Going to build the kids a tree house this summer. Any tips or advice? Mostly need input on fasteners into the tree. It's an oak (white oak I think). About 32 inch diameter at the height I'll build it.
Going to build the kids a tree house this summer. Any tips or advice? Mostly need input on fasteners into the tree. It's an oak (white oak I think). About 32 inch diameter at the height I'll build it.
Awesome.
I've never done it but I'd build a square or octagon around the tree and set it on limbs as much as possible. I'd bet you could build something that needs no anchors to the tree.
I'd still use a bunch of 4 inch deck screws so they won't rust and have plenty of grip into the trunk.
Make a mulch bed around the base of the tree to help prevent broken bones?
Follow the building code for building a deck or porch.
We have this book, and it's helpful / inspirational:
There are a bunch of books out there about treehouse design. I stuck with building my kids a fort on a hillside that was maybe 5’ up on the uphill side but 10’ on the downhill side. (It was set at the edge of a retaining wall so there was flat ground to play on)
Ladder steps up made it easy enough for little kids but kept out the dogs. A climbing wall up another entrance. A slide to come back down. Half interior space and half deck with rail. It was pretty cool and the kids had fun playing there. Even put a steering wheel on the deck rail so they could pretend to fly their playhouse.
Watch Treehouse Masters on Animal Planet.
The building code and standard methods don't work. A tree is alive, and still growing.
The basic method that seems to work best (for a large significant treehouse) involves drilling steel dowels into meaty parts of the tree (so it can continue to grow with the dowel), and supporting the weight on the dowels.
But the best tree houses are built by kids, and generally look like a salvaged pallet nailed to the highest branches with a rope hanging from it.
In reply to SVreX :
He hit it on the head, you want to let the trees move (they move A LOT) in the wind. A fastener will break/pull out. You want a floating anchor system
It's OK to anchor it around the trunk, but if you are bearing on any branches, it should be a slip connection. You want to have the branches, even big ones, free to move relative to each other and to the trunk. I have seen chain or heavy steel cable stretched between branches (with rubber padding to stop them cutting into the skin) pulled fairly tight (but not taut), with one end of the floor structure bearing on the cable, and the other end anchored to the trunk.
Robbie said:Awesome.
I've never done it but I'd build a square or octagon around the tree and set it on limbs as much as possible. I'd bet you could build something that needs no anchors to the tree.
I'd still use a bunch of 4 inch deck screws so they won't rust and have plenty of grip into the trunk.
Luv 'ya, Robbie, but I'm gonna advise folks to ignore this post.
4" deck screws are completely useless, and attaching to multiple branches is a terrible idea.
You are underestimating the movement.
If you had slip connections, I'm pretty sure you could measure that each connection has 12" or more if movement when the wind blows.
And a deck screw is guaranteed to shear. They are much too small to use for structural components in shear.
This is Fort Tetanus:
Mostly reclaimed scrap lumber I'd stockpiled over the years, but using pallets really accelerated the process. It is not OSHA approved, nor up to code. It holds me quite well. It is held to tree using a mix of 16-penny nails, deck screws, and monster lag bolts that gave my cordless impact a workout. I expect it to last a few years, then need a rebuild. We live nearby two industrial parks, to pallet wood is plentiful so I'm not worried about supplies.
SVreX said:Robbie said:Awesome.
I've never done it but I'd build a square or octagon around the tree and set it on limbs as much as possible. I'd bet you could build something that needs no anchors to the tree.
I'd still use a bunch of 4 inch deck screws so they won't rust and have plenty of grip into the trunk.
Luv 'ya, Robbie, but I'm gonna advise folks to ignore this post.
4" deck screws are completely useless, and attaching to multiple branches is a terrible idea.
You are underestimating the movement.
If you had slip connections, I'm pretty sure you could measure that each connection has 12" or more if movement when the wind blows.
And a deck screw is guaranteed to shear. They are much too small to use for structural components in shear.
Maybe I didnt explain myself well. I'm imagining basically a big square or octagon 'collar' that is close to tight with the trunk, and sits on the large branches (on top of them, right where they split from the trunk) via gravity. Would then attach everything to one or more of those 'collars', and not to the tree at all. The collar would be all that connects to the tree. A drawing might help.
If you attached these three collars together vertically, you wouldn't be relying on the screws in shear at all (the limb 'bases' would hold the whole thing up). I would still use screws just to keep everything in place. 
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