treehouse in snow

We got five inches of snow last night, so after I cleared the cars and woked n the driveway with my wife, my daughter and I checked out the treehouse (still standing!) I shoveled off some snow to take the strain off. Here ae some pictures. y daughter's in the 1st one. Boy, are we cold!

All decked out...

Thanks to a VERY generous contribution by my in-laws Mr. and Mrs. Schubert (thanks Bo and Blythe!), I was able to get my deck built. After much hemming and hawing, I went for Trex planks (made of recycled plastic and sawdust). They may be more expensive, but they are more durable than regular wood (25-year guarantee) and don't produce toxic splinters like pressure-treated wood. I took the precaution of finishing a temporary railing all around the deck.

Installing it was an ordeal. The packaging recommended screwing it directly into place with special screws. After stripping four screws, I started pre drilling the holes with two bits (a long one for the shaft and a short one for the countersink). I then proceded to drop the chuck key into the leaves under the deck. After two trips to the hardware store (the first time the chuck key I bought was too small), I was back on the deck. The only other mishap was when I slipped on a piece of temporary deck flooring and started to fall through! Fortunately I grabbed the temporary railing and stayed aboard! Anyway, here are some pix of the deck.

First, you have to get IN the treehouse...

Just a note on the steps. So far, the steps have been the trickiest part of the treehouse building process. My first version was badly slanted and not especially secure (a fact I found up when I began hauling equipement up them). I tried re-do some of the stairs. Not that it easy to do, as the ladder weighs a ton and wrestling it into position is dicey with that weight.

After doing some quick web research, I decided the easiest approach was to build them in place. So, I tore down the old one and installed two slanted 2x8" lengths of PT wood (beveled on the feet). Once in place, it was a simple matter to cut the trends to fit and place them singly. (although I noticed when I was done that the bottom tread is inch and a 1/4" wider than the top tread, so much for parallel sides!)