So your kids have convinced you into building a treehouse. Or maybe you just decided that you wanted your own little hidden retreat where you can escape reality altogether.
With inspirational images of luxurious tree houses popping up all over the internet, it’s hard not to fall into that trap. That being said, a treehouse can be a great addition for an extra “backyard room” when you are looking to add on to your home.
The main structure of a treehouse can vary greatly. You can choose to build a simple platform for your kids to commandeer or an extravagant forest escape.
Treehouses inspire days of play and building one can be a great bonding experience to do with your young ones. There are plenty of professional construction companies who will easily throw together a wooden shelter high up in the trees if you choose to go that route.
However, with a little bit of building knowledge, some materials, tools, and a bit of sweat (hopefully no tears), it can be a fairly painless task to put together a treehouse.
How much will building a treehouse cost?
This is completely dependent on what you want your end product to be!
Treehouse layouts have advanced greatly over the years and so you will get as much as you want to put into it.
As mentioned, you can choose to go with a professional construction company that could run you into thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on how luxurious you want it to be.
Though, if you are one of those individuals who has plenty of spare timber laying around or at least know your way around a Home Depot, building a treehouse can be fairly inexpensive or even free!
10 Steps to a Treehouse
Here we’ll break down the process of building a treehouse in ten simple steps to follow. So bust out your tools and let’s start building!
1. Find the Perfect Spot
First thing’s first, you need to figure out where you’re going to build the treehouse.
This is the most important step for making sure that you build a stable and secure structure to protect you and your children in the years to come.
For a building that is lifted 10-15 feet in the air where your children will hopefully be running in and out of, you need to be confident in the safety factor.
A treehouse can be built across multiple trees or even on just one with a good amount of strong branches. If you are looking at using just one tree, aim for one that has a decent splitting of the trunk on which to build a secure base and anchors.
It’s also important to choose a healthy tree that can handle this amount of weight and use over the years. Common types of trees that are good and strong for treehouses are oaks, maples, ash, apple, beech, and hemlock.
These types of trees are strong and will withstand many different climates as well. The trunk diameter should be at least 12 inches or more in diameter if you are building on just one tree but it can be smaller if you are using a couple together.
2. Design Your Treehouse
After you have determined the best possible spot and tree(s) to build your fairytale home on, it’s time to start designing it.
Though, hopefully, you already started this process (even if it’s just a couple of sloppy drawings from your kiddos) so that you could determine the size before you started looking at trees.
A typical treehouse measures about 8 ft. x 8 ft. and is raised about 2.5 to 3 meters above the ground. Although this is also dependent on the height that you’re comfortable with for your little ones.
This step is perfect to involve your kids in as they create and design the treehouse of their wildest dreams! Then you can take those ideas and alter them as you see fit with the space you have to work with.
3. Gather the Materials
Depending on your desired outcome your parts may vary but these are the basic construction materials you will need:
- Timber or Lumber
- Decking Material
- Galvanized Lag Screws and Washers
- Joist Hangers
- Rafter Ties
- A Variety of Nails and Deck Screws
4. Dig Out the Tools
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a construction worker’s supply of tools to build a treehouse.
The basic needs include a hammer, saw, level, tape measure, adjustable wrench, cordless drill, and a jigsaw. A ladder is highly recommended as well since you are building up high in a tree.
5. Mount the Supports and Build the Platform
A well-built platform will define the future of your treehouse. Start with a strong base of the supports which you can build either directly onto the trees or separately in steps and mount it in sections.
Once you have added the main supports, you can add on the pieces for the platform.
6. Add Anchors
As we have already mentioned, for a structure high above the ground it needs to be strong. Building in diagonal support pieces underneath from the platform to the tree trunk helps brace the structure.
7. Lay the Flooring
For this step, you can either use designated decking pieces or just large slabs of timber sheets. Lay this flooring on top of your already built platform.
8. Build Up the Walls, Railings, and Entrance
Once you have the main flooring set, it’s time to start adding walls, railings, and the entrance to enclose your space. This helps further secure the treehouse for clumsy feet.
These can be built with old fencing or by creating a fresh frame.
9. Install a Ladder
A ladder can be as complex as a series of wooden steps equipped with a railing or as simple as a rope ladder that can be tossed down.
10. Toss On a Roof
The last and final step to creating your treehouse is the roof. This can be built more robust with wood or a simple covering of waterproof fabric. Either way, this helps the treehouse be a haven of fun even on those dreary rainy days.
A treehouse can be a beautiful addition to your property as well as an exciting playhouse for your kids. While building a treehouse on your own isn’t necessarily “easy”, when you break the process down into ten simple steps it’s a whole lot easier to handle.
Have fun!