Treehouse thread (1 Viewer)

[Hojack]

My kids have been wanting me to build them a treehouse for awhile now. With all the other home lumber projects at home I figured to order the lumber it get started. Started looking for a good spot and then draw a sketch to show the kids my idea.

The ideal spot was three trees in my woods. Two were Bigleaf Maple and the other a Douglas Fir.

Got a rough ladder started and area ready for beam delivery the following week.

The treehouse will be about 15’ off the ground which for height was my wife’s limit. I built a temporary platform to get the 2x8x16 PT beams attached to trees.

Getting the 2x8 beams level and secured to the trees.

 

[Hojack]

Looking down the the 2x8 platform.

The beams going on both sides of a double leader of a Bigleaf Maple which is what made me choose this spot. I’ve got mostly Douglas Fir on the property which are just straight trees with no forks. This tree had character and was calling out “treehouse”

Removed the temporary platform.

The left side will be a nice open deck looking over the property.

Two very excited kids.

 

[Hojack]

With the wind and trees moving back and forth I decided instead of attaching the 2x8 to the trees I would weld a bracket together that would hold up the treehouse but allow the 2x8 to be able to slide through the brackets when the trees sway.

Had some 1/4” steel plate at the shop. The piece was big enough I could make 6 of my brackets at 4.25” W and 7.50”L.

Found a long enough piece of angle iron too.

Some 1” nipples gave me the needed 1.50” for the bracket the wrap the 2x8 beams.

Ready to tack weld the brackets

Two brackets ready to go and test fit.

 

[Hojack]

Caught a break in the rain and was able to get out and test fit the brackets to see what else needs to be modified.

The Douglas Fir is the straightest tree so I thought I’d start with it.

Having a gap at the top and bottom I’ll need to weld on some more steel plate to the angle iron. Drill holes in that steel and lag bolt the bracket to the tree.

Bottom had about an 1/8” gap

Top had a 1/4” gap. I’ll weld on a bigger plate vertically and put gussets on the angle iron for support.

 

[Hojack]

The Bigleaf Maple brackets will need a bit more custom work as the tree isn’t as straight, especially the tree with the forked leader.

A few pictures from below

I’ll work on each bracket after work and get the base secured to the trees.

 

[1911]

Cool project!

One thing I have always wondered about real tree houses: what happens as the trunks continue to grow? Even if it is fractions of inch per year, isn't the diameter and circumference of the trunks increasing as the tree grows? Does that eventually throw the house out of plumb, or put stress on the structure?

 

[Hojack]

Cool project!

One thing I have always wondered about real tree houses: what happens as the trunks continue to grow? Even if it is fractions of inch per year, isn't the diameter and circumference of the trunks increasing as the tree grows? Does that eventually throw the house out of plumb, or put stress on the structure?

Treehouses can be a challenge.
Attached to 3 trees, wind will be the biggest threat. If the trees sway and are attached to each other eventually the lag bolts holding the beams to the tree or beams will fail. I thought I’d with a bracket wrapped around the beam it would allow the tree to swap as the beam can move but stay secure. I built a few treehouses as a kid here in Oregon and it was a lot of fun.

 

[bkfj40]

looks great! good call on the slide brackets.

Your kids have to be super excited!

 

[Hojack]

looks great! good call on the slide brackets.

Your kids have to be super excited!

I like that, slide brackets... that’s exactly what they are, awesome!!!

 

[kirvesmies]

so, almost 2 months later, are the kids still waiting to camp out in their aerial fortress?

 

[Hojack]

No no... wife duties were a high priority

 

[Dunbar]

Is that a run through Coyote cafe?