How to build a tree house with your own hands: quickly, efficiently and safely

A do-it-yourself tree house is a great idea to diversify your children's summer cottage activities. Actually, the idea is not new at all, and its roots grow from the experience of hunters and gatherers. It is dangerous to stay in the forest at night, so they built temporary shelters that helped protect against predators and insects. Now the tree house is an opportunity for children to retire and play into adulthood. Let's think about how to make this playground safe and comfortable.

Read in the article

1 Why is it worth building a children's tree house
2 The most important thing is safety
3 Types of structures for a treehouse
4 Where to start and what you need to prepare for building a tree house
- 4.1 How to choose a tree for a house
- 4.2 Development and drawings of the house
5 What materials are suitable for building a tree house
6 An example of building a tree house step by step
7 Interesting tree house ideas

Why is it worth building a children's tree house

Admit it to yourself - wouldn't it be great to have such a tree house in which you can look down on all the hardships of life? By the way, many grow up with this thought and then build not small playgrounds, but completely full-fledged tree houses.

How to build a tree house with your own hands — Here is an example of such a house. Agree, rest here will be wonderful

But back to the idea of the game headquarters. In principle, everything is not so difficult. All you need is a solid platform, and the walls can be designed as you please: with a veranda, a balcony, walls, like in a bird's nest, in the form of a knight's castle or hut. The advantage of this small building is that you can always change its appearance, add something original.

And it is possible that over time, the playground may turn into something more: for example, into a place to relax from the hustle and bustle for parents or for parties with friends, if, of course, the tree is for you will allow

By the way, if you have a little forest on your site and there are pine trees, the house can be arranged on several trunks, and this is already very solid construction, capable of supporting the weight of a group of adults who decided to admire the evening sunset over a glass tea.

The most important thing is safety

For both children and adults, safety at height is the most important thing. You yourself understand that the higher you raise the house, the more carefully you need to think over so that both stay in it and the ascent and descent are not a risk to life and health. So, first of all, you need to think over the design, and only then decide how to finish it.

Keep in mind that the permissible level from the ground for a treehouse is up to 2.5 meters. And the younger the children, the lower you need to lower this bar.

In addition, to ensure safety, it is recommended to pull a strong net around the house or under its entrance, which will help prevent accidental injury in the event of an accidental fall.

Of course, in no case should you save on support beams and fasteners. No rotted or cracked boards! You can use them in some other place, for example on the roof, but not in the supporting part of the building. And given that you will be building a house on a support from a living tree, it is important to use as little penetrating fasteners as possible.

In the West, systems have been invented at all that allow you not to damage the barrel and firmly fix the supports on it. Of course, it cannot be said that these systems do not injure the tree at all, but they minimize harm.

In any case, it is better to fix 4 strong fasteners to the support beams than to drill the wood in 20 places. Multiple damage will not only lead to the danger that the trunk will crack, but will also become a passage for insects that will destroy the tree in a couple of years. Therefore, the fewer fasteners the better, and every hole in the barrel must be carefully repaired to prevent contamination.

When planning the structure for safety reasons, consider that the supports are fixed not only to the trunks, but also to the branches. This will distribute the load evenly and make the structure as strong as possible.

During construction, try to do most of the work on the ground. Avoid climbing and balancing in a tree if you need to fit planks or assemble ladders. It is better to prepare all the details below as much as possible, and then fasten them into a common whole.

It is very important to think over the design of the staircase. The rope model in this case is the least safe and inconvenient. The child may not have enough strength or balance to climb up. And even if you are confident in the abilities of your child, who knows if his friends who will come to play will be able to cope with the task?

The best choice would be a sturdy ladder, with or without railings, but stable and with comfortable rungs that won't slide off your foot.

For descent, you can put a pole - as in the famous films about firefighters, but again with a safety net.

By the way, planning a tree house is worth considering the opinion of your neighbors. If he stands close to the border, neighbors may assume that they will look into their territory. Think about how to make a tree hut out of planks so that it does not arouse suspicion.

In addition, children usually play noisy, litter and throw toys around the tree. If debris ends up in a neighboring area, there can be trouble.

Types of structures for a treehouse

Now we are not talking about the appearance of the house (it can be a hut or a space rocket), but about the type of foundation. There are three types of construction that can be applied to a tree house:

A house with attachment to the main trunk and branches of one or more trees. You should pick up strong mature trees with strong trunks, without damaging the root system. This design involves drilling holes in the barrel for fasteners.

The tree is damaged, but you can be sure of the stability of the house. But you have to accept that over time, such a structure will destroy the tree.

Suspended structure. This is the least traumatic option for a tree, but it is quite difficult to arrange. In this case, the platform is attached to hangers made of strong rope or chains. The result obtained will not be very stable: no matter how you tighten the chains, the support platform will still "walk". Such houses can only be built for older children, and it is too dangerous for preschoolers to be on such an unstable site.

It is imperative for this type of structure to think over safety devices

Stilt house Is a great option that will save the tree from damage, and at the same time provide a stable and safe platform for games. The piles in this case are the support, the tree trunk penetrates the platform, so the tree may not be so old and strong. For additional stability, just in case, you can gain a foothold on the branches.

The piles are dug into the ground. It is advisable to concrete them in order to give additional strength.

Thus, you can choose one of three options, but if it is in your interests to preserve the wood and achieve maximum strength, then, without a doubt, it will be a structure on piles.

Where to start and what you need to prepare for building a tree house

The key to the success of any construction, be it a road bridge or a modest children's tree house, is careful calculation and planning. So do not neglect this stage, starting the construction "by eye".

How to choose a tree for a house

The choice of the reference tree is very important. It is on it that the whole structure will be held, unless, of course, you preferred the structure on piles.

If you have a wide choice, for example, part of your site is occupied by a forest, then take a closer look at the possible options

First of all, you should pay attention to the type of wood. Do you know why figs are called the Judas tree? Because with the apparent thickness and strength of the branches, the tree is very fragile. And, climbing onto a branch for a large berry, you are almost guaranteed to get injured.

So it is with the house: the breed matters, because each wood has its own bearing capacity. So, in our middle latitudes, it is not worth building an ambush on a linden, because it has very soft wood, and on chestnut, willow or poplar - they have weak roots. An excellent choice is a mature oak, maple or a robust mature apple tree.

Pay attention to where the branches are directed and how thick they are. In order to fix the platform on one trunk, its girth must be at least 90 cm. But if you use piles, the thickness of the trunk will not matter.

A spreading tree in the garden will give you the opportunity to use branches as a support.

Finding such a large and sturdy tree is not easy, but as already mentioned, if there are several medium-sized trees growing nearby, you can fix the platform on their trunks.

Development and drawings of the house

Any construction should begin with drawings and a project, and even a children's house is no exception. This is the most interesting stage of the work, because you can give free rein to your imagination and design the structure as it tells you. Remember only one thing: children's tastes are very changeable things. Today your child plays pirates, tomorrow - aliens, the day after tomorrow - to the hospital. Rebuilding and changing the design every time is a troublesome and useless business.

It is better to build a universal structure that, if necessary, can play the role of a spaceship, a fire engine, and a hut on chicken legs

The less in the house there are some specific references to the plot, the better. Consider a mobile transformation: whether it be a lift mast, an opening roof, or retractable walls, there will be a lot more room for imagination.

So when developing the drawing, pay most attention to the stability and strength of the structure, and make the house itself the simplest both inside and out.

What materials are suitable for building a tree house

The main two requirements for these materials are lightness and strength. The easier you pick up the material for the walls, the less stress will be on the tree trunk.

For the frame, you should choose durable commercial wood without flaws, cracks and knots. You can also make metal, but this will again significantly increase the weight of the structure, which is undesirable. The only exceptions are houses on stilts, where the entire load falls on the support pillars.

For walls, it is better to choose OSB slabs. Plywood houses also look good, but since this is an outdoor structure, the plywood will be exposed to the weather. Rains and snowfalls will quickly destroy the sheets, they will begin to warp and delaminate. For the same reasons, chipboard or MDF are not suitable.

But OSB tolerates precipitation in any form well, especially if the sheets are painted. They are quite lightweight, durable, easily cut with a jigsaw and mounted with self-tapping screws. If you wish, you can decorate the walls with siding.

An example of building a tree house step by step

As an example, we can give a sample of the simplest construction on a tree, which can be taken as a basis. So, how to build a tree house from scrap materials.

Illustration	Description of action
	As a support, the author chose not one, but three closely standing trunks. This is an excellent solution that guarantees the stability of the entire structure.
	The main support is two beams, which are fixed to all trunks at once
	For fixing in the trunks, the author used anchor bolts with hex heads, which are specially designed for wood
	Beams are already attached to the support beams, which will hold the flooring
	Strong fixation of the structure is provided by metal corners with several attachment points
	Additional stability of the platform is provided by jibs, which are also attached to the tree with anchor bolts.
	The flooring itself is assembled on the ground - it will be easier and more convenient to mount it this way
	In the flooring, cuts are made for the trunks as tightly as possible to them, so that the child's foot does not accidentally slip into the hole
	The next stage is the installation of the railings. Here, too, metal corners are used for strong fixation.
	The author chose an interesting, simple and at the same time extremely reliable type of ladder. It is made of scraps of boards, each of which has a hole cut for the foot.
	You don't have to do the walls - high enough railings. And instead of a roof - an awning
	The structure of the house is simple and at the same time very durable. Not only children can spend time here, but also a couple of adults

Interesting tree house ideas

As you can see, building a tree house is a fairly simple task, and anyone can handle it. But there can be quite a lot of ideas for decorating such a structure, look at the pictures for inspiration:

1 out of 6

How to build a tree house with your own hands: quickly, efficiently and safely — You can make more than one platform for the house, but several, using neighboring trees for other platforms

In addition - a small video on how to build a house with your own hands:

Did you like the idea? Do you have experience in such construction? Share it in the comments!

Discuss0

and if the top layer of foam is not disturbed, then the lacquered surface greatly reduces the hygro ...

strange reasoning about sealing. If a log is poured with sealant, foam ...

In the 80s he worked in one NGO, then the hammer enamel was sintered. It turned out great, n ...

While in the summer I lived at the dacha, I saw many different situations and no one fined anyone. Uch ...

You cannot find a normal apartment for such a sum in Moscow. Even for a country house that ...

Thank you. Briefly and clearly...

Karting. I want to help children! & nbs ...

Now there is a very interesting and efficient option for heating - plasterboard pa ...

Everything is gorgeous, but always the emphasis on the ratchet. And for me, for example, it is technologically not p ...

yes indeed. if you don’t get them, no one showed up for the whole year, they began to hear ...

Why sheathe the house initially with vapor barrier? The meaning of it? To create a place of condensation ...

A little more than a month ago, I was looking for an Electrolux heating kit for a loggia. We have a lodge ...

In general, I support it, only concrete does not lose its properties after wintering, especially if you w ...

They took a heating kit Revolts into the bathroom. When there was no heating in the interseason ...