Treehouse - an idea and building journal

The Party - The Next Day

2010-08-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Well it was a rousing success! Here is a picture of the party members the next morning.

The Party

2010-08-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

My daughter's Birthday Party went really well. We sent them up in the treehouse, handing out flashlights and cutting up the cake to her four friends. After the movie (Night at the Museum - Smithsonian), we handed out bug spray and bid them goodnight! (Well, I slept in a tent in the backyard just to keep an eye on them.

HOORAY!!!

2010-07-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! It's a go!

Up to the very day of the party, my daughter kept asking "you WILL finish in time, won't you?" As late as an hour before the sleep over , I was putting on door handles etc. But fnish we did (With wife,daughter and son chipping in).

After we finished the fittings, we used Christmas lights for decoration and stuck a small TV/DVD player for a movie.

Home stretch/under the gun - dutch door

2010-07-28T02:28:00.000-07:00

It sounds really simple! My daughter wanted a dutch door onto the deck. How hard could it be? All you have to do is build a door out of 2x4 s and cut it in half. So that's what I did. I took a width and a length and built a frame threw some plywood on it and sliced it in half - NO GO. It turns out that the doorway isn't quite square. I figured the inch it was off didn't make a difference, but it does. See attached photo - note the curved slash in the door when my saw hit a nail.

Ok, time to start again. This time I taped together to large pieces of Kraft paper, then taped them over the doorway. Then, I drew an outline of the doorway on the paper to use as a template. That worked better. The other change was to use the plywood as the door and use strapping to frame the door and the doorway. Voila! Open...

and closed!

Home stretch/under the gun - screening part 3

2010-07-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

Well, believe or not the screening is in. It was a challenge without a ladder (see below), but I screened most of the openings from the inside instead.

At the other window, I built a moveable screen window so the kids could open it and get to the bucket and pulley.

Home stretch/under the gun - screening oops!

2010-07-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

So, I was working on an old blue fiberglass ladder. I'm stapling on window screening on the outside of the tree house about 10 feet up. Suddenly I hear this ripping, crunching noise and the next thing I know, I'm dropping through thin air! I had extended the ladder all the way and was standing where the top and bottom overlapped. The fiberglass rails holding the ladder together cracked and the two ends popped free! I ended up ridng the lower section down while the top section fell away! Except for a scrape on my wrist, I landed without injury on my well-padded rear end (the result of all those Buffalo Wings)! Could have been worse I landed two-three feet from a big boulder, I could have bounced my head off THAT on the way down. Yikes!

Home stretch/under the gun - screening

2010-07-23T11:49:00.001-07:00

Ok, this is a picture from last winter. I put it up mainly as a place holder, as my next project on my punch list is for screening. The treehouse is built on the back corner of our lot near a vernal pool. During the day, the mosquitoes are otherwise occupied. however, after dark they rise from the pool and would quickly make their way into a treehouse full of 11-year-old overnighters. I was planning on throwing screening on the outside and using wood strapping as trim to hold it into place. More on this later!

Home stretch/under the gun - roofing

2010-07-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

So now, July is coming and with it my daughters birthday party. She wants to have it as a sleep over in the treehouse, so I have to come through. The next big item on my punch list is a roof. After lots of web browsing and research I chose a cedar shingle roof. It has the right combination of water resistance and lack of weight that would work in a treehouse. I picked up/rent some roofing paper, a nailer and compressor as well as 5 stacks of shingles. Throwing on my safety harness (Spiderman gear), I got on the roof and started nailing. Here is the view of my safety harness and the roofing paper.

Boy - was I beat! Now here it is 2/3rds done.

Finally! All done after nine hours on the roof.

Siding and tweaking...

2010-05-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

With the help another good friend in town (Doug, see last post), we were able to put up much of the siding for the tree house. Once we were organized the panel placement went up pretty easily. We used 3/8 textured hardboard that was pre-finished with exterior finish and has an exterior fake wood grain. I had to go back and re-nail some panels as I started with the wrong fastener (2" galvanized shake nails). I used 6d 2 inch galvanized nails.

Now, for the tweak...As I was getting ready for the work day on the tree house, I noticed a decided racking to the studded frame of the treehouse, probably because the frame was not fully braced before the winter weather set in. I did not shingle the roof because I want to finish stiffening the frame with plywood siding.

The solution! A cross brace to pull the frame back into square before the siding went on. Doug and I tried a simple pulley I had in the basement. No luck. The pulley just didn't have the muscle to tweak the house back into true. Doug thought for a minute and said "I remember a block and tackle in my garage.." He returned with a serious set-up set-up. Problem solved!

(although you should seen have tautness of the tackle line!...)

Flooded!

2010-04-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!

I wanted to start by posting the after effects of the recent 100-year storm we had in Massachusetts. Reading the news you can see we had large areas of the county that were flooded, to the point that a number of state and county highways were closed and communities inundated or isolated. Back at this old treehouse, the pond and the vernal pools that you saw in my December posting were at flood stage and formed one contiguous body of water that ended up in my back yard! At one stage, the lower footings of the treehouse were sub merged. Contrast the photos here with those of the same place in December.

If you remember the old picture of the vernal pools you can now see they look like a pond.

Finally, this picture of the treehouse (with my buddy, Doug on the deck) seems normal but it was taken fron the vernal pool (now a pond) from a canoe!

View from the top

2009-12-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd try something different. Here are three views from the treehouse. The first is from the side of the tree house. the tree house is set back on the corner of the lot.

The second is the view from the back deck looking into the woods behind our house.

The last is from the back on one side of the deck. You can see two vernal pools. In the spring, you can hear spring peepers and wood frogs. Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Time for the siding!

2009-11-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Back again! Now I am trying to get siding onto a 12-foot high treehouse surrounded by trees. As you can imagine, it is a little challenging. My wife and I busted our butts to get one piece of 4x8 T 1-11 up to the deck. Not easy. yesterday my neighbor and I used a pulley to get a 4x6 sheet up there (thanks, Jonathan!). Not much easier. I bought a block and tackle, let's try that!

Workin' on the rail...

2009-09-18T05:32:00.000-07:00

We had a family project the other day. With the invaluable help of my wife and kids, we were able to build and paint the handrails on the deck. It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun with my daughter screwing down the railing and my wife and son painting the rails. here is the result!

Back again

2009-09-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

No I haven't been in hibernation since January. I have been occupied by many work and life experiences till now. During the summer, my father passed away after a long illness. I feel that the treehouse is a gift now to my kids so I can show them that I enjoy them as much as I enjoyed my dad.

During the spring I put on the roof with the help of my neighbor and Buddy, Johnathan across the street. we did it without breaking anything and a minimum of bruises. I then crawled up on the roof and laid out the tar paper. It was wobbly up there, so I will install the cedar shingles when i finish installing the siding on the walls.

Tree Party

2009-01-14T03:35:00.000-08:00

The treehouse had some real action on Sunday. My son was turning six and we had a party for his friends at our house. After a time of sledding in our backyard, the kids repaired to the treehouse and busied themselves running back and forth, throwing snow around, going up and down the stairs and hauling things up and down in the bucket. It was great to see them using the treehouse as I had hoped!

treehouse in snow

2008-12-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

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!)

Now we are getting somewhere!

2008-11-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

After conferring with my wife and kids. I tweaked my building plan to allow safe access to the treehouse. I did this by nailing up 2 x4s inside the house to form temporary railings. I also closed off the deck portion for now (no decking) and re-built the ladder not once but twice! I also added a pulley and bucket for the kids. They like it so far. Check out the pictures.

Long time no write!

2008-11-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I've been bogged down at work, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. My sister came for a visit, so I handed her a hammer and had her toe-nail the wall studs. Thanks, sis!

Frame those walls!

2008-09-24T13:49:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, we had a couple over for the day. He and I in 3-4 hours we able to get aal of the walls framed up. See pix! I have some 10-foot 2x4's left over that I will use for the deck at $3.69 a board as opposed to $12 a board for pressure treated lumber and $18-24 a board for Trex. I have to do some retrofitting as one corner overlaps (see pic on the right).

Gable or shed...

2008-09-20T18:56:00.001-07:00

I am altering the design for the treehouse. First, I will switch from gable roof to shed roof. I am also chopping the end wall down from 8 ft to 6 ft. Why am I doing this (especially as I already built two walls? Well, the short answer is that shed walls are cheaper, faster and easier to build and I think the ceiling should be shorter to give the treehouse a more kid-like dimension (although it is high enough for me to stand in without whacking my head). Also, my wife wants to speed up the construction and the kids want to get in there before the snows fly!

We're on our way!

2008-09-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

We added plywood decking last week. You can see the result. With the plywood added, the deck supports really tighten up!instability is really lessened. Nice kids on the deck!

Deck frame going up!

2008-09-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend, a buddy of mine across the street volunteered to help with the building process. It was much appreciated (thanks, Jonathan!) as putting up the joists would have been a bear alone. He and I got plywood for the floor. I mis-calculated and was one sheet short. I had to take the kids back to HD. They are getting quite excited now that they can see the platform. Next is placing the plywood - tricky because I didn't check the diagonals on the deck frame, so I question how square it is. Hmmm...

post and beam

2008-08-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm moving along finally. Last weekend, I singlehandedly hung the second 2x12 support beam with nary a scratch (well a dinged up finger). Today, I picked up some old 2x6 boards (to be used later) from a buddy in town. Then, my buddy from across the street came over and we started on the understructure. You can see from the pictures how far we got!

Woo Hoo!

2008-08-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

FINALLY, some warm, sunny weather. I took the day off and my daughter and I started the treehouse. First, we put up one of the main support beams, then we dug and poured two footings to support the other side of the main platform. Lots of digging there were tree roots in one hole and ledge rock in the other.

Rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,rain,.............

2008-08-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

11 inches in three weeks! That's what weather is doing to my work days. We are getting 4 days of sun this week and my daughter is free this week, do we hope to begin. I have the wood and the bolts needed for the main support beams.

Two minor changes. I bought two - 2"x12" 16-footers (PT wood). I was going to use them nailed together as on 4x12. I decided it would be better to install them as 2x12 s one on either side of the tree trunks.

Also, I think that I'm going to change the structure of the 4x6 posts holding up the other end of the platform. I will install a 4x6 beam on top of the two 2x6 beams build a deck-like understructure for the fixed end of the main platform. I am thinking of adding a foot to the deck and a foot to the house. This will allow more room in the treehouse and on the deck.

PS Thanks to http://www.winternet.com/~carols/maine/ for the picture.

Build Your Kids a Treehouse

2008-08-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

A quick correct on that treehouse book. The correct reference is: The Black & Decker Complete Guide: Build Your Kids a Treehouse (Black & Decker Complete Guide) (Paperback) by Charlie Self (Author), John Drigot (Contributor)

New design - I like it

2008-07-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

Well, after perusing the old design, I realized some limitations.

It would take a lot of bolts and braces for each tree.
it would be more complicated to build
it would necessitate a smaller tree house

I decided to deal with the size issue with increasing the support. I Added two beams each with 4x4 posts holding up either end of each beam. Yuck. Real treehouses aren't supported from the ground at all. Plus, that added to the complication expense and time, something I (and my wife) wasn't happy about.

My solution was to go with a simpler design that put one beam between the two trees and added two 4x4 posts to hold up the other end of the platform. see attached. I gave up the idea of sole support from the tree but I think it will be better.

Old design (see I've already changed my mind!)

2008-07-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

My first plan was to build a platform set on two knee -braced joists running perpendicular to the tree. Attached you can see a sketch of those plans

Where to put the treehouse?

2008-07-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

So, the next step is to find a tree(s). For most designs, you need a straight, healthy, hardwood tree with a minimum of a 60" circumference (19" diameter) for sole support of a treehouse. You should keep it away from the road, water, power lines, neighbors' sightlines, rocks to fall on and build it no more 6-8' high for small kids (like my 7 and 5 year olds). I asked permission of my neighbor nearest the eventual location, and he said "Sure!". I called up the building department in my town and they had no problem.

When you add all the qualifications up that leaves me with two oak trees (with 72" and 53" circumferences) about 10' apart. See my picture!

The beginning of the treehouse

2008-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

I am going to build a treehouse for my two kids in the backyard this summer. i have already checked out numerous websites (see links), bought a book (Black and Deckers', How to Build a Treehouse) and rented one form the library (Treehouses and Playhouses by David and Jeanie Stiles). The kids are excited as am I. My wife is a little concerned about time and money. I'm throwing up a blog to keep track of the process.