeofflimitstoanyonenotactivelyworkingontheprojectathand.Someonewalkingidlyunderneathtocheckthingsoutmightnotbeengagedenoughtoreactifsomethingfalls.Hardhatsareagoodideaforanyoneworkingontheprojectandforkidsanywhereclosetothejobsite.

Tokeepanextensioncordfromdropping—andsometimestakingyourtoolwithit—wrapthecordaroundabranchtocarrythebulkoftheweight.Also,wearatoolbelttokeeptoolsandfastenerswithinreachwhilekeepingyourhandsfreetograblumberorusetools.

PULLEYSYSTEMSApulleyisoneofthefunfeaturesfoundonalotoftreehouses.They’regreatfordeliveringbasketsfulloffoodandsupplies.Duringthebuild,asimplepulleysetupwithabucketorcrateishandyforhaulinguptoolsandhardware.

Here’saneasywaytosetupasimple,lightweightpulley:

1.Usingastrongnylonormanilarope(don’tusepolypropylene,whichdoesn’tstandupundersunexposure),tieoneendtoasmallsandbagandthrowitoverastrongbranch.

2.Tieacorrosion-resistantpulleyneartheendoftherope,thentiealoopclosertotheend,usingbowlineknotsforboth(seebelow).

3.Feedasecondropethroughthepulleyandtemporarilysecurebothendssotheropewon’tslipthroughthepulley.

4.Threadthefirstropethroughtheloopmadeinstep2,thenhaulthepulleyupsnugtothebranch.Tieofftheendyou’reholdingtosecurethepulleytothebranch.

Forheavy-dutylifting,useablockandtackle(seenextpage),whichisapulleysystemthathasoneropestrungthroughtwosetsofpulleys(blocks).Themagicofmultiple-pulleysystemsisthattheliftingpowerisincreasedby1×foreachpulley.Forexample,ablockandtacklewith6pulleysgivesyou6poundsofliftingforceforeachpoundofforceyouputontothepullingrope.Ifyouweigh150poundsandhangonthepullingend,youcouldraiseanearly900-poundloadwithoutmovingamuscle.Thedrawbackisthatyouhavetopulltherope6×fartherthanifyouwereusingasinglepulley.Forahightreehouse,you’llneedalotofrope.

Whenhaulinguploadswithablockandtackle,trytohaveasecondpersononthegroundtomanacontrollinetiedtotheload.Thishelpsstabilizetheloadandsteeritthroughbranchesandotherobstacles.Additionalcontrollikethismakesitsaferforthoseupinthetree.

Oneroperaisesandaffixesthepulleytothetree;asecondropeoperatesthepulley.

HowtoTieaBowlineKnot

Step1:Makealoopintheropesotheworkingend(looseend)isontopofthestandingportionoftherope.

Step2:Runtheworkingendupthroughthebackoftheloop,behindandaroundthestandingrope,thendownthroughthefrontoftheloop.

Step3:Tightentheknotbyholdingtheworkingendinplacewhilepullinguponthestandingportion.

Ablockandtacklemakesiteasytoliftheavysupportbeamsandpre-builtwalls.

SafetyChecklist

SAFEDESIGNCHECKLIST▪Platformnomorethan8feetaboveground(forkids’treehouse).▪Strongrailings36"high,withbalustersnomorethan4"apart.▪Continuousrailingalongallopendecksandatsidesofstairs.▪Safetyrailacrossallaccessopenings.▪Nohorizontalrailingbalusters.▪Largeaccesslandingswithhandlesorhandholdsasneeded.▪Noladderrungsnailedtotree(seepage41).▪Non-slipdeckingaroundaccessopenings.▪Noglasswindowsinkids’treehouses.▪Doorsandoperablewindowsopenontoadeck,notadrop.▪Softgroundcoverbeneathkids’treehouses.▪Hardwarecountersunkinallexposedareas.▪Noroughwoodedges,sharppoints,orprotrudingnailsorscrews.▪Screwsandboltsonlyforstructuralconnectionstotree;nonails(seepage46).

▪Regularmaintenancecheckofplatformsupportmembersandtreeconnections,railings,accessequipment,andhandles.

SAFECONSTRUCTIONCHECKLIST▪Safetyropesandharnessforanyhighwork.▪Tieontosafetylineevenafterplatformiscomplete.▪Nokidsorvisitorsundertreeduringconstruction.▪Hardhatsforworkersongroundandallkids.▪Followbasicconstructionsafetyandladdersafetyrules.▪Nobeerbeforequittin’time.

TreehouseBuildingTechniques

Buildingatreehouseismostlyanexerciseincarpentry.Butevenifyouhaveyearsofexperiencepoundingnailsandplaningdoorswithyourfeetfirmlyontheground,you’llfindthateverythingchangesonceyou’reupintheair.Thesimplesttaskstakeonnewchallengesasyoustruggletokeepthecounterforcesofworkfromknockingyoutotheground.Butintheend,whetheryou’rebuildingatreehouseoranouthouseoradoghouse,thesuccessoftheprojectcomesdowntogooddesignandsoundtechniques.We’vediscussedgooddesignalready.Nowit’stimetotakealookattreehousebuildingtechniques.

Inthischapter:▪BuildingPlatforms▪PlatformDesigns▪Framing&FinishingWalls▪FinishingInteriors

▪Doors&Windows▪BuildingRoofs▪ModesofAccess▪Swings&Playthings

BuildingPlatforms

It’stimetogetthishouseofftheground.Theplatformisthefirstandmostimportantpartofthebuildingprocess.Italsotendstobethemostchallenging.

Tobuildaproperplatform,you’llneedtodeterminewhattypesofanchorswillholdupbestagainstthehosttree’snaturalmovementthroughouttheyear.You’llalsodecideonsizingforsupportbeamsandfloorframing,basedonthesizeofyourhouseandhowmuchitwillweigh(don’tworry,youwon’thavetostandonascalewitheach2×4).Asbefore,thetreeshouldbeyourprimaryguide.

Thischapterwalksyouthroughsomebasicsofplatformconstruction,themaintypesofanchorsforsupportbeams,andinstallationofthefloordecking.You’llthengetaconstructionoverviewofplatformsforseveralpopulartreehouseconfigurations.Pleasekeepinmindthatallmethodsandconfigurationsshownherearemerelydrawnfromexamplesthathaveworkedonothertreehouses.Onyourowntreehouse,youalonearethearchitect,engineer,andbuilder,andit’suptoyoutodeterminewhatissuitableforyoursituation.Ifyouhaveanyconcernsaboutthestructuralviabilityofyourplatformorthehealthofyourtree,consultaqualifiedbuildingprofessionalorarborist.

Thetreehouseplatformneedstobesolidlyconstructed,square,level,and(aboveall)securelyattachedtothetreeortrees.

PlatformBasicsAtypicaltreehouseplatformismadeupofsupportbeamsandafloorframe.Thebeamsareanchoredtothetreeandcarrytheweightoftheentirestructure.Theframeismadeupoffloorjoiststhatrunperpendiculartothebeams.Toppedwithdecking,thefloorframebecomesthefinishedfloorofthetreehouse,ontowhichyoubuildthewallsandeverythingthereafter.Somesmallkids’treehouseshaveonlyafloorasthesupportingstructure,particularlywhenthehouseislowtothegroundandwellsupportedbybranches.

Sizingbeamsandfloorjoistsisn’tanexactscienceasitiswitharegularhouse,butstandardspantablescangiveyouanideaaboutloadlimitsforyourtreehouse.Contactyourlocalbuildingdepartmentforspantablesandmaterialsrequirementsforbeams(alsocalledgirders),floorjoists,anddeckingmaterials.What’suniquetotreehousesistheadditionalstressofthetree’smotionandpossibletwistingforcesappliedtothefloorframe.Flexibleanchorsarethebestdefenseagainsttreemotion,asyou’llseelater.Inanycase,it’sbettertoerronthesideofoversizingsupportmembers.

Thetricktobuildingasuccessfulplatformisnotjustinthestrengthandstability.Theplatformmustalsobelevel.Ifyou’veeverbeeninanoldhousewithaslopingfloor,youknowwhy.Itmesseswithyoursenseofequilibriumandgivesyouanuneasy“funhouse”feeling.Inatreehousethiscanleadtoaperceivedsenseofinstability;worse,itgivesyourfriendsandfamilysomethingtomakefunof.Onehandytechniqueforlocatinganchorpointstocreatealevelplatformistosetupamason’sstringandlinelevel.Afewmoretipsforbuildingplatforms:

•Useasingle3/4"-diametergalvanizedlagscrewtoanchorlumberdirectlytothetree.Forlightweightsupports,youcangetawaywith1/2"screws,butdon’tuseanythingsmaller.

•Ifasituationcallsformorethanonescrewinanypartofthetree,neverplacetwoscrewsinaverticallinelessthan12"apart.Tothetree,eachscrewistreatedasawound;ifthescrewsaretooclosetogether,thewoundsmightcoalesce,causingtheareatorot.

•Neverremovebarktocreateaflatsurfaceforanchoring,etc.Ifdonecarefully,it’sokaytoshavethesurfaceslightly,butalwaysleavetheprotectivelayerofbarkintact.Abettersolutionistousewoodwedgestoleveloutbracketsandotheranchors.

•Whenyou’rebuildingaplatformupinthetree,it’softenhelpfultocutbeams

orjoistslongatfirst,allowingsomeplayasyoupiecetheframetogether.Cutofftheexcessaftertheframingiscompleted,orleavebeamendslongtouseasoutriggersforpulleys,swings,etc.

Fastenersplacedclosetogetherinaverticallinecanleadtorotinthetree,causingtheanchorstofail.

PlatformAnchoringTechniquesAnchoringtheplatformisallaboutdealingwithtreemovement.Here’stheproblem:Ifyou’rebuildinginoraroundasectionofthetreethat’susedtomovingalotinthewindandyoutiemultiplepartsofthetree(orpartsofdifferenttrees)together,something’sgottogive.Usuallyit’syourplatform’ssupportbeamsoranchorsthatlosethebattlebybreakingorsimplyshearingoff.ThebestsolutionistorespectMotherNaturebyusinganchorsthatmakeallowancesformovement.

Treehousebuildershavecomeupwitharangeofanchoringmethodsfordifferentsituations,butmostfallintooneofthefourcategoriesshownhere.Knowingthemaintypesofanchorswillhelpyoudecidewhat’sbestforyourproject.Oftenacombinationofdifferentanchorsisthemosteffectiveapproach.

FIXEDANCHORAfixedanchoristhemostbasictype,withthesupportbeamsfirmlyanchoredtothetreewithlargelagscrews.Becausetheyallowforzerotreemovement,fixedanchorsaretypicallyusedonsingle-treehousesanchoredexclusivelytothetrunk,orperhapsusedinconjunctionwithaflexibleanchor(slidingorhanging—seebelow)attheoppositeendofthebeam.

Toinstallafixedanchor,drillaslightlyoversizedholeforalagscrewthroughthebeam,justbelowthecenterofthebeam’sdepth.Drillapilotholeintothetreethat’sslightlysmallerthanthescrew’sshank.Addonewasherontheoutsideofthebeamandoneortwolarge,thickwashersonthetreeside,andanchorthebeamtothetreewiththelagscrew.Thewashersonthetreesideofthebeamhelppreventchafingofthebeamagainstthebark.

Sizingthescrew:Usea3/4"galvanizedlagscrewthat’slongenoughtopenetrateatleast5"to6"intothetree’ssolidwood.Accountingfora2×(1-1/2-thick)beam,thewashers,andthebark,youneedatleasta9"screwforamajorbeamconnection.

Asinglelagscrewisanadequatefixedanchorforabeam,providedthescrewisheavyenough.Multiplescrewscancausedamagetoyourtree.Threadawasherbetweenthescrewheadandthebeam,andaddatleastacouplewashersbetweenthebeamandthetreetopreventthebeamfromrubbingagainstanddamagingthebark.

SLIDINGANCHOR

Therearetwomaintypesofslidinganchor:slot-typeandbracket-type.Theslot-typeisasimplevariationofthefixedanchor,butinsteadofdrillingaholeinthebeamforthelagscrew,youcutaslotthatallowsforafewinchesoflateralmovement.Thisanchorissuitableforrelativelysmall,lowtreehousesthatdon’twarranttheheavy-dutysupportofabracket-typeconnection.Usinga3/4"lagscrewandextra-largewashersonbothsidesofthebeam,maketheslot1"wideand3"to6"long.Leavethescrewslightlyloosetoallowalittleplayforthebeamtoslide.

Abracket-typeslidinganchorusesametalbracketorcleatmountedtothetreetosupportthebeamfrombelow.Asthetreemoves,thebeamisfreetoslidealongthetopofthesupportwithoutrubbingagainstthetree.Aproperlyengineeredandinstalledbracketmakesaverystronganchorsuitableforlargetreehouses.

Unfortunately,theydon’tselltreehousebracketsatyourlocalhardwarestore.Sohowdoyougetthem?Onewayistohavethemcustombuilttoyourspecificationsbyaqualifiedwelder.AnotheroptionistousetheGarnierLimb(seepage46),amanufacturedmetalanchorspecificallydesignedforsupportingtreehousebeams.TheGLhasathreadedscrewendthatscrewsintothetreeandasmooth“limb”endthatsupportsthebeam.

ThedevelopersoftheGLhavecomeupwithmanyvariationsbasedontheirbasicanchortoaccommodatevarioustreehouseconfigurations.YoucanseetheGLinactionandgetorderingandinstallationinformationontheirwebsite:www.treehouses.com.Accordingtothewebsite,thebasicinstallationofaGLhasaloadratingof4,000pounds.

Aslot-typeslidinganchorallowssingle-directionalmovementbetweenthetreeortreesandtheplatformbeams.

Abracket-typeslidinganchorallowstwo-directionalmovementwhileofferingsolidsupport.Unfortunately,you’llhavetohavethesecustom-fabricatedatalocalmetalshop.

Aspecialtytreehouseanchoroffersthebestcombinationofstrengthandmovementallowance.TheGLanchorillustratedhereisverypopularwithprofessionaltreehousebuildersandcanbepurchasedontheInternet(seeResources,page220).

HANGINGANCHORWithahanginganchor,thebeamsareactuallysuspendedfromthetreebycablesormoveablehardware,makingitthemostflexibletypeofjoint.Thisflexibilitymakesitidealfordifficultapplications,suchaswhentreemovementissignificantorwhenthebranchortrunkconfigurationwon’teasilyaccommodateaplatform.Note:Theminimumbranchsizeforhanginganchors(attheconnectionpoint)is6"diameter,dependingonthetreeandtreehouse.

Ahanginganchorwithcableattachestoascreweyeinthetreeandadoubled3/4"chainwrappedaroundthebeam.

Aswiththeslidinganchor,therearedifferentstylesofhangingconnections.Abasiccablesetupoffersthebestflexibility:Cuta6-footlengthofheavy-dutyrust-proofcable,thencutenoughhigh-tensilerust-proofchaintowraparoundthebeamtwice,plusafewextralinks.Drivea5/8"eyelagscrewintothetree,about4feetabovethedesiredbeamelevation.Positiontheeyescrewsoitsshaftwillbeperpendiculartothecablewhenhung.Thisensuresthattheloadwillrely

moreonthescrew’sshearstrengththanthegripofthethreads.Hangthebeaminthetreeatthedesiredelevation,usingtemporarylines.

Threadthecablethroughtheeyescrew,usingacablethimbletoprotectthecable,thensecuretheendwiththreecableclamps.Wrapthebeamwiththechainandsecuretheendstothecable,againusingathimbleandthreeclamps.Topreventthebeamfromslippingoutoftheanchor,makesureplentyofbeamextendspastthechain,andinstallastrongmetalbracketthatlooselycapturesthechainatthebottomedgeofthebeam.

Athroughbolthanginganchorrequiresatreelimbatleast6"indiameter.

Anothertypeofhanginganchorusesalong,5/8"eyethroughboltthatextendscompletelythroughasupportbranch.Attheotherend,anothereyeboltextendsthroughthebeamandissecuredbelow.Thetwoeyesareconnectedwithaheavy-dutyshackle,allowingsomemovementinalldirections.

Boltingthroughthebranchwon’thurtthetree,butthebranchmustbeatleast6"indiameterforthisapplication.Makesuretouseastrongwasheronthetop

sideofthebranch,aswellasawasherorsteelbearingplatebelowthebeam.Ifyouuseabuilt-upbeam(withtwo2×boardsnailedtogether),addpairsofcarriageboltsalongbothsidesoftheeyebolttokeepthebeammemberstogetherwhentheanchorisunderstress.

Withanytypeofhanginganchor,it’simportantthatthebeamandcableorhardwaredonotrubagainstthetree.Ifyoursetupdoesn’tallowforatleast6"ofplaybetweenthebeam/hangerandthetree,fastenawoodblocktothetreetoprotectagainstchafingthatcoulddamagethebarkandunderlyinglayers.Also,neverhangasupportcableorchainbyrunningitoverabranchorwrappingitaroundabranchortrunk.Thiscankillpartorallofthetree.

KNEEBRACESKneebraceshelpsupportmanytypesofplatformsafterthemainbeamshavebeenattachedtothetree.Assuch,theymightbeconsideredsecondaryanchorsbutneverthelessarecriticaltomanyplatformdesigns.

Akneebraceessentiallyisanangledstrutthatformsastructuraltrianglewiththeplatformandthetree.Itisstrongestwhensetat45°(orascloseaspossibletothatangle).Therearenumerousdesignsofbracesfortreehouses,butallfollowthesameprincipleofthetriangle.

Forstrength,thetopendofthebraceshouldmeetthebeamorframeatleast2/3ofitstotaldistancefromthetree.Don’tworryifthebracesaren’tallthesamelength;it’smoreimportanttomaintainthe45°angle.Tojointhetopendofthebracetothecornerofaplatformframe,useadjustableframingconnectors.Toanchortotheundersideofabeamorjoist,usepairsofmetaljoiningplates,boltedtobothmemberswithcarriagebolts.

Attachingthebracetothetreeisanothermatter.Large,professionallybuilt(yes,therearepeoplewhogettodothisforaliving)treehousesoftenusecustommetalbracketstoaffixkneebracestothetree.Aneasyamateurmethodistouseanadjustableframingconnectorscrewedtothetreeandfastenedtothebracewithnails.

Kneebracessupporttheplatform,distributingtheloadontothetrunkandoffofthelagscrewsthatattachthebeamstothetreetrunk.

InstallingDeckingIfyou’rethinkingthatyou’vejustjumpedfromplatformbeamstodeckingandskippedthefloorframing,you’reright.Becausetheconfigurationofthefloorframingtendstofollowtheplatformdesign,you’llgetabetterpictureofthatwiththeindividualconstructionoverviewsstartingonpage66.

Mosttreehouseplatformsaredeckedusingstandarddeckingtechniques.It’salotlikedeckinga...well,adeck,orafloor,dependingonthematerialsused.Standarddeckingmaterialsinclude5/4×6deckingboards,2×6lumber,and3/4"exterior-gradeplywood.Ofthese,plywoodisthecheapestandeasiesttoinstall,butitcomeswithonedrawback:treehousefloorstendtogetwet,andthewaterhasnoplacetogoonasolidplywoodsurface.Bycontrast,deckingboardscan—andshould—begappedtoallowwaterthroughandeliminatepooling.Ifyou’rereallycommittedtocreatingadryinterioronyourhouse,youmightconsiderplywoodortongue&groovedeckingboards,whichmakeasmooth,strongfloorwithoutgaps.

Installdeckingboardswithdeckscrewsdriventhroughpilotholes(althoughyouwouldnormallynailT&Gboards).Usescrewsthatarelongenoughtopenetratethefloorframingbyatleast1-1/4".Gaptheboards1/4"apart,ormore,ifdesired.Twoscrewsateachjoistaresufficient.Installplywooddeckingwith2"deckscrews,drivenevery6"alongtheperimeterandevery8"inthefieldofthesheet.

Toallowfortreegrowth,trytoleavea2"gapbetweenthedeckingandthetree.Thismeansyou’llhavetoscribethedeckingandcutittofitaroundtreepenetrations.Toscribeaboard,setitonthefloorascloseaspossibletoitsfinalposition,thenuseacompasstotracethecontoursofthetreeontotheboard.

Fastenthedeckingtothefloorframewithcorrosion-resistantdeckscrews.Useacompass(right)toscribedeckingboardsattreepenetrations.

PlatformDesigns

Followingarefiveexamplesofplatformsindifferenttreeconfigurations,alongwithconstructionoverviewsforbuildingtheplatformsasshown.Hopefullytheywillhelpyougenerateideasforbuildingyourownplatform.Theseexamplesarefordemonstrationpurposesonly.Thepropersizingofsupportbeams,joists,andhardware,aswellasplatformconfiguration,mustbebasedonyourtreeandhouseproject.

Asingle-treetreehouseoftenisconstructedsothetreepenetratestheplatformmoreorlessinthemiddle.Theplatformissupportedbybeamsthatarelag-screwedtothetree.Thisplatformwillbereinforcedwithkneebraces.

SingleTree:PlatformNestledinBranchesThisisasimpleplatformdesignsuitableforasmallkids’treehouse.Becausetheplatformissmall(about5×6feet)andhassupportfromseveralbranches,therearenosupportbeams.Instead,asturdyfloorframemadewith2x6sisanchoreddirectlytothetree.Toaccountforslightbranchmovement,twoofthefouranchorsareslot-typeslidingconnectionsandtwoarefixedanchors.Thefloordeckingis3/4"plywood.Forthistypeofplatform,thesupportbranchesshouldbeatleast6"indiameter.

FINDINGTHEANCHORPOINTS

Usingfournailsandamason’sstring,plottheroughplatformshapeontothesupportbranches.Attachalineleveltothestring,andworkyourwayaroundthefoursides,adjustingthenailsupordownasneededtocreatealevellayout.Eachnailrepresentsananchorpoint,aswellastheapproximatecenterofthefloorframemembers.Whenyou’resatisfiedwiththelayout,removethestring,butleavethenailsinplacetohelpwithmeasuringandpositioningtheframemembers.

INSTALLINGTHERIMJOISTSUsingthenailsforreference,measuretheapproximatelengthofthefirstrimjoist.Cutthejoistlongbyabout12"toallowforsomeplaywhenpositioningthetwoperpendicularrimjoists.Markthelocationsofthetwofixedanchorpointsontotheboard,thendrillathroughholefora3/4"lagscrew,alittlebelowthecenteroftheboard’sdepth(seepage61).Repositionthejoistinthetree,thencheckitforlevel.Drilla5/8"-diameterpilotholeintothetreeatoneoftheanchorpoints.Addwasherstobothsidesofthejoist,andfastenthejoistwithalagscrew.Holdingthejoistlevel,drillapilotholeandinstallthesecondfixedanchor.Tip:Ifthejoistwon’tinstallplumbbecausethebranchisnotvertical,gluea

woodwedgebehindthejoistwithconstructionadhesive.Cutthetworimjoiststhatrunperpendiculartothefirstrimjoist.Havea

helperholdoneendwhileyoulevelandmarktheanchorpointontheotherend.Cuta1×3"to1×6"slotfortheslidinganchor,andfastenthejoisttothetreewithalagscrewandwashers(seepage62).Then,endnailthejoiststogetherwith16dgalvanizedcommonnails.Installtheopposingjoistandfastenittothefirstrimjoist.Cutthefourthrimjoisttofitandfastenitwithendnails.Cutoffthelongendsofthefirstrimjoistsothey’reflushwiththematingjoists.

Useamason’slineandlineleveltofindatleastfourlevelanchorpointsfortheplatform.

Anchoroneendoftherimjoist,thenlevelthejoistandanchortheotherend.Glueacustom-cutwedge(right)betweenthejoistandthetree.

Cutthecommonjoiststofitandtacktheminplacewithdeckscrewssothetopsarelevel.Thendrivethree16dnailsateachjoint(nailshavemuchgreatershearstrengththanscrews).

ADDINGTHECOMMONJOISTS

Markthecommonjoistlayoutontothetwolongrimjoistssotheywillrunparalleltotheshortsidesoftheframe.Spacethejoistsat16"or24"oncenter;eitherspacingisstrongenoughforasmalltreehouse.Cutthe2×6joiststofitandinstallthemwiththree16dgalvanizednailsateachend.

INSTALLINGTHEDECKINGCutthe3/4"exterior-gradeplywooddeckingtofitsoanyseamsfallonthecenterofacommonjoist.Fastenthedeckingtothejoistswith2"deckscrews.

SingleTree:TrunkasCenterPostAtall,straighttrunkisthefoundationforthisplatformdesignthatmeasures8feetsquare.Itstartswithtwointersectingsetsof2×8beamsstackedontopofeachother.Allbeamsarefastenedtothetreewithasinglefixedanchorscrew.Theuppertwobeamsbecomefloorjoistsinthefinishedframe.Eachcorneroftheframeissupportedbyakneebrace,transferringmuchoftheloadbackdowntothetreetrunk.Thebracesarefastenedtotheframeandtreewithgalvanizedmetalframingconnectors.Thedeckingis5/4×6boards,whichsavesalittleonweightcomparedto2×6decking.Thetreeforthistypeofplatformshouldmeasureatleast5feetincircumferenceatitsbase.Note:Theplatformframeisnotsafetostandonbeforethekneebracesare

installed.

Asingle-trunktreehousewillaccomodatemostdesignsforsmalltomediumsizetreehouses.

HowtoBuildaSingle-treePlatform

Measuretofindlocationsofplatformandbracing,andmarkthemonthetreewithcoloredtape.

Drillintothetreetomakepilotholesforthelagscrews.Becauseyouwillbedrivingonlyonescrewperbeam,youcanthreadthescrewthroughaguideholeinthebeamwithwashersonbothsidesofthebeam,theninsertthescrewtipintothepilotholeinthetree.

INSTALLINGTHEBEAMSCutthelower2×8beamsat96",andcuttheupper2×8beamsat93".Ifpossible,findarelativelyflat,smoothareaofthetreetrunktoinstallthebeams.Anchorthefirstlowerbeamtothetreewithalagscrew,centeringthescrewalongtheboard’slengthandonthetree’strunk.Installthesecondlowerbeamontheoppositesideofthetrunk,makingsurethetwobeamsarelevelwitheachotherandareevenontheends.Installtheupperbeamsontopofthelowerbeams,followingthesameprocedure.

ADDINGTHERIMJOISTSCuttwo2×8siderimjoistsat96"andtwoendrimjoistsat93".Theendjoistsareparalleltotheupperbeams.Fastenthesidejoistsovertheendsoftheendjoists,usingthree16dcommonnailsateachjoint.Checktheframeforsquare,thentoenailtherimjoiststobothsetsofbeams.

Securethelowersupportbeamtothetreetrunkusingalargesocketwrench.Checkforlevelasyoutightenthebolt.

Levelthesecondlowersupportbeamoftheplatformbase,makingsureitisparallelwiththefirst.

Useshimsasneededtohelpanybeamsstandplumbwherethetreesurfaceisnotvertical.

Makesurethebeamsarelevelwitheachotherbeforeanchoringthemtothetrunk.

INSTALLINGTHEKNEEBRACES

Cuteach2×8kneebracetolengthsoitextendsata45°anglefromoneoftheinsidecornersoftherimjoistframetothetreetrunk;mitertheendsofthebracesat45°.Installanadjustableframingconnector(typicallyusedforrafters)ateachcorneroftheframetosecurethetopendofeachbrace.Installabrackettothetreeforthebottomendofeachbrace.Then,installthebraces.Note:Foralargeorheavytreehouse,youmightneedtousetwo2×8sora4

×6orlargertimberforeachkneebracetoensureadequatesupport.

COMPLETINGTHEFLOORFRAMECuttwo2×6commonjoiststofitbetweenthesiderimjoistsandinstallthemmidwaybetweentheupperbeamsandtheendrimjoists.Installtwoshortjoiststhatspanfromthesiderimjoiststothetrunk.Installthesemidwaybetweentheupperbeams.

DECKINGTHEPLATFORMInstallthe5/4×6deckingboardsperpendiculartothecommonjoists,keepingthedeckingflushwiththeoutsidesofthefloorframe.Gaptheboardsby1/4"andfastenthemtotherimjoists,commonjoists,andupperbeamswith2-1/2"deckscrews.

Framingconnectorsmakeforstrongjointsatbothendsofthekneebraces.

Toenailallofthejoiststothelowerbeamswith16dgalvanizedcommonnails.

TwoTrees:PlatformSpanningBetweenTrunksTwolargetreesspacedabout6feetto8feetapartallowforanopenplatformwithasimplestructure.Thisplatformissupportedbytwo2×10beamsattachedonbothsidesofthehosttreeswithfixedanchors.Thefloorframecantileverstothesidesofthebeamsandmustbesupportedateachcornerwitha2×6kneebraceanchoredtothesideofthetree.Thisrigiddesignissuitableformaturetrees(atleast10"indiameter)atalowheightwheremovementisslight.Asshown,theplatformdeckingismadeof2×6boards.Thinnerdeckingboardsrequiretwoadditionalcommonjoiststoreducethejoistspacingtoabout16"oncenter.Note:Theplatformframeisnotsafetostandonbeforethekneebracesare

installed.

Two-trunktreehouseplatformsrequiremoreplanningandengineeringbutcansupportalargerstructure.

INSTALLINGTHEBEAMS

Cutthetwo2×10beamstoextendseveralinchesbeyondthetreesatbothends.Anchoroneendofthefirstbeamusinga3/4"lagscrewandwashers.Holdthebeamperfectlylevel,thenanchortheotherendtotheothertree.Installthesecondbeamontheoppositesidesofthetrees,makingsurethebeamislevelandthatbothbeamsarelevelwitheachother.

BUILDINGTHEFLOORFRAMEYoucanbuildtheentirefloorframeontheground,theninstallitontopofthebeams.Justmakesuretheframewillfitbetweenthetreesbeforecompletingtheframe.Cutthetwo2×8endrimjoistsat72"andthetwosiderimjoistsat93".Cutthethree2×8commonjoistsat69".

Nailtheendrimjoistsovertheendsofthesiderimjoistswiththree16dcommonnailsperjointsothejoistsareflushattheirtopedges.Spacethecommonjoistsevenlybetweentheendjoists,andfastenthemtothesidejoistswith16dnails.

Centertheframeontopoftheplatformbeams.Checktheframeforsquare,thentoenailthecommonjoistsandendrimjoiststothebeams.

INSTALLINGTHEKNEEBRACESEach2×6kneebracestartsabout3"infromtheendoftheendrimjoistandextendsdowntothecenterofthetreetrunkata45°angle.Cuteachbracesoitstopendisflushwiththebottomedgeoftherimjoist(oryoucanfitthebraceintoanotchinthejoist,asshownbelow)anditsbottomendhasaplumbcutat45°.Attachthebracestotherimjoistswithpairsofgalvanizedmetaljointingplatesandcarriagebolts(seebelow).Anchorthebottomendofeachbracetothetreewitha3/4"lagscrewandwashers.

DECKINGTHEPLATFORMCutthe2×6deckingboardsat96"torunparalleltothesiderimjoists.Spacetheboards1/4"apartandfastenthemtothefloorjoistswith3"deckscrews,keepingalledgesflushtotheoutsidesofthefloorframe.

Securethebracestothefloorframewithmetalplatesandcarriagebolts.Anchorthebracestothetreewithlagscrews(right).

Installeachbeamsoitislevelandbothbeamsarelevelwitheachother.

Buildthe2×8joistframeontheground,thenliftitupontotheplatformbeams.

ThreeTrees:PlatformSpanningBetweenTrunksWiththestrengthofthreelargetreesandheavy-dutybracket-typeanchors,thisplatformisreadyforalarge,one-storytreehouse.Themainsupportsarethree4×12beams,eachanchoredtoapairoftreetrunks.

Theplatformfloorframeisbuiltwith2×10joistsspaced16"oncenter.Itcantileversabout18"overthefrontbeam,creatinganicespotforadeckarea.Fordecking,thefrontthirdoftheplatformwillbelaidwith5/4×6deckinglumber,whilethereartwo-thirdswillbedeckedwith3/4"exterior-gradeplywoodintheareawherethetreehousewillsit.

Usethethree-trunkplatformforspaceships,pirateships,andotherlarger-than-lifetreehouseideas.

INSTALLINGTHEBRACKETS&BEAMS

Cutthe4×12beamstolengthsotheywilloverhangthemountingbracketsbyatleast12"ateachend.Workingononebeamatatime,markthepositionsforthebracketsontothetreetrunks.Note:Ifyou’reinstallingaGL(seepage62),you’llneedaspeciallysizedbitavailableforpurchaseorrentthroughtheGLsupplier.Usingthebit,drillapilotholeintothetrunksothattheGLwillbeperfectlylevelwheninstalled.DrivethethreadedendoftheGLintothepilothole,usingalargepipewrench,untiltheflangeisfirmlyseatedagainstthetree.

Installthebracketsandbeamsoneatatimetomakesureeachbeamislevelandallbeamsarelevelwithoneanother.WithaGLsystem,installaGLfloatingbracketateachanchorpoint,followingthemanufacturer’sinstructions.AlsoinstallastoppernutontheendofeachGLtopreventthebeamfromslippingofftheGL.

BUILDINGTHEFLOORFRAMECutthetwo2×10endrimjoiststolengthsotheyfitbetweenthetwofronttreeswithafewinchesofplayateachend(108"inthisexample).Cutthetwosiderimjoistsandsixcommonjoistsat117".Ontheendrimjoists,markthelayoutofthecommonjoists,using16"oncenterspacing.Assembletherimjoistframeontopofthebeams,using16dcommonnails.Measurethediagonalstomakesuretheframeissquare,theninstallthecommonjoists.

Whenthecommonjoistsaren’tsupportedbyasidebeamattherearofthefloorframe,reinforcethejoistswithjoisthangerswheretheymeettherearendrimjoist.Checktheframeagainforsquareness,thentoenailallofthejoiststothebeamswithpairsof16dgalvanizednails.

DECKINGTHEPLATFORMSnapachalklineacrossthejoiststorepresenttheoutsideedgeofthetreehouse’swallframing.Install5/4×6deckingboardsperpendiculartothecommonjoists,startingatthefrontedgeofthefloorframeandstoppingatthechalkline.Fastentheboardswith2-1/2"deckscrews.Install3/4"exterior-gradeplywoodfromtheedgeofthedeckingtotherearedgeofthefloorframe,using2"deckscrews.

Addjoisthangerstothelongest-spanningjoiststostrengthentheirconnectiontotherearrimjoist.

TwoTrees&TwoSupportPostsFourtreesformingaperfectsquareorrectanglemakesforaneasytreehousefoundation,butthisjustdoesn’toccurofteninnature.Theplatformdesignshownhereprovidesthesamelayoutwithonlytwotrees,andittakescareoftreemovementwithafloorframethatslidesalongthetopofasupportbeam.Thetwopostsare4×4or6×6timbersburiedintheground,setinconcreteandreinforcedlaterallywithkneebraces.Thepostsand2×10floorframecreateaveryrigidstructure,whilethe4×12beamhasthefreedomtomoveontwoslidinganchors(seepage62).Using2×6boardsfordeckinghelpstostrengthenthefloorframe.Foramoderatelysizedtreehouse,thetreesforthisplatformdesignshouldbeatleast10"indiameter.

Asupport-postdesignmakesbuildingatreehousepossibleonsiteswithextremeslopesorwheretreesarescarceordonotlendthemselvestoyourpreferredconfiguration.

SETTINGTHEPOSTSMarkthepostlocationsontheground,allowingforseveralinchesofplaybetweenthetrees.Digthepostholes14"indiameteranddowntoadepthbelowthefrostline(checkwiththelocalbuildingdepartmentforpost-depthrequirementsinyourarea),plus4".Filltheholeswith4"ofcompactiblegravelfordrainage.

Cutthepostslong,thentrimthemtotheplatformheightaftertheframeisinstalled.Setthepostsintheirholesandsecurethemwithtemporarycrossbracingsotheyareperfectlyplumbandaresquaretotheplatformlayout.Filltheholeswithconcreteandletitdry.

INSTALLINGTHESUPPORTBEAMCutthe4×12beamtoextendatleast12"beyondthetreeanchorpointsateach

end.Transferleveloverfromthepostswithamason’sstringandlinelevel,andmarkthepostheightontothetrees;measuredown9-1/4"(orthedepthofthefloorframe,ifnot9-1/4")fromthesemarkstodeterminethetopofthesupportbeam.Installthebeamusingsupporthardwareateachend.

BUILDINGTHEFLOORFRAMECutthetwo2×10endrimjoistsat96".Cutthetwosiderimjoistsandfivecommonjoistsat117".Installthesiderimjoistsandoneendrimjoistflushwiththetopsofthepost,usingpairsof1/2"lagscrews.Fastentheotherendrimjoistovertheendsofthesidejoistswith16dcommonnails.Installthecommonjoistsusing16"oncenterspacing,fasteningthemtotheendrimjoistswithjoisthangers.

ADDINGTHEKNEEBRACESCutthefour2×6kneebracesat48",miteringtheendsat45°tofitflushtotherimjoistsandpostcorners,respectively.Fastenthebracestotheside/endrimjoistsusinggalvanizedmetaljoiningplatesandcarriagebolts.Fastenthebottomendsofthebracestotheoutsidesofthepostswithpairsof1/2"lagboltsorcarriagebolts.

DECKINGTHEPLATFORMMeasurethediagonalsofthefloorframetomakesureit’sperfectlysquare.Install2×6deckingperpendiculartothecommonjoists,using2-1/2"deckscrews.Spacetheboards1/4"apart.

Securethepostswithcrossbracing,thenanchortheminplacewithconcrete.

Installthecommonjoistswithjoisthangersusingthemanufacturer’srecommendedfasteners.

Securethekneebracestotheoutsidesofthepostswith1/2"lagscrewsandmetalstraps.

Framing&FinishingWalls

Withtheplatformdone,you’renowfreetocutloosewithyourfinecarpentryandcreativedesignskills...well,youcanusethemifyouhavethem.Ifnot,it’sok.Thepointis,treehousewallsarefunandeasytobuild,andyournewhousewillstarttotakeshapebeforeyouknowit.Andbecausemuchofwallbuildingisrelativelylightweightwork,it’salsoagoodtimetogetthekidsmoreinvolved,forthoseluckyenoughtohavesomehelpinghands.

Whenbuildingaregularhouse,carpentersframethewallsontheplatform,thentipthemintoplaceandfastenthemtothefloor.Thatcanbedifficultinatreehouse;insteadframethewallsonadrivewayorotherflatspot.Inmostcases,youcanaddthesiding,windows,anddoors,andeventheexteriortrim,beforesendingthewholeshebangupintotheair.Assemblethecompletedwallpanelswithsomescrews,andpresto!youhaveahouse(atoplesshouse,atleast;roofsarecoveredinthenextchapter).

Beforeyougetstartedwiththewallframing,planallthestepsofthewallbuildingprocess—framing,siding,trim,andbuildingwindowsanddoors—toestablishthebestorderofthingsforyourproject.Ifyou’reusingplywoodsiding,forexample,you’lladdthesidingbeforethewindows,doors,andtrim.Othertypesofsidinggoonaftereverythingelse.Inanycase,thesequenceofinformationgivenhereshouldnotbeinterpretedasaspecificordertofollow.

Oncethewallsofyourtreehousebegintotakeshapetheexcitementoveryourcastleinthecloudswillbuildtremendously.

FramingWallsIntheinterestofmakingfriendswithgravity,treehousewallsaretypicallyframedwith2×2or2×3lumber,asopposedtothestandard2×4or2×6framingusedintraditionalhouses.Single-storytreehousescanusuallygetawaywith24"oncenterstudspacinginsteadofthestandard16"spacing.However,thesidingyouusemaydeterminethespacing,assomesidingrequiressupportevery16".

Howtallyoubuildthewallsisuptoyou.Standardwallheightis8feet.Treehouseshavenostandard,ofcourse,but6feetto7feetgivesmostpeopleenoughheadroomwhilemaintainingamoreintimatescaleappropriateforahideaway.Anotherconsiderationiswallshape.Oftentwoofthefourwallsfollowtheshapeoftheroof,whilethetwoadjacentwallsarelevelacrossthetop.Buildingwallshapesotherthantherectangleorsquarearediscussedlater.

BASICWALLCONSTRUCTIONAwallframehashorizontaltopandbottomplatesfastenedovertheendsofverticalstuds.Whereawindowispresent,ahorizontalsillandheaderareinstalledbetweentwostudstocreatearoughopening(doorroughopeningshaveonlyaheader,alongthetop).Ontreehouses,similarframedopeningscanbeusedtoframearoundlargetreepenetrations.

Inafour-walledstructure,twoofthewallsareknownas“through”wallsandtwoare“butt”walls.Theonlydifferenceisthatthroughwallsoverlaptheendsofthebuttwallsandaremadelongertocompensateforthethicknessofthebuttwalls.Forsimplicity,thetwothroughwallsandtwobuttwallsopposeeachothersothatbothmembersofeachtypearemadethesamelength.

Buildstudwallsonthegroundandthenliftthemupontotheplatformonewallatatime.Throughwallsoverlapbuttwalls(right)andarefastenedtogethertoformacornerofthehouse.

Assemblethewallframewithscrewsornails.Addshortcripplestudstocontinuethegeneralstudlayoutatwindowanddooropenings.

Tobuildawallframe,cutthetopandbottomplatestoequalthetotalwalllength(notcountingthesidingandtrim).Laytheplatestogetherontheground—ordrivewayorgaragefloor—withtheirendseven.Markthestudlayoutontotheplates,using16"or24"oncenterspacing.Markforanextrastudateachsideofwindowanddooropenings;theseareinadditionto,andshouldnotinterrupt,thegeneralstudlayout.Ifyouplantoinstallinteriorpanelingorotherfinish,addanextraendstudtoeachendofthethroughwalls.Thisgivesyousomethingtonailtowhenthewallsarefittedtogether.Extrastudsmightalsocomeinhandyfornailingexteriorsiding.

Cutthestudstoequalthetotalwallheightminus3",thecombinedthicknessoftheplates.Positiontheplatesovertheendsofthestuds,andfastenthemwithtwo3"galvanizedwoodscrewsordeckscrewsdriventhroughpilotholes.Youcanscrewthroughtheplatesintotheendsofthestuds,oranglethescrews(toenail)throughopposingsidesofthestudsandintotheplates.Youcanalsouse10dor16dgalvanizednailsinsteadofscrews.

Toframeawindowopening,measureupfromthebottomofthebottomplateandmarkthesillandheaderheightsontobothsidestuds.Note:Ifyou’reusingahomemadewindow,maketheroughopening1-1/2"widerand2-1/4"tallerthanthefinished(glazed)windowdimensions.Thisaccountsforthewindowjambsmadefrom3/4"-thicklumberandasillmadefrom2×4lumber.Ifyou’reusingarecycledwindowsash(withoutitsownframe),maketheroughopening1-1/2"widerand2-1/4"tallerthanthesash.Cutthesillandheaderandinstallthembetweenthesidestuds,makingsuretheroughopeningisperfectlysquare.Installshortcripplestudsbelowthesillandabovetheheadertocompletethegeneralstudlayout.Followthesameproceduretoframearoughopeningforadoor,makingit2-1/2"widerand1-1/4"tallerthanthefinisheddooropening(forahomemadedoor).

FRAMINGOTHERWALLSHAPESIfyou’regoingwithagableorshedroofforyourtreehouse,framethetwoendwallstofollowtheroofslope.Thisnotonlyenclosesthewallsuptotheroof,italsoestablishestherooflinesoyouhaveaneasystartingpointforframingtheroof.Houseswithhiproofshavefourstandardwalls—withhorizontaltopplates.Curvedwalls(forconicalroofs)arealsoflatacrossthetopbutareframedalittledifferentlythanstandardwalls.

Toframeanendwallforagableorshedroof,firstdeterminetheroof’sslope.

Inbuilders’parlance,roofslope,orpitch,isexpressedinarise-runratio.Forexample,a6-in-12roofrises6"forevery12"ofhorizontalrun,equivalenttoanangleofabout26.5°.A12-in-12roofslopesat45°.Formostdo-it-yourselfers,it’seasiertodeterminetheroofslopeusingonlytheangle.Anothertricktosimplifyroofframingistolayouttheentireoutlineofthewallbysnappingchalklinesontoagaragefloorormatofplywoodsheets.Thenyoucansimplymeasuretoyourlinestofindthelengthsofthepieces.

Foragableendwall,let’ssaytheroofslopeis30°(that’salittleflatterthana7-in-12pitch).Thatmeansthetopendsofallthestuds,aswellasthetopendsofthetwotopplates,arecutat30°.Snapachalklinetorepresentthebottomofthewall,thensnaptwolinesperpendiculartothefirst,representingtheendsofthewall.Note:Thegableendwallmustbeathroughwall.Measureupfromthebottomlineandmarkthesidelinesatthetotalwallheight;thisisequaltothetotalheightoftheside(non-sloping)walls.

Gableendwalllayoutwith30°roofpitch.

Nowmakeacenterlinerunningupthroughthemiddleofthewalllayout.Cut

oneendofeachofthetwotopplatesat30°,leavingtheotherendslongfornow.Settheangledendsoftheplatestogethersotheymeetonthecenterlineandeachplatealsointersectsoneofthetop-of-wallmarksonasideline.Seeyourwallnow?Youcantracealongtheundersidesofthetopplates,orjustleavetheminplace,thenmeasureupfromthebottomlinetofindthelengthsofallthestuds.Remembertotakeoff1-1/2"fromthestudlengthstoaccountforthebottomplate.Cutthetopplatestolengthsotheirbottomendswillbeflushwiththeoutsidefacesofthesidewalls.

Tolayoutanendwallforashedroof—let’ssayat15°—snapabottomchalklineandtwoperpendicularsidelines,aswiththegableendwall.Theendwallsforashedroofmustalsobethroughwalls.Markthewallheightsontothesidelines.Snapachalklinebetweenthosetwomarks,andyourlayoutisdone.Allofthetopendsofthestudsarecutat15°.

Shedendwalllayoutwith15°roofpitch.

FRAMINGCURVEDWALLS

Structurally,curvedwallsareessentiallythesameasstandardwalls.Theyhavetopandbottomplates,studs,andsimilarroughopeningsforwindowsanddoors.Themaindifference,andthetricktomakingthecurve,isinusingadoublelayerof3/4"plywoodforeachoftheplates.Also,thestudspacingissetaccordingtotheexteriorsidingmaterial.Use2×3orlargerstudsforframingcurvedwalls.

Layoutcurvedwallplatesusingatrammel:athin,flatboardwithapivotnailnearoneendandtwoholesforapencilneartheotherend.Spacethepencilholestomatchthewidth(depth)ofthewall’sstuds.Thedistancesbetweenthepencilholesandthepivotnaildeterminetheinnerandouterradiiofthecurve.Marktheplateoutlinesontofullorpartialsheetsof3/4"exterior-gradeplywood,andmakethecutswithajigsaw(orcircularsawforgentlecurves).Youcanpiecetogethertheplatesasneededtominimizewaste.

Spacethestudsaccordingtothesidingyou’lluse:Forplywood,spacethestuds2"forevery12"ofoutsideradiusonthecurve—a36"radiusgetsstudsevery6".Forothertypesofsiding,suchasvertical1×4T&Gboards,layoutthestudsat24"oncenter,theninstall2×nailershorizontallybetweenthestudsalongthemidpointofthewall.Thenailersmustbecutwiththesameradiusasthewallplates.

Install2×nailersbetweenstudsforverticalsiding.Staggerthenailersupanddowntoallowroomforfastening.

Useatrammeltomarkthecuttinglinesforcurvedwallplates,pivotingthetrammelfromacenterline.

Siding&TrimMoststandardtypesofhousesidingaresuitableforatreehouse.Youmightwanttomatchthesidingonyourregularhouseorgowithsomethingunconventional,suchascorrugatedmetal.Justtrytokeeptheoverallweightincheck.Forthatreason,heavymateriallikehardboardsidingisn’tagreatchoice.Threeofthemostpopulartypesofsidingareshownhere.Note:Alwaysmakesureyourwallframeissquarebeforeinstallingsidingor

trim.

PLYWOODSIDINGAvailableinavarietyofstyles,in4×8-footpanelsandthicknessesfrom3/8"to5/8",plywoodsidingisquickandeasytoinstall,anditaddsalotofstrengthtowalls.Itissomewhatheavythough,soyoushouldusethethinnestmaterialthat’sappropriate.Forregularhouses,3/8"plywoodsidingcanbeusedoverstudsspaced16"oncenter,while1/2"orthickerisrecommendedfor24"studspacing.Onatreehouse,3/8"isusuallyfineforeitherspacing,butit’suptoyou.Trimgoesonaftertheplywoodsiding.

Installplywoodsidingvertically,sothepanelsmeetoverthecentersofthewallstuds.Manytypesofsidinghavespecialedgesthatoverlapatthejointstokeepoutwater;jointheseaccordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions.Ifthepaneledgesaresquare,leavea1/8"gapatthejoint,andfillthegapswithcaulkafterinstallation.Fastenthepanelstothewallframingwithgalvanizedboxorsidingnails.Nailevery6"alongtheperimeterandevery12"inthefieldofthepanel.

Onthroughwalls,wrapthewallendswithanarrowstripofsiding.Onbuttwalls,stopthesidingflushwiththeendsofthewalls.

Usethesquarefactoryedgesofplywoodsidingpanelstosquare-upthewallframe.Fastenalongoneedgeofthepanel,thenaligntheframingandfastenalongtheadjacentpaneledge.

CommonSidingJointsThreecommonsidingjointsincludeshiplapedges(firstphoto)orothermilledprofilesthatallowoverlappingofpanels;buttjoints(middlephoto),wheresquare-edgedpanelsaregappedatabout1/8"andsealedwithcaulk;andboardandbattenjoints(lastphoto),whichgeta1×2stripcoveringthepanelgaps(battensarenailedtowallstuds).

HORIZONTAL(LAP)SIDING

Classiccedarlapsidingisanattractive,lightweightmaterial.Ittakesmoretimetoinstallthanplywood,andit’smoreexpensive,butitdefinitelyaddscharmtoatreehouse.Mostlapsidingrequiresstudsspaced16"oncenter.It’seasiesttoinstallafterthetrim.Note:Foralargeormulti-storytreehouse,youmightneedabaselayerofplywoodsheathingunderneathlapsiding,togivethewallsufficientshearstrength;consultyourlocalbuildingdepartmentoraqualifiedbuildingprofessional.

Toinstalllapsiding,cuttheboardsoneatatimesotheyfitsnuglybetweentheverticaltrimboards.Beginwithastarterstripatthebottomofthewall,thenworkyourwayup,overlappingeachprecedingcoursebyatleast1".Nailintoeachstudwithgalvanizedboxnailsorsidingnails,drivingthenailsjustabovethetopedgeofthesidingboardbelow.Youmayhavetoaddstudsneartheendsofwallstoprovideanailingsurfacefortheendsofthesiding.

Forwallsover8feettall,youcanspecialorder9-ft.or10-ft.panels,oruseZ-flashingtojoinupperandlowerpanels.Theflashingkeepswaterfromgettinginthroughthejoint.

Installlapsidingafterthetrimisup,overlappingeachcourseby1"ormore.Nailcementboardsidingatthetop.Woodsidingisnailedjustabovetheoverlap.

CEDARSHINGLESIDING

Anotherrelativelypriceybutveryattractiveandlightweightoptioniscedarshinglesiding.Taperedcedarshinglesaretypicallysoldin16"and24"lengthsinrandomwidths.Theyareinstalledoverspaced,or“skip,”sheathing:1×2or1×3boardsfastenedhorizontallyacrossthewallframing.Likelapsiding,eachcourseofcedarshinglesoverlapstheonebelowit.Theamountofshingleleftexposediscalledtheexposure.Thespacingoftheskipsheathingshouldbeequaltotheexposure.Note:Foralargeormulti-storytreehouse,youmightneedabaselayerof

plywoodsheathingunderneathcedarshinglesiding,togivethewallsufficientshearstrength;consultyourlocalbuildingdepartmentoraqualifiedbuildingprofessional.

Toinstallshinglesiding,firstaddtheskipsheathingorplywood,thenthetrim,thenthesiding.Installtheskipsheathingoverthewallframingwithscrews,spacingitaccordingtotheshingleexposure,whichisdeterminedbythelengthofyourshingles:For16"shingles,usea6"to7"exposure;for24"shingles,an8"to11"exposure.

Afterthetrimisup,begintheshinglingwithadoublestartercoursealongthebottomofthewall.Fastentheshingleswith5dsidingnailsor1-1/4"narrowcrownstaplesdrivenwithapneumaticstaplegun.Overlaptheverticaljointsbetweenshinglesbyatleast1-1/4".Installtheremainingcourses,overlappingeachcoursebelowtocreateauniformexposure.Fastentheshingles1"to2"abovetheexposurelineofthesucceedingcourse.

Butttogetheradjacentshingles,makingsurethatverticaljointsareoffsetrow-to-rowandthatamountofrevealisproportionaltotheshinglewidth.

Rooftrimmayincludefascia—1×lumberthatcoversthesidesofgable-endraftersand,ifdesired,therafterendsalongtheeaves.A1×2alongthetopofthefasciaaddsdefinitionandanicetransitionlineundertheroofdeck.

INSTALLINGEXTERIORTRIM

Onaregularhouse,standardexteriortrimistypicallyusedtodressupwallcorners,doorandwindowopenings,androofedges.Addingsimpletrimelementsisaneasywaytocreateafinishedlookonatreehouse.Ontheotherhand,ifyouwantyourhousetolookrusticorauthenticallykid-built,youmayuselittleornotrim.Themostcommonmaterialforexteriortrimis1×cedar,availablewitheitherroughorsmoothoutsidefaces,butanyrot-resistantorwell-paintedstandardlumberwilldo.Installtrimboardswithgalvanizedboxnailsorsidingnails.

Use1×4boardsforoutsidewallcorners,overlappingtheboardswithabuttjoint.Inside(notinterior)cornersoftengetasingle2×2boardthatfitsagainstbothadjacentwalls.

Frameddoorsandwindowscanbetrimmedwith1×2,1×3,or1×4lumbertocoverthejointbetweenthejambandthewallframingorsiding.Itusuallylooksbesttoleavea1/4"orsoofthejambexposed,creatingareveal.

Horizontalsidingjointsandsimilarseamscanbecoveredwithtrimsotheylooklikedesignelementsinsteadofconstructionjoints.

Cuttrimboardstofitaroundtheendsofthroughwalls.Buttwallswillappeartobetrimmedwhenthewallsareassembled.

InstallingWallsOnanordinaryconstructionjob,awallraisingisthedaywhenafewextrahelpersshowuptotipupthewallsandassemblethehouseframe.Withatreehouse,wallraisinggetsawholenewmeaning.It’stimetocalloutyourburliestneighbors,orgetalittlemechanicalhelpfromablockandtackle.

Togetreadyforthewallraising,snapchalklinesontheplatformfloortorepresenttheinsideedgesofthewalls’bottomplates.Withanaccuratechalklinelayout,youwon’thavetoworryaboutsquaringthewallsasyouassemblethem.

Forasmalltreehousewithlightwalls,lifttwoadjacentwallsupontotheplatform,setthemontheirchalklines,andfastenthemtogetherthroughtheendstudswith3"deckscrews.Installtheremainingwallsoneatatime,thenanchorallofthewallstotheplatformfloorframingwith3-1/2"screws.Driveafewlongerscrewsatfloorjoistlocations.

Forlargerhouseswithheavywalls,layonewallflatontheplatform,thentipitupandsetitonthechalkline.Anchorthewall’sbottomplatetotheplatformwith3-1/2"screwsor16dgalvanizedcommonnails,thenaddtemporary2×4bracingtokeepthewallupright.Hoistuptheadjacentwallandfastenthebottomplate,thenfastenthetwowallstogetherthroughtheendstuds.Repeatfortheremainingtwowalls.

Whenallofthewallsareup,cutoutthebottomplateatthebottomofthedooropening,usingahandsaw.

Jointhewallswithscrewsdriventhroughtheendstuds.

Topplatescanbeusedtotiewallstogetheratthecorners,aswellasprovideaload-bearingsurfaceforroofstructures.

BuildingRailingsArailingisprimarilyasafetydevice.Alltoooften,amateurandevenprofessionaldesigners(especiallyprofessionaldesigners)seerailingsasanopportunitytogetcreative.Theresultisanunsuitablerailing,whichisessentiallyuseless.Buildastrong,solidrailingwithcloselyspacedbalustersandyouwon’thavetoworryaboutwhousesthetreehouse,whetherit’ssmallchildrenortipsyadults.Thatmeansnoropes,nocables,andnotwigs.Okay.Lectureover.

Agoodtreehouserailingemploysthebasicconstructiondetailsofastandarddeckrailing.Manytreehouserailingsareevensimpler,eliminatingfeatureslikethebroadhorizontalcaprailcommonlyfoundonhousedecks.Theimportantthingistoadheretothebasicdesignrequirements:

•Topsofrailingsmustbeatleast36"abovetheplatformsurface.•Balusters(verticalspindles)maybespacednomorethan4"apart.•Horizontalbalustersareunsafeforchildren,wholiketoclimbthem.•Railingposts(4×4orlargerlumber)maybespacednomorethan6feetapartandmustbeanchoredtotheplatformframe,notthedecking.

•Topandbottomrailsmustbesecurelyscrewedtotheposts,ifpossibleontheinsidefacesofrailingposts.

•Balustersshouldbefastenedwithscrews;ifnailsareused,balustersmustbeontheinsideofhorizontalrails.

•Allopeningsinrailings—foraccesstothetreehouseplatform—musthaveasafetyrailacrossthetop.

Tobuildasimplerailing,cut4×4supportpoststoextendfromthebottomedge(orclosetotheedge)oftheplatform’sfloorjoiststo36"abovethedeckingsurface.Anchorthepostsontheoutsideofthejoistswithpairsof1/2"carriageboltswithwashers.Installpostsattheendsofrailingruns,every6feetinbetween,andatbothsidesofaccessopeningsandstairways.

Cut2×4or2×6horizontalrailstospanbetweenthetopendsoftheposts.Fastentherailstotheinsidefacesofthepostswithpairsof3"deckscrews.Continuetherailthroughaccessopeningstocreateasafetybarrier.Markthebalusterlayoutontotheoutsidefacesoftherails,spacingthebalustersnomorethan4"apart.Cut2×2balusterstoextendfromthetopoftheraildowntothefloorframing,overlappingthejoistsbyatleast4".Fastenthebalusterstotherailsandjoistswithpairsof2-1/2"deckscrewsdrivenintopilotholesateach

end.

Thebestrailingisasimpleone.Simpledesignsyieldfunctionalrailings,providingafairlevelofsafetyforthoseinthetreehouseandpeaceofmindforthoseontheground.

FinishingInteriors

Inkeepingwiththerulethattreehousesshouldbeallaboutpersonalchoice,theinteriorfinishespresentoneofthebestopportunitiestocreateyourownspace—it’samazinghowalittlebitofpanelingandtrimcandollupthejoint.Atthisstage,youwanttoaskyourselfhowtheinteriorshouldfeel:shoulditbetidyandrefinedlikeahouseinterior(oratleastasummercabin),orshoulditremainrusticandoutdoorsy,somethinglikeafirelookouttower?

Thinkingabouthowyouwillusethetreehousewillguideyourchoiceoffinishesaswellasanyfunctionalfeatures,likeshelvesandtables.Ontheotherhand,youmightdecidetoskiptheinteriorfinishaltogether,stringupahammock,andgetrightdowntobusinessonanidealtreehousepastime:napping.

VerticalT&Gboardsrequireblockingfornailinginto.Install2×lumberblocksbetweenthestudsevery2or3ft.ineachstudbay.Forwainscoting,installblockingsothatthetopedgeofthewainscotboardsiscenteredontheblocks.

Wall&CeilingPanelingAlmostanywoodpanelingcanworkforinteriortreehousewallsandceilings,includingT&Gboards,sheetpaneling,plywood,andevenknottypineplanks.Keepinmindthatmanypanelingmaterialsaren’tintendedforoutdoorexposure,soifyourinteriorisn’tprettywelldriedin(protectedfromrain),bepreparedforsomeseriousweathering.Nobigdeal;afterall,itisatreehouse.

A1×3or1×2chairrailquicklyhidesthetransitionbetweenawainscotandtheupper-wallpaneling.Ifyourdoor/windowtrim(page112)isontopofthepaneling,installthechairrailafterthetrimisup.

TONGUE-AND-GROOVEPANELING

T&Gpanelingisagoodchoicefortreehousesbecauseit’sprettyforgivingwithtemperatureandmoisturechanges—itwon’tshowgapswhentheboardsshrinkwithdryweather—anditstrikesanicebalancewithafinishedyetrusticlook.It’salsoeasytoinstalloverthetypicallyless-than-perfectsurfacesofatreehousestructure,allowingyoutocustom-cutsmallpiecestofitoddspaces,asopposedtohavingtotrimlargepanels,aswithsheetpaneling.

YoucaninstallT&Gpanelinginafewdifferentways:runningtheboardshorizontallyorverticallyovertheentirewallorcreatingawainscoteffectbyrunningthemverticallyoverthefirst32"orsofromthefloor,thenrunningthemhorizontallyuptotheceiling.Thetransitionbetweenthewainscotandupperpanelingtypicallyiscoveredwithabandoftrimormoldingknownasachairrail.T&Gpanelingisequallyappropriateforceilings,andyoucannailitdirectlyovertheraftersforahighlyfinishedlook.

BlindnailT&Gboardstothewallframingorroofraftersbynailingthroughthebaseofthetongueatanangle.TheT&Gjointsholdthebottomedgesoftheboardsinplaceandhidethenailsalongthetongue.Onlythefirstandlastboardsinarunneednailsthroughtheirfaces.

SHEETPANELING

Sheetpanelinginstallsquicklyandischeaperthanboardmaterials.Themostpopulartype,beadedpaneling,mimicsthelookoftraditionalT&Gbeadboard.It’scommonlyavailablein4×8-footsheets,sometimesinexteriorgradesforoutdoororhighhumidityareas—thebestoptionforatreehouse.

Ifyoursensibilitiestendtowardthemodern,youcanachieveasleekerlookwithsmoothmarineplywood,ahigh-gradeplywoodmadewithwaterproofglue.Sandthepanelssothey’resmoothtothetouch,andapplyaclearfinishofexteriorpolyurethaneorfurnitureoil,ifdesired.Installthesheetswithadhesiveandnails(aswithbeadboard),usetrimheadscrewssetjustbelowthesurface,oruseexposedscrewswithfinishwashers.

Installbeadboardpanelingwithconstructionadhesiveandfinishnailsorpanelingnails,runningthepanelsverticallyfromfloortoceiling.Thejointsbetweenpanelsshouldfalloverthecenterofastud.

Trimalongtheedgeswherethepanelsmeetthefloor(orceiling)witha1×3oranysimplemoldingthatmatchesthewoodpaneling.Usequarter-roundtohideanygapsbetweenpanelsatinsidewallcorners.

Markpanelingforcustomcutsbyscribingaroundtheobstructionwithacompass.Holdthepanelorboardinplaceandusethecompasstomarkthepieceasitfollowsthecontoursoftheobstruction.Remembertoleavea2"gaparoundanytreepartstoallowforgrowth.

CeilingslookgoodwithafinishofT&Gboardsor,forarustictouch,rough-sawncedarplywood.Runboardsandpanelsperpendiculartotheroofrafters.Installthemusingthesametechniquesusedforwallpaneling,startingatthewallsandworkinguptothepeakoftheroof.

Shelves&TablesEventhesimplestenclosedtreehousecanbemadeatouchmorehomeyandcertainlymorefunctionalwithafewshelvesandsomekindofuseabletablesurface.Butwithspaceatsuchapremium,standardbracketedshelvesareprobablyoverkill,andasecondhandcoffeeorbistrotablemightoverwhelmtheroom.Acustombuilt-inisabetterwaytogoonbothcounts.Youcansizeandconfigureanyofthefollowingdesignstosuityourneeds.

2×4SHELVESThesecheapandsimpleshelvesaredesignedforunfinishedinteriorwalls,wheretheymakegooduseoftheemptyspacesbetweenwallstuds.Theycanalsomakegooduseofscraplumberleftoverfromthetreehousebuild.2×4shelvesaresuitablefor2×2and2×3wallframing.For2×4studs,use2x6sfortheshelves.

Tomakeeachshelf,cutastraight2×4tolengthsoitspansacrossatleasttwoneighboringwallstuds,plusthedesiredamountofoverhangoneachend.Foracustomlook,youcanangletheendsoftheshelfbacktowardtherearedgewitha10°(orso)miter.Sincetheshelvesprotrudefromthewallplanejustabit,it’sagoodideatoround-offthefrontcornerswitha3/4"orlargerradius.Marktheradiiwithacompassoranythinground,suchasasmalljuiceglass.Cuttheroundedcornerswithajigsaw.

Markalevellineacrossthefrontedgesofthestudsateachshelflocation.Tomarkthenotchesforthestuds,positioneachshelfboardonitslevellinessotheboardoverhangstheoutermoststudsequallyonbothends,thentransferbothedgesofeachstudtotheboard.Measurethestuddepthandtransferthattotheboardtomarkthedepthofeachnotch.Cutoutthenotcheswithajigsaw.

Toinstalltheshelves,placeeachonitslevellinesanddrillasinglepilotholethroughtheshelfandeachstud,withtheholecenteredontheedgeoftheshelfandthestud.Countersinkthepilotholesforafinishedlook.Mounttheshelveswith2-1/2"deckscrews.

Tools&Materials2×4lumber2×6lumberJigsawLevel

2-1/2"deckscrews3"deckscrewsPowerdrill&bitsEyeandearprotectionWorkgloves

2×4shelvesareeasytomakeandprovidesomemuch-neededwallspaceforfavoritetoysandgames.

HowtoBuild2×4Shelves

Drawlevellinesacrossthestudtorepresentthetopfaceofeachshelf.Forwallstudsspaced24"oncenter,agoodshelflengthisabout33-1/2",whichyieldsa4"overhangontheends.

Markthestudnotcheswiththeshelfboardheldinplace.Ifastudistwisted,holdasquareorstraightedgealongthestudfacetotransfertheangletotheshelfboard,oryoucansimplyoversizethenotch.

Fastentheshelvestothestudswithscrews.Use2-1/2"screwsfor2×4shelveswith2×3studs.Use3"screwsfor2×4shelveswith2×2studsor2×6shelveswith2×4studs.

CORNERSHELF

Aroundedcornershelfmakesanicestreamlinednookforafinishedwall.And,aswiththe2×4shelves,youcanprobablymakeafewcornershelveswithleftovermaterial.Startwithapieceof3/4"plywood(1/2"willwork,too,ifthat’swhatyouhave),preferablywithtwoadjacentfactoryedgesmakinga90°corner.

Drawtheradiusedfrontedgeoftheshelf,usingahomemadecompass(liketheoneshownonpage101(Flip-upTable).Agoodsizeforthistypeofshelfisabout10"to16",measuringfromtherearcornertothefrontedge.Shelveslargerthan16"orsomightrequireasupportbracketorakneebracecenteredunderneaththeshelf.Cutthecurvedfrontedgeoftheshelfwithajigsaw,thensmooththecurveandremoveanyroughorflatspots,asneeded,withcoarsesandpaperandasandingblock.

Usealeveltomarktheshelflocationontothetwoadjacentwalls.Theselineswillrepresentthetopedgesofthe1×2cleats,sothefinishedshelfsurfacewillbe3/4"abovethelines.Cuttwostraightpiecesof1×2tolengthabout2"shorterthantheshelfdepthtoserveasthesupportcleats.Ifdesired,roundofforotherwiseshapethefrontendsofthecleatsfordecorativeeffect.Tip:Ifthecleatswillgoallthewayintothewallcorner(nocornertrim),cutoneofthem3/4"shorterthantheother.Installthelongercleatfirst,thenbutttheshorteroneagainstthefaceofthelonger.Thisway,bothcleatswillextendthesamedistancerelativetotheshelf.

Fastenthecleatstothewallwithdeckscrewsorexteriordrywallscrewsdriventhroughcountersunkpilotholes.Thetopedgesofthecleatsshouldbeonthelevellines.Settheshelfontothecleatstotestthefitagainstthewalls.Ifthewallsareoutofsquare,scribeacuttinglinealongonesideedgeoftheshelf,thentrimtheedgewithajigsaworcircularsaw.Alsonotchtheshelfcornertofitaroundanycornertrim,asneeded.Sandtheshelfsmoothandapplyafinish,ifdesired.Installtheshelfwith5dor6dfinishnailsdriventhroughtheshelfandintothecleats.

Atrustylightorotherhandytreehouseitemwillfitperfectlyonthecornershelf.

HowtoBuildaCornerShelf

Installthecleatsbyscrewingintothewallstudswheneverpossible.Otherwise,goinginto5/8"orthickerboardpanelingor3/8"orthickerplywoodpanelingshouldbeplentystrongenoughforasmallshelf.

Eliminateunsightlygappingbyscribingalongoneofthewallswithacarpenter’spencilwhileholdingtheshelftighttotheadjacentwall.Trimalongthescribedcutline,thencheckthefit.

Nailtheshelftothecleatswithfinishnails:Drillpilotholes(whichhavetobeslightlyangled,beingsoclosetothewall),drivethenails,andsetthenailheadsjustbelowthesurfacewithanailset.

FLIP-UPTABLE

Space-savingflip-uptablesarepopularfeaturesonboats,motorhomes,andcampingtrailers,whichmeansthey’reperfectforaddingfunctioninatreehouse.Thistabledesignincludesa48"-wide(24"-deep)semicirculartableandaswing-outbrace.Bothpiecescanbecutfroma4×4-foothalf-sheetof3/4"plywood,andbotharemountedwithpianohinges.Whenswungdownandoutoftheway,thetableprojectsonlyabout1-1/2"fromthewall.

Tocutthesemicircularshapeofthetabletop,markthecenteralongoneedgeoftheplywood.Usinganoldwoodenyardstickoraflatstripofwood,makeasmallnotchinoneendwithautilityknife.Makeamarkonthecenterofthestick,24"fromthebottomofthenotch.Drillasmallfinishnailatthemark.Pinthesticktotheplywood,justinsidethemarkededge,atthecenterpoint.Usingapencilseatedinthenotch,rotatethesticktomarkthesemicircularcuttingline.Cutoutthetabletopwithajigsaw,andsandtheedgessmoothwithcoarsesandpaperandasandingblock.

Layoutandcuttheswing-outbracefromoneoftheremainingfactorycornersoftheplywoodsheet,followingthediagramonpage101.Usetheyardstickcompasstodrawthe10-1/2"radiusandastandardcompasstodrawthe2"radiusateachendofthebrace.Cutalongthemarkedlineswithajigsaw,andsandtheedgessmooth.Applyawoodfinishorpaintthetabletopandbrace,ifdesired.Cutastraight1×3or1×4tolengthat48-1/2".Thiswillbecometheledgertowhichthetabletophingeismounted.Next,cuttwolengthsofpianohinge(a.k.a.continuoushinge),oneat48"andoneat20",usingahacksaw.Mountthepianohingetothebottomfaceofthetabletop,usingtheprovidedscrews.Theplywoodedgeshouldcomeuptothehingebarrelbutnotoverlapit.Fastentheotherleafofthehingetotheledgersotheleaf’sedgeisflushwiththeledger’sbottomedge.Theledgershouldextendslightlybeyondthehingeateachend.

Markalevellineonthewall(orwallstuds)torepresentthetopedgeoftheledger,basedonthedesiredtabletopheight.Withahelper,mounttheledgertothewallwith2-1/2"deckscrewsdrivenintothewallstuds.Installthe20"lengthofpianohingetoonesidefaceoftheswing-outbrace,flushwiththebackedgeofthebrace.Markthecenteroftheledger,alongitsbottomedge.Drawaplumblinedownthewallatthemark.Mountthebrace’sotherhingeleaftothewallsothebraceplywoodiscenteredontheplumbline.Thetopedgeofthebraceshouldjustcleartheledgerabove.

Aflip-uptableisjustthethingwhenspaceisatapremiumandimportantplans,puzzles,orpopcornneedsaplacetosit.

Testthetabletopandbraceoperation.Cuta3"-longblockfromascrapof2×4material.Useacircularsawand/orachiseltocutashallowchanneldownthecenteroftheblock,settingthedepthsothatthetabletopsitslevelwhentheblockisplacedbetweenthetabletopandtheswing-outbrace.Fine-tunethefit,asneeded,thenfastentheblocktotheundersideofthetabletopwith2"screws.

MakeaTrammelDrawtheroundedfrontedgeofthetabletopwithahomemadecompass(alsocalledatrammel).Usingoneoftheplywood’sfactoryedgesasthestraightrearedgeofthetopsavesyoufromhavingtomakethiscut(whichmustbeperfectlystraight).

Mounttheswing-outbracetothewallsoit’scenteredunderthetabletop.Thebarrelofthetabletophingeshouldbeontheinsideofthehingewheninstalled(inset).

Theswing-outbracehassymmetricalcurvescutintoitsfrontedgeandusestheplywood’sfactoryedgesforitstopandrearfinishededges.

Whenthetabletopisup,thebraceiscapturedinsidetheblock’schanneltokeepthebraceinposition.Fine-tunethechanneldepthsothetabletopsitslevelbeforeinstallingtheblock.

Flip-downTable&BunkSmalllivingspacesoftennecessitatemultifunctionalfurniture.Thissimpleprojectsinglehandedlycoversthemostessentialneedsoftreehousedwellers:eating,sleeping,andlounging.It’salsoahandygeneralworksurfaceforthingslikeconductingscientificexperiments,writingmemoirs,andmappingoutplansforprecisionwaterballoonairstrikes.Intheupperposition,thetableunitsticksoutonlyabout5-1/2"fromthewall.Andthetablesurfacequicklyconvertstoabedorloungeperchwiththeadditionofafoampad,whichstoresinsidethecavityofthetable’sframe.

Constructthetableframewith2×4lumber,makingthewidth(depth)atleast24"andthelengthsoitwillaccommodatethetallestsleeper.Cuttwo2×4siderailstomatchthefinishedlength,andcuttwoendstothefinishedwidthminus3".Fitthesiderailsovertheendsandfastenthepieceswith3"deckscrews.

Cutthetabletopfrom3/4"plywoodtomatchtheouterdimensionsofthe2×4frame.Forasmoothtablesurface,useACorACXplywood.Bothhaveonesmoothface,whileACXismadewithwater-resistantglueforoutdoorapplications.ACXiscommonlysoldastongue-and-groovesubflooring;youcanusethisifyoucutoffthetongueorgroove,asapplicable.Ifyou’reusingacircularsaw,cutfromtheCface(theuglyside)ofthepanelsoanysplinteringoccursonwhatwillbethebottomsurface.Fastentheplywoodtoptotheframewith2"deckscrews,usingthepanel’sedgestosquareuptheframeasyougo.

Cutanother2×4equaltothetablelength(orlonger,asneededtomeetwallstuds);thisisaledgerformountingthehinges.Installthree3"(orlarger)doorhingesontothetopedgeoftheledgerandthetopfaceofthetabletop.Usetheprovidedscrewsiftheyseemsuitable,orsubstitutewithlonger,heavy-shankwoodscrewsformorestrength.Popoutthehingepinstoseparatethehinges,thenmounttheledgertothewallstudswith3"deckscrews,makingsureit’slevel.

Tools&Materials2×4lumber3"deckscrews3/4"plywoodCircularsaw2"deckscrews

Powerdrill&bitsHingeandpinsBoltsandnutsChainFoampaddingEyeandearprotectionWorkgloves

Enjoyanafternoonsnoozeontheflip-downbunk,thenstorethepadunderneathandusethetabletohavefunallnight.

HowtoBuildaFlip-downTable&Bunk

Screwtheplywoodtabletoppaneltotheframewiththesmoothfaceup.Drillingslightlycountersunkpilotholeshelpspreventdeformingorsplinteringoftheplywoodforasmoothersurface.

Installtheledgeratthedesiredheightforthetabletop.Standardtableheightis29"to30".Ifyougolower,makesurethere’senoughlegroomunderthetableframe.

Supportthetabletopwithastrongsteelchainboltedtothetableframeandhookedontoscrewhooksdrivenintothestuds.Positionthehookssothetableislevelinthedownpositionandbothchainsareequallytaut.

Sizethefoampadsoitfitssnuglyintotheframecavityandwon’tfalloutofitshandystoragespace.

Securealengthofchaintoeachendofthetable,usingathroughboltandnut.Attachthetabletotheledgerbyassemblingthehinges.Propupthetablesoitsitslevel,thenpullupeachchainandinstallaheavy-dutyscrewhookintoastudorsolidblockingsothechainistautandformsabouta45°anglewiththetabletopandwall.

Holdthetableintheuppositionbyhookingthechainlinksascloseaspossibletothetabletop.Measuretheinteriordimensionsofthetableframeandcutapieceofthick(upto3-1/2")foampaddingtofitsnuglyintotheframecavity.Coverthepaddingwithdurablefabric,ifdesired.

Doors&Windows

Doorsandwindowsfortreehousescanrangefromholescutinthewalltostandardprehungunitscompletewithweatherstrippingandmatchingtrim.Somewhereinthemiddleliethemostpopularoptions:customhomemadeunitsandsalvagepieces,bothofwhicharegreatforaddingalittleextracharacterandusuallyavailableatjusttherightprice(preferablyfree).Doorsandespeciallywindowsareabigpartofwhatmakesatreehousefunforkids,somakinghomemadepiecesisaperfecttimetogetthekids’creativeinputandhavesomefunwithunconventionaldesigns.

Treehousesoffertheopportunitytoletyourimaginationrunwild,eveninelementslikedoorsandwindows.

Butbeforeyougettothefunparts,here’saquickrefreshercourseondoorandwindowsafety:

•Plasticglazingismuchsaferthanglassandisrecommendedforalltreehouse

glazing.PolycarbonateismoreresistanttoUVdamagethanacrylic(Plexiglas)butmoreexpensive.

•Anyglassusedshouldbetemperedorlaminated.Stainedglassorsalvagedwindowswithverysmallpanesmightpresentanacceptablerisk,andthereforeanexceptiontothisrule,butyoucanimprovesafetyherewithsafetyfilmoraprotectivepanelofclearplasticglazing.

•Windowsthatopenshouldn’tbelargeenoughtoclimbthroughunlessthey’relocatedoverasuitabledeckorplatformarea.Kidsareguaranteedtohangoutofopenwindows(andlet’sfaceit,youngpeoplearen’tverysmartaboutphysicsandimportantthingslikegravity).

•Doorsmusthaveampleplatformareaoneitherside.It’susuallysafestfordoorstoopenintothetreehouse,butsomelayoutsdictateotherwise.

Nowthatthesafetylessonisover,youcanlearnthebasicsofbuildingafewdifferentstylesofhomemadewindowsanddoorsthatyoucaneasilycustomizewithabitofcreativityandthepracticalhelpofagoodjigsaw.

Thenaturallightthatwindowsprovidecanalsoembellishinteriordesignchoices,likethesesimplebuilt-inshelves,country-stylechairs,andlogstool.

BuildingaWindowItallstartswithasimplesquareframe.Cuta2×4silltoequalthespanofthe

window’sroughopening,plus2×thewidthoftheexteriortrim.Theextralengthisusedtocreate“horns”thatmatewiththebottomendsofthetrimontheoutsideofthewall.Cuta15°slopeintothetopfaceofthesill,leavingaflatportionequaltothethicknessofthewallframing.Theangledcutshouldrunthefulllengthofthesill.(Ifyouwanttogetfancy,createadripedgeunderneaththesillwithan1/8"-deepsawcut.)Notchoutthehornssothesillfitssnuglyinsidethewindowopening,andfastenthesilltotheroughopeningsillwithgalvanizedfinishnails.Option:Youcanusea2×6tocreateanextendedledgeinsidethewindow.Forthejambs,rip1×lumbertomatchthewallthickness.Ifyourframingis2

×2,youcanusefull-widthpiecesof1×2forthejambs.Cutthetopjambtospanthetopoftheroughopening,andfastenittotheframingwithfinishnails.Cutandinstallthesidejambsbetweenthesillandtopjamb.

Wraptheinsideofthewindowframewith1/2"quarter-roundmolding,toactasastopfortheglazing.Miterthemoldingatthecorners,andnailitinplacesoitsoutsideedgeisflushwiththeoutsideofthewindowframe.Cut1/4"polycarbonateglazingtofittheframedopeningandsetitagainstthestopswithabeadofclearsiliconecaulk.Addaninnerframeofquarter-roundstops,sealedwithcaulkagainsttheglazingandnailedtothejambsandsill.

Ifdesired,addmuntinbars(seepage107)madefrom1/2"stripsofwood.Jointhebarsatthewindow’scenterwithahalf-lapjoint(madewithopposingnotchesofequalsize),andcopetheendstomatchthequarter-roundwindowstops.

SashRehashToturnanoldwindowsashintoanoperablewindow,buildthesameframeusedforafixedwindow,stoppingaftercompletingthesillandjambs.Mountthewindowsashtothesidejambwithhingessothewindowopensandclosesfreely.Then,addaframeofquarter-roundstopssnuggedupagainsttheinsideofthewindow.Installahook-and-eyelatchorbarrelbolttosecurethewindowwhenclosed.

Anatomyofahomemadewindow.

Addtrimtocovertheedgesofwindowanddoorjambs.Createarevealbyleavingathinstripofjambexposed.

Muntinbarsaddanicetraditionaltouchtoglazedwindows.Jointhepieceswithhalf-lapjointscutwithahandsawandchisel.

Salvagedwindowsandframesareperfectfortreehouses,andareeasilyincorporatedintoexistingdesignplans.

HomemadeWindow

WindowCutoutsAnotherformoffixedwindowisasimplecutoutmaderightintotheexteriorwallsiding.Youcanglazethesewithaplasticpanelattachedtotheinteriorofthesidingandaddtrimtoeitherside,oryoucanleavethemopentothebreezes.Becausetherearenoframesorhingestoworryabout,youcanmakewindowcutoutshighlydecorativeorintricate,dependingonyourjigsawskillsandthesidingmaterial.Plywoodsidingistheeasiesttoworkwith,andyoucanmakethecutoutinanyareabetweenframingmembers.Boardsidingusuallyneedsframingaroundtheedgesoftheopeningtosupportthecutendsoftheboards.

Cutoutthesidinginthewindowshape,usingajigsaw.Tip:Ifframinggetsinthewayofthesaw,transfertheoutlinetotheexteriorside(withtheaidofsmalllocatorholes)whereyoucancompletethecut.

Useplywoodfortrimaroundcircularandotheroddlyshapedwindows.Youcancutaroundtrimringwithajigsaworwitharouterandtrammel,asdescribedonpage141(ButtonSwing).

Tomakeawindowcutout,drawtheshapeoftheopeningontotheinteriorfaceofthesiding(soyouwon’taccidentallyoverlapontotheframing).Addblockingasneededtosupportboardsiding.Drillastarterholeinsidethemarkedcutout,thenmakethecutwithajigsaw.Topreventsplinteringalongthecutedges,useanultra-fine-toothwoodblade(around20teethperinch)or“scroll”blade.Thesecutslowerbutmuchcleanerthanstandardblades.

Sandthecutedgestosmoothoutroughnessandpreventsplinters.Ifdesired,cutapieceofacrylicorpolycarbonatesheeting(seephoto,below)tocovertheopeningandfastenittotheinsideofthesidingwithshortscrewsdriventhroughoversizedpilotholes(maketheholesintheplasticalittlebiggerthanthescrewssothesheetcanexpandandcontractwithoutcracking).Sealthefrontoftheplastictothesidingwithafinebeadofclearexteriorcaulk.Addtrim,ifdesired.

HowtoMakeWindowCutouts

Framearoundopeningsforboardsiding,usingscrapwall-studmaterial.Blockingbelowtheopeningcanserveasasmallwindowsill.

Cutoutscanbeanythingyouwant.Ifyou’reartisticallychallenged(likemostofus),searchonlineforaprintablepatternthatyoucancutoutandtracearoundtomarktheoutlineontothewall.

Tip:Cutplasticsheetingwithajigsawanda10tpi(orfiner)blade.Topreventcracking,laythesheetontorigidfoaminsulationboardforsupportandcutthroughthefoamandplasticatthesametime.

Shutters&Pop-upWindowsThesepop-upwindowsandshuttersworklikelittledoorsandessentiallyfollowthesamedesign,apartfromhowtheyarehung.Thewindowsaremountedhorizontallyonhingesandopenupward,andtheshuttersarehungverticallyandopenouttotheside.Botharegoodforopeningupatreehousetocoolairflowandforbatteningdownthehatchesforcampoutsandrainstorms.

Thebestmaterialsforthesewindowsandshuttersisexteriorplywoodandtongue-and-groovesiding.Youcanalsousestandardboardlumber(1×4,1×6,etc.),butthiscangetabitheavyandmightshowgapsbetweentheboards.Thesizeandshapeareuptoyourimagination.Justmakesurethehingescanbeinstalledinastraightlineandthattheyadequatelysupporttheweightofthewindoworshutter.

OneinterestingshapethatworkswellforbothsingleanddoubleshuttersistheGothicarch.Tomakeasetofdoubleshutters(andmatchingtrim)withplywood,startbylayingoutthedoorsontoapanelof3/4"or5/8"exterior-gradeplywood,usingoneofthepanel’sfactoryedgesasthebottomedgeofthedoors.Youwillcutoutbothdoorsasasinglepiece,thencutdownthecentertocreatetwomatchingdoors.Besuretoleaveafewinchesofmaterialatbothsidesofthedoorlayout,fromwhichyouwillcutthetrim.

TolayoutaGothicarch,startwiththreeparallelverticallines:alongcenterlineandtwoflankinglinesthatrepresenttheoutsideedgesoftheshutterdoors.Drawahorizontallinebetweenthetwosidesattheheightwherethearchwillbegin;thisislineA-B,asshownthephotobelow.Setupahomemadecompass(yardstick-style;seepage101)tomatchthelengthoflineA.PlacethepivotpointofthecompassatpointAanddrawanarchfromBtoC.PlacethepivotpointatBanddrawanarchfromAtoC.

Layoutthearchedtrimbeforecuttingoutthedoorpiece:ExtendlineA-B2-1/2"oneachend,stoppingatpointsDandE.SetthecompasstothedistancebetweenAandE,anddrawanarchbetweenEandF,pivotingonpointA.MovethepivottopointB,anddrawarchD-F.DrawstraightlinesdownfrompointsDandEtocompletethelayout.Thematerialremovedduringcuttingwillcreatethenecessarygapsbetweenthedoorsandthetrim.

Drawthelayoutforthedoorsandarchedtrim,usingahomemadecompasstocreatethearchs.Thecutfortheoutsidesofthedoorsalsocreatestheinsideprofileofthearchedtrim.

Installtheplywoodtrimwithexteriorscrewsorsidingnails,exposing1/2"ofsidingaroundthedooropeningonallsides.

Mountthedoorstothesidesofthearchedtrimwiththeprovidedexterior-gradescrews.Makesurethegappingbetweenthedoorsandtrimisevenandconsistent(left).Aboltorlatchontheinsidekeepsthe

shuttersclosed(right).

Cutoutthedoorpiecewithajigsaw,cuttingtotheoutsideofyourlines.Then,cutoutthetrim.Cutthedoorsdownthecenterline,usingacircularsaworjigsawandastraightedgeguidetoensureastraightcut.Makethiscutdirectlydownthemiddleofthecenterlinetoremovethesameamountofmaterialfrombothdoors.Finally,cutarectangularpieceofbasetrimtothesamewidthasthearchedtrim.Thebasecanbeflushwiththeoutsidesofthearchedtrim,oritcanextendalittlebeyond,asdesired.

Makethewallcutoutfortheshutterstomatchtheshapeofthedoorsasasingleunit,butmakingit1"narrowerandshorter.Thiscreatesa1/2"lipthatthedoorswillcloseagainst.Installthearchedtrimontheoutsidefaceofthewallsothetrimiscenteredoverthewallcutout.Addthebasetrim.Hangtheshutterdoorswithstrap-stylehinges(thekindwithahammeredorantiquelookenhancestheGothicstyling),mountingthehingestotheoutsidefacesofthedoorsandarchedtrim.Addaflathook-and-eyeorslide-bardoorlatchtotheinsidefacesofthedoorssotheshutterslocksecurelywhenclosed.

Pop-upWindows

Installpop-upwindowsjustlikeshutters:Cuttheopening1"narrowerandshorterthanthewindowpanel,add1×boardtrim,andhangthewindowpanelwithhinges.Apivotingpropstickholdsthewindowopen,andaverticalbarrelboltlatchsecuresitwhenclosed.

Door&WindowTrim.Doorsandwindowsneedtrimtocoverthejointsoranygappingbetweenthejambsofthedoororwindowframeandthesurroundingwallsurface.Forthisreason,alittletrimisagoodideaevenforsimple,rusticstructures.Withouttrim,doorsandwindowstendtolooklikeajobthatwasneverfinished.

Ifyou’repanelingtheinteriorwallsofyourtreehouse,trimhidesanygapsbetweenthewallfinishandthedoorandwindowframes.Gapsherearenormal,becausethere’snosenseintakingthetimetofitthepanelingperfectlytothejambsifyou’recoveringthejointswithtrim.

Any1×boardlumber(1×2,1×3,1×4,etc.)isfinefortreehousetrim.YoucanalsoripdownanyT&Gorotherboardpanelingtomakeyourowntrimmaterial.Asageneralrule,itlooksbestifallofthedoorsandwindowshavethe

sametrimmaterialanddecorativedetailing—afewoftheclassicjointoptionsareshownhere.Installtrimwithfinishnailsdrivenintothewallframing,anduseanailsettodrivethenailheadsslightlybelowthesurfaceofthewoodforafinishedlook.

Miteredtrimcornersaremadewitheachpiececutat45°,creatingtheclassicpictureframeeffect.Onwindowswithextendedsills(stools;seephotobelow),onlythetoptwocornersaremitered.Holdthetrimbackfromthejambs’edgestocreatea1/8"-wide(orasdesired)reveal.

Buttedcornerstendtolookalittlemorerusticthanmiteredjoints—andthey’reeasiertomake.Youcancutthepiecessothey’reallflushontheoutsideorhavethetoppieceoverhangthesides,withorwithoutaslightbevelontheends.

Awindowsilltraditionallyhashornsthatextendbeyondthejambsonbothsides,creatinganaturalstoppingpointforthesidepiecesofthewindowtrim,ifyourtrimstrategyincludessidecasing.Thesillshouldslopeawayfromthetreehouseslightlytopromoterunoffofwater.

FunDoorsNottosuggestthataDutchdoorisn’tfun...it’sjustthatadoordoesn’thavetoberectangular.Infact,adoorcanbealmostanyshapeaslongasagoodportionofthehingesideisstraightandvertical—thisisrequiredforthehingestoworkproperlyandensurethatthedoorisbalanced(soitwon’tflyopenorslamshutonitsown).

Here’safunarcheddoordesignthatusestheexteriortrimforastop,whichsavesyoufromhavingtobuildanarcheddoorframe.Boththedoorandthesingle,continuoustrimpiecearecutfromasheetofplywood.Thelittleinset(Minnie-Me)doorisaplayfuloptionthat’sbuiltjustlikethefull-sizeunit.IfyourtasteleanstowardGothicarchesmorethanround,followthebasiclayoutprocedurefortheGothicarchshutters(page110)tolayoutthedoorandtrimarches.

Tobuildtherounded-archdoor,layoutthedoorandtrimpiecesonto3/4"exterior-gradeplywood.Drawthreeparallellinesmarkingthesidesandcenterlineofthedoor(25"isagoodminimumwidthforthedoor),thenmakeamarkonthecenterlinetorepresentthetopofthedoor.Setahomemadecompass(yardstick-style;seepage101)tohalfofthedoorwidth.Usingthesamedimension,measuredownfromthetopofthedoorandmarkthecenterline.Placethepivotnailofthecompassonthenewmarkanddrawthearchtocompletethedoorshape.

Onanotherpartoftheplywoodsheet,layoutthetrim,followingthesameprocessaswiththedoor.Maketheinnerprofile1"narrowerand1/2"shorterthanthedoor.Drawtheouterprofile2-1/2"outsidetheinnerprofile.Usethesametechniquestomarkthelittleinsetdoorandtrimatthedesiredsize,centeringthelittledooronthecenterlineofthemaindoor.Thearchedtrimforthelittledoorisabout3/4"wideandoverlapstheopeningabout1/4"onthesidesandtop.Therectangularbasetrimisabout1"wide.

Cutoutthemaindoorwithajigsawandafinewoodblade(tominimizesplintering).Tocutouttheinsetdoor,drillasmallstarterholejustbelowthebottomofthelittledoor,thenmakethecutout,followingyourlinescarefully.Thecutoutpiecewillbecomethedoor,andthestarterholewillbecoveredbythebasetrim.Usethedoorstocheckyourlayoutofbotharchedtrimpieces,thencutthetrimwiththejigsaw.

Cutthedooropeningintothewallsiding,makingit1/2"largerthanthedoorprofile(seetip,page114).Installthemaindoortrimwithtrimheadscrewssothetrimoverlapsthedooropeningby1/2"atbothsidesandalongthearch.Using

glueandbrads,installthetrimforthelittledoorsoitoverlapstheopeningatthesidesandtopbutnotthebottom.Installthebasetrimflushwiththelittledooropening.Hangthelittledoortothemaindoorwithtwosmallhingesmountedtothebacksidesofbothdoors.Addasmallknobandamagneticcatchorahook-and-eyelatchtokeepthelittledoorclosed.

Hangthemaindoorwithbutthingesscrewedintotheinteriorsideofthedoorandsiding.Uselongscrewsonthesiding-sideofthehingestopenetratethedoortrimforextraholdingstrength.Besuretocenterthedoorinitsopeningsoitclearsthesidingabout1/2"onbothsidesandabout1/4"atthetopandbottom.Addadoorhandleorgatelatchtothedoor,asdesired.It’sbestnottohavealockinghandleorlatchonthisdoor,lestyoufindyourselflockedoutofthetreehouseinanemergencyorwhenyouneedtoretrievearecalcitrantchild.

Fundoorstendtobesmall,forkids,butit’sagoodideatomakethemwideenough(atleast24")foradultstofitthrough.

Layoutthecutfortheinsetdoor(ifyou’remakingone),usingastandardcompass.Positionthelittledoorattherightheightforkidstolookthrough.

Testyourtrimlayoutusingthecutdoorpiece.Whenindoubt,youcantracearoundthedoor,thenmark1/2"insidethetracedlinetocreatetheinneredgeofthetrim.

Cutoutthedooropeningwithajigsaw.Thismatchestheshapeofthedoorbutisoffsetby1/2"toallowfora1/2"clearancegaponbothsidesand1/4"atthetopandbottomofthedoor.

Tip:Ifpossible,leavesomespacebetweenthehinge-sideedgeofthedoorcutoutandthenearestwallstud.Becausethedoorismountedtothesiding(insteadofadoorframe)anoffsethereallowsthedoortoswingwider.

Adoorcanaddalotofpersonalitytoatreehouse,sodon’tbeafraidtogetcreative.Youcandojustaboutanythingwithasheetofplywoodandajigsaw.Allofthedoorsshownhereworkfinebecausethehingesaremountedalongthestraightsides.

ClassicDoorsHere’showtobuildtraditionalZ-bracedoorsusingboardsidingandstandard1×lumber.Aswithawindow,startwithabasicframe.Rip1×lumbertoequalthethicknessofthewallframe,plus3/4".Cutthetopjambtospanthetopoftheroughopening.Fastenthejambtotheheaderwithgalvanizedfinishnailssoitsoutsideedgeisflushwiththeoutsideoftheroughopening.Cutandinstallthesidejambstofitsnuglybetweenthetopjambandthefloor.

Buildthedoortofitthedimensionsofthenewframe,leavinga1/8"orsogaparoundtheperimeterofthedoor.Besuretofactorinanyoffsetcreatedbythehingeswhendeterminingthedoordimensions.Pine1×6T&Gboardsmakegreatdoormaterial.Cuttheboardstolengthandfitthemtogether.Riponeorbothsideboardsasneededtogetthedesireddoorwidth.Cut1×6Z-bracingtospanacrossthedooratthetopandbottomhingelocations,thencutanangledpiecetofitinbetween.Forstrength,theangledpieceshouldpointdowntothebottomhinge.AssemblethedoorwithscrewsdriventhroughtheZ-bracingandintotheT&Gboards.

Toinstallthedoor,firstadd1×trimalongtheinsideofthedoor’sroughopening,flushwiththeroom-sideedgesofthejambs.Mountthedoortothejambsusingoutdoor-typehinges,makingsurethedooropensandclosesfreely.Note:Asshownhere,thedooropensintothetreehouseinterior.Withthedoorclosed,install1/2"stops(cutfromtrimmaterial)alongthesidesandtopofthedoor.Addagatelatchorotherhandletokeepthedoorclosed.

YoucanusethesameconstructiontechniquestocreateaDutchdoor.Buildtwoshortdoorswithaslightgapinbetween,andadda1×4shelftothetopofthelowerdoor.Hangthedoorwithtwoseparatesetsofhinges.Installabarrelboltlatchverticallyontothetopdoorsotheboltextendsdownintoaholeorplateinthebottomdoor’sshelf.

Aplainbattendoormadefrom1x6pinehasacertainrusticcharm.AsingleZ-bracestiffensthedoor,butaddingamiddlerailandsecondZ-bracepreventswarping.

BecauseDIYdoorsarenotprehung,you’llneedtobuildyourownjambsanddoorstopusingthebasicconfigurationabove.

ADutchdoorhasatopandabottomthatopenindependently(ortogetherifyouconnectthem).

BuildingRoofs

Thisisit.Thehomestretch.You’reabouttobecomeacertifiedtreehousebuilder.Orcertifiable,dependingonhowtheprojecthasgone.Bynowyourhandsarealittlecallusedandyourskillshoned.That’sgood,becauseroofframingusuallyrequiressomeexperimentationandtrial-and-error.Oh,yes,andpatience.

Ifyouframedyourwallswithextremecareandeverythingcameoutsquareandperfectlylevel,youcoulddesignyourroofframeonpaperandusemathematicalcalculationstofindalltheanglesandlocatethenecessarycuts.Butbecauseyou’rebuildinginatree,itcansafelybeassumedthatyouimprovisedhereandthereandhadtowingitonoccasion,oryoumightnotbethetypewhocaresmuchforcalculations.Atanyrate,mosttreehouseroofbuildingworksbestwithacut-to-fitapproach.

Aftertheframingisdone,you’llsheaththeroofandinstalltheroofingmaterial.Iftheroofisfreeofinterveningtreeparts,youstandagoodchanceofkeepingtheinteriorofthehousedry.Iftherearepenetrations,youcantrytosealthem,butyoushouldstillfindanotherplacetostoreyoursignedcopyofSwissFamilyRobinson.

Thestructuralmembersthatsupportatreehouseroofgenerallydon’tneedtobeasbeefyastheboardsusedforstructuresmadewithtraditionalbuildingtechniques.Here,a1×6ridgeboardprovidesadequatesupportwhilekeepingdowntheweightofthetreehouse.

FramingtheRoofThemainstructuralmembersofanyframedroofaretherafters—thelumberribsthatsupportthesheathing,orroofdeck.Onagableroof,therafterssitontopofthesidewallsandmeetataridgeboard,orridgebeam,attheroof’speak.Raftersonhiproofsalsoformapeak,meetingataridgebeam,or,morecommonlyintreehouses,atthetree’strunk.Ashedroofhasnopeak,andtherafterssimplyspanfromwalltowall.

Aroof’soverallstrengthisdeterminedprimarilybythesizeofraftersandhowcloselythey’respaced.Becausetreehousestendtobesmallbuildings,theirroofsaretypicallybuiltwith2×3or2×4raftersspaced16"or24"oncenter.Asmallkids’treehousemightbefinewith2×2rafters,whileanarborealpalace,withrafterspansover7feet,mightcallfor2×6framing.Snowfallisalsoaprimaryconsiderationinfiguringraftersize.Ifyouliveinasnowyclimate,checkwiththelocalbuildingdepartmentforrafterspanrecommendationsforyourarea.

CUTTINGRAFTERSThetrickyparttoframinganytypeofroofisfiguringoutthecutswheretheraftersmeetthewallsandthepeak.Thecutatthepeakiseasyintheory:Itsangleisequaltothepitchoftheroof.Ifyourendwallisbuiltfora30°roofpitch,thetopendsoftheraftersforthiswallshouldbecutat30°.Inreality,thiscutmayneedsomeadjusting,butthetheoreticalangleisthebeststartingpoint.

Atthewall-endoftherafteraspecialcutcalledabird’smouthallowstheraftertomakelevelcontactwiththewall’stopplate.Thebird’smouthismadewithtwoperpendicularsawcuts.Theverticalcut,orheel,cutformsananglewiththebottomedgeoftherafterthat’sequalto90°minustheroofpitch(inourexample:90°–30°=60°).Thehorizontal,orseat,cutislevelwhentherafterisinstalled,andmeetsthebottomedgeoftherafteratthesameangleastheroofpitch.Youdon’thavetomemorizethisgeometry,butithelpstoknowthegoalwhencuttingthebird’smouthtofit.

Foreachtypeofroof,makesomeconservativetestcutsonasingle“pattern”rafter,thenadjustthecutsasneededthroughtrialanderror.Whentherafterfitswellonyourhousestructure,usethepatternrafterasatemplatetomarktheremainingrafters.Iftheraftersaretyingintoanunevensurfacesuchasatreepart,cutandtest-fittheremainingraftersoneatatime.

Tomakeabird’smouthcut,marktheseatandheelcuts,usingaraftersquaretosettheangles(seesidebaronpage120).Cutfromonesidewithacircular

saw,thenfliptherafterovertocompletethecuts,oruseahandsaw.Don’tovercutthelinestocompletethecut,asthiscansignificantlyweakensmallrafters.

Theanglesofabird’smouthcutfora30°roofpitch.

Cutthebird’smouthwithacircularsaw,cuttingfrombothsides(orfinishingwithahandsaw)toavoidovercuttinglines.

FRAMINGASHEDROOFCongratulations.You’vechosenthesimplestandeasiestroofofthelot.You’llbeevenhappierwithyourchoicewhenit’stimetoinstalltheroofing.Toframeyourshedroof,marktherafterlayoutontothewallplates,workingfromoneendwalltotheother.Forthelayout,counttheend-walltopplatesasrafters;forthese,you’llcutspecialraftersaftertheothersareinstalled.

Cutapatternraftertolengthsoitoverhangsthesidewallsasdesiredtocreateanicelyproportionedeave.Settherafteronthelayoutmarksontopofthetwosidewalls.Markwherebothsidesofeachwallintersectwiththerafter(ononesidetherafterwon’ttouchtheplate,soyou’llhavetoplaneupfromthewallwithastraightedge).Thesemarksrepresenttheoutsideendsofthebird’smouthseatcut.

Usearaftersquaretomarkthebird’smouthcuts.Makethecutsandtest-fittherafter.Adjustthecutsasneededuntilthejointsfitwellonbothwalls,thenusethepatternraftertomarktheremainingrafters.Cuttheraftersandfastenthemtothewallplateswith16dgalvanizedcommonnails.Ateachjoint,toenail

twonailsononesideoftherafterandonenailontheoppositeside.Thetwospecialouterraftersgorightontopoftheend-wallplates.Because

theyhavenobird’smouthcuts,theymustberippeddownsothey’reflushatthetopwiththeotherrafters.Usealevelorstraightedgetoplaneoverfromtheadjacentraftersandmeasuredowntothetopplatetofindtherequireddepthfortheouterrafters.Riptheouterrafterstosizeandfastenthemtothetopplateswith16dnails.

FRAMINGAGABLEROOFThefirststeptoframingagableroofispreparingtheridgebeam.Theridgebeamgivesyousomethingtonailtherafterendsintoandtiesthemalltogetherforaddedstability.A1×6boardmakesagoodridgebeamfor2×3or2×4rafters.Cuttheridgebeamtolengthsoitspansthehousebetweentheinsidefacesofthegable-endwalls.

Test-fitthepatternraftersonthewalls,usingascrappiecetoactastheridgebeam.

Toenailtherafterstothewall-topplateswiththreenailsdrivenintotheplates.

Leveloverfromtheinnerraftersandmeasuretofindthethicknessoftheouterrafters.

Installtheouterraftersovertheend-wallplatessotherafterendsmeetattheroofpeak.

Marktherafterlayoutontotheridgebeam,workingfromoneendtotheother.Forthelayout,counttheend-walltopplatesasrafters;forthese,you’llcutspecialraftersaftertheothersareinstalled.Markthelayoutontobothsidefacesofthebeam.Holdtheridgebeamnexttoeachwallplateandtransferthelayoutontotheplate.

Fromthispoint,you’llneedatleastonehelperuntilseveraloftheraftersareinstalled.Cuttwopatternrafterstolengthsotheywilloverhangthesidewallsasdesiredtocreateawellproportionedeave.Usingascrapcutfromtheridgebeam,settheraftersonthesidewallswiththescrapheldbetweentheirtopends.Markwherebothsidesofeachwallintersectwiththerafters(ontheinsideofthewalltherafterwon’ttouchtheplate,soyou’llhavetoplaneupfromthewallwithastraightedge).Thesemarksrepresenttheoutsideendsofthebird’smouthseatcut.

Usearaftersquaretomarkthebird’smouthcuts.Makethecutsandtest-fittherafters.Adjustthecutsasneededuntilthejointsfitwellonbothwalls,thenusethepatternrafterstomarktheremainingrafters.Startingatoneendofthehouse,installtwoopposingrafterswiththeridgebeaminbetweensothetop

endsoftheraftersareflushwiththetopedgeofthebeam(youcantemporarilytacktheotherendoftheridgetothefarwalltoholditupwhileyouwork).Toenailtherafterstothewallplateswithtwo16dgalvanizedcommonnailsononesideoftherafterandonenailontheotherside.Atthetopends,toenailthroughtheraftersandridgewiththree10dnails.Repeattoinstalltheremainingpairsofrafters.

Thefourspecialouterraftersinstallontopoftheend-wallplates.Theyhavenobird’smouthcuts,sotheymustberippeddownsotheirtopssitflushwiththetopsoftheotherrafters.Usealevelorstraightedgetoplaneoverfromtheadjacentraftersandmeasuredowntotheend-walltopplatestofindtherequireddepthoftheouterrafters.Theouterrafterswillmeettogetheratthepeak,withouttheridgebeaminbetween.Riptheouterrafterstosizeandfastenthemtothetopplateswith16dnails.

FRAMINGAHIPROOFAsimplehiproofhastheperfectshapeforcappingoffasquaretreehousesurroundingacentraltrunk.Sincetheroofpitchhasyettobedetermined,firstpickananglethatlooksgoodtoyou—let’ssay40°.Cutoneendofapatternrafterat40°.Useahandsaworcircularsawtobeveltheedgeofoneoftheoutsidewallcornersat40°.Thiscreatesaflatsurfaceforreceivingtherafter.Settherafteronthewallandthetree.Ifeverythinglooksgood,markwherethetopoftheraftermeetsthetree.Usealeveltoextendthismarkaroundtheperimeterofthetrunk.

Usingthepatternrafter,markthecutsforthreemorecornerrafters(thehiprafters).Cutofftheremainingthreewallcornerstomatchthefirst.Installthefourhiprafterssotheirtopendsareonthetreemarkingandtheirbottomendsrestonthewalls.Fastentherafterstothetreewith3-1/2"galvanizedwoodscrews;fastentothewallswithscrewsor16dgalvanizedcommonnails.Drivetwotoenails(orscrews)ononesideoftherafterandonenailontheotherside.

Tocuttheinterior,orcommon,rafters,setuptwomason’slines:onelinerunningbetweenthetopsofthehiprafters,directlyabovewheretheymeetthewalls,andonelinestrungaroundtheendsofthehipraftertails.Usethelinesforreferenceasyoucutthecommonrafterstofitthestructure.Markthecommonrafterlayoutontothetopwallplates,centeringafull-lengthrafterbetweeneachpairofhiprafters.You’llprobablyalsoneedtwoormoreshortraftersthatrunfromthehiprafterstothewalls.Thesearecalledjackrafters.

Thecommonsandjacksgetabird’smouthcuttorestontopofthewall.Cutandtest-fittheraftersoneatatime,usingthestringstohelpwithmeasurements.Cutthecommonrafterslongtostartwith,thenmiterthetopendstofitroughly

tothetree,followedbythebird’smouth.Tocutthejackrafters,bevelthetopendstofitflushagainstthesidefacesofthehiprafters.Thiscanbeadifficultcut,butitdoesn’thavetobeperfect;justgetitcloseenoughtomakeastrongjoint.Whenalljointsfitwell,cutthebottomendofeachraftertolengthsoitmeetstheoutermason’sline.Fastentheraftersasyoufastenedthehiprafters.

ASquarefortheHipAraftersquare(alsocalledaspeedsquare)isahandytoolformarkingangledcutsusingthedegreeofthecutortheroofslope.Setthesquareflangeagainsttheboardedgeandalignthepivotpointwiththetopofthecut.Pivotthesquareuntiltheboardedgeisalignedwiththedesireddegreemarkingortheriseoftheroofslope,indicatedintherowofcommonnumbers.Markalongtheright-angleedgeofthesquare.

Aclippedcornerhaspartofthesidingandcapplatecutawaysothehipraftercansitsquarelyontopofthewall.

Stringmason’slinesfromraftertiptoraftertipandtestwithalineleveltomakesurethattheraftersareall

levelwithoneanother.

Fastenthetopendsofthejackrafterstothesidesofthehiprafters.

Sheathing&RoofingIfyou’veeverbuiltashedorevenadoghouse,youknowthatroofingasmallbuildingcanbeparticularlysatisfying.Yougettolearnandpracticebasicroofingskillswithoutthebackbreakingworkofendlessroofexpanses.Thesameistruefortreehouses.

Thefirststepischoosingaroofingmaterial,andthatwilldeterminewhatyou’llusefortheroofdeck,orsheathing.Ifyou’rebuildingasmalltreehouse,youmightwanttotaketheeasyrouteanduseacoupleofsheetsofplywoodasthesheathingandtheroofing.Onanyhousewithagableorshedroof,consideradding1×trimupagainsttheundersideoftheroofsheathingalongtheendwalls,tohidethefacesoftheouterrafters.

ASPHALTSHINGLESAsphaltshinglesarecheap,durable,andeasytoinstall.They’relaidoverplywoodsheathingandalayerof15-poundbuildingpaper.Theyare,however,theheaviestofthestandardroofingmaterialsandmightnotbethebestchoiceifyou’retryingtominimizeweight.

Plywoodroofdeckingisthefastestandusuallycheapesttypeofdeckingtoinstall.Makesuretheplywoodyouuseisratedforuseinroofing.Ifyou’llbeinstallingasphaltshingles,aplywooddeckisthewaytogo.

Toinstallanasphaltshingleroof,startwithasinglelayerof1/2"exterior-gradeplywoodsheathing.Workingupfromtheendsoftherafters,fastenthesheathingtotherafterswith8dgalvanizedboxnails,drivenevery6"alongtheedgesandevery12"inthefieldofthesheets.Overhangtheraftersidesandendsasdesired.Leaveextraoverhangatthesidesoftheouterraftersifyouplantoinstalltrimthere.Cuttheplywoodasneededsoverticaljointsbetweensheetsbreakonthecenterofarafter,andstaggertheverticaljointsbetweenrows.

Addthebuildingpaper,overhangingthesheathingalongtheeaveby3/8".Forahiproof,alsooverhangthehipridgesbyatleast6".Securethepapertothesheathingwithstaples.Installtheremainingrows,overlappingtherowbelowby

atleast2",andoverlapanyverticaljointsbyatleast4".Onagable,overlaptheroofpeakby6",theninstallpaperontheotherside,workingupfromtheeave.

Begintheshingleinstallationwithastartercourse:Snapachalkline11-1/2"upfromtheeave(forstandard12"-wideshingles).Cutoffhalf(6")oftheendtabonthefirstshingleandpositiontheshingleupsidedownsothetabsareonthechalkline.Overhangthesideedge(ongableandshedroofs)by3/8".Fastentheshinglewithfour2droofingnails,about3-1/2"fromthebottomedge.Installtherestofthestarterrowinthesamemanner,usingfullshinglesandbuttingtheirendstogether.Note:Forahiproof,completelyshingleoneroofsectionatatime,trimming

theshinglesalongthehippeaksbeforemovingontothenextsection.Installthenextcoursedirectlyontopofthestartercoursebutwiththetabs

pointingdown.Beginwithafullshingletoestablisha6"(half-tab)overlapofthetabsbetweencourses.Usefournailsforeachshingle:onenail5/8"aboveeachtabandonenail1"infrombothends.Foreachsuccessivecourse,snapachalkline17"upfromthebottomofthelastinstalledcourse;thishelpsyoukeeptheshinglesstraightandmaintainsaneven5"exposure.Overhangthefirstshingleineachcoursebyahalftabuntilyougettoa1-1/2-taboverhang,thenstartoverwithafullshingle.

Toshinglethepeaksofgableandhiproofs,cutridgecappiecesfromfullshingles,asshowninthephoto(page123).Cutonecapforevery5"ofridge.Centerthecapsovertheridgeandfastenthemwithtwonails.

Startinstallingasphaltthree-tabshinglesfromtheeaveareaoftheroofandworkyourwayuptowardthe

peak.Ifyou’venevershingledaroofbefore,makesuretogetsomeexperiencedhelporatleastplentyofgoodinformationbeforeattemptingit.

Whenthefieldshinglesareallin,cutthreecapshinglesfromeachthree-tabshingle,taperingthesideedgesslightlyasshown(inset).Nailthecapsovertheridgesothenailsarecoveredbythenextcap.

Roof,MeetTreeWhenroofsleakonregularhouses,it’salmostalwaystheresultofintroducingforeignobjects—plumbingvents,skylights,dormers,meteorites,younameit.Well,atreeisaveryforeignobjecttoaroof,andalargepenetratingbranchortrunkmakessealingtheroofanongoingchallenge.Butitcanbedone.Yourbestbetistowraparoundthetreeandoverthetopofthepenetrationwithoverlappingpiecesofneoprenerubber(thestuffusedinwetsuits).Sealtheneoprenetothetreewithacompatibleroofingorguttersealant.Keepsomeextrasealanthandyforroutinespotchecks.Clearroofcement,suchastheThroughtheRoofproductshownbelow(seeResources)canbeusedtofillsmallgapsinvisibly.Becauseitisroofcement,itwillremainflexibleovertimesoitdoesn’tcrack.

Whentheroofdeckisinstalled,wrappiecesof3/16"-thickneoprenearoundthepenetratingtreepart,overlappingontothetree,thedecking,andtheotherneoprenepieces.Test-fitthepiecesasyouwork,withoutusingsealant.Whenyou’resuretheleakiscovered,Installthecollarpiecesoneatatime,startingatthelowestpointoftheroofdeckandworkingupandaroundthetree.Overlaptheupperpiecesontothelowerpieces,aswithroofshingles.Sealalledgesoftheneoprenewithaliberalapplicationofroofingcementorguttersealant.Tackthepiecestothetreewithafewdeckscrews,asneeded.Completetheroofinstallationasnormal,overlappingtheshinglesontotheneoprenepiecesatthesidesandtopofthetree,andsealaroundtheshinglesifnecessary.

Cedarroofshingleslookterrificupinatree.Installingthemisverysimilartoinstallingshinglesforsiding.Besuretoreadtheshinglemanufacturer’sdirectionscarefullytofindrecommendedexposuresandinstallationpractices.

Thepeakofaroofcreatedwithwoodshingleswillnaturallyhaveaseamthatneedscovering.Theeasiestwaytodothisisbybevelingtwopiecesofridgetrimsoonepiecefitsovertheotherpiece.

CEDARSHINGLESInstallingacedarshingleroofisalmostidenticaltosidingawallwithcedarshingles,whichiscoveredindetailonpage89.Thefewdifferencesforaroofapplicationareexplainedhere.Note:Don’tusecedarshinglesonroofswithlessthana3-in-12pitch(about14°).

Sheaththeroofwith1×4skipsheathing,spacingtheboardstoequaltheshingleexposure.Followtheshinglemanufacturer’srecommendedexposureforthesizeandgradeofyourshinglesandtheroofslope.Installadoublestartercourseofshinglesalongtheeave,overhangingtheroofedgeby1-1-1/2"attheeaveand1"attheside.Leavea1/4"gapbetweenadjacentshinglestoallowforexpansion,andoverlapthegapsbyatleast1-1/2"betweencourses.

Tocompletethepeakofagableroof,layerstripsof15-poundbuildingpaper(tarpaper)intothelasttwocoursesofshingles,asshowninthephoto(above).Capthepeakwithcustom-beveled1×trimboardsorpre-maderidgecaps.Captheridgesonahiproofwithpre-maderidgecaps.

METALORPLASTICROOFINGWithitshistoryasapopularroofmaterialforfarmbuildingsandcabins,corrugatedroofinghastherightcharacterfortreehouses.Thematerialusuallycomesin2-footwidepanelsinvariouslengths.Orderpanelslongenoughtospaneachroofsectionsoyouwon’thavetodealwithhorizontaljoints.Installationofcorrugatedroofingisspecifictothetypeandmanufacturerofthepanelsyouuse,andyoushouldfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructionscarefully.

Hereisageneraloverviewtogiveyouanideaoftheroofingprocess:Startbyinstalling1×or2×lumberpurlinsperpendiculartotherafters.Fastentheroofing

panelstothepurlinswithscrewsornailsfittedwithself-sealingrubberwashers.Overlapadjacentpanelsattheribs,thenfastenthroughbothpanelstosealtheseam.Caproofridgeswithapreformedridgecap,sealingittotheroofingpanelswithasealerstripandcaulk.

Corrugatedmetalorfiberglassroofpanelsarelightweightandeasytoinstall,makingthemagoodchoiceforatreehouse.Theyareusuallyinstalledoverfoamorplasticfillerstripsthathavethesameprofileastheroofpanels.Thefillerstripsareattachedtoboards(calledpurlins)thatfitbetweentheroofrafters.

ModesofAccess

GettingfrompointAtopointBcanbehalfthefunofatreehouse.It’soneofthethingsthatseparatestreehousesfromotherhangoutsandplayareas.Withalittlecreativethinking,youcandeviseallkindsofaccesspointsandbuildyourownconveyancesusingstandardmaterials.It’salsofuntocheckouttheequipmentavailablethroughspecialtydealers.

So,what’sgoingtobeyourmodeofaccess?Kidswillusuallychoosethemoreadventurousroutes,likeclimbingropesorziplines.Thenagain,kidsridebikeswiththeireyesclosed.Foryou,perhapsaflat-rungladderisabetterchoiceforbalancingease-of-useandout-of-the-ordinary.Oftenacombinationoftraveloptionsisbest—maybealadderforgettinguptothetreehousewithanarmloadofstuff,andafireman’spoleforswashbucklingexits.

Atraditionalstaircaseisalsoanoption,andagoodideaforanyonewithlimitedagilityorfortreehousesthatreceivelotsofregulartraffic.

LaddersAhandmade,permanentlyattachedwoodladderisperhapsthebestall-aroundmeansofaccessforatreehouse.Twogoodladderdesignsarethedouble-rungandtheflat-rung,bothofwhicharesuitableforprimarymeansofaccess.Theropeladder,akids’favorite,ismoredifficulttouseandservesbetterasafun,secondaryroute.

DOUBLE-RUNGLADDERThisladderworksmuchlikeanextensionladderbutwithgreaterfootstabilityofferedbythedoubledrungs.Tobuildtheladder,startwithtwolong,straight2×6sthatarerelativelyknot-free.Theseareusedforthestringers(sideuprights)oftheladder.Setoneoftheboardsontheground,andleanitagainstthetreehouseplatformatananglethatlookscomfortableforclimbing—60°to70°isagoodrangeformostsituations;we’lluse65°forthisexample.

Cutthebottomendsofthestringersat65°.Leanthemagainsttheplatformat65°andmarkthetopendsforcutting.Whentheladderisfinished,youcanfastenthestringerstotheplatformortorailingpostsateithersideoftheladderlanding.Atthispoint,decidewhetherthestringersshouldstopflushwiththeplatformsurfaceorextendabovetheplatformtoserveashandholds.Cutthetopendsofthestringers,roundingthemoverorsquaringoff,asdesired.Thestringersmustbeidenticalinlengthandshape.

Theideaofafirepolemayfillyouwithalarm,butkidslovethem.Ifyouprovidesupervisionandasoftlandingplaceyou’llfindthatafirepolemaybecomethepreferredmethodforexiting(orevenentering)atreehouse.

Adouble-rungladderemployspairsof1-1/2"dowelsateachsteptocreateamorestablesteppingpoint.Thedowelsareglued(withawater-resistantadhesivesuchaspolyurethaneglue)into1"-deepholesinthestringers.

Clampandgluethedoubledrungsasyougo.Ifyouspacetherungpairsatroughly12"intervalsyoushouldhavesufficientflexinthestringerssoyoucansuccessfullyinserteachnewpairwithoutunclampingtheprecedingpair.

Marktherunglayoutontothefrontedgeofoneofthestringers,markingevery10"to12"andstartingatthebottom,frontendofthestringer.Standardrungspacingis12",but10"ismorecomfortableforkids.Makesurethespacingisuniformovertheentirelayout.Placethestringerstogetherandtransfertherunglayouttotheunmarkedstringer.Extendeachlayoutmarkacrosstheinsidefaceofeachstringerat65°,usingaraftersquareoratemplatecutat65°.

Measure1-3/4"infromthefrontandrearedgesofthestringersandmarktherungcentersoneachlayoutline.Note:Thismeasurementisfora1-1/2"-diameterdowel.Cuttherungstolengthat20".Thisgivesyouauseablerungwidthof18"andatotalladderwidthof21".Ateachrungcenterpoint,drilla1-1/2"-diameter×1"-deephole,usingaspadebitmarkedwithmaskingtapetogaugetheholedepth.Test-fitseveralrungstomakesuretheyfitsnuglyintheholes.

Layoutallthepartssoeverything’sreadyfortheglue-up.Workingononestringer,coattheinsidesoftherungholeswithwaterproofwoodglue;avoidfillinguptheholeswithexcessglue,asthiswillpreventthedowelsfromsettingtofulldepth.Seatthedowelscompletelyintheholes,usingarubbermallet,ifnecessary.Makesureeachdowelisperpendiculartothestringer.Whenalldowelsarein,glueuptheotherstringer(ithelpstohaveanotherpersonworkingaheadofyou)andsetitoverthedowelends,completelyseatingthemintheholes.Clampthestringerssotheladderissquare,andletthegluedry.Securethecompletedladdertothetreehouseplatformorrailingpostswithscrews.

FLAT-RUNGLADDERAflat-rungladderfeelsalittlemorelikeastaircaseandisalittleeasiertoclimbthanastandardladder.However,forsafety,climbersshouldalwaysfacetheladderwhengoingupordown.Anoptionalhandrailoneachsideisagoodideaforadditionalsafety.Tobuildaflat-rungladder,followthestepsgivenforthedouble-rungladder(page126)toestablishtheladderangle,cutthe2×6stringers,andmarktherunglayout.Fortheflat-rungladder,thelayoutlinesfortherungsrepresentthetopofeachrung.

Cut2×4or2×6rungstolengthat18".Thisgivesyouatotalladderwidthof21".Fasteneachrungwiththree3-1/2"galvanizeddeckscrewsdriventhroughpilotholesintheoutsideofeachstringerandintotheendsoftherungs.Makesurethetopoftherungisonthelayoutlineanditsbackedgeisjusttouchingthebackedgesofthestringers.Reinforceeachrungconnectionwitha1×2cleat.Thecleatsshouldextendfromjustbehindtherung’sfrontedgetotherearedgeofthestringers.Fastenthecleatswith2"screwsdriventhroughpilotholesinthecleatsandintothestringers.

Toaddhandrails,cut3"-longblocksfrom2×2lumber,andsandalledgessmooth.Installtheblocksonthefrontedgesofthestringersat36"intervals,usingpairsof3-1/2"screws.Fortherailing,install1-1/4"or1-1/2"-diameterdowelrodscenteredside-to-sideontheblocks.Fastenthroughtherailingandintotheblockswith3-1/2"screwsdriventhroughcounterboredpilotholes.Makesureallscrewheadsarebelowthesurfaceoftherailing.Ifyouneedmorethanonewooddowelrodforeachsideoftherailing,butttherailingpiecestogetheroverthecenterofablock,andpintheendstogetherwithacoupleofangledfinishnailstoensureasmoothtransition.

Fastentherungstothestringers,thenbackupeachrungwithapairof1×2cleats.

Countersinktherailingscrewssothere’snothingprotrudingabovetherailingsurface.

Notyoureverydayladder.Ropeladderstakealittlegettingusedto,butthey’realotoffun.They’reeasiestandsafesttousewhenthey’reanchoredatthebottomtopreventswaying(youcansnaptheladderontotheanchorwithacarabinersoitcanbepulledupintothetreehouseifdesired).

ROPELADDERSRopeladderscanbealittletrickytoclimb,butthat’swhatmakesthemfun.Kidscanpretendthatthey’rescalinguptheriggingofapirate’sshiptoreachthecrow’snestatopthemainmast.Ahandytrickformakingaropeladdermorestableistosecurethebottomendtotheground.Onceyou’vehungtheladder,tiethetworopeendstogetheratthebottomwithalockingcarabinerattached.Clipthecarabinerintoaneyeboltsetinsomeconcreteintheground.Youcaneasilyunclipthecarabinertopulluptheladderintothetreehouse.

Tomakearopeladder,cuttwolengthsof3/4"nylonormanilarope,includingseveralextrafeetofslack.Fortherungs,cut1×4boardsor1-1/2"-diameterwooddowelsat21".You’llneedonerungforevery10"ofverticalriseoftheladder.Drilla3/4"holethrougheachrung,2"infromeachendandcenteredside-to-sideontherung.Leavingplentyofslackfortyingofftheropeends,marktheropesevery10".Workingfromthetopdown,threadeachrungontotheropesandtieasimpleknotbelowtherungsothetopoftherungisonthelayoutlines.Repeattoinstalltheremainingrungs.

Securethetopendsoftheladderropestothetreehouse’splatformframing,

railing,oroverheadbeamsusingabowlineknotoneachrope.Ifdesired,anchorthebottomendoftheladdertotheground,asdescribedabove.

Stairs

Basiccarpentryandmathskillsareallyouneedtobuildafinestaircasetothetreehouse.Seepage131foraschematiccutawayofthisdesign.

Traditionalstairsmightbeapreferablemodeoftreehouseaccessforanynumberofreasons.They’resaferandeasiertoclimbthanaladderorladdersteps.They’realsoagoodideafortreehousesthatareusedforworkorotheractivitiesthatfrequentlyrequirehaulingsupplies(orlunch)upanddown.

Whilestairsinsideyourhouseandthoseservingattacheddecksandthelikearestrictlygovernedbybuildingcodes,thedesignspecificationsfortreehouse

stairstypicallyaren’tasstringent.Youmightchoosetobuildyourstepsnarrowerthanthestandard36"minimumortomakethemabitsteepertosavespace.However,besuretoincludestrongrailingsallthewayupandtomakethestepsuniforminheightanddepth.Anunexpectedvariationinstepsizewillalwaystripyouup,ifnotworse.

Thestairbuildingtechniqueoutlinedhereisasimplifiedversionofhowmostcarpentersdoit.Thebasicconstructioninvolvestworelativelyshortflightsofstairsjoinedbyasmalllanding.Youcanusethesamemethodsdescribedtobuildalongersetofsingle-flightstairs,butlandingsarerecommendedforanystaircasewithmorethan12stepstotal.Forstaircasesthatrisewellover8feetandrequiremorethanonelanding,consultabuildingproforhelpwiththestaircasedesignandconstruction.

Astaircasecanbeparticularlyusefulforthetreehousebuild,andyoucanconstructthestairsassoonasthetreehouseplatformiscomplete.However,ifthere’sanychancethatyourkidsandneighborhoodyoungsterswillfindtheirwayupthestairsbeforethehouseisfinished,don’tbuildthestairsuntiltheplatformrailingiscompleteandthereisn’tanyplacearoundtheplatformwhereanunwitting(orwitless)personcouldgethurtorfall.Alsobesuretoropeofforbarricadeastaircasewhenyou’renotaroundduringtheconstructionphase.

Cutawayviewofstairpath.Toseehowstairteminologyworks,seepage132.

UnderstandingStairTerminologyStairsarelaidoutusingthefollowingdimensions,mostofwhicharemeasuredon-siteandadjustedtofittheinstallation:

Totalrise:theverticaldistancebetweenthelowerlevel(bottomofstairs;inthiscase,theground)totheupperlevel(topofstairs;thetreehouseplatform).

Totalrun:thehorizontaldistancebetweenthebottomandthetopofthestairs.

Unitrise:theverticaldistancefromthetopofonesteptreadtothetopofthenexttread.

Unitrun:thehorizontaldistancefromthefrontedgeofonetreadtothefrontedgeofthenexttread.

Onstairswithlandings(morethanoneflight),thetotalriseisthecombinedrisedimensionsoftheflights;thetotalrunisthecombinedrundimensions,notcountingthelanding.

CALCULATINGSTAIRPARTSFiguringthedimensionsforlayingoutbasicstairsisastraightforwardprocessusingsimplemath,butitdoesinvolveseveralsteps.Staircalculationsalsocanvary,basedonthestaircasedesign,thesite,andthedesiredsizeofthesteps.Thefollowingisasimplifiedmethodforfiguringdimensionsforthestairsshownhere,usingastandardtreaddepth(unitrun)of11"andanapproximatestepheight(unitrise)of7".

1.Findtheapproximatetotalriseofthestaircasebymeasuringfromthegroundtothetopofthetreehouseplatform.Youwilltakeamoreaccuratemeasurementthataccountsforgroundelevationlaterintheprocess.

Asanexample,theplatformonpage131is96"abovetheground.Therefore:

Approximatetotalrise=96"

2.Findtheapproximatetotalrunofthestairsbymultiplyingthetotalrisebytherise-runratio.For7"-tall,11"-deepsteps,therise-runratiois1.57(11÷7=1.57).

Ex:96"(approx.totalrise)×1.57=151"(roundedup)

Becauseastaircase(orflight)alwayshasonefewerrununitsthanriseunits,subtracttworiseunits(oneforeachflight)fromthetotalrun.

Ex:151–22=129"

3.Findtheactualtotalrise:First,dividetheapprox.totalrunby2.

Ex:129÷2=65"(roundedup)

Usethisdimensiontoroughlylayoutthestairpath.Startingatapointevenwiththetreehouseplatform,measureoutarightangleontheground,witheachlegoftheangleat65",asshownonpage131.Then,usealong,straightboardtoleveloverfromthetreehouseplatformtothebottom-of-staircaselocation.Measurebetweentheboardandthegroundatthisspottofindtheactualtotalriseofthestaircase.

Findtheapproximatelocationofthebottomendofthestaircasebyplottingthestairpath(seeillustration).Leveloverfromtheplatform(topofstairs)toapointdirectlyabovethebottomofthestairs,thenmeasureforthetotalrise.

4.Usetheaccuratetotalrisetocalculatethefinalstairelements.Forourexample,thegroundslopesdownabitfromthetreehouse,sotheactualtotalriseis100".Therefore:

Numberofsteps(includinglandingandtreehouseplatform):totalrise÷7(standardriseunit)

100÷7=14.29.Rounddownto14.

Unitrise(heightofeachstep):totalrise÷numberofsteps

100÷14=7.14,or7-1/8".

Totalrun:totalrise×rise-runratio–tworiseunits

rise-runratio:11÷7.14=1.54

100×1.54=154

154–22=132

Totalrunperflight:66"(132÷2)

Totalriseperflight:50"(100÷2)

CONSTRUCTIONNOTES

Onceyou’vecalculatedthestairdimensions,youcanlayoutandinstallthelandingposts.Locatethehouse-sideedgeofthelandingathalfthedistanceofthetotalrun—66"inourexample.Thepostswillgoinsidethelanding’sjoistframe,soinstallthem1-1/2"insidethefootprintofthelandingonallfoursides.

Foreachpost,diga12"-diameterholeatleast42"deep(orasneededtoextend6"belowthefrostline).Add6"ofcompactiblegraveltothebottomoftheholeandtampitdown.Locatethetwostartingpostswiththebottomendofthefirst-flightrunandalignedwiththelandingposts.Thestartingpostsshouldextendatleast43"abovetheground.

Markthetopofthefinishedlandingontothefourlandingposts.Thisshouldbeexactlyhalfofthetotalrisefortheentirestaircase.Cutfour2×10joiststowraparoundtheoutsidesoftheposts.Installthese1-1/2"belowthemarks,fasteningtothepostswithpairsoflagscrewswithwashers.Coverthejoistswith2×6decking,spacingtheboardsabout1/4"apartfordrainage.Makesurethedeckingisflushwiththeoutsidesofthejoistframeonthetwosidesthatwillreceivethestairstringers.

INSTALLINGTHESTAIRANGLES&STRINGERSInstallthemetalstairanglesontotheinsidefacesofbothstringers,centeringtheanglesundereachtreadmarking.Note:Onecommonlyavailabletypeofstairanglehasthreescrewholesononeflangeandfourontheother.Youcaninverttheanglesothefour-holeflangeisagainstthetreadboards,allowingyoutodrivetwoscrewsintoeachboard.Fastentheanglestothestringersusingthemanufacturer’sspecifiedscrews(don’tusestandarddeckscrews,whicharemuchmorevulnerabletoshearingoffunderweight).

Mountthestringerstothelandingwithmetalframingconnectorsdesignedforstairstringers,usingthemanufacturer’sspecifiedfasteners.Theoutsidefacesofthestringersshouldbealignedwiththeinsidefacesofthelandingposts.Anchorthebottomendsofthestringerstotheinsidesofthestartingpostswithlagscrewsandwashers.

ADDINGTHESTEPTREADSCut2×6treadboardstofitsnuglybetweenthestringers.Thestringersshouldbeperfectlyparallel,soyoushouldbeabletocutallofthetreadsatthesamelength.Eachstepgetstwotreadboards.Installeachpairofboardsstartingwiththefrontpiece.Alignthefrontedgeofthetreadwiththetopedgesofthestringers.Fastenthetreadwiththespecifiedscrewsdrivenupthroughthe

horizontalflangeofthestairangleandintothetread.Eachtreadgetstwoscrews.Installthesecondboard,leavinga1/4"gapinbetweenfordrainage.

BUILDINGTHESECONDFLIGHTTheuppersectionofstairsisconstructedalmostidenticallytothefirstflight,withacoupleofminordifferences:Whencuttingandfittingthefirststringer,startbymakingtheplumbcutatthetopend,matchingtheangleofthetopplumbcutsonthefirst-flightstringers.Test-fitthiscut,andmakeanynecessaryadjustments,thentracealongthelandingtomarkthebottomplumbcut.

Whenlayingoutthesteps,thebottomtreadshouldbe7-1/8"higher(measuringvertically)thanthetopcornerofthebottomplumbcutonthestringers.Anchorthestringerstothetreehouseplatformandthelandingwiththesamestringerconnectorsusedonthefirstflight.Thetopsofthestringersshouldbeflushwiththetopsofthelandingandtreehouseplatform,respectively.

Installa4×4railingpostattheoutsideofeachstringeratthetopofthestairstosupportthestaircaserailings.

ADDINGTHERAILINGSForshortflightsofstairs,youmightbefinewith2×4railingsspanningbetweenthelandingpostsandthestartingortreehouserailingposts.Forlongerruns,installmid-spansupportpostsontotheoutsidefacesofthestringers.

Cuttheendsoftherailingswithplumbcutssothey’reflushwiththefacesoftheposts.Installthetoprailingssotheirtopedgesare34"to36"abovethetopsofthetreads,measuringvertically.Fastentherailingstotheinsidefacesofthepostswithlongdeckscrews.Installthebottomrailingsabouthalfwaybetweenthetoprailingsandthestringers,oryoucanhavethreeevenlyspacedrailingsoneachside.Iftoddlerswillusethestairs,youmightwanttoincludeverticalbalustersspacedjustunder4"apart.Inanycase,bothsidesofthestaircasemusthavearailing.

Securethetwoopensidesofthelandingwithastandardcode-compliantrailingthatmatchestherailingonthetreehouseplatform.

TrapDoorsClimbingropes,secretladders,andothercoolmodesofaccessneedanequallycoolpointofentry:atrapdoor,ofcourse.Theclassictrapdoorissquare,withaframebuiltintothefloorjoists,andthedooritselfmadefromacutoutofthefloorboards.Usingthisbasicdesignyoucancomeupwithyourownvariations—triangular,hexagonal...practicallyanyshapeyouwish.

Tobuildatrapdoor,firstdecideonthesizeoftheopening.Withfloorjoistsframedat24"oncenter,you’realreadyhalfwaytomakinga22-1/2"squareopening.Justaddtwosidepiecesbetweenthejoists,andtheframeisdone.With16"joistspacing,thejoistsareonly14-1/2"apart—alittletootightformosttrapdoors.Tomakealargeropening,cutoutthejoistrunningthroughtheplannedopeningandinstalltwojoistheaderstocarrythecutends.Theninstalloneortwosidepiecesbetweentheheaderstocompletetheframedopening.Usethesamelumberfortheframeasyouusedforthejoists.

Next,adda1×2stopateachsideoftheframe,flushwiththeundersideofthefloor.Cutoutthefloorboardsflushwiththeframepieces(notthestops).Fastentheboardstogetherwith1×cleatsorasquareofplywoodtocreatethedoor.Maintaintheoriginalspacingbetweenthefloorboardssothetrapdoorwillblendwiththerestofthefloor.Mountthedoorwithhingesinstalledonthebackedgeofthedoorsoonlythebarrelsofthehingesstickupabovethefloor.Forahandle,cutafingerholeinthedoor,orinstallarecessedcabinetpull.

Joistheaderssupporttheendsofthecutjoistandbecometwosidesofthedooropeningframe.

Atrapdoorisafun,secretentrytoatreehouse,butitofferssomestructuraladvantagesaswell.Forexample,ifyouemployatrapdoorasyouronlypointofentryyoucanencirclethetreehousecompletelywithrailings.

Fireman’sPoleThere’snothingbetterthanafireman’spoleforspeedyexits.Allittakestobuildoneisalengthofplasticpipe,someconcrete,andapieceofplywoodorlumber.Inafirehouse,firefighterszipdownapolethroughalarge,roundopening,butyoucansetyoursupthroughasquaretrapdoor—justcutaslotinthedoortofitoverthepolewhenclosed.

Tomakeafireman’spole,cutalengthof3"diameterPVCplumbingpipetoextendfromananchorpointonthetreehousedowntoafootorsobelowthegroundlevel.Securethepoleatthetopwitha3/4"plywoodorlumbercollarwithaholedrilledthroughitthatjustfitsoverthepole.Fastenthecollartotheroofframingorothersupportmembers.Withthebottomofthepoleontheground,thetopendshouldextendabout18"abovethecollar.Positionthepolesoit’sperfectlyplumb,thenmarkwherethepolehitstheground.Diga12"-diameter×12"-deepholecenteredaroundthepolemark.Setthepoleintheholeandfilltheholewithconcrete.Checkthepoleagainforplumbandlettheconcretedry.

Alengthofplasticplumbingpipemakesagreatfireman’spole.Aslottedtrapdoorclosesuptheaccessopening.

Swings&Playthings

Ifyoucametothischapterfirst,you’reintherightstateofmindforowningatreehouse.Ifyou’vejustfinishedyourtreehouseandarewantingtojazzitupalittle,congratulations(you’rewayaheadoftheotherguy).Onethingthatmostnewtreehouseownerslearnrightawayishowmuchtheircreationbecomesahubofactivity.Kidsnotonlyplayintreehouses,theyplayunderthemandaroundthemand,sometimes,whennoone’swatching,overthem.Soitmakessensetoaddafewextrathingsforkidstodoatthetreehousesite.Andfortheadults?Thisauthorrecommendsahammock.Period.

Afewtreehouseaccessoriesareeasytomakeyourself,likeclimbingropesandsimpleswings.Otheradd-onsarebetterpurchasedfromreputableretailers.“Reputable”isn’tusedlightly,either;youdon’twantaziplinemanufacturedfromshoddymaterials,forexample.Sincethere’snoplacetoshopfortreehouseaccessoriesatyourlocalmall,you’llhavetobealittleresourceful.Thebestplacetostartiswithanonlinesearchunder“playstructures,”“playgroundequipment,”etc.,orwithkeywordsforspecificitems,suchas“climbingwalls”or“hammocks.”Alotofequipmentmadeforplaystructurescaneasilybeadaptedforatreehouseplayarea.

Areminderaboutgroundcovers:Whilemanyofusgrewupplayingonblacktopplaygroundsandsportsfieldsthatfeltlikerammedearth,thingsaredifferentnow.Coveringaplayareawithathicklayerofwoodchipsorothershock-absorbingmaterialisaneasy,effectivewaypreventinjurytokids.It’sreallyano-brainer,asinnoonegetsbrainedfromaminorfall.

Swingthroughtheairwiththegreatestofease!Atreeswingcanhangfromanysuitablelimborastouttreehousebeam,buttheconnectingpointshouldbeatleast10ft.abovethegroundforaniceride(swingsforsmallchildrencanbelower).

ClassicTreeSwingsFormostpeople,theloveofswingingstartssometimeinthefirstyearoflifeandendswhenyourealizetheyjustmakeyoutoodizzy.Weloveswingsbecausetheymakeusfeel,ifonlyforabriefbutrepeatablemoment,likewe’reflying.Homemadetreeswingsarethebest,becauseyoucanhangthemfromatalllimbforalong,swoopingflight,andyoucanmakethembigenoughandstrongenoughforadults.

Thetwoswingsshownhereareeasytomakeandequallyfuntouse,yeteachoffersadifferentfeelinboththerideandtheseating.Thisisgoodnews,asyou’lllikelydiscoverthatoneswingjustisn’tenough.Note:Topreventdamagetothetree,inspecttheropeorhardwareconnectionsperiodically.Youmayhavetomoveand/orretieropeconnectionsoccasionallyifthebarkbecomeswornortheknotisstranglingthelimb.

ChoosebraidedDacron(polyester)ornylonropeforswings.Twistedropetendstobetooslipperyforagoodhandhold,whilepolypropylenebreaksdowninsunlightandmanila(thoughstrong)ispronetorotting.

PlankSwing.Atraditionalplankswingisagoodchoiceforkidsofallagesandforadultswhopreferaridethat’salittlemoreleisurelythanasingle-ropebuttonswing.Theplankseatisnothingmorethanasturdyboardwithfourholes,andnospecialhardwareisneeded.Theonlyrequirementisarelativelyleveltreelimbtoensurethattheswingtravelsinastraightline.Thelimitedsideways

travelonaplankswingmakesitthebesttypeforhangingfromtreehousesorwhereatreelimbdoesn’textendfarfromthetrunk.

CREATINGTHESEATYoucancutandshapetheswingseatfromalmostanynicepieceoflumber,suchasatreatedorcedar2×8.A1"-thickpieceofsolidoakormaplemakesanespeciallynice,classicseat.Thesizeisuptoyou.Astandardsizeisabout6-1/2"to9-1/4"wideand24"to30"longforasinglerider,orlargerforatwo-seater.Cuttheseattolength,roundingthecornerswithajigsaw,ifdesired.Usecoarsesandpaperorarouterandroundoverbittoeasealloftheedgesoftheplanktoremovesharpnessandpreventsplinters.

Layoutanddrillfourholesthroughtheseatthatmatchthediameteroftheswingropes(5/8"-or3/4"-diameterbraidedropeisgoodforplankswings).Centertheholesabout1-1/2"to2"fromtheendsandsideedgesoftheplank,takingcaretolaythemoutasevenlyandsymmetricallyaspossible.Sandtheplanksmooth,workingupto220-gritsandpaper,thenapplyexterior-gradepolyurethane,exteriorpaint,oranothersuitableexteriorfinish,asdirected.

Whensizingtheplankseat,keepinmindthattheusableportionoftheseatislimitedtotheclearareabetweentheropeholes.

Arunningdoublebowlinesetupwrapsaroundthetreelimb.Itcinchestightwhenpulledbutexpandseasilyasthelimbgrowsindiameter.

Useeyeboltstotieropestoatreehousebeamortreelimb.Runtheboltsupthroughthecenterofthebeamorlimb,andsecurethetopendswithlargewashersandlocknuts.

TYINGTOTHETREEYoucanuseanumberofdifferentknotstosecureeachropeendtothetree.Aswinghitchisonereliablestandard.Anotheristhedoublebowlineknotinarunningconfiguration,alegitimateversionofasimplelassosetup.Theadvantagesoftherunningbowlinearethatyoucantieitoffwithouthavingtoreachthelimb,anditexpandswiththetree’sgrowthwithoutaffectingtheknot’sstrength(seeHowtoTieaDoubleBowlineKnot,page140).

You’llneedtwolengthsofropewithplentyofextrafortyingoffatbothends.

Tieoneendofeachropetoalevelsectionoflimb,spacingthemthesamedistanceastheholepairsontheswingseat.Onceeachropeissecure,hangfromtheropewithyourfullweight,totesttheknotandtakeoutanyinitialstretchintheline.Theropesshouldhangstraightdownandextendontothegroundatleast2feet.

HowtoTieaDoubleBowlineKnot

Step1:Formtwoloopsintherope,thenruntheworkinglooseendunderandupthroughthemiddleofbothloops.

Step2:Runtheworkingendbehindandaroundthestandingsectionofrope.

Step3:Inserttheworkingenddownthroughbothloops.

Step4:Tightentheknotbyholdingtheworkingendinplacewhilepullinguponthestandingportion,creatingaloopneartheworkingendoftherope.

Runtheropesunderneaththeseatplankandtiethemofftothemselvesseveralinchesabovetheseat.Thetriangularformationhelpsstabilizetheseattopreventtipping.

TYINGONTHESWINGSEATHoldingtheseatplankwithitstop(better)faceup,runtheropedownthroughaholeoneachendoftheplank,thenupthroughtheneighboringholeineachpair.Positiontheplanksoitislevelandatthedesiredheightfromtheground,basedonthesmallestswinger.Then,tieoffthelooseendofeachropetothestandingsection,usingabowlineknot(seeHowtoTieaBowlineKnot,onpage56).Adjusttheknotsasneededsothattheswingseatislevel,andgiveitatestride.Whenalllooksgood,trimtheendsoftheropes,ifnecessary,thenmelttheendswiththeflameofalighterormatch,topreventunraveling.ButtonSwing.Becauseithangsfromjustonerope,abuttonswing(ordiscswing)cantietoalmostanystrongtreelimb,whetherit’slevelornot.Asingleropealsomeansyoucanswinginanydirectionandcanspinuntilyoureyesarecrossed.Thismakesthebuttonnotonlyversatilebutalittlemoreadventurousthanaplank-styleswing.Itcanbedifficultforkidsyoungerthanfourorfive,dependingontheirarmstrength,butthey’rereallyfunforbiggerkidsandadults,especiallyiftheswinghangsfromahighlimbforalong,sweepingarc.

MARKINGTHESEATThebestwaytomakeaperfectlyroundseatwithacleanedgeisbyusingarouterandasimplehomemadejigcalledatrammel.Youcanalsocuttheshapewithajigsaw,eitherfreehandorusingatrammel.Agoodstandardsizefortheseatisabout12"indiameter.Suitablematerialsinclude3/4"exterior(ormarine)plywood,solid1×lumber,orapieceofredwoodorcedar2×12(witha1×12or2×12,themaximumdiameterwillbearound1-1-1/4",whichisfine).

Whichevercuttingtechniqueyou’reusing,thefirststepistomarkthecenterpointoftheseatatleast6"fromthenearestedgeofthematerial(fora12"-diameterdisc).Todrawtheoutlineofthedisc,cutasmallnotchintheendofawoodslatoryardstick,thendrillasmallholeforapivotnailat6"fromthebottomofthenotch.Tapasmallfinishnailintotheholeandthenintothecenterpointoftheworkpiecetopintheslatinplace.Placethepointofapencilinthenotch,androtatetheslataroundthenailtodrawthecircle.

Markthecircularcuttinglineofthediscusingahomemadecompass.

Cutthecirclewithajigsawortrammel-guidedrouter.

Roundtheedgesofthediscwitharouterorsandpaperforacomfortablerideandtohelppreventsplinters.

CUTTINGTHESEATCutoutthediscalongtheoutline,usingyourpreferredmethod.Ifyou’reusingarouterandtrammel,it’sagoodideatorough-cuttheshapefirstwithajigsaw(preferably)oracircularsaw,stayingabout1/8"outsideofthecuttingline.Thencleanupthecutwiththerouter.Cuttingoffmostofthewastesavesconsiderablewearonexpensiverouterbits.

Atrammelisessentiallyalargeversionofthewood-slatcompass,withtherouter(insteadofapencil)fixedtotheoutsideend.Tomakeatrammel,cutastripofhardboardorthinplywoodtoroughlythesamewidthasyourrouter’sbase.Drillaclearanceholethroughtheboardfortherouterbit,andfastenthetrammeltothebasewithmachineboltssetintocountersunkpilotholes(you

usuallyhavetoremovetherouter’splasticbaseplatefirst).Nailthetrammeltotheworkpiececenterpoint,aswiththecompass,androtatetherouteraroundthedisctocompletethecut.It’sbesttomakethecutinseveralpassesofabout1/8"deepeach.

Tocutoutthediscwithajigsaw,simplydoitfreehandorattachthesaw’sfoot(base)toatrammelwithdouble-sticktape.Oncethedisciscut,smoothanyroughspotsorsawmarkswitharouterorcoarsesandpaperandasandingblock.

COMPLETINGTHESEATDrillaholefortheropethroughthecenterofthedisc,usingthefinishnailholetopilotthebit.Theholeshouldbejustbigenoughforthreadingtheropethrough.Agoodchoiceofropeforabuttonswingis5/8"or3/4"braidednylonorDacron.NylonismorelikelytostretchthanDacronbutmaybeeasiertofind.Eithertypeshouldhaveaworkingloadofatleastseveralhundredpounds.

Roundtheoutsideedgesonbothsidesofthedisc,usingarouterandroundoverbitorsandpaper.Roundtheedgesoftheropeholeslightlytopreventunnecessarywearontherope.Sandallsurfacesofthediscsmooth,thenapplyexterior-gradepolyurethaneorotherexteriorfinish.

HANGINGTHESWINGTietheropetoastouttreelimbusingaswinghitch,arunningdoublebowlineknot(seepage140),orotherappropriateknot,oruseaneyebolttoattachtoatreehousebeam,asshownonpage139.Makesuretheswingwillhaveplentyofclearancefromthetreetrunkandotherobstructions,keepinginmindtheuniversaltraveloftheswing.

Hangontheropetotakeoutanyinitialslackorstretch.Threadthelooseendoftheropethroughtheholeinthedisc,andtieofftheendunderneaththediscwithanAshleyStopperKnot,asshownbelow.Createdbythefamedknotsman,CliffordAshley,theknothasabroadflattopthat’sperfectforbuttonswings.Meltthecutendoftheropewithalighterormatchtopreventfraying.

HowtoTieanAshleyStopperKnot

Step1:Createasingleloopneartheworking(loose)endoftherope,thenruntheworkingendthroughtheloop,creatingasecondloop.

Step2:Pullthefirstloopupthroughthesecondloop.

Step3:Runtheworkingendoverthefirstloopandthenunderitself,soit’satthebackoftheknot.

Step4:Feedtheworkingendthroughthebackofthefirstloop.Pulltheworkingendandstandingportionoftheropetotightentheknot.“Dress”theknotsoitiscompactandformsaflatsurfaceoppositetheworkingend.

ZipLineAziplineisasimplecontraptionconsistingofaseatorhandlehangingfromaheavy-dutypulleythatissuspendedfromasteelcable.Thecableistiedbetweenapairoftrees,posts,orothersturdystructuresyoucanfindorbuild—aslongasoneishigherthantheother.Ifyou’restartingthecablefromatreehouseorplatform,makesureanyframingthattheeyeboltattachestoisrocksolid.

Aziplinecanbeslow,gentle,andcloseenoughtothegroundtopushoffandstopyourselfwithyourfeet.Or,itcanbeveryhighandveryfast,carryingyoudownmountainsidesoracrosslakes,rivers,andcanyons.Thelongestknownziplineis1.2miles,dropsalmost1,000feet,andreachesspeedsofupto100milesperhour.These“extreme”ziplinesshouldbecreatedbyprofessionalsonlyandusedunderthesupervisionofaqualifiedprofessional.

Youcancreateasmaller,saferversionofthatmind-bendingrideinyourownbackyardwithalengthofsteelcable,somelongeyebolts,andaziplinekitwithaheavy-dutytandempulley.Donotusethestandardpulleyssoldathardwarestoresforziplines—they’renotmeantforthisapplication.Similarly,useonlybraidedcable(usuallystainlesssteel)thathasbeenspecificallyselectedandpackagedforazipline.You’llfindanumberofpurveyorsofziplineproductsontheInternet(seeResources,page220).

Tools&MaterialsHeavy-duty,exterior-ratedeyebolts,washers&nuts(2)Metalthimblesforcable(6)StainlesssteelcableclampsDiscardedtire3/4"turnbuckleMulchRubbermalletDrillwithspadebits&bitextenderZiplinekitEye&earprotectionWorkgloves

Aziplineisabraidedmetalcablestretchedfromapointofaccesstoapointoflowerelevation.Addapulleyandatowbarorhandlebarsandletthejoyridesstart.

SafetyTipMinimumsafetyequipmentwhenusingaziplineincludesaharnessandhelmet.Useothersafetyequipment(shoulder-andknee-pads,etc.)asrequired.

ZipLineRequirementsForagoodride,maketheziplineatleast75ft.long,withaminimumslopeoffivefeet.Treesmustbeheathyandatleast10"indiameter.Ifyou’restartingatatreehouseorplatform,reinforcetheframingwithadditionalfastenersormetalbrackets.

Testtherunbeforedrillingtheholes.Wrapthecablearoundthetrees,secureitwithcableclampsandholditinpositionatthelevelwheretheeyeboltwillbeattachedwithwoodclampsorlargenails.Thentieaheavysandbagtothehandlesoit’shangingwhereapersonwouldbeandsenditdownthecable.Ifitseemstoosloworfast,moveoneendofthecabletocompensate.Watchforobstaclesinthepathofthecable,andcutbranchesbackfourfeetonallsides.

Akitandafewbasictoolsareallyouneedtoinstallazipline.Besuretobuyheavy-dutystainlesssteelorgalvanizedfittings(kitsareavailablefromonlinesuppliers).

Lighter-dutyziplinekitsmadeforusebychildrenaresoldinrelativelyinexpensivekits.Theirmaximumdistancestraveledrangefrom30to90ft.

Ahigh-adventureziplinerequiresaveryunusualbackyardwithtalltreesandamplespace,asshownhere.

Butsettingupaslightlytamerrunfromyourdecktotheoldmapletreeisagreatwayforactivepeopleofallagestolearnanddevelopskills.

HowtoInstallaZipLine

Drillaholethroughthecenterofeachtree(highendandlowend)foraneyebolt.Theholesshouldbethesamediameterastheeyeboltshaft.You’llneedtouseanextra-longspadebitorabitextendertoclearatreetrunk,whichshouldbeatleast10"indiameter.

Insertaneyebolt(stainlesssteelortriple-dippedgalvanized)throughtheguideholeandthensecureittothetreewithawidewasher,suchasafenderwasher,andanut.Theendofthebolt(inset)shouldprotrude1to2"pastthetree.Inspectthenutperiodicallytomakesureitisstilltight.

Attachaturnbuckletotheeyeboltonthelowendofthecablerun.Theturnbuckleshouldbesizedandratedforthecablesize,thetotalspanandthemaximumweightloadofyourzipline.

Loopthecable(useonlybraided,stainlesssteelcableratedforziplineusage)throughtheeyeboltonthehighside,placeametalthimbleattheloop,thensecureitinplacewiththreecableclamps.

Threadthelooseendofthecablethroughanon-steel-beltedcartiretoserveasasafetybumperatthelowendoftherun.Drilltwoholestopassthecablethroughthecenterofthetire,thendrillseveralholesinthebottomofthetirefordrainage.Analternativeoptionistoinstallabungeebrakesoldbyziplinesuppliers.

Securethecabletotheturnbuckleatthelowend.Theturnbuckleshouldbeloosenedalmostallthewaysoyoucantightenthecable.Pullthecablethroughtheturnbuckleastightlyasyoucan,andthenlockitinplacewiththreecableclamps.Testthetensioninthecable,andtightentheturnbuckleasneeded.

Clipthehandleortrolleyontothecableaccordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructionsandtestoutthezipline,takingcaretofollowallsafetyprecautions.

Ziplinesandlaunchingplatformsareperfectadditionstotreehouses,providedthepropersafetyequipmentisavailable.Launchingplatformsshouldnotbeconsideredplayareas,andthelaunchingplatformshouldbealmostfullyenclosedbya36"code-compliantrailingandbalusters.

ZIPLINEPLATFORMSZiplinesneedanelevatedplatformforstartingtheride.Atreehousecanbeidealforthis,offeringplentyofelevationformostziplines,aswellasanice,solidbaseforlaunching.Perhapsmostimportantly,ifyou’reupinthetreehousehavingfunwhenMomcallsyouinfordinnerorbedtime,atleastyoucanendyourplayonahighnote,withatriumphantlastridedownthezipline.Surebeatstrudgingdowntheladdergrumblingabouthowunfairitisthatyouhavetoeatandsleep.

Ifitisn’tfeasibletouseyourtreehouseasalaunchingplatform,youcansimplybuildastandaloneplatformdesignedspecificallyforthispurpose.Thiscanbequitesmall—say,3×3feet—andcanhangfromatreeorfromoneormoresupportposts.

Inanycase,it’simportanttonotethatalaunchingplatformshouldnotbedesignedorusedasageneralplayarea.Foronething,ithasafairlylargeopeningwithoutasafetyrailing,andsecond,theridershouldnotbedistractedashepreparesforthelaunch,lestheforgettogripthetrolleybarwithbothhands,forexample.Thefirstruleofthelaunchingplatformmustbe:Onepersonatatimeontheplatform.Withagroupofkidscrowdingarounditchingtotakearide,onecanonlyimaginethekindsofhazardstheymightinvent.

BUILDINGASTANDALONEPLATFORMAstandalonelaunchingplatformcanemployanyoftheplatformdesignelementsandanchoringtechniquesdiscussedinthetreehousebuildingtechniquessection(pages60–83).Asimpleversionusesasaddledesigninwhichtheplatformjoistsanchortoeithersideofthetree,withtwokneebracesdoingthesameafewfeetbelow.

Dependingonthesizeofthehosttree,theplatformdeckcanbearound3to4feetwideand3to4feetdeep.Itshouldhavea36"-highrailingonthesides,withbalustersspacedjustunder4"apart.Theweightloadsareprettyminimalhere,soa2×6framewitha2×4railingissuitableforasmallplatformlikethis.

Foraccesstotheplatform,apermanentlyattachedladder,suchasthedouble-rungandflat-rungstylesshownonpages126through128,isagoodoptionthat’srelativelyeasytobuild.Theaccessladdershouldapproachfromthesideandincludeasafetyrailacrossthetopoftheopening.Theheightoftheplatformisuptoyou,butitmustprovideasufficientdropinelevationforagoodride;agoodrule-of-thumbdictatesatleasta75-footrunanda5-footdropinelevation.

LaunchingfromaTreehouseWiththerightsetup,anyopen-deckportionofatreehousecanbedesignedoradaptedtoserveasalaunchingarea,butthereareafewimportantfactorstoconsider.First,theremustbeaclearpathfortravelalongtheline;youdon’twantthecablecrossingovertrafficroutesorcommonareasofthetreehouse.Second,thecable’sanchorpointshouldbewithin3to4feetofthedrop-offedgeoftheplatform.Thecable’ssagismostpronouncedatthebeginningoftherun;iftheanchorpointistoofarback,theridermightbumpalongtheplatformonthewayout.Finally,theplatformshouldbeseparatedfromthecommon/playareasofthetreehouse.Thisisbestachievedwithalatchedsafetygatethatbarsaccesstolittlekidsandhelpsolderkidsadheretothe“onepersonatatime”rule.

Often,thebestplanistolocatethelaunchingplatforminarelativelyremotepartofthetreehousestructure,suchasbehindthehouseoratthefarcornerofadeck.Anotheroptionistoaddabump-outontothemainplatformordeckareausingcantileveredjoistsoradditionalkneebracesandothersupportmembersasneeded.Itisimportantthatthepathisclearalongtherouteoftheline,thatthecable’sanchorpointiswithin3to4feetoftheedgeoftheplatform,andthattheplatformbeseparatedfromthecommonareaofthetreehousewithasafetygateorotherbarrier.

RockClimbingWallThereseemstobesomethingDarwinianinakid’sinnatedesireandabilitytoclimb.Andthey’lluseanythingto“getoffthedeck,”asrockclimberssay.Thismakesaclimbingwallagoodbetforatreehouseaccessory.Climbingwallsbuildmusclesandconfidenceandareprobablythemostfunofallmodesofaccessforgettingupintoatreehouse.

Aclimbingwalliseasytobuild,butittakestherightequipmenttomakesureit’ssafe,versatile,andsuitablefortheresidentclimbers.Whilethewallstructureisasimpleassemblyofframinglumberandpaintedplywood,theholds—theroughlytextured,contouredpiecesusedforclimbing—shouldbechosencarefullytoaccommodatetheclimbers’agesandabilities.Rockclimbingequipmentmanufacturersmakethiseasybyofferingavarietyofsetsofholdsinarangeofsizesandshapes.

TheclimbingholdsaresecuredtothewallwithboltsandT-nuts,whichaffixthemselvestothebacksideoftheplywood,sothey’realwaystherewhenit’stimetochangetheclimbingroute.Thereinliestheuniquebenefitofclimbingwalls:Youcaneasilyrearrangetheholdstocreatenewroutesatanytime.Thewall’sversatilitydependsonafewfactors:theoverallsizeofthewall,thenumberofholes(andT-nuts)intheplywood,andthenumberofholdsyouhavetoworkwith.

Fortoddlersandelementary-school-agedclimbers,plantopurchaseabout32holdsper4×8-footsectionofwall.Olderclimberscandowellwithfewerholds—about18to24holdsper4×8-footsection.It’swellworthittobuyagoodsetupfronttomakethewallbothversatileandfuntouse.Asetof32holdswithhardwarecostsaround$80to$120.It’salsorecommendedthatyoubuyfromalegitimaterockclimbinggearsupplier,ratherthanatoycompany,whichmighthavecheapplasticholdsthataren’tsturdyanddon’tsimulatethefeelofrealrock.

Rockwallsaregreatskill-buildersforclimbersofanyage.Withasizeablewallandplentyofholds,youhavetheflexibilitytochangetheroutesperiodicallytokeepthingsinterestingandchallenging.

Avarietypackofholds—withplentyofmedium-andlarge-sizepieces—isidealforatreehouserockwall.Makesuretheholdsandallhardwareareratedforoutdooruse.

FRAMINGTHEWALLTobuildasimpleverticalwallthat’sattachedtothegroundatthebottomandthe

treehousestructureatthetop,startbyconstructinga2×4framesizedtomatchtheoveralldimensionsofthewall.Cuttheoutsidestudsthefulllengthofthewallminus3",thencutatopandbottomplatetofastentothestuds.Assembletheframewith3"deckscrewsor16dgalvanizedcommonnails.Installinteriorstudsbetweentheplates,spacingthem16"oncenter.Ifthewalliswiderthanone4×8sheetofplywood,makesurethere’sastudcenteredbehindeveryplywoodseam.

TEXTURINGTHESURFACEPrimeeachpanelof3/4"exterior-gradeplywoodonallsurfaces,usinganexterior-gradeprimer.Paintthefrontfacesofthepanels(whichshouldbethe“A,”orbetter,side)withexteriorhousepaintmixedwithatexturematerial,orusenon-slipflooringpaint.Creatingatexturedsurfaceoffersseveraladvantages:itmakesthewallsurfacelessslippery,tofacilitateclimbing;ithelpstopreventtheholdsfromturningunderforce—acommonproblemwithsomesingle-boltholds;and,perhapsmostimportantly,itkeepstheholdsfromstickingtothepaint.

Youcancreatethetexturedsurfacebysimplyaddingatexturematerial,suchasSharkGrip,toexteriorhousepaint,oruseanexteriorflooringpaintdesignedforpatiosandpoolsurrounds,suchasFloor-Tex.Applytheproductsfollowingthemanufacturer’sdirections.Painttheedgesandbackfacesofthepanelswithordinaryexteriorhousepaint.

Buildthewallframewithpressure-treated2×4s.Largeorfreestandingwallsmightrequirelargerframingmembers.

Atextureadditiveturnsordinaryhousepaintintoahighlyworkabletexturepaint.Lightweight,low-densitymaterials,suchaspolymerbeads,areeasytoworkwithbecausetheyremainsuspendedinthepaint;sandandotherheavymaterialstendtosink,requiringfrequentmixing.

Offsettingtheholesfortheclimbingholdsby4"betweenrowsgivesyouthebestdistributionoverthewallarea.Keepingtheholes2"fromthesideedgesensurestheT-nutswillbeclearofthewallframing.

HammertheT-nutsintobackofthewallpanel(s).Makesurethatthenutsareperfectlyflatsothatthethreadedsleevesareproperlyalignedforthebolts.

DRILLINGTHEHARDWAREHOLESLayouttheholepatternontothefrontfacesofthepanel(s),asshownhere.Afull4×8-footpanelgets72holes.Drilleachholewitha7/16"spadeortwistbit,keepingthebitstraightanddrillingfromthefrontfaceofthepaneltopreventtearoutontheexposedsurface.Ifdesired,primeand/orpainttheholeinteriorsforaddedmoistureprotection.

INSTALLINGTHET-NUTSInstalltheT-nutsontothebackfaceofthepanel(s),usingahammer.Centereachnutoverahole,withthenut’ssleevefacingintothehole.Carefullyhammerthenut,drivingthepointedtipsintotheplywood,untiltherearflangeofthenutisflushwiththeplywoodsurface.Everyholeinthepanel(s)shouldgetanut.Note:Topreventcorrosion,besuretouseexterior-gradenutsandbolts.Most

climbingwallsuppliersofferstainlesssteelboltsandzinc-platedT-nuts—agoodcombinationforlong-termstrengthandcorrosionresistance.

COMPLETINGTHEWALLFastenthepanel(s)tothe2×4framewith15/8"deckscrewsdrivenevery6"alongtheedgesandevery8"inthefieldofthesheet.Countersinkthescrewheadsslightlybelowthesurfaceoftheplywood.Ifthewoodsplintersaroundtheheads,drillcountersunkpilotholesforthescrews.Toautomaticallysquareuptheframeasyouwork,startatonecornerofthewall,aligningtheplywoodwiththetwoadjacentedgesoftheframe.Ifyou’reusingmorethanonepanel,makesurethejointsbetweenpanelsaretightandflush,withnogapsorraisededges.

Toinstallthewallontothetreehouse,firstdigasmalltrenchunderthewalllocation,about4"deep.Fillthetrenchwithgravel,thenlevelandcompactitfirmly.Cutabasefromapressure-treated4×4tomatchthewidthofthewall.Drillthree3/8"holesthroughthebase.Levelthebaseatopthegravel.Measuretoconfirmthatthewallwillbeflushwithorslightlybelowthetopofthetreehouseplatformwheninstalled.Anchorthebasetothegroundwith12"lengthsof#4rebar.

Setthewallontopofthebase.Anchorthetopendofthewalltotheplatformstructurewith3/8"carriageboltsormachineboltsandwashers.Theboltheadsshouldbeonthefrontfaceofthewallandshouldbecountersunkintothewoodifthey’renotrounded.Fastenthebottomendofthewalltothe4×4basewith4"lagscrews.

Arrangetheholdsasdesired,securingthemtotheT-nutswith3/8"stainlesssteelbolts(mosthaveAllenheads).Torquetheboltsasspecifiedbytheholdmanufacturer.

Bolttheholdstothewall,makingsurethey’retightandproperlypositioned.Nowit’stime

WaterCannonThisiswithoutquestionthemostfunyoucanhavewithpressurizedwater.Andafterputtinginanumberofweekendsonthetreehouseitself,you’llbegladtoknowthatyoucaneasilycreatethiscannoninanhour,usingpartsthatcostlessthan$15atyourlocalhomecenter.Thatmeansyoucanstarttheprojectduringthecoolhoursofasummermorningandhavethecannoninstalledandreadyforbattleinthemiddayheat.

Thecannonshownhereismadewith3/4"PVCpipeandfittings.AlloftheunthreadedconnectionsaregluedwithPVCcement(solventglue).Ifyou’rehandywithatorch,youcouldcreateasimilarversionusingcopperpipe.Onceassembled,thecannonmountsontoaswivelingcasterscrewedintoapostorthetopofatreehouserailing.

Thenozzleattheendofthecannonbarrelisanordinarystraight-stylegardennozzle,thetypethatyoutwisttoturnonthewaterandadjustthespray.Inthiscase,it’sbesttoleavethenozzleopenandusetheballvalvelocatedonthecannon’shandletocontrolthewaterflow.Nozzlesareavailableinafewdifferentstyles.Standardtwisttypesofferthemostadjustmentcapabilityandplentyofpoweratfullconcentration,whilejet-stylenozzlesdeliverahighlyconcentratedstreamandthelongestrange(butthismightbeoverkillformostapplications).

Mantheramparts(andwaterthelawnwhileyou’reatit)!Thiswatercannonhasitsownshutoffvalveandnozzlecontrol,soyou’llneverhavetoleavethecastleunguardedtoreloadorretool.

Acoil-typegardenhoseprovidesthebestmaneuverabilityatthecannonendofthewaterline.Youcanattachashortcoilhosetoastandardgardenhose,leavingplentyofslackinthecoilforeasymovement.

Thecannonisaseasytobuildasitisfuntouse.

BuyingthePartsAwell-stockedhomecenterorhardwarestoreshouldhaveallofthepartsyouneed,butplantospendafewminutesintheplumbingsectionsortingthroughthevariousboxesfortherightfittings.Herearethesuppliesneededtobuildthecannonasshown;allpartsarefor3/4"PVCpipe:

36linearinchesof3/4"pipe1—Tfittingwiththreadeddowntube1—threadedplug(threadedendmustbeenclosed)1—Tfitting(standard;allunthreadedtubes)2—90-degreeelbowfittings2—pipetomalethreadedfittings1—PVCballvalvewithfemalethreadedends1—pipetohosefitting(3/4"malethreadedend;femalethreadedendforstandard1/2"hose)

1—threaded(female)cap1—pipetohosefitting(3/4"unthreadedfemaleend;malethreadedendforstandard1/2"hoseend)

PVCprimerPVCcement(schedule40)1—galvanizedswivelcasterwith1-7/8"or2"wheel(needatleast1-1/8"ofspaceforwheelwidth,toaccommodateTfitting)

1—gardenhosenozzle

ASSEMBLINGTHECANNONTobuildthecannon,cuttwolengthsofpipeat11"and6"forthelongandshortbarrelpieces.Cutthepipewithahacksaw,tubingcutter,ormitersaw.Ajigsawwithafine-toothbladeworkswell,too.Cleanthecutends.Ontooneendofthelongbarrelpiece,primeandsolvent-glueapipetohosefittingwitha1/2"malethreadedend.

Solvent-gluingplasticpipeiseasy:Brushprimerontothematingparts,thenbrushonthecement.Quicklyfitthepiecestogether,givingthema1/4-turntospreadtheglue,andholdfirmlyfor30seconds.Thedirectionsonthecantellyouexactlywhattodo—justbesuretofollowthemcarefully.

Theassembledcannon.Youcansettheangleofthehandlestosuittheinstallationandthegunner’sposition.Drilltheholeforthecasteraxlebolt(inset),makingsuretheupperportionoftheplugwillmaintainawatertightseal.

GluetheotherendofthelongbarreltoaTfittingwithathreadeddowntube,thengluetheshortbarreltotheoppositeunthreadedtubeoftheT.Thethreaded

tubeendoftheTiswherethecannonmountstothecaster,viaaholeyouwilldrillthroughtheT.TopreventwaterfromescapingthroughtheTandthehole,capofftheTendwithathreadedmalepluggluedinplaceandthreadedinasfaraspossible.

Next,glueastandardTtothebareendoftheshortbarrelsothetwotoptubesarelevel.Cuttwolengthsofpipeat4",andgluethesetotheT.Attheendofeach4"piece,glueanelbowthatanglesdownandbackabout20degreesfromvertical,orasdesired.Totheopenendsoftheelbows,gluetwo5-1/2"lengthsofpipetocreatethehandles.Then,glueonapipetomalethreadedfitting.Settheassemblyasidefortwohours(orasdirected)toletthesolventgluecure.

Atthisstage,thecannonisperfectlysymmetrical,andtheremainingfittingsarescrewedon.Thismeansyoucanalwayschangewhichsidereceivesthevalveandhose.Ontooneofthemalethreadedends,screwaPVCballvalve,followedbyathreadedpipetohosefitting(1/2"maleendscrewsintovalve;3/4"femaleendreceivesgardenhose).Ontheotherhandle’sfitting,screwathreadedcap.Youcanremovethiscaptodrainthehandle,asdesired.Tofacilitatetighteningandpreventleaks,useTeflontapeforallthreadedconnections(exceptthegluedplugonthebarrelT).

INSTALLINGTHECANNONTomountthecannon,removethewheelfromthecaster’saxlebolt.CarefullydrillaholethroughtheTonthecannonbarrel,drillingallthewaythroughthefittingandplugandkeepingtheholeclosetothebottomendoftheT—youwanttoleaveplentyofthreadedareatoensureawatertightsealabovethehole.Theholeshouldbejustlargeenoughtofittheaxlebolt.Fastenthecasterupsidedownontothetreehouserailing,apost,orotheranchorpoint,usingdeckscrews.Fittheaxleboltthroughthecasterarms—withthecannonTinthemiddle—andsecureitwiththenut.

Attachacoil-typeorothergardenhosetothehandle,andrunthewaterfullblastforafewsecondstoflushoutanyplasticdebris.Addthenozzle,andyou’rereadytodefendthefortress!

SpeakingTubeFortheaveragetreehousedweller,aspeakingtubeisaspecialtelephoneusefulforspies,pirates,andclubhousetopbrass.Bystandarddefinition,aspeakingtubeisa19th-centuryintercomsystemthatusespipestotransmitsoundoverrelativelylongdistances.TheywereusedinVictorianhomestotalkwithvisitorsatthefrontdoorandtosummonservantsfromdistantrooms.Andkidswillliketoknowthatspeakingtubeshavelongbeenimportantforcommunicationonnavalships,wheresomearestillinusetoday.

Youcangetasenseoftheeffectivenessofspeakingtubesbywhisperingbackandforththroughalongpipeatthehomecenterorthroughagardenhoseathome.Eventheslightestmurmurcanbeclearlyheardacrossthelongestpipe.Thisisbecausesoundtravelsonair,whichischanneledthroughthepipedirectlyfromthespeakertothelistener,withoutbeingdispersedanddissipatingintotheopen.

Constructingaspeakingtubeisverysimple,andyoucanuseavarietyofpipeortubematerials—reallyanythingthatmovesairefficiently.Here,you’llseehowtoinstallanundergroundspeakingtubemadeofPVCpipeandlearnaboutaverticalversionmadewithcopperpipe.PVCpipealsoworksjustaswellascopperforanabovegroundtube.Forlongundergroundruns,youmightprefertouseflexiblePEtubingfortheundergroundportionandconstructtheexposedendswithrigidPVCorcopperpipeandfittings.Whatevertubingyouuse,it’sagoodideatotestoutthematerialandtheoveralltubedesignbeforeinstallingorburyinganyparts.

Aspeakingtubeisafail-safecommunicationdevicefortransmittingtop-secretinformationorfreshknock-knockjokes.Youmayhavetriedoneoftheseatapublicplayground,butyourownversionislikelytoworkmuchbetter.

UNDERGROUNDSPEAKINGTUBEUndergroundtubesseemespeciallymagicalbecauseyoudon’tseeanyofthetubingconnectingthevisibletalking/listeninguprightsattheends.Theburiedpipingcanrununderanentireplayareaandmaketurnsasneededalongtheway.Anundergroundtubecanalsobeconnectedtoaverticaltubetosendmessagesbetweenatreehouseandapointonthegroundsomedistanceaway.

PLANNINGTHEPIPEROUTEAspeakingtubecanworkwellat50yardsorevenfartherbetweentheends.That’sprobablyalotmorethanyouneed—especiallywhenyouconsiderthatanundergroundtuberequirestrenching.Butit’susefulinformationifyou’replanningtomakelongdistancecalls.Theimportantthingistotestthesystembeforediggingthetrench.Fortunately,PVCpipeischeapenoughthatyoucanbuyacoupleofextralengthstotestalongertube,evenifyouendupnotusingit.

Toplanyourtuberoute,layoutlengthsof1"rigidPVCpipeabovethe

intendedundergroundpath,usingPVCcouplingstojointhepieces.Usea45°or90°elbowtomaketurns,asneeded.Justkeepinmindthatthemoreefficientlytheairflowsthroughthepipes,thebetterthesoundwillbeatthereceivingend.Cutthepipestolengthasneeded,usingatubingcutter,hacksaw,orjigsawwithafine-toothblade.

Layouttheundergroundsectionsofpipingtoplanthefinalroutebeforetestingthesystem.

ASSEMBLINGTHEENDSEachendoftheburiedportionofthespeakingtubefeedsintoanuprightsectionthatincludestheopenendforlisteningorspeakinginto.Thesecanbeanyheightyoulike.Tocreateeachupright,dry-fit(noglue)a90°elbowontotheendoftheundergroundpipesotheopenendoftheelbowispointingstraightup.Addaverticalsectionofpipe,followedbyanother90°elbowanda1-1/2"orlargerreducerfitting.Thereducerservesasthemouthpiece,theequivalentofthecone-shaped“trumpet”endfoundontraditionalspeakingtubes.

Theuprightsshouldbesecuredtosomekindofrigidstructure,suchasatree,atreehousesupportpost,orashort4×4postinstalledforthispurpose.Installashortpostbysettingitintoaholeandbackfillingaroundthepostwithtamped

layersofsoilandcompactiblegravel.Withbothuprightsdry-assembled,givethespeakingtubeatestrun.

TheendofthetubeismadewithaPVCreducingfitting.Youcanembellishthiswithalargercone-shapeddevice,whichmayenhancethesoundsomewhatbutisnotnecessary.

ASSEMBLINGTHEPIPEWhenalllooksgood,digthetrenchfortheundergroundpipe,andpermanentlyinstallanysupportpostsfortheuprights.Besureto“callbeforeyoudig,”soyouknowforsuretherearen’tanyutilitylinesintheinstallationarea.Digthepipetrenchabout6"deepinanunsoddedplayareaor9"to12"deepunderalawn.

AssembletheundergroundpiperunusingPVCprimerandcement(solventglue),asdirectedbythemanufacturer.Thebasicgluingprocessistobrushprimerontothematingparts,thenbrushonacoatingofcement.Quicklyfitthepiecestogether,givingthematwisttospreadtheglue,andholdthepiecesfirmlyfor30seconds.Makesurethe90°elbowsattheendsoftheundergroundsectionarepointingstraightup.

Laythecompletedpipeintothetrench.Gluetogetherthepiecesoftheuprights,startingwiththestraightpipesleadingfromtheundergroundelbowsandfinishingwiththereducingfittings.Lettheentirepipeassemblyrestundisturbedforatleasttwohours,orasdirected.

Jointhetubepartswithsolventglue.Thegluesetsupin30seconds,butthejointsshouldn’tbestressedfortwohours.

COMPLETINGTHETUBEAfterthesolventgluehascured,laythepipeintothetrench.Securetheuprightstotheirsupportswithmetalorplasticpipestrapsanddeckscrews.Backfillthetrenchwiththedisplacedsoil,tampitflat,andreplacethesodorgroundcover,asapplicable.Tip:Topreventkidsfromdroppingstuffdownintothetube’sends,cutapiece

ofhardwareclothtofitinsidethereducer,securingitwithalittlecaulkorepoxy.Anythingdroppedintothepipewillreducethetube’seffectiveness,andextricatingsomethingvaluablerequiresdiggingupandcuttingintothetubing.

PVCpipeisflexibleandstrong,butitisbreakable.Securetheuprightswithpipestrapstopreventanydamage.

VerticalSpeakingTubeFormanytreehouses,aspeakingtubegoingstraightupalongthetreeorsupportpostandintothehouseisjustthething—idealfordeliveringsecretpasswordsfortreehouseaccessorreportingnewsbetweenthehouseandtheground(orbetweenthecrow’snestandthedeck,thecontroltowerandthetarmac,etc.).Theverticaltubeiscraftedwithcopperpipeandfittings,mostlybecausecopperlooksgoodandbecausetheoverallrunisshortenoughtomakethecostreasonable.YoucanbuildasimilartubelessexpensivelywithPVCorotherplasticplumbingparts.

Averticaldesigncanfollowjustaboutanypath,butamoredirectroutetendstoyieldbettersoundquality.Use45°or90°elbowfittingstomaketurns,followingthesupportingstructure.Plantosupportthepipingeveryfewfeet.Torunthetubeupintothetreehouse,drilla7/8"-or1"-dia.holethroughtheplatform,usingaholesaworspadebit.

Agoodsizeofpipeforaspeakingtubeis3/4",althoughlargerpipealsoworks.Cutthestraightlengthsofpipefortherun,startingatoneendoftheplannedroute.Securethepipetosupports,suchasthetreehouseframingorsupportposts,usingcopperpipestrappingandshortdeckscrews.

Tomaketurns,useelbowsandotherfittingsintherun.Forthisapplication,thepipingdoesn’thavetobewatertight,soyoucanglueonthefittingswithasmallamountofmetalepoxyorotheradhesive,orsolderthejointsjustenoughtoholdthemtogether.

Finisheachendofthespeakingtubewitha90°elbow,ashorthorizontalpipe,andareducerfitting,allgluedorsolderedinplace.Anysizeofreducerwillwork,butbiggerisbetter;forexample,a2"-to-3/4"reducerisagoodsizethat’scommonlyavailable.

SlidesAsanelevatedperchandplaystructure,atreehouseforyoungkidsprettymuchhastohaveaslide.Thisleavesyouwithtwooptions:buyingaplasticprefabslideorbuildingyourownwithlumberand(thesecretingredient)plasticlaminate.That’sright,thecountertopmaterial.Butwe’llgettothosedetailslater.

Prefabslidescomeinawiderangeofsizesandshapes,fromstraightwavestocurlicue“turbo”tubes.Theyalsorangewidelyinprice,fromsortofpriceytoturboexpensive.Largeorelaboratemodelsmayrequireassembly,butotherwiseallyouhavetodoisanchortheslideatthetopandbottomandaddamid-spansupport,ifapplicable.

Aslideisanidealaccessoryforanykids’treehousethat’sclosetotheground.Allslidesshouldhaveasafetyrailthatcontinuesthelineoftherailingacrosstheopeningatthetopoftheslide.

DIYSLIDEThereareafewreasonsyoumightpreferahomemadedesign.First,DIYslidescanbeextraslipperyandfast.That’swhatslidesarefor,right?Manyplastic

slidescreatetoomuchfrictionforasmooth,swiftglide.Second,whileahomemadeslidecontainssomeplastic,itdoesn’thavetolooklikeamonstroustoyinaglaringprimarycolor,asdomostprefabmodels.Thesidesarepaintedredwood,andtheslidesurfacecanbeany(light)coloryouchoosefromyourlaminatesupplier.Andfinally,youmightbetemptedtobuildaslidesimplybecauseyoucan,andbecauseitcertainlywillbetheonlyonelikeitontheblock.

FITTINGTHESTRINGERSThestringersarethetwostructuralsidesoftheslide,whichalsocreatethesidewallstopreventslidersfrommakinganearlydismount.Foraslidethat’sroughly8feetlong,2×8redwoodorcedarstringers(at10feetlong)areagoodoption.Besuretouselumberthat’ssmoothonallsidesandedges.Intermsofgrade,“all-heart”redwoodwilllastlongerintheweatherthanlowergrades.You’llstartbycustom-cuttingonestringertofittheinstallation,thenusethecutpieceasapatterntomarkandcuttheremainingstringersothetwoareidentical.

Holdoneofthestringerboardsinplacesoitspansfromthetreehouseplatform(thelaunchingarea)totheground(thelandingarea).Thestandardslopeforslidesisabout30degrees,andyoucanadjustthisasdesired.Thesteepertheslope,thefastertheslide.Justkeepinmindthatthisslidedoesn’tleveloutatthebottomlikemostplaygroundslides,sobecarefulnottomakeittoofast.

Markthebottomedgeoftheboardatbothendsfortheinitialcutstofitthemtotheplatformandground.You’llprobablycutmorethanonceforagoodfit.Cuttheendswithacircularsaworjigsaw.Testthefitandfine-tunethecutsasneeded.Thetopendsofthestringersarenotchedtofitovertheendoftheplatform(seephotoon160).Thebottomendhasalevelcutthatfollowsthegroundandaplumbendcutthat’sperpendiculartothelevelcut.

Shapethetopcornersofthestringerwith1"-radiusroundovers,orasdesired.Makethecutswithajigsaworhandsaw,andsandthemsmooth.Laythecutstringerovertheremainingboardandtransferallofthecutsandroundovers,thencuttheremainingstringer.

CREATINGTHESLIDESURFACETheslidesurfaceis3/4"ACXplywoodcoveredonitstopfacewithplasticlaminate(a.k.a.Formica).Laminatesheetsarecommonlyavailableinwidthsof3to5feetandlengthsof6to12feet.Formostslides,a3-foot-widepieceismorethanenough.Besuretochoose“standard”laminatedesignedforcountertops;thinnerVT(orvertical-grade)laminateisn’tasdurable.Alsobe

suretoselectalightcolortoreflectheat.Astandardtexturedsurfaceispreferabletoahigh-glosssurface.

Youcanbuildtheslidesurfaceinafewdifferentways.Oneistorough-cuttheplywoodtosize,applythelaminate,thentrimtheedgesofboththeplywoodandlaminatewithasaw(cuttingfromthebacksideoftheplywood).Anotheristocutbothmaterialstothefinishedsizebeforegluingonthelaminate.Athirdmethodfollowsthestandardprocessforcountertopsandotherfinishedsurfaces:Cuttheplywoodtosize,applythelaminatesoitoverhangsalloftheplywoodedges,thentrimthelaminateflushtotheplywoodwitharouterandflush-trimmingbit.Thismethodleavesthemostroomforerrorwhengluingthelaminate,andit’sthebestwaytocutthelaminatewithoutchippingtheedges.

Positionthefirststringerboardatapproximately30°,andmarktheendsforanotchcutatthetopandalevelcutattheground.

Gluethelaminatetothesmoothfaceoftheplywood,usingcontactcement.Usingoldminiblindslatsorcleanwoodstripsasspacershelpsyoupositionthelaminatebeforestickingitdown.Onceit’sfullybonded,trimthelaminateflushtotheplywoodedges.

Cuttheplywoodtothedesiredlengthandwidth,usingacircularsaw.It’sagoodideatomakethefinishedslideatleast24"wide,toaccommodatethrill-seekingadults.Add1"tothedesiredwidthoftheslidesurface,because1/2"ofeachsideedgewillbecapturedinadadogrooveinthestringer.Sandthetopfaceoftheplywood(thegood“A”side)soitissmoothandflat.

Cutthelaminatesheettoamanageablesize,about3"longerandwiderthantheplywoodpiece,usingtinsnips,arouter,oracircularsaw.Applythelaminatewithwaterproofcontactcement,followingthemanufacturer’sdirections.Afterthelaminateisstuck,rollitoutcarefullywithaJ-rollertostrengthenthebondandremoveanyairbubbles.Trimtheexcesslaminatealongtheedgesoftheplywoodwiththerouter.

PREPARINGTHESTRINGERSUsingtherouterandaroundoverbit,roundoverallexposededgesofeachstringer.Thisisacriticalstepforsafetyandtopreventsplinters,soifyoudon’thavearouter,roundovertheedgeswithcoarsesandpaperandasandingblock.Don’troutorsandtheedgesofthedadoes.

Sandallsurfaces(exceptthedadoes)thoroughly,makingsureeverythingissmoothandsplinter-free,workinguptoatleast150-gritsandpaper.Tapeoffthe

dadoes,thenprimeandpaintthestringerswithqualityexteriorprimerandhousepaint.It’sashametohideredwoodwithathickcoatofpaint,butit’snecessarytopreventweatheringthatleadstosplintersandcracks.

Smoothsurfacesareakeysafetyfeature.Roundingtheedgesofthestringershelpspreventsplinteringandmakesthemmorecomfortableforgrippingandgliding.

ASSEMBLINGTHESLIDEThebestwaytojointheslidesurfacewiththestringersisbysettingthesurface’sedgesintodadoes,whichyoucanmillwitharouterorcutwithatablesawandadadoblade.Ifyoudon’thaveoneofthesetools,youcansimplyuse2×2sunderneaththeslidesurface,fasteningthemtothestringersandplywoodwithglueandscrews.

Tomillthedadoeswitharouter,setupanedgeguideontherouterbasesothebottomofthedadowillbe1-1/2"fromthebottomedgeofeachstringer.Millthedadoeswithastraightbitsothefinishedgroovematchesthethicknessoftheslidesurface(itwillprobablybealittleover3/4").

Assembletheslidebyapplyingexterior-grade(waterproof)woodgluetothedadoesandfittingthestringersoverthesidesoftheslidesurface.Clamptheassemblytogether,makingsurethestringersareperpendiculartothesurface.Afterthegluecures,sealthejointsfrommoisturewithfinebeadsofexteriorcaulkappliedalongthecornerswherethesurfacemeetsthestringers.

INSTALLINGTHESLIDEMountthecompletedslidetothetreehouseplatformusinggalvanizedmetal

bracketsoranotherappropriateanchoringmethod.Fastenabrackettoeachstringerusingshortcarriageboltsorscrews,thenfastenthebracketstotheplatformwithlagscrewsorheavy-dutydeckscrews.

Atthebottomend,theslideshouldberestingonfirm,levelground.Addplentyofsoftmulchorothersuitablegroundcoverintheslidelandingarea.Replenishthegroundcoverasneededtoensureasoftlanding.

Dadoedstringersmakeforthecleanestassembly.Besuretousewaterproofglue(polyurethaneglueorexterior-ratedwoodglue)topermanentlybondtheslidesurfaceintothestringers.

Mountthetopendsoftheslidestringerstothetreehousewithmetalbracketsandscrews(orbolts)—allmaterialsmustbecorrosion-resistant.

TreehouseProjects

Ifyou’vestuckwithusfromthebeginningofthebookyou’velearnedhowtodesignandbuildeachpartofatreehouse.Nowyoucanseeallthosepartscometogetherintwostart-to-finishtreehouseprojectscompletedinrealbackyards.Thedesignsofthehousesareintentionallyquitedifferent:Oneisalotlikeaterrestrialhouseandisbuiltinasingletree;theotherisanopen-sidedaffairsupportedbyalargetreeandtwoposts.Ofcourse,theseprojectsjustscratchthesurfaceofoptionsandfeaturesthatyoumightincorporateintoyourowndesign.Forafewmoreideas,checkoutthetreehouseplansonpages196–219.

Inthischapter:

▪Open-airTreehouse▪GableHousewithEntryDeck▪GableRoofwithAuxiliaryPosts▪A-framewithWalkoutDeck▪Half-coveredCrow’sNest▪WraparoundShedonStilts▪TriangularTreeHut▪Four-treeShanty

Open-airTreehouse

ThishousedesigncouldjustaseasilybecalledtheAll-agesTreehouse.Adultswilllikeitbecausetheycanmovearoundinthehousewithouthavingtoseetheirchiropractorthenextdayandbecausethebroaddecksurfaceandampleheadroommakeitagreatvenueforoutdoorentertainingandeverydaycocktailsatsundown.Kidswillloveitbecause,well,becauseit’satreehouse,butalsobecauseit’slargeenoughtofitloadsofthem.Theopensidesareidealforbackyardgames,andthedeckmakestheperfectstageforpicnicsandcampouts.Bestofall,everyonecanusethetreehouseatonce,althoughthismayrequireawillingnesstododgewaterballoonsoractasacaptiveonapirateship.

Thehouseshowninthisprojecthasan8×12-footfloorplanandmeasuresabout9feetfromthedecktotheroofpeak.It’ssupportedalongthefrontsidebytwopostsandalongtherearsidebytwotrees(seepage171),usingspecialanchorsdesignedspecificallyfortreehouses.Thetreehousedeckstandsabout8feetofftheground.

Theinstructionshereprovideadetailedoverviewofbuildingthehouseasshown,forthisparticularsite.Theycanserveasageneralguidetohelpyoudesignandbuildasimilarhouseofyourown.However,alloftheconstructionspecificationsforyourprojectmustbegearedforyourspecifichousedesign,theintendeduseofthehouse,thetree(s),andthebuildingsite,aswellasanyapplicablelocalbuildingcodesandzoningrestrictions.

Water-resistantcushionsareidealfortheopen-airtreehouse,perfectforextraseatpaddingorjustthrowingontheground—it’satreehouse,afterall.

Theopen-airtreehousecombinestheversatilityofanelevateddeckwiththeshelterofacoveredporch,butofcourseit’sfarbetterthanbothbecauseit’sfoundinthetrees.

Open-airTreehouse

LOCATINGTHEANCHORPOINTSThistreehousehasfouranchorpoints:one6×6postateachofthefrontcornersoftheplatformandonetreeanchorneareachoftherearcorners.TheanchorsusedherearethestandardGLanchors(seeResourcespage220),whichscrewdirectlyintothetreeandsupportastructuralbeamforthetreehouseplatform.IfyouuseGLorothertreeanchors,besuretofollowthesupplier’sormanufacturer’srecommendationsforinstallationandload-bearingcapacity.Wheninstalledproperly,theanchorsusedhereareratedforaloadof4,000pounds.

Startbylocatingtheanchorpointsonthehosttree(ortrees).Markthetrunkorlimbattheapproximateheightofthetreehousedeckminus18"(thecombineddepthofthetreehouseplatformandbeam).Inspectthetreeinthisareacarefullytomakesureit’ssuitableforananchor.Itmustbeatleast12"indiameter,andit

mustbesolidandhealthy:norot,fungus,cracks,splits,insectdamage,oranyotherindicationsofexistingorpotentialweakness.

Ifthefirstanchorpointgetsthego-ahead,leveloverwithalong,straightboardtotheothertreeanchorlocation.Youcanusestrapsortapetoholdtheboardinplacefornow;there’snoneedtoputinnailsforthisprocedure.Theboardalsotestshoweasilyyoucanplaneacrossfromoneanchortothenext,whichyouwillultimatelydowiththebeam.Inspectthesecondanchorpointarea,thenmovetotheground.Measureoutfromthetree,ormoreaccurately,fromtheboard,andmarkthegroundattheapproximatelocationsofthetwoposts.It’sbestifthegroundisrelativelylevel,butmostimportantlyitmustbesolidandnotvulnerabletoerosion.

INSTALLINGTHETREEANCHORSTheGLtreeanchorrequiresapreciselymade3-stagepilotholethataccommodatestheleadingthreadedendoftheanchorshaftandashortunthreadedportionoftheshaft,plusaboreforthecollartobedintothecambiumlayerofthetree(seepage25(Treeschoolsidebar).Ifyouusethisanchor,it’shighlyrecommendedthatyoudrillthepilotholewiththespecialbitdesignedforthisapplication(it’savailableforpurchaseorrentfromthesupplier;seeResourcespage220).

Beforedrillingeachpilothole,double-checktheanchorlocations,thistimeusinganailtomarktheprecisecenterofeachpilothole.Theholesshouldbecenteredside-to-sideonthetreetrunk,pointingtowardthetrunk’sinternalcenter.Theyshouldalsobeperpendiculartothelengthofthetreehousebeamandperfectlylevelwitheachother.Drilleachpilotholeasdirected,usingaheavy-duty1/2"drillbit.Itiscriticalthattheholeislevel,somonitorthepositionofthedrillbitthroughouttheoperation.

Usealevelboardasavisualreferencetodeterminethebestheightandlocationforyourtreeanchors.

Usethedrillbittocleartheholeofdebris.Carefullyhand-threadtheanchorintothehole,checkingforlevelwithatorpedolevelasyougo.Whenitbecomestoohardtothreadbyhand,usealargepipewrenchtodrivetheanchortherestoftheway,workinguntilthecollaristightlycompressedagainstthewoodandyoucan’tbudgethewrenchanyfurther.Youmightwanttouseasteelpipeslippedoverthewrenchhandleforaddedleverage.Checkagainwiththelongboardandleveltomakesuretheanchorswillbelevelwitheachother,theninstalltheotheranchor.

TheGLanchoranditsspeciallydesignedpilotingbit.Themiddlecollarsectionontheanchorcompressesintothetreetohelppreventrotanddisease.

Drillthepilotholewithaheavy-duty1/2"drill(availableatanyrentalcenter).Braceyourselfandpayattentiontoavoidinjurywiththispowerfultool.

Leveltheanchorcarefullyasitbeginstobiteintothetree.Abigpipewrench(andmaybeacheaterbar)isthekeytogettingtheanchortight(below).

BUILDING&INSTALLINGTHEREARBEAMCutthree2×10stolengthabout24"longerthantheoutsidedimensionoftheplatformframe,soitwilloverhangtheplatformabout12"oneachend.Crowntheboardssoanycurvaturealongtheirlengthisfacingup(convexsideofcurveisatthetopofthebeam).Sandwichtheboardswiththeirendsalignedandfastenthemtogetherwitha20dgalvanizednaildrivenevery32"andtwonailsateachend.

Thebeamsimplysitsontopoftheanchorsandissecuredtoeachanchorwithaslidingorfixedbracket,asapplicable.Thebracketsareasafetybackuptokeepthebeamontopoftheanchorsduringtreemovement.Thoseusedherearethesliding-typebracketavailablefromtheGLsupplier.

Markthepositionsofthebracketsontheundersideofthebeam,andinstallthebracketswithlagscrews,asdirected.Setthebeamontotheanchors,slippingthebracketsovertheendsoftheanchors,thenaddanut(withawasher,ifapplicable)tosecurethebeam.

Nailthree2×10stogethertocreatethebuilt-uprearbeam.Staggerthenailsbetweentheupperandlowerportionsofthebeam.

Withthebeaminposition,addanuttotheendofeachanchor(usingawasher,ifapplicable)totrapthebracketontheanchor.

POURINGTHEPOSTFOOTINGSWiththerearbeaminplace,youcanmeasurefromittocreateanaccuratelayoutforthetwoconcretepostfootings.Transferthebeam’slocationtotheground,usingaplumbbob,andmarkthegroundwithstakesorastringline.Measure

straightoutfromthebeam,andmarkthecenterpointofeachpostwithastake.Here,thepostsarecentered91-3/4"fromtherearfaceoftherearbeamandarespacedabout10feetapart.(Thefrontroofpostswillbearonthefrontbeamforadditionalsupport.)

Ateachpostlocation,digaholeforan8"-diameterconcretetubeform,diggingbelowthefrostlineforyourarea(checkwithyourlocalbuildingdepartmentfortherecommendedfootingdepth),plus3".Adda3"layerofgravelandtampitdown.Cutacardboardtubeformtolengthsoitextends2"abovetheground.Settheformintheholeandsecureitallaroundwithtampedsoil,makingsuretheformisplumb.

Filltheformwithconcreteandsmoothitofflevelwiththetopoftheform.Seta5/8"-diameterJ-boltintotheconcretesoitextends3/4"to1"abovetheconcrete(orasdirectedbythepostbasemanufacturer).Lettheconcretecureasdirected.

Embedananchorboltintothewetconcreteofeachfooting.Theboltshouldbecenteredonthefooting.

CONSTRUCTTHEFRONTBEAMThefrontbeamismadewithtwo2×12snailedtogether,muchliketherearbeam.Itwillsitinnotchescutintothetop,insidefacesoftheposts.Cutthetwopiecestolengthtomatchtherearbeam.Crowntheboards(convexcurvepoints

up),andnailthemtogetherwith10dgalvanizednailsspaced16"apart,plustwonailsoneachend.Ifdesired,youcanmakedecorativecutsattheendsoftheassembledbeam.

Buildthefrontbeamwithtwo2×12boards,staggering10dnailswith16"spacing.Shapetheendswithdecorativecuts,ifdesired.

Levelacrossfromthetopoftherearbeamtomarkthetopcutofflinesontheposts.

PREPARINGTHEPOSTSInstallapostbasewithastandoffplateontopofeachfooting,usingawasherandnutsecuredtotheanchorbolt.Setan8-foot.-long6×6postontoeachbase,plumbthepostinbothdirections,andsecureitinplacewith2×4crossbracing.Youcantacktheposttothebasewithonenailtokeepitfromslipping.

Withbothpostsplumbedandbraced,leveloverfromtherearbeamwithalong,straightboard.Markeachpostwithalevellinethatispreciselylevelwiththetopofthebeam.Thislinerepresentsthetopofthepost,whereyouwillcuttheposttoitsfinallength.

Removethepostsfromtheirbases.Measurethedepth(top-to-bottomdimension)andthicknessofthefrontbeam.Usingthesedimensions,markanotchontotherearandsidefacesofeachpost.Thetopofthenotchisthetopcutofflineyoumadeinthelaststep.Cuteachpostatthetopcutoffline,usingacircularsawtocutalongallfoursides,thenfinishthecutthroughthecenterwithahandsaworreciprocatingsawwithalongwoodblade.Cutoutthenotchesusingthesametechnique.

Useasquaretoextendthecuttinglinesacrossthepostfacesforthetopendcutoffandnotches.

INSTALLINGTHEPOSTS&FRONTBEAMSetthepostsbackintheirbasesandbracethemplumb,asbefore.Setthefrontbeamontothenotchesoftheposts(withthecrownofthebeampointingup)sothebeamoverhangsthepostsequallyonbothends.Clampthebeamtothepostsortackitinplacewithnails.Confirmthatthepostsareplumb(youcanadjustthebasepositionsabit,ifneeded),thenanchorthepoststothebaseswiththemanufacturer’sspecifiedfasteners(forthebasesshown,youcanusegalvanizednailsormachinebolts,butnotboth).

Anchoreachbeamtoitspostwithtwo3/8"carriageboltswithwashers.Drillacounterboreforthewashersandnutsontherearfaceofthebeam.Whenallthenutsaretightened,fillthecounterboreswithcaulktopreventwaterintrusionandforestallrot.

Tackacoupleof2×4sacrossthetopsofthebeamstohelpbracethefrontbeamandposts.Leavetheposts’crossbracing(installedearlier)inplaceuntil

thetreehouseplatformiscompleted.

Fastenthepoststotheirbases.Makesurethebaseistighteneddowntotheanchorboltwiththeprovidednut.

Fastenthefrontbeamtothepostswithpairsofcarriageboltsinsertedthroughthepostsandsecuredonthebeamsidewithwashersandnuts.

ADDINGTHEKNEEBRACESThetwokneebracesprovidelateralsupportforthepostsandaddatraditionaltimber-framelooktothetreehousestructure.They’recutfroma10-foot6×6andmeetthepostsandfrontbeamata45°angle.Note:Allbracingforyourprojectshouldbedesignedtosuityourspecificsiteconditionsandhousedesign.

Cuta10-foot6×6inhalf,thenmiteroneendofeachpieceat45°.Markthefrontfaceofeachpostabout36"downfromthetopofthefrontbeam.Positioneachbraceagainstthepostandbeam,withthelongpointofitsmiteredendalignedwiththemarkanditsrearfaceagainstthefrontofthebeam.Tracealongthetopandbottomofthebeamontothebrace;thesecutsrepresentthetopcutandbottomofthenotchforthebeam.

Ontheinsideportionofeachbrace,layoutthenotchtomatchthethicknessofthefrontbeam.Cutthetopendofthebracesat45°,thencutthenotcheswithacircularsawandhandsaworreciprocatingsaw,asbefore.

Seteachbraceinpositionsoitsbottomendisontheoriginalmarkanditssidefacesareflushwiththefrontandrearpostfaces.Thetopcutshouldbeflushwiththetopofthebeam.Clampbothendsofthebraceinplace.Drillcounterboredpilotholes,andfastenthebracetothebeamwithtwo3/8"carriageboltsandtothepostwithtwo3/8"×7lagscrewswithwashers.

Tracealongthefrontbeamtomarkthetopcutsandnotchesforthekneebraces.Wheninstalled,thefacesofthepostsandbracesarealigned.

Anchorthekneebracestothepostswithlagscrewsdrivenstraightthroughtheinsidefacesofthebraces,roughlycenteredonthejoint.

Useascrapof6×6postasaspacerwhenmarkingthejoistlayoutandinstallingthejoists.Theroofpostsshouldfitsnuglybetweenthejoistpairs.

Metalframingconnectorscreateastrongconnectionbetweenthetreehouseplatformandthebeamsandareimportantforresistingwinduplift.

FRAMINGTHEPLATFORMCuttwo2×8rimjoiststorunthefulllengthoftheplatform,thencut11-2×8joistsequaltothefullwidth(fronttoback)oftheplatform,minus3".Markthejoistlayoutontotherimjoists,usingascrappieceof6×6posttosetthespacesfortheeightroofposts.Thefourcornerpostsareset1-1/2"infromtheendofeachrimjoist,andthetworemainingpostsoneachsidearespacedevenlyinbetween.Gangtherimjoiststogethertomarkthelayout,toensurethatalljoistsandpostsareproperlyaligned.

Assembletheplatformframeontopofthebeams.Startbynailingtherearrimjoisttoallofthejoists,usingthree16dnailsforeach.Then,movetothefrontoftheframeandnailthefrontrimjoistontotheendsofthejoists.Whentheframeisassembled,centeritside-to-sideoverbothbeams,andmeasurediagonallybetweenopposingcornerstocheckforsquare:Whenthemeasurementsareequaltheframeissquare.Tacktheframetothebeamwithseveralnailstoholditinplace,thenreinforcetheconnectionwithmetalframingconnectors(consultabuildingprofessionaloryourlocalbuildingdepartmentforrecommendationsonthebestconnectorsforyourproject).

Followchalklinestosettheinitialrowsofdecking(sinceyoucan’tstartattheedgeoftheplatform).Afewextrachalklinescanhelpyoustayontrackduringtheinstallation.

DECKINGTHEPLATFORMTheplatformframeisdeckedwith2×6or5/4×6boardstocreatethetreehousefloor.Thinner5/4×6deckingissuitableforupto24"ofjoistspacingifthe

woodispineorhemlock;forcedarandredwood,2×6deckingisrecommended.Atthisstage,mostofthedeckingisinstalledtofacilitateworkingfromtheplatform,butafewboardsareleftoffateachsidetoprovideaccessforinstallingtheroofposts.

Useascrappieceofyourdeckingmaterialtomarklayoutlinesonthejoists.Thisistoensurethatyouwon’treachtheedgeoftheplatformanddiscoverthatthelastboardisjustasliver.Thedeckingshouldrunperpendiculartotheinteriorjoists(paralleltotherimjoists)andstopflushwiththeoutsidefacesofthetwooutsidejoists.

Stepoffeachrowofdecking,leavinga1/4"gapbetweenrowsfordrainageandeasycleaning,workingfromthefrontedgeoftheplatformtotherear.Ifthelastboardislessthanhalfawidth,plantoripdowntheboardsofthestartingrow(atthefront)sothestartingandendrowsareroughlyequalinwidth.Onceyou’resatisfiedwiththelayout,snapchalklinestoguidetheinstallation.

Followingyourlayout,installthedeckingwithdeckscrewssizedforthedeckingmaterial.Drillpilotholes,anddrivetwoscrewsateachjoistconnection.Remembernottoinstallthelastfewrowsofdeckingatthefrontandrearoftheplatform.

INSTALLINGTHEROOFPOSTSThe6×6roofpostsextendfromthebottomoftheplatformframetothetopsoftherafters.Theysupporttheentireroofstructureaswellasthetreehouserailing.Cutthetopendsofeach8-foot6×6postata33.7°angle;thisfollowsthe8-in-12slopeoftheroof.Then,measuringfromthelongpointofthebeveledend,cuttheposttolengthwithasquarecut,basedonthedesiredheightoftheroof.Fortheprojectshown,theroofpostsareabout89"longfromthesquarebottomendtothelongpointofthetopend.

Seteachcornerpostintoitsplacebetweenthecloselyspacedpairsofplatformjoists.Clampitbetweenthejoistssoitstandsperfectlyplumbanditsbottomendisflushwiththebottomofthejoists,restingonthebeambelow.Drillpilotholes,andfastentheposttobothneighboringjoistswithfour3/8"carriagebolts.Youdon’thavetocounterboreforthesebolts,buttheboltheadsshouldbeontheoutsidesoftheouterjoists.

Runatautstringlinebetweenthetwocornerpostsoneachsideoftheplatform,paralleltothebeams.Installthetworemainingpostsoneachsideinthesamemanner,usingthestringlinetomakesureallfourpostsarealigned.

Completetheplatformdeckingtofillintheopeningsleftforthepostinstallation.Notchthedeckboardsasneededtofitaroundtheposts.Thedeckingshouldbeflushwiththeoutsidesoftheplatformframe.

Anchorthebottomendsoftheroofpostswithcarriagebolts,sandwichingthepostsbetweenthejoistsateitherside.

Useastringlinetoensurethepostsareonthesameplaneacrosseachsideofthetreehouse.

Cuttheendsofthepatternraftersat33.7°andtest-fitthemonapairofroofposts,usingapieceof2×8scraptoserveastheridgebeam.

CUTTINGTHERAFTERSTheroofisframedmuchlikeastandardgableroof,butheretheraftersareeasiertocutbecausetheyhavenobird’smouthcuts.Insteadofsittingatopthewalls,theraftersheresimplyfastentothesidesoftheroofposts.Cuttwo2×6patternrafterswithan8-in-12slope(33.7°),followingthetechniquesdescribedonpages118to119.Useascrapof2×8torepresenttheridgebeam.Thetopsoftheraftersshouldbeflushwiththetopendsoftheroofpostsandextendabout8"(measuredhorizontally)beyondtheoutsidesoftheposts.

Usethepatternrafterstomarkandcuttheremaining14rafters,foratotalof16.Cutthe2×8ridgebeamtolengthsoitoverhangstheouterroofpostsbyabout4-1/2",orasdesired.

FRAMINGTHEROOFMarktherafterlayoutontotheridgebeambyclampingtheridgeacrosstheroofpostsononesideofthetreehousesotheridgeisflushwiththetopsofthepostsandoverhangstheouterpostsequallyonbothends(photo20).Tracealongbothsidefacesofeachpost;theselinesrepresenttheinsidefacesoftherafters.Useasquaretotransferthemarkstotheotherfaceoftheridge.

Installthefouroutermostraftersandridgebeam,using16dgalvanizednails.Drivefournailsthrougheachrafterandintotheroofpost,andusetwonailstofastentheraftertotheridge.Next,installthepairsofraftersontheoutsidefaces

ofthetwosetsofinteriorposts.Atthispoint,onlyonesideofeachposthasarafteronit.

Cutthetwo2×6interiorraftertiestospanbetweentherafterpairssotheirbottomedgesareabout80"abovetheplatformdeck.Makesurethetiesarelevel,andfastenthemtotheinsidefacesoftherafterswith2-1/2"screwsateachend.

Tocreatethetrussdetailateachgableendoftheroofframe,cuta2×6raftertietospanbetweentherafterssotheirbottomedgesareabout76"abovetheplatformdeck.Fastenthesetotheinsidefacesoftheoutermostrafters.Next,cuta2×6struttofitbetweenthetopoftheraftertie(gableendsonly)andthetopsoftherafters,cuttingthetopendofthestruttoapoint.Then,notchthestrut’stopendtofitsnuglyaroundtheridgebeam.Nailthestruttothetopedgeoftheraftertieandtotheraftersandridgebeam.

Installtheremainingrafterstocompletetheroofframe.

Marktheridgebeamforrafters,usingtheroofposts.Makean“X”totheoutsideofeachpostmarkingtoshowwheretheraftergoes.

Interiorraftertiesspanacrosstheraftersontheinteriorroofposts.Theirendsarecuttomatchtheroofslope.

INSTALLINGTHEROOFDECK&ROOFINGThedeckingmaterialfortheroofis5/8"or3/4"T&Groofsheathingratedfora40"rafterspan.Sincetheundersideandedgesofthesheathingwillremainexposed,it’sbesttouse“Exterior”sheathing(asopposedto“Exposure1”or“Exposure2”).Asanoptionaladdition,youcaninstall3/8"cedarplywoodontheundersideofthesheathing,tocreateadecorative“ceiling”finish.

Installtheroofdeckingfollowingthetechniquesdescribedonpage122,overhangingtheoutermostraftersbyabout3"atthegableendsoftheroof.Ifdesired,covertheundersideoftheroofdeckwithexteriorcedarplywood(orotheroutdoormaterial),usingconstructionadhesiveandshorttrimscrewsorbrads.

Completetheroofwithbuildingpaperandasphalt(composition)shingleroofing,followingthetechniquesdescribedonpages122through124.Ifyouchosetocovertheundersideofthedeckwithdecorativeplywood,besuretheroofingnailsareshortenoughthattheywon’tcomethroughtheplywood.

Thegable-endraftertiesarecombinedwithastruttocreateatrussdetail.Thestrutisnotchedtofitaroundtheridgebeam(inset).

Tongue-and-grooveroofdeckingisrequiredfortherelativelywidespansoftherafters.Followthemanufacturer’sspecificationsforgappingbetweenpanels.

Adecorativelayerofcedarplywoodconcealsroofingnailsandcreatesafinishedceiling.Notchthepanelsasneededtofitaroundtheroofframing.

Compositionshinglesmakeforaninexpensive,long-lastingroof.Considertheshinglecolorcarefully,asyou’llprobablybelookingatitmostoftheyear.

BUILDINGTHERAILINGTherailinghashorizontal2×4railsthatsupport2×2balusters,muchlikeyoufindwithmanydeckdesigns.Thetopoftherailinggetsa2×6cap,whichmakesanicesurfacetoleanagainsttoenjoyaviewortosetdowndrinks.Youcanmodifytherailingdesignasdesired,butmakesureyoursmeetstheminimumstandardsforsafety:Mostimportantly,therailingmustbeatleast36"tall,fromthedecksurfacetothetopoftherailing,andthebalustersmustbespacedjustunder4"apart(ifa4"-diameterballcanfitbetweenthebalusters,they’retoofarapart);seepage93formorerailingdesignandsafetyinformation.

Toinstallthe2×4rails,maketwomarksoneachcornerroofpost,7-1/2"and34-1/2"upfromthetreehousefloor.Snapchalklinesacrossalloftheroofpostsatthesemarks;thelinesrepresentthetopedgesofthe2×4rails.

Cutthe2×4railstospanacrosstheroofposts,usingsinglepiecesforeachrun,ifpossible.Youcanwraparoundtheoutsidesofthepostswithmiteredorbuttedjoints.Fastenthroughtherailsandintothepostswith3"deckscrews.Note:Ifyouwanttocreatebuilt-instopsonthelatchsideofthegateopening,extendtherailsabout1-1/2"intotheopening,asshownonpage182).

Markthebalusterlayoutontotheinsidefacesoftherails.Createalayoutforeachspacebetweenneighboringposts,workingfromthecentersothatthegapsbetweenbalustersisthesameatbothendsofthespace.

Cutthe2×2balusterstolengthsotheyextendfromthetopofthetoprailtothebottomedgeofthebottomrail,miteringthebottomends,ifdesired.Positioneachbalustersoit’sflushwiththetopofthetoprail,checkitforplumb,andfastenitwith2-1/2"deckscrews.

Toinstallthe2×6railingcaps,rough-cuteachpiecealittlelongerthanyouneed.Settheboardinplaceontopofthetoprail,ontheoutsideoftheroofposts,andmarkthepositionsofthepostsontothecap.Notchthecapatthemarks,settingthenotchdepthsothatthecapwilloverhangtheoutsidesoftherailsby1-1/2".Test-fitthecap,thenmarktheendsforfinalcuts.Itlooksbestifyoumiterthecapsatthecornerjoints.Fastenthecapstotherailsandthebalusters(asneeded)with3"deckscrews.

Installtherailswiththeirtopedgesonthechalklines.The3"gapbelowthebottomrailmakesiteasytosweepoffthetreehousedeck.

Useabalusterandleveltomarkthesidesofeachbalusterlocation,andusea2×4blockcuttolengthat3-7/8"tosetthegapsbetweenbalusters.

Notchthecapstofitaroundtheposts(inset),leavingabouta1-1/2"overhangontheoutsideoftherailinganda1"overhangontheinside.

Self-closinghingeskeepthegateclosedwhenit’snotinuse—ahandysafetyfeatureforanyoneusingthetreehouse.

CONSTRUCTTHEGATEThegateshownhereisbuiltjustliketherailingandishungwithself-closinghinges,withthegateswinginginforsafety.Anotherimportantsafety(andlongevity)featureisastopthatsupportsthegatewhenit’sclosedandpreventsitfrombeingpushedthroughthewrongway.Notchescutintotherailsandcapsoftherailingandgatecreatestrong,built-instopsthatrequirenohardware.

Buildthegatewiththesamematerialsandbalusterspacingusedforthetreehouserailing,makingitalittlenarrowerthanthegateopeningtoallowforhingeandswingclearance.Reinforcethegatewithaturnbuckleandrods(runningfromthetophingecornertothebottomlatchcorner)orawoodormetalcrossbrace(runningfromthetoplatchcornertothebottomhingecorner).Hangthegatewithheavy-dutyself-closinghingesmountedtotheroofpost.

Matingnotchesinthecapsandrailsofthegateandtreehouserailingcreatesafetystopsthatalsopreventunduewearandtearonthegate.

PROVIDINGACCESS&ACCESSORIES

Givenitsversatile,“all-ages”design,thistreehouseshouldhavearelativelypedestrianmeansofaccess,suchassturdyladderstepsorevenafull-fledgedstaircase.Ifyouwon’tusethehouseduringthecoldmonthsoftheyear,youmightprefertouseladderstepsthatyoucanremovesothehouseisinaccessibleintheoff-season.

Asforaccessories,youcanhangallmannerofclimbingandplaythingsfromthefrontbeamandplatformjoists—swings,trapeze,knottedclimbingrope,rings,younameit.Thepostsareidealforstringingupahammock,eitherinthetreehouseordownbelowbetweentheplatformposts.Youcouldevenhangalittletwo-seaterporchswingfromtherafterties.

Accesstothistreehousehappenstobeatthefront,butitcouldalsobeateitherendoreventheback,ifyou’dpreferacleanerlookatthefront.

Strategicallyplacedaccessories,suchasswingsandclimbingropes,turnthetreehouseintothebestkindofbackyardplaystructure.

GableHousewithEntryDeck

Atreehousethatfeelslikeahome.Solidwalls,sturdywindowsanddoors,andsomesimpledecorativetouchesadduptoacozyretreatwherekidscanreallylettheirimaginationsrunwild.

Thisnicelyproportionedhouseisagreatexampleofwhatyoucandowithonegood,stouttree.Andthedesignissimplerthanitlooks.Itstartswithasquareplatformthat’sframedaroundthetrunkandsupportedbykneebracesatthecorners.Apartfromthecutoutforthedoorandentrydeck,thehouseisjustaboxwithagableroof,muchlikethehousesyoufindinkids’drawings.Thisclassiclookisnocoincidence—withitstraditionallinesandfullyenclosed

interior,thetreehousehasanespeciallyhomeyfeel,athemethat’senhancedbytheDutchdoorandplayhouse-sizeentrydeck.Theinteriorlayoutalsolendsitselftobuilt-inaccessories,likeshelvesandtables.

Asingle-treehouseofthissizerequiresalarge,maturetree.Thespecimenmustbehealthy,ofcourse,andshouldmeasureatleast5feetincircumferenceatitsbase.Becausethetreealonewillbeartheburdenofthehouseanditsoccupants,it’sagoodideatohaveitinspectedbyanarboristbeforemakinganyseriousconstructionplans.Thinkaboutwhereyou’dliketoplacethehouse,soyoucangivespecialattentiontotheinstallationareas.Note:Theinstructionshereprovideadetailedoverviewofbuildingthehouse

asshown,forthisparticularsite.Theycanserveasageneralguidetohelpyoudesignandbuildasimilarhouseofyourown.However,alloftheconstructionspecificationsforyourprojectmustbegearedforyourspecifichousedesign,theintendeduseofthehouse,thetree,andthebuildingsite,aswellasanyapplicablelocalbuildingcodesandzoningrestrictions.

Self-closinghingeskeepthegateshutwhenit’snotinuse—ahandysafetyfeatureforanyoneusingthetreehouse.

GableHousewithEntryDeck

INSTALLINGTHEPLATFORMBEAMSThetreehouseplatformhasfour2×8beams,allofwhichareanchoredtothetreewithasingle3/4"lagscrewandwashers.Cutthelowerpairofbeamstothefullwidthoftheplatform.Ifdesired,angle-cutthebottomcornersofthebeamsfordecorativeembellishment.Markthetreeatthedesiredheightofthefinishedplatformminus83/4"(thecombineddepthoftheplatformframeanddecking);thisrepresentsthetopedgesofthelowerbeams.

Drillclearanceholesinthebeamsandpilotholesinthetree,andanchorthebeamstothetreefollowingthetechniquesdescribedforfixedanchors,onpage61.Thelagscrewsshouldbecenteredalongthelengthofthebeamandpointtowardsthecenterofthetreetrunk.Makesurethesecondbeamisperfectly

levelwiththefirstbeforeinstallingit.Cutthetwoupperbeamstothefulllengthoftheplatformminus3".These

beamsareintegratedintotheplatformframeandarethesamelengthasthecommonjoists.Installtheupperbeamsperpendiculartothelowerbeams,withtheirbottomedgesrestingonthelowerbeams.

INSTALLINGTHEJOISTS&KNEEBRACESIntheprojectasshown,theplatformframewasassembledbeforethekneebraceswereinstalled.Initially,2×6kneebraceswereanchoredtothetreewithspecialbrackets(seepage190),thenanadditional2×6wassisteredtoeachbraceforaddedrigidity.Foryourownproject,youmightprefertoinstallthekneebracesafteronlytheperimeterjoistsareinstalled.It’salsoanoptiontouse4×6sforthekneebraces;however,thisrequiresaspeciallysizedbracketthatmayneedtobecustom-fabricated.Note:Don’tusetheplatformforsupportuntilthekneebracesareinstalled.

Cutthetwo2×8rimjoiststomatchthelengthofthelowerbeams,andcutthefour2×8commonjoiststothesamelengthastheupperbeams(yourprojectmaycallformorejoists,dependingonthesizeoftheplatformandthedeckingmaterial).Setthecommonjoistsonedgeatopthelowerbeams,andfastenoneoftherimjoiststoeachcommonjoistwiththree16dnailsor3-1/2"deckscrews.Installtheotherrimjoistontheotherendsofthecommons.

Squareuptheframeusingaframingsquare(youcan’tmeasurethediagonals,becausethetreeisintheway),andtoenailtheframetothelowerbeamswith16dnails.Leveltheplatforminbothdirections,thensecureitinpositionwithafewtemporarypostsextendingtotheground.

Anchorthelowerbeamstothecenterofthetree.Rememberthatthelagscrewsshouldbejustbelowcenter(top-to-bottom)onthebeams.

Installtheupperbeams,checkingallofthebeamsforlevelasyougo.Ifnecessary,usewoodshimstomakeabeamstandplumbagainstthetree(inset).

Cutthekneebracessotheyfitbetweentheinsideofeachcorneroftheplatformframeandextenddowntothetreeata45°angle.Cutthetopendsofthebracesat45°,andcutthebottomendstofittheanchorbrackets.Usethekneebracestomarkthepreciselocationsoftheanchorbrackets,andinstallthebracketsasdirectedbythemanufacturer.Thebracketsusedhereareinstalledwithasinglelagscrewtothetree(don’tusetwofastenersclosetogether,whichpromotestreerot)andasinglelagscrewintotheendofthekneebrace.

Installthebraces,toenailingthetopendstotheplatformframe,thenreinforcingeachjointwithaframingconnector.Addasecondkneebrace,ifapplicable,sisteringthetwowith10dnailsor3"deckscrews.

DECKINGTHEPLATFORMInstallthe2×6(or5/4×6)deckingsoitrunsperpendiculartothecommon

joistsandisflushwithoutsideoftheframingonallsides.Fastendeckboardstoeachjoistwithpairsof3"deckscrews.Besuretoleavea2"gapbetweenthedeckingandthetreetoallowforgrowth.

Becausethehouse’sinteriorwillbeenclosed,youdon’thavetoleavegapsbetweentheboardsfordrainage,ifyouprefernotto.However,youmightwanttogapthemabitforexpansion,andlargergapsmakeforeasiercleaning.Ifyoupreferacontinuousfloorsurface,youcanalsosavesomemoneybyusingplywoodinsteadof2×6s.

Fastentherimjoiststothecommonjoistswithnailsorscrews.Here,theinteriorcommonjoistsarecenteredbetweentheoutercommonsandtheupperbeams.

Securethekneebracestothetreewithanchorbrackets(inset)andtotheplatformframewithtoenailedscrewsornailsandframingconnectors.

Customfitthedeckingboardsaroundthetreebybuttingeachpieceuptothetreeandusingacompasssetat2"totransferthetree’scontourstotheboard.

Theleftgablewallspansthewidthofthehouseandiscenteredontheroofpeak.Theextrastudateachendisforinstallinginteriorfinishes.

BUILDINGTHEWALLSThewallsofthishouseareframedwith2×3lumberandaresmallenoughthattheycanbeframedandsidedontheground,thenhoistedupontotheplatformforinstallation.Theleftandrightsidesofthehousehavegablewallsthatcreatetheroofslope.Theleftgableisoneassembly,whiletherightgableismadeupoftwosectionsseparatedbyashortsectionofthefrontwall,creatingajogthatbecomesthedoorwall.Thesinglerearwallandtwofrontwallsarestandardrectangularwalls.

Starttheframingwiththeleftgablewall,followingthetechniquesdescribedonpages83and84.Theroofshownherehasaslopeof6-in-12,sothetopendsofthestudsarecutat26.6°.Framethetworightgablewallsectionssothateachonematchesonehalfoftheleftwall.Therearsectiongetsaroughopeningforacustom-madewindowatanysizeorheightyoulike.

Frametherearwalltothesameheightasthesidesoftheleftgablewall;makethisabuttwall(seepage83)thatwillfitinsidethetwoadjacentgablewalls.Determinethesizeofthedoorwallbasedonthedesiredwidthofthedoor,addingseveralinchesateithersideofthedoor.Thedoorwallsectionwillactasabuttwallattherightsideofthehouseandasathroughwallwhereitmeetsthefronthalfoftheleftgablewall.Frametheotherfrontwallsectiontoincludea

salvagedorhomemadewindow,ifdesired.Whenallthewallsareframed,tipthemupforaquicktestassembly.Check

theoutsidedimensionsoftheassembly,andmakesurethewallsaresquareandarealignedproperlyfortheroofplanes.Thisisalsothetimetoplanthesidinginstallationandfigureoutwherethesidingshouldoverhangtheframingtocovertheendofthematingwall,asapplicable.

Installthesidingaccordingtoyourplan.Thematerialusedhereis3/8"cedarplywoodsiding;seepage87forbasicinstallationsteps.

INSTALLINGTHEWALLSSnapchalklinesonthetreehousedecktoguidetheinstallation.Raiseandinstallthewallsfollowingthebasicprocessdiscussedonpage92.Forthisproject,thecornertrimisn’taddeduntiltheendofthehouseconstruction.

Useropesandapulley,ablockandtackle,oranyothermechanicalaidstohoistthewallsuptotheplatform.

Fastenthewallstogetheratthecornerswithdeckscrews,followingthesameplanyouusedforthedryassemblyontheground.

Installingtheridgebeamfirstmakesiteasytomarkandtest-fitthepatternrafters.

Theraftersoverhangthefrontandrearwallsbyabout8"(measuredhorizontally)tocreatethetraditionaleaves.

FRAMINGTHEROOFThishouse’sroofhasaneaveoverhangalongthegabledsidesaswellasthebottomedgesatthefrontandrear.Tocreatethegableextensions,simplycutthe1×6ridgebeamsoitoverhangstheleftandrightsidesofthehousebyabout6",orasdesired.Marktherafterlayoutontheridge,thentacktheridgeinplacewithafewnails.

Cuttwo2×6patternrafters,followingthestepsdescribedonpages118to119.Theseareforthecommon(full-size)rafters;later,youwillmakecustom-sizedraftersforthegablesandtheroofoverhangabovethedoor.Usethepatternstomarkandcuttheremainingsevencommonrafters.Thefrontsectionoftheroofgetsthreecommons,andtherearsectiongetssixcommons.Install

thecommonrafters.Cutthecustomraftersalongthegablessotheysitontopofthewallplates

andtheirtopedgesarelevelwiththetopsofthecommonrafters.Theseraftersdon’tgetbird’smouthcuts,sotheirbottomedgesontheeaveendsarealittlehigherthanthoseofthecommonrafters.Installthegablerafters.

Finally,cutandinstallthethreeshortraftersalongthedoorwall.Theseshouldextendroughlythesamedistanceastheeaveendsofthecommonrafters.Installtheshortraftersbytoenailingthemtotheridgebeam.

Thecustomgableraftersareinstalledsotheiroutsidefacesareflushwiththeoutsideofthewallsiding.

COMPLETINGTHEROOFThetreehousecanhaveanyroofingmaterialyoulike.Here,theroofingisasphalt(composition)shingleslaidover1/2"plywoodsheathing.Becausetheedgesandsomeoftheundersideofthesheathingwillremainexposed,it’sbesttouse“Exterior”sheathing(asopposedto“Exposure1”or“Exposure2”),whichisdesignedforpermanentexposure.Sheatheandshingletherooffollowingthetechniquesonpages122through124.

ADDINGTHEWINDOWSThetreehouseasshownhastwowindows.Oneisanoctagonalwindowboughtatanarchitecturalsalvageshop,agreatplacetofindone-of-a-kindwindowsandothercuriositiesforatreehouse.Youcanalsofindusedwindowsatbuildingmaterialsrecyclers(includingHabitatforHumanityoutlets)andantiqueshops.Theoctagonalwindowshownherecamewithexteriortrim(“brickmolding”)attached.Itwasinstalledbynailingthroughthemoldingandintothewallsidingandframingwithgalvanizedcasingnails.Acontinuousbeadofexteriorcaulkappliedalongtheperimeterofthemoldingpreventsleaks.

Salvagedwindowswithexteriortrimareabreezetoinstall.Othersmightcallforsomecreativecarpentry,butthey’rewellworththeeffort.

Preassemblingahomemadewindowcansaveyousometripstoandfromthetreehouse,butitrequirescarefulmeasuringofthewindowopening.

Theotherwindowistotallyhandmadefrom1×and2×lumber,somemolding,andpolycarbonatesheetingforthe“glass.”Thestepsonpages106through112walkyouthroughtheprocessofbuildingyourownwindowtoanysizeyouneed.Youcancreatethewindowpiece-by-piecerightintheroughopeningofthewall,oryoucanusethesamebasicprocessandassemblethepartsontheground,theninstallthecompletedwindowintheopening.

Toinstallapre-assembledwindow,centerthewindowframeinsidetheroughopeningofthewall,withthewindowsillrestingonthe2×3roughsillandthehornsofthesilltightagainsttheoutsideofthesiding.Usetaperedcedarshims,ifnecessary,tosnugthesideandtopjambstotheroughopening.Fastenthroughthejambsandsillandintotheframingwithgalvanizedfinishnails.Anotheroptionistopre-installthetrimonthewindowunit,allowingyoutofastenthe

windowthroughthefrontofthetrimandintothesidingandframing.

BUILDINGTHEDUTCHDOORTheDutchdooraddssomefuntothehousedesignandevensomepracticality:closingthebottomhalfofthedoorkeepslittleonessafelycorralledinsidethehousewithouthavingtoshutofftheopeningentirely.Ofcourse,astandarddoorwouldworkjustfineforthehouse,too.Instructionsforbuildingbothdoortypesaregivenonpage115.

TheDutchdoorshownhereessentiallyistwoshortversionsonthestandardZ-bracedoor.Constructthetwodoorstofittheroughopeningframe,leavingabout7/8"betweenthedoorsfora1×4shelfatthetopofthebottomdoor,plusa1/8"gapforclearance.Hangthedoorssotheyswingouttowardthefrontgablewall.Install1×4trimalongtheoutsideedgesofthejambs,andaddalatchtothelowerdoor.Alignthedoorsandinstallaslideboltorbarrelbolt(onethatlocksintheretractedposition)ontotheupperdoorsothebarrelextendsstraightdownintoahole(withametalplate,ifdesired)inthelowerdoor,tolatchthedoorstogether.

ThissampleDutchdoorshowsthesimpleconstructionoftongue-and-groovesidingboardsjoinedwith1×6Z-bracing.

INSTALLTHERAILING&LADDERForthisparticularproject,therailingandladderwereleftoffuntilnowtofacilitateconstruction,butyoucouldaddeitherwheneverit’sconvenient.

Tobuildtherailing,cutsix2×4poststolengthat431/4"(orlonger,ifyouprefertomaketherailinghigherthanthecodeminimumof36"abovetheplatformdecking).Installonepostateachendoftherailing,overlappingthehousewallby1-1/2"orso,andinstalltwopostsattheoutsidecorneroftheplatform,formingan“L”withonepostoverlappingtheedgeoftheother.Installthelasttwopostsattheoutsidesoftheladderopening.Anchoreachposttotheplatformjoistwithtwo3"lagscrewsandwashersdriventhroughpilotholes.Alsofastentheendpoststothetreehousewalls.Thepostsshouldbeperfectlyplumb,withtheirbottomendsflushwiththebottomedgesofthejoists.

Cutpiecesof2×4railingcaptospanoverthetopsoftheneighboringposts(exceptwithintheladderopening).Roundthecornersofthecapsandsandtheedgestoremovesharpnessandpreventsplintering.Fastenthecapstothepostswith3-1/2"deckscrewssotheinsideedgesofthecapsoverhangtheinsidesofthepostsby1-1/2".

Cut2×2supportcleatstorunalongtheinsidefacesoftheposts,andinstallthemupagainstthecapusing2-1/2"screwsdrivenintothepostsandcap.Cutthe2×2balusterstothesamelengthastheposts.Installthebalusterswithevenspacingsotheresultinggapsarenomorethan4".Fastenthebalusterstotheplatformjoistswithpairsof3"deckscrewsandtothesupportcleatswith2-1/2"deckscrews.

Accesstothishouseisprovidedbyaflat-rungladder.Instructionsforthisareonpage128.Othergoodoptionsincludeadouble-rungladder(pages126and127)andconventionaloutdoorstairs(pages130to133).Ifyouchoosetobuildaladder,besuretoincludeasafetyrailrunningacrossthetopoftheladderopeninginthetreehouserailing.

Thissimplerailingismadewith2×4sand2×2sanchoredtotheplatformframingandthehousewalls.

FINISHINGTHEHOUSEIfyouusedplywoodsidingonthewalls,nowisthetimetoaddthe1×4cornertrimattheoutsidecornersofthehouse.Basictechniquesforinstallingtrimarecoveredonpages90to91.Thecornertrimmaterialshouldmatchorcomplementtheexteriortrimforthehouse’swindowsanddoor.

Nowit’stimetoaddcolor.Thishousedesignlooksgreatwithasemi-transparentstainontheplywoodsidinganddarkpaintonthetrim,door,androofstructure.Paintingthesidingcanworkwell,too,butstickwithacontrastingcolorforthetrimandrooftoadddefinitiontothebuildingandmakethetrimdetails“pop.”Therailingalsoshouldbefinishedtopreventprematureweatheringandrougheningofthewood.

Insidethehouse,afewthoughtfullyplacedfeaturescancreateafunandfunctionallivingspace.Finishthewallswithpanelingandtrim,buildacustomflip-downbunkortwo,oraddaflip-uptableandafewshelves.Seepages96through103forhelpwiththeseandothercustomprojects.

MoreTreehousePlans

Notwotreehousesareexactlyalikebecausenotwotreesarethesame.Butthatdoesn’tmeanbuildingplansareworthlesswhenitcomestotreehouses.Infact,we’vedecidedtowrapupthisbookbyincludingsixfullydevelopedplansforyourconsiderationandinspiration.It’sunlikelythatyou’llbeabletousethemexactlyastheyareshown,sowe’veleftoutsomedimensionsanddetailsthatyou’llneedtofillinyourselfbasedonyourtreeortreesandonyourneedsandplans.Butwethinkyou’llfindthemtobeagoodleapingoffpointforyourventureintothetrees.

Plan1:GableRoofwithAuxiliaryPosts

Plan2:A-FramewithWalkoutDeck

Plan3:Half-coveredCrow’sNest

Plan4:WraparoundShedonStilts

Plan5:TriangularTreeHut

Plan6:Four-treeShanty

ReferenceChartsMetricConversions

TOCONVERT: TO: MULTIPLYBY:Inches Millimeters 25.4Inches Centimeters 2.54Feet Meters 0.305Yards Meters 0.914Squareinches Squarecentimeters 6.45Squarefeet Squaremeters 0.093Squareyards Squaremeters 0.836Ounces Milliliters 30.0Pints(U.S.) Liters 0.473(lmp.0.568)Quarts(U.S.) Liters 0.946(lmp.1.136)Gallons(U.S.) Liters 3.785(lmp.4.546)Ounces Grams 28.4Pounds Kilograms 0.454Millimeters Inches 0.039Centimeters Inches 0.394Meters Feet 3.28Meters Yards 1.09Squarecentimeters Squareinches 0.155Squaremeters Squarefeet 10.8Squaremeters Squareyards 1.2Milliliters Ounces .033Liters Pints(U.S.) 2.114(lmp.1.76)Liters Quarts(U.S.) 1.057(lmp.0.88)Liters Gallons(U.S.) 0.264(lmp.0.22)Grams Ounces 0.035Kilograms Pounds 2.2

ConvertingTemperaturesConvertdegreesFahrenheit(F)todegreesCelsius(C)byfollowingthissimpleformula:Subtract32fromtheFahrenheittemperaturereading.Then,multiplythatnumberby5/9.Forexample,77°F-32=45.45×5/9=25°C.

ToconvertdegreesCelsiustodegreesFahrenheit,multiplytheCelsiustemperaturereadingby9/5.Then,add32.Forexample,25°C×9/5=45.45+

32=77°F.

MetricPlywoodPanelsMetricplywoodpanelsarecommonlyavailableintwosizes:1,200mm×2,400mmand1,220mm×2,400mm,whichisroughlyequivalenttoa4×8-ft.sheet.StandardandSelectsheathingpanelscomeinstandardthicknesses,whileSandedgradepanelsareavailableinspecialthicknesses.

STANDARDSHEATHINGGRADE SANDEDGRADE7.5mm (5/16in.) 6mm (4/17in.)9.5mm (3/8in.) 8mm (5/16in.)12.5mm (1/2in.) 11mm (7/16in.)15.5mm (5/8in.) 14mm (9/16in.)18.5mm (3/4in.) 17mm (2/3in.)20.5mm (13/16in.) 19mm (3/4in.)22.5mm (7/8in.) 21mm (13/16in.)25.5mm (1in.) 24mm (15/16in.)

LumberDimensions

NOMINAL-U.S. ACTUAL-U.S.(ININCHES) METRIC1×2 3/4×1-1/2 19×38mm1×3 3/4×2-1/2 19×64mm1×4 3/4×3-1/2 19×89mm1×6 3/4×5-1/2 19×140mm1×8 3/4×7-1/4 19×184mm1×10 3/4×9-1/4 19×235mm

1×12 3/4×11-1/4 19×286mm1-1/4×4 1×3-1/2 25×89mm1-1/4×6 1×5-1/2 25×140mm1-1/4×8 1×7-1/4 25×184mm1-1/4×10 1×9-1/4 25×235mm1-1/4×12 1×11-1/4 25×286mm1-1/2×4 1-1/4×3-1/2 32×89mm1-1/2×6 1-1/4×5-1/2 32×140mm1-1/2×8 1-1/4×7-1/4 32×184mm1-1/2×10 1-1/4×9-1/4 32×235mm1-1/2×12 1-1/4×11-1/4 32×286mm

2×4 1-1/2×3-1/2 38×89mm2×6 1-1/2×5-1/2 38×140mm2×8 1-1/2×7-1/4 38×184mm2×10 1-1/2×9-1/4 38×235mm2×12 1-1/2×11-1/4 38×286mm3×6 2-1/2×5-1/2 64×140mm4×4 3-1/2×3-1/2 89×89mm4×6 3-1/2×5-1/2 89×140mm6×6 5-1/2×5-1/2 140×140mm

LiquidMeasurementEquivalents

1Pint =16FluidOunces =2Cups1Quart =32FluidOunces =2Pints1Gallon =128FluidOunces =4Quarts

ResourcesBlack&DeckerPortablepowertoolswww.blackanddecker.com800-544-6986

BracketreeGarnierLimbtreebracketswww.treehouses.com/treehouse/construction/bracketree.html541-592-2208

FehrBros.IndustriesHardware(cablesties,etc.)fortrees:www.fehr.com/?d=treecare800-431-3095

NationalResourceCenterforHealthandSafetyinChildCareRecommendationsforgroundcoversunderplayequipmenthttp://nrckids.org/800-598-5437

RedWingShoesCo.Workshoesandbootsshownthroughoutbookwww.redwingshoes.com800-733-9464

SimpsonStrongTieLumberconnectorhardwarewww.strongtie.com800-999-5099

TheTreehouseGuideOn-linetreehouseinformationandlinkswww.thetreehouseguide.com

ThroughtheRoofClearroofsealantSashco,Inc.www.sashcosealants.com800-289-7290

USPConnectorsLumberhangersandholddownsModelTDX2www.USPconnectors.com800-328-5934

PhotoCreditsAlamywww.alamy.compage12(top):©NinaBuesing/Alamy;page15(topright):©PaulBradforth/Alamy.

BarbaraButlerArtist-Builder,Inc.www.barbarabutler.comSanFrancisco,CApages8,9(top),16(bottom),18(bottom):©BarbaraButlerArtist-Builder.

PhotolibraryGroupLtd.pages10,11(topleftandright),13(bottomleftandtop):©JulietteWade/GardenPictureLibrary/Photolibrary.com;page13(bottomright):©MarkBolton/GardenPictureLibrary/Photolibrary.com;page19(bottom):©AnnCutting/Botanica/Photolibrary.com.

Istockphoto.compages9(bottom),145(bottomleftandbottomright):©MaryMartin,istockphoto.com.

MomoProductionspage105:©Photonica/GettyImages.

SergioPiumattiRichardson,TXpages14(both),15(topleft,bottom):©SergioPiumatti.

Shutterstock.compage144.

AndreaRuggMinneapolis,MNpages11(bottom),12(bottom),18(top),19(top),40:©AndreaRugg.

JessieWalkerwww.jessiewalker.com

pages16(top),17(both):©JessieWalker.

IndexAaccessclimbingnets,8–9,15climbingwalls,150–53designof,38,41gablehouseproject,194–95gates,182,185ladders,126–29openairproject,183safetyand,53,113stairs,130–33

accessories.SeeplaygroundfeaturesA-framewithwalkoutdeck,200–203anchoringtechniquesbasics,59–60gablehouseproject,189–90multipletreeexamples,76–77,79,81openairproject,171–76singletreeexamples,68–69,71–73supportpostexamples,81typesof,61–64

arborists,21–22,26,41,59,185architecturalsalvage,36,107,193Ashleystopperknot,143asphaltshingles,123

Bbattendoors,115bird’smouthcuts,117blockandtackles,57,92bowlineknots,56buildingcodes,14,24,29buttonswings,140–43

Ccables,48-49.Seealsohardwarecedarroofshingles,124cedarshinglesiding,89chains,48.Seealsohardwareclimbingnets/ramps,8–9,15climbingwalls,150–53compositionshingles,180conicalroofs,35constructiondoorsandwindows,104–9,113–15railings,93roofframing,116–21safetyand,54–55sheathingandroofing,122–25shelvesandtables,96–103sidingandtrim,87–91stairs,130–33walls,83–86,92

cornershelves,98–99curvedwalls,32,86cutouts,108–9

Ddeckinginstallationabout,65gablehouseproject,190multipletreeexamples,76,79,81openairproject,178singletreeexamples,65,69,73supportpostexamples,81

decks,17,39designconsiderationsfor,28,40–43decks,17,39doorsandwindows,36–37,104–5interiors,16roofs,34–35safetyand,50–53,57

walls,30–32,42discswings,140–43doorsconstruction,113–15designof,36–37,104–5gablehouseproject,194handbuilt,11,36,106–9safetyand,53securing,37trimand,91

doublebowlineknots,140double-rungladders,126–27Dutchdoors,37,115,193

Eelectricity,16,29elevationdrawings,44.Seealsoplansenclosedwalls,30

Ffireman’spoles,135fixedanchors,61.Seealsoanchoringtechniquesflat-rungladders,128flip-downtable/bunk,102–3flip-uppanels,32flip-uptables,100–101floorplans,45.Seealsoplansfour-treeshanty,216–19framingclimbingwalls,151gablehouseproject,189–90multipletreeexamples,76,79openairproject,177–79roofs,116–21singletreeexamples,68–69,71–73supportpostexamples,81techniquesfor,83–86walls,83–86

G

gablehouseprojectabout,184–85framing,189–90plans,186–88roof,192–93windowsanddoor,192–94

gableroofs,34,118–19,122gableroofwithpostsproject,197–99gablewalls,85gates,182,185GLanchors,62,172Gothicarchwindowsanddoors,110–11,113groundcover,53,136

Hhalf-coveredcrow’snest,204–7handbuiltdoors/windows,11,36,106–9hanginganchors,62-64.Seealsoanchoringtechniqueshardwareanchoringhardware,62–63blockandtackle,56–57forclimbingwalls,151commonlyused,47–49GLanchors,62,172latches,37,106,111,113,115metalframingconnectors,177pulleysystems,56–57raftersquares,120ropes,137trammels,86,101,141–42forwatercannons,155–56forziplines,145

heightrestrictions,29hiproofs,34,120–22horizontalsiding,88

Iinsetdoors,113

interiorscornershelves,98–99design,16electricity,16,29finishing,94–95flip-downtable/bunk,102–3flip-uptables,100–101lumber,462×4shelves,96–97

irregulardoors,113–14

Kkneebraces,64.Seealsoanchoringtechniquesknots,56,140,143

Lladders,38,126–29,194lapsiding,88latches,37,106,111,113,115lookouttowers,8lumber,46

Mmaintenance,54,137metalroofing,125

Nnails,47-48.Seealsohardwareneighbors,29neoprenerubber,123

Oopenairprojectanchoring,171–76decking,178framing,177–79plans,168–70roof,178–80

openwalls,31

Ppainting,138,151,162,195plankswings,138–40plansA-framewithwalkoutdeck,200–203four-treeshanty,216–19gablehouseproject,186–88gableroofwithpostsproject,197–99half-coveredcrow’snest,204–7openairproject,168–70forplatforms,44–45,67,70,75,78,80triangulartreehut,212–15wraparoundshedonstilts,208–11

planviews,45.Seealsoplansplasticroofing,125platformsbasics,59–60gablehouseproject,189–90heightof,40multipletreeexamples,78–79openairproject,177plansfor,44–45safetyand,51singletreeexamples,67–74supportpostexamples,80–81twotreeexamples,75–77forziplines,149

playgroundfeaturesclimbingnets,8–9,15climbingwalls,150–53lookouttower,8slides,160–63speakingtubes,157–59swings,136–43watercannons,154–56ziplines,144–49

plywoodsheathing,122plywoodsiding,87

pop-upwindows,111pruning,26,40–41pulleysystems,56–57

Rrafters,116–21raftersquares,120railings,29,53,93,181–82,194removableroofs,34roofingsealant,123roofsdesign,34–35framing,116–21gablehouseproject,192–93openairproject,178–80plansfor,44sheathingandroofing,122–25trimand,90

ropeladders,129

Ssafetyaccessand,53,113constructionand,54–55,57designand,50–53,57groundcoverand,53maintenanceand,54securityand,37,54,106ziplinesand,144

salvagedmaterials,36,107,193screws,47-48.Seealsohardwaresecurity,37,54,106setbackrestrictions,29sheathing,122–25shedroofs,34,118,122shedwalls,85shutterwindows,110–11siding,87–91

sidingjoints,87simplicity,12,15slides,160–63slidinganchors,62.Seealsoanchoringtechniquesspantables,60speakingtubes,157–59speedsquares,120stairs,38,130–33stilts,17,208–11sunlight,41supportmultipletrees,13,23,78–79stilts,17,208–11supportposts,13,43,80–81,173–75Seealsoanchoringtechniques

swing-outbraces,101swings,136–43

Ttraditionaldoors,115trammels,86,101,141–42trapdoors,134treehousetypesA-framewithwalkoutdeck,200–203CapeCodstyle,18chalet-inspired,13exampleswithsupportposts,80–81,204–7,212–19four-treeshanty,216–19gabledhouse,184–85,197–99half-coveredcrow’snest,204–7multipletree,75–79,216–19openair,167–70singletreeexamples,67–74,167–70,184–85,197–99,204–11triangulartreehut,212–15wraparoundshedonstilts,208–11

treemovement,25,60treesanatomyof,22,25

choosing,21–25,27grooming,26sizeof,7–8,20,23,63speciesof,27

triangulartreehut,212–15trim,90–91,112,1952×4shelves,96–97

Wwallsconstructionof,83–86,92,151designof,30–32,42drawingplansfor,44gablehouseproject,191

watercannons,154–56windowsconstruction,84,106–7cutouts,108–9designof,36,104–5gablehouseproject,193safetyand,53shuttersandpop-ups,110–11trimand,91

wraparoundshedonstilts,208–11

Zziplines,144–49zoningcodes,24,29

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