6 thoughts on “Every Kid’s Dream Tree House – How to Build It”
Hi Keith. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge in this post, and also for the compliment! When this project was underway, Rob came home talking about the “cool tree guy” who was making sure the homeowner’s beautiful live oak would not get damaged. I’m glad I finally got to meet you! We’ve built treehouses in the past, always with an eye toward preserving the tree, but you’ve taught us several new tricks. We look forward to working with you again.
Looks like a fun project. The turning stairway also serving as a zip line launch is really clever. I’m a little concerned about the bending loads on the all thread rod. It looks like a 1″ all thread, and I have seen that bend when used to support loads in shear. It’s great for tension loading… There are better fasteners available for similar applications. Check out my tree house blog for more info…
I used to install that same zip line kit, too. But after installing dozens of them for people, I stopped using it for several reasons. It was alright, but not great. And it only worksup to about 96′.
Finally! I have seen so many tree houses where they wrap something around the tree to the point it kills the tree. You won’t have a tree house for long when your tree dies. Don’t put your kids (and yourself) in danger! leave as much space away from the trunk and branches as fits into your design. It’s better to drill a hole than wrap something around!
Hi, I’ve been wanting to have a tree house built for my boys for years, but I can’t find anyone who knows how. Or, contractors I’ve asked are too busy. Can you suggest the type of craftsman who should be able to handle such a job? Do you have ideas on questions I should ask before hiring someone? Based on the current price of lumber and supplies, how much do you think a decent size tree house should cost (such as the one in this article?) I live in Cameron Park, California.
Thank you,
Lori
Love the tree house and I can’t wait to build it this summer without hurting the beautiful oak tree in my yard. I have started looking at different hardware online and have found endurancehardware.com. They have all of the cable needed at a great price.
Hi Keith. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge in this post, and also for the compliment! When this project was underway, Rob came home talking about the “cool tree guy” who was making sure the homeowner’s beautiful live oak would not get damaged. I’m glad I finally got to meet you! We’ve built treehouses in the past, always with an eye toward preserving the tree, but you’ve taught us several new tricks. We look forward to working with you again.
Hello Keith,
Looks like a fun project. The turning stairway also serving as a zip line launch is really clever. I’m a little concerned about the bending loads on the all thread rod. It looks like a 1″ all thread, and I have seen that bend when used to support loads in shear. It’s great for tension loading… There are better fasteners available for similar applications. Check out my tree house blog for more info…
I used to install that same zip line kit, too. But after installing dozens of them for people, I stopped using it for several reasons. It was alright, but not great. And it only worksup to about 96′.
Pretty nice pictorial topic.
Sure is an advancement from the way most folks anchor a treehouse to trees. Cheers,
M. D. Vaden of Oregon
Finally! I have seen so many tree houses where they wrap something around the tree to the point it kills the tree. You won’t have a tree house for long when your tree dies. Don’t put your kids (and yourself) in danger! leave as much space away from the trunk and branches as fits into your design. It’s better to drill a hole than wrap something around!
Hi, I’ve been wanting to have a tree house built for my boys for years, but I can’t find anyone who knows how. Or, contractors I’ve asked are too busy. Can you suggest the type of craftsman who should be able to handle such a job? Do you have ideas on questions I should ask before hiring someone? Based on the current price of lumber and supplies, how much do you think a decent size tree house should cost (such as the one in this article?) I live in Cameron Park, California.
Thank you,
Lori
Love the tree house and I can’t wait to build it this summer without hurting the beautiful oak tree in my yard. I have started looking at different hardware online and have found endurancehardware.com. They have all of the cable needed at a great price.