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!)

Now we are getting somewhere!

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!

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!

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...

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!