How to Make a Tree House that Will Last

How to make a tree house is straightforward if you always keep two essential details in mind: keep it light and make sure you never do anything to hurt your tree. Keeping a healthy tree is essential to building a permanent structure in one. It’s essential for the safety of you and your family.

The wonderful aspect about making a tree house is that anyone can make one using normal carpenter’s tools and equipment. Take a bit of time to come up with your best tree house plan, and you can be chilling in your very own tree house in no time at all!

Equipment Required to Make a Tree House

• A hammer
• A level
• A good wood saw
• A ladder (several ladders will make it much easier)
• Some plywood
• Measuring tape
• Framing wood (2×4′s and floor joists)
• Windows (optional)
• Roofing material (optional, but will make your tree house last)
• Corner brackets
• Bolts

The Perfect Tree to Make a Tree House

That is the most critical step. The tree you pick to build in has to be sturdy enough to hold a significant amount of weight. This is particularly true if you are planning on placing a bunch of people in it or if you think you might build something big instead of simply a shack in a tree. The tree should be older and be sturdy in the ground.

Some of the most desired trees for tree houses are maple, hemlock and oak. The specific kind of tree is not as important as how sturdy it is. What really matters is that the branches are big and it has a wide trunk. You might consider checking online to see what kind of tree you have and pay close attention to any information on how the root system is for this kind of tree. Trees with taproots or ones that spread out their roots very wide are ideal. Trees with small root balls will not work out in the long run.

Additionally, you should be conscious of what kind of dirt the tree is living in. If it is anything besides hard packed soil (no sand or soft dirt), then your tree house may put the tree in jeopardy if there’s a violent wind storm. The safety of your tree is your main priority once you construct a tree house so you can insure the safety of the tree house occupants.

Don’t Skimp on the Tree House Design

You don’t have to be some type of project foreman and you don’t want to conjure up a fancy architectural blueprint. You simply have to be able to envision what the tree house will be like with a few sketches as detailed as you can. Take into account all the choices necessary in what it’s going to take in how to make a tree house unique. How many kids or adults do you plan to fit in it at one time? How much furniture will it have in it? How should you get in and out of it? Which kind of roof will you be putting on it? Do you think you will want windows or weatherproofing? How will your new tree house be used when it’s finished and ready for occupants? Your tree house plan will let you know about all the issues ahead of time before you start cutting wood.

Now pull out your tape measure and determine a footprint below the tree of how big you will want to make your tree house. Pay close attention to any branches that may obstruct your building. It’s much better to be a problem solver compared to mercilessly chopping up your tree thus making it weaker to hold all that weight.

The Tree House Platform is the Most Important Part

Lay out your beams to the right size and dimensions and attach them together utilizing heavy-duty bolts or screws. Always remember, much of your tree house can be assembled on the ground and hoisted up in the tree in sections. You might also think about making your platform in various pieces which could bolt together nicely up in the tree. This will make it safer to construct not to mention much easier.

To make a tree house properly, make sure not to set the platform, walls or roof too close to the trunk or branches so you don’t destroy the tree as it grows and expands. Supports can either set into the ground or run down diagonally to the trunk to attach it in place. If you are in a high wind region, it’s wiser to have your entire tree house fully supported by the tree so the structure can sway rather than flex and possibly get damaged.

Prior to securing the base to the tree or the ground, measure the alignment. It must be balanced on your tree. If your tree house isn’t located centrally, the entire building might tip over depending on where the weight is in the tree house. The right stability could also help support unequal loads.

Finish Off the Tree House Floor and Walls

Use the plywood to finish off the floor. You might want to consider how much the construction materials weigh as opposed to how much it needs to support. There are several lightweight artificial flooring alternatives which are sturdy and reduce how much the finished structure will weigh. As soon as the platform is built, the walls can easily be made on the ground and hoisted up. Measure twice and cut once to make sure you don’t waste any construction supplies.

Think About the Permanent Access to the Tree House

One of the most vital layout factors of how to make a tree house is the ladder. How will people get in and out of your tree house? What ages and dexterity ranges will the little ones crawling in and out of the tree house be? There are so many options when going in and out of the tree house. The cheapest and easiest one to build is a rope ladder. This allows your kids (or you) to pull up the access so no one can bother you. Either way, if you are dealing with young little ones, you might be inviting an accident by using something so unstable. Another typical route is bolting cross slats to the tree trunk. Not the most secure way in and out, but will certainly work. Most builders opt for an angled ladder. This is quite easy and tends to make for an easier entrance to your house. Lastly, you can always opt for stairs. This is the best looking way to get it done, but might need a bit more constructing abilities than basic building skills might dictate.

How to Make a Tree House Pointers

• It’s much better if you build everything on the ground prior to placing it up in the tree. You can assemble all the items and check the layout before you do something permanent. This allows you to find any style flaws prior to you find yourself dangling from a tree.
• If you’re planning to paint your tree house, get it done prior to you hoist it up into your tree. It’s considerably easier to deliver painted siding than it is hanging off a branch to paint your tree house.
• Once the platform is made and bolted together, put a bunch of dead weight on it and let it settle for a week or two. As the tree gets used to the additional excess weight, some branches may possibly sag and upset the balance to the tree. This lets you to level the platform a final time just before you fasten it permanently to the tree.
• It will be much safer for the health of your tree to put a couple of bolts drilled into the tree rather than looping cables, chains, or straps choking off branches. This might “girdle” the branch as the tree grows and kill the branch or possibly the tree.
• Allow sufficient space around the trunk and any branches poking out the structure for the tree to sway in the wind. If you get too close, it is possible to damage the tree or pull down your tree house completely If there is a ample enough wind.

Understanding how to make a tree house is fun because no two can ever be the same. Each and every tree provides it’s own “puzzle” on how to design the best tree house plan for that tree. Speaking of Tree House Plans, if you really are interested in doing this right, get an amazing guide on all the secrets on how to build a tree house you so avoid all of the typical failures when building. You only have this one tree and if you kill it, you’re not going to be happy.

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