How to make a simple tree house. Children's tree house - game, training, mystery. Choice of constructive solution

Earlier, we have already talked about the various elements of the playground, such as a sandbox, swings and ground houses. But this is not all that can ennoble the garden plot and the playground itself. In order to make the playground truly fabulous, build a tree house with your own hands and then your child will be the happiest in the world.

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Requirements for a tree for a house

Much depends on the tree on which the house will be built, the main thing is the safety of children on the tree, the height of which can bring great harm to health.

In order to avoid unpleasant consequences, you need to consider the following features of installing a treehouse:

1. Do not install the house on old or young trees, because. they are less durable and resistant to loads (and the load is large, because the weight of the structure of the house and children is quite large).
2. Choose the following types of trees: oak, maple, fir, ash. You should not use trees such as poplar, linden, chestnut, willow to build a house. The reason is the development of the root system, in the latter it is poorly developed.
3. It is forbidden to install a tree house if the territory is on sandy soil.
4. The diameter of the branches on which the house will be held should be from 20 cm.
5. It is forbidden to install a house on rotten branches or in weak places (having cracks, a sharp narrowing of the diameter, etc.)
6. It will be good if the tree on which the house is built has a branched trunk with powerful horizontal branches, in which case there will be many points of support.
7. If there are weak branches above the planned site for building the house, be sure to cut them down so that they do not damage the structure of the house in the future if they are broken by a gust of wind.

Treehouse building height

Since a tree house is primarily a place of increased danger, and the main reason for this is a rather big height, it is necessary to responsibly approach the correct choice of the height of the house. It is clear that it all depends on how high the ideal location of the house is - horizontal powerful branches, but still it is not recommended to install the house at a high altitude, because. the higher the building is from the ground, the more it is exposed to gusts of wind (and the construction of the house is not so strong).

The optimal height of a treehouse is 1.5 -2 meters, so try to stick to these limits.

DIY material and tools for building a treehouse

The tools that we will need to build a treehouse are as follows:

• A hammer
• Roulette
• Hacksaw
• adjustable wrench
• Building level
• Sandpaper
• square
• Plane
• Drill

For the construction of the frame, we will need to choose materials of as little weight as possible in order to somehow ease the load on the tree. It is recommended to use plastic and wooden elements, as well as siding, which has been gaining popularity in recent years. If you still decide to choose wood, you must use dried boards, which should first be treated with an antiseptic that will protect the material from the harm of insects and decay.

How to plan a treehouse the right way

Planning a house is as serious an action as building it. In order to properly design a house, the following tips should be followed:
1. Before you draw a house project, take a picture of the tree from all possible angles in order to sketch the house exactly in the photo.

2. Conditionally count the number of children who will be in the house at the same time

3. Consider how many windows will be in the building and whether they are needed at all, perhaps an inlet will be enough

4. Decide on the installation option for the house: using spacers, on branches, fastening to a pole or on supports dug into the ground

5. Decide on the furniture for the house, because. its weight must also be taken into account

6. In no case do not build a big house on a small tree, I think this situation does not need to be explained

7. Choose the safest system for lifting / lowering children, considering the fact that it would not harm the life of the tree. For example, when choosing between a hanging rope and boards nailed to a tree, it is recommended to choose the first.

How to saddle a treehouse with your own hands: instructions with tips

In order to make a tree house with your own hands, you must first of all choose the method of installing the house: on piles or mounting exclusively on a tree.

To install a house on piles (easier to say on artificial supports), it is necessary to concrete the support posts under the tree, they will serve as wooden bars with a section of 100 * 100mm, when the solution hardens, we proceed to the next step.

The supports are fastened together (tied) with wooden frames and logs, after which the floor is laid (for this, plywood sheets are used, 2 cm thick). Between the trunk and the structure of the house, you need to leave a little space for the unhindered growth of the tree.

Be very careful with the tree when installing the house, if you peel off the bark of the tree, it will die over time, and with it the created house.

If you still decide to mount the house on the tree itself, it is recommended to assemble the main part of the platform on the ground, because. on a tree, this will be problematic to do. To make the house more beautiful and functional, you can use the construction of balconies and verandas.

As soon as the structure of the house is built, it is necessary to seal the joints and gaps so that rainwater does not get inside, it is effective to use a resin-based sealant.

That's all I wanted to tell you about building a tree house with your own hands. We advise you to carry out the entire construction process in the company of a child, so that he would explain his desires and from an early age strive for the role of an economic guy :)

Photo ideas of tree houses

For jacks of all trades, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the instructions for building the simplest house.

1. Select a tree following the instructions above. This type of house requires two branches in the shape of the Latin "V".

2. Next, on each V-branch, make 2 holes from different sides, 9 cm deep. Use a level, otherwise the house will turn out to be skewed. Instead of holes, we recommend using alternative and environmentally friendly fastening methods, clamps, crimps and others that do not harm the trees. Give us a call and we'll figure out the fixing method for you.

3. Measure the distance between the holes on each side. You should get 2 measurements, left and right.

4. You need to subtract the length of the measurement from the length of the board, and divide the resulting remainder by two. For example, our size on the left was 2.5 meters, we subtract this distance from 3 meters, we get 50 centimeters, divide by 2, we get 25 centimeters. We measure this distance from the edges of the board and mark it, recheck in the center the distance between the marks should be 2.5 meters. This is how we achieve a proportional distribution of the load. Repeat with the second board.

6. We fix the two main supporting strips on the tree. You need to tightly fasten the two planks with grooves to the tree using dowels, do not forget the washers between the board and the bolt.

7. Perpendicular to the main floors, place the beams at an equal distance. For greater reliability, grooves can also be made in these beams. Fasten them with screws.

8. Attach one more beam to the ends of the installed beams, you should get a rectangle.

9. Fasten the platform to the main beams using the brackets.

10. The side planks also need to be secured using frame fasteners for beams.

11. Strengthen the platform with supports. We discussed the support options above. In this version, we will fix 4 supports to the tree. It is necessary to cut the ends of the beams at angles of 45 degrees, for tight attachment to the platform and tree.

12. Lay the floor on the platform.

13. With the help of beams we make guides for the railing of our treehouse.

14. Fasten the railing to the rails.

16. We add a ladder, we wrote about the options for entering and exiting above.

17. We make a roof, it can be made from the same plywood or tarpaulin.

18. We paint our tree house.

Be careful and do not be negligent in building a treehouse, because this quality is the safety of children! If you decide to build yourself, we recommend that you first consult with our experts!

If in childhood you were forbidden to climb trees when you so wanted to, now you can win back and build a whole tree house for yourself, for your own privacy or for children (it can be strangers). The Village asked an architect and decorator how to turn such a large-scale idea into a step-by-step plan of work.

Julia Danilova

North Project architect

As children, we played Indians all summer: we made bows and arrows, built
huts made of spruce paws and observation posts in the trees. And I remember that at that time we dreamed of building a big beautiful tree house, but we only had a shaky platform with boards across the branches. It's great when your children appear: together with them you can realize your own childhood dreams and fantasies.

When building any house, first of all, you need to pay attention to the foundation or foundation. In this case, it's the trunk. The tree should not be dry or diseased, thin or brittle. A sprawling tree with a trunk more than 30 centimeters in diameter and many branches at a height of two to three meters, such as oak or linden, is best suited.

Having chosen the right tree, you can think about the project, interview small customers and find out their needs and preferences. For group games
a square space is best. It would probably be nice to plan seating around the perimeter in the "birdhouse".

Suppose we chose the size - 2.5 by 2.5 meters. Depending on the tree, we decide whether additional supports are required for our structure or
enough to attach it to the trunk. For the manufacture of load-bearing structures to which the floor and walls will be attached, you should choose only a good strong tree, for example, a beam of 50 by 100 millimeters. For the floor, roof and walls, you can choose a lighter and thinner material - for example, a 2 cm thick floorboard or lining. The roof will be lighter and cheaper if you make a pitched roof and cover it with rolled materials. If you want to make the walls lighter, you can use sheets of plywood or plastic for them.

In any case, all connections must be made very securely in order to withstand both a gust of wind and active games. Where load-bearing beams are attached to a tree, it is better to make mounting holes not round, but with a horizontal cut, so that the tree grows freely without destroying or stretching your house.

Fasteners are best recessed into the boards so that children do not get scratched. The ladder can be stationary, folding or even rope. If you have boys, you can hang a rope or put up a pole (“Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers”). A climbing wall is also a great idea.

If, as planned, the house will be painted, then for safety reasons it is better to do all the painting work on the ground. Other design elements: seat cushions, toy boxes or a rug - it is better to choose when the owners of the house begin to settle in and figure out what to play there.

Victor Zhizhin

designer, decorator, graduate of the Design School "Details"

The most important thing in a tree house is, of course, the tree on which it will be built. Get ready right away that you have very little chance of building something like a house from The Simpsons: for this you need an old and sprawling tree (oak, plane tree) with a trunk diameter of at least 50 centimeters and two or three thick branches at the right height. Most likely, in your summer cottage, the trees will be relatively young and with thin branches (birch, linden), so it is better to divide the future house into several “platforms”, fixing them in the places where the thickest branches are separated and supplementing them with rope and stuffed ladders.

To base such platforms, you need to make a frame about a meter per meter, with a longitudinal and transverse crossbar in the middle. It is better to take a beam no thinner than 50 by 50 millimeters, use galvanized reinforced corners as fasteners. Do not try to make the site much larger: the larger its area, the more difficult it will be to mount it on the branches. Please note that it is better to assemble this frame directly on the tree in order to pass some of the branches through the "floor" - this way it is easier to find the position of the frame that provides maximum stability. Once such a position is found, fix it by attaching the frame corners to each of the branches on which it rests. Do not rely only on fasteners - the frame must stand firmly on the branches by itself.

After the base of the platform is installed, sheathe it on top with boards or a piece of furniture board. It is better to use boards 30 mm thick: the most popular 18 mm furniture board in stores seems to me not strong enough for this. Do not be too lazy to sand the front side of the boards, otherwise someone will definitely bring a splinter.

Above the resulting platform, you can stretch a small awning or build a canopy like a hut. For a canopy at the desired height, fasten two sticks crosswise on the branches and fasten thin roof branches on them. The site should be equipped with rope fences, tying branches with a cord or hemp rope on two or three sides of the site, leaving room for comfortable climbing.

Like any real estate, infrastructure will add value to such a house: rope ladders, bars stuffed onto a tree trunk for easy climbing, a rope lift for things from an old hanging swing, a hammock suspended from a thicker branch. If you have made a canopy over the site, do not be too lazy to conduct electricity there: one waterproof socket is enough to recharge the phone and turn on the night light in the evening. In a specialized store, you can buy sockets and cables of any degree of security, and if you are very afraid of a short circuit, select a separate fuse and RCD (residual current device) on the electrical panel for this.

And the most important recipe for success is to consult with customers at home as much as possible and involve them in all stages of construction. Handmade has never disappointed anyone.

Material preparation: Julia Lukyanova
Photo: Tinyhouseswoon.com

If there is a child in the family, there should be a separate place for children to play. It is very easy to equip a safe and comfortable playground on a summer cottage or a suburban area. And an interesting and very desirable addition to the site can be a small house or hut, located right on the tree. Making a treehouse with your own hands is not so difficult if you choose a simple project and easy-to-use materials.

First you need to think through all the details and draw up a drawing. The main parameters are the height and area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house, as well as how it is attached. Usually the base of the house is a rectangular shield with holes for branches, supported at the corners by strong pillars. The walls and roof of the structure can have an arbitrary shape and be made from any materials at hand.

To get into the house, you need. It should be as reliable as possible, have a strong fastening and at the same time not spoil the appearance of the structure. It is impossible to nail the ladder to the trunk - this is detrimental to the tree, moreover, due to its growth, the structure will deform more and more. Rope ladder is the cheapest option, but it can be used at a low height and only if the child knows how to handle it. All this must be taken into account when drawing up a project and calculating the material.

It is very important to choose the right tree, because the strength and reliability of the house, as well as the safety of the child, depend on it. You can not choose old trees with large hollows and voids inside, with a large number of dry branches, with open roots. Too young and immature trees are also not suitable for such purposes.

Preparatory work

Having chosen a tree, you need to properly prepare it. Small dense growth on the lower branches and trunk can be safely removed with secateurs, but medium-sized branches should be cut wisely. Illiterate pruning can have a detrimental effect on the tree, and it will dry out. To prevent this from happening, you can leave all the large branches and mount the base for the house around them.

For construction you will need tools:

• hacksaw or circular saw;
• a hammer;
• plane;
• drill;
• screwdriver;
• roulette;
• building level;
• sandpaper.

Materials will also be needed:

• edged board with a section of 5x25 and 2.5x15 cm;
• timber 150x150 cm;
• support beams with a diameter of 20 cm;
• galvanized screws;
• nails;
• metal mounting plates;
• antiseptic impregnation for wood;
• grease or oil working.

Before starting work, boards and timber must be processed and dried in the sun. This will prolong the operation of the house, protect the wooden surfaces from dampness and decay. The length of the support beams should be 1-1.5 m longer than the distance from the ground to the base of the house. Beams must be dug into the ground, therefore, after treatment with an antiseptic, the lower part of each beam is covered with a dense layer of grease, bituminous mastic or impregnated with oil mining.

Prices for different types of building boards

Building boards

House construction technology

House construction plan (top view)

Stage one - installation of supports

Carefully measure the distance between the main branches and determine the location of the platform for the house. The corners of the base are projected down and these points are marked with beacons. With the help of a drill, holes are prepared for the supporting beams; the depth of the holes is at least 1.2 m, the diameter is 25-30 cm. Sand is poured into the bottom with a layer of 10 cm, then the same layer of rubble. The beams are lowered into the pits, leveled and temporarily reinforced with a cinder block or struts from a bar.

All beams must have the same height and be strictly vertical. In this case, the tree trunk can be located between the supporting pillars or act as one of the bearing supports. The cement mortar is kneaded, poured between the walls of the pit and the post, left to dry. When the base is sufficiently hardened, the spacers are removed.

Stage two - platform installation

For the frame of the platform, take a bar, cut it to the desired length. If the platform rests on the pillars with all corners, surrounding the tree trunk, the supporting beams of the frame are fixed along the perimeter of the base. To do this, each beam is raised to the floor level, leveled horizontally and both ends are screwed to the inner surface of the pillars. The resulting strapping is reinforced at the corners with metal plates.

Further, additional bars are stuffed inside the frame, placing them parallel to each other at a distance of 20-30 cm. Where the tree trunk passes, a hole of the appropriate size is left. From below, the frame is lined with two transverse boards, placing them on both sides of the trunk. All connections inside the frame are reinforced with metal plates with bolts.

If one of the supports is a tree, the platform is mounted differently. The beam is raised to the level of the base of the house and screwed with both ends to the posts, and in the middle they are nailed to the tree trunk. Then, in the same way, the beam is fastened on the other side. Both beams must be located strictly horizontally. After that, other bars are stuffed from above, perpendicular to the lower ones, in increments of 0.5 m. Of course, all elements of the platform are bolted using steel plates.

The third mounting option is mounting without bearing supports. If the platform is mounted exclusively on a tree, 2 beams are nailed to the trunk 30 cm below the floor level on both sides. Then the rest of the bars are laid perpendicularly from above in increments of 50-70 cm and connected from the ends with thick boards. You should get a rectangular structure lying in a horizontal plane. Now additional spacers are installed: they take bars of the same section and fasten them at an angle to the platform, resting one end against the extreme bars of the frame, and connecting the lower ends on the tree trunk.

Stage three - laying the floor

For the floor, a high-quality edged polished board is taken. Carefully check the wood for the absence of roughness and knots, if necessary, carry out additional grinding. Cut the boards to the size of the floor and lay them out on the ground for marking. This is necessary in order to accurately cut holes for branches and a tree trunk, because at the top it will not work to make cuts neatly.

So, the boards are laid out in a rectangle, leaving gaps of 1-2 cm, measure the circumference of the trunk and mark the boundaries of the cutout on the future floor of the house. Using a jigsaw, cut holes of the desired diameter and try on a tree. The floor should not closely adjoin the bark, otherwise, with the growth of the tree, the structure of the house will be deformed. If the blanks correspond to the drawing, you can mount the floor on the platform.

The boards are laid on the frame in the same way as on the ground, with intervals of a couple of centimeters. These gaps are designed to drain rainwater. Fix the floor with screws or nails. The finished one should lie strictly in a horizontal plane, not creak, not stagger under loads.

Stage four - installation of the walls of the house

First, a solid frame made of timber must be installed around the perimeter of the platform. Here you can take lumber of a smaller section, for example, 50x50 mm. The beam is cut to the height of the walls and installed at each corner of the base, screwed to the protruding support beams with anchor bolts. Intermediate racks are mounted at a distance of 40-50 cm from the corner ones and fixed on the outside of the frame base. You can not fix the racks directly to the floor, such a connection will not be reliable.

Corner and intermediate racks are reinforced with spacers, and then sheathed with boards. The walls can be solid or lattice, it all depends on the preferences of the master. The number and shape of windows, as well as their location is also chosen at will. The main thing is that the openings are reliably protected and the child could not fall out of the house.

Stage five - installation of the roof

The roof is best done in the form of a canopy. At a height of 1.5-2 m above the walls, you need to find two strong branches located on both sides of the house. Metal hooks are screwed to the branches and a thick cord or reliable rope is pulled between them. A piece of tarpaulin is thrown over the rope and its ends are fixed at the corners of the house.

If branches interfere with the canopy, you can mount the roof in a different way. On the upper edge of the corner posts, a strapping of timber is attached. Next, 2 truss trusses are assembled and installed over opposite walls. Between themselves, the farms are connected by two wide boards, which are stuffed along the upper edge of the rafters. Additional fasteners for such a small roof are not required, and you need to close the structure with some kind of light material - polycarbonate sheets, or ondulin.

Holes for large branches are cut in the roof, as well as in the floor, if the structure cannot be installed otherwise. Again, it is impossible to fasten the roofing close to the tree; be sure to leave a small space around the cutout.

Stage six - installation of stairs

The stairs to the house can be rope, straight wooden, light lattice, long or short, gentle and steep. There are a lot of options, and choosing the right one is not at all difficult. One of these options is a ladder in the form of a shield with slots. To begin with, they take a beam of 50x50 mm with a length of 2.5 m and put it on the base of the house at an angle of 75-80 degrees, that is, almost vertically. Mark the cut lines with a pencil and saw off the excess. Cut the second beam in the same way.

Having laid the bars on a flat platform, boards with a thickness of 2 cm or more are stuffed on top. The width of the boards is 15 cm, the length is 50-70 cm. An oval hole is cut in each blank to the width of the foot and the cuts are processed with sandpaper. The cutout should be located on one side, at a distance of 5 cm from the end of the board. When sheathing the shield, the blanks are nailed so that the cutouts alternate: the first board with a cutout on the right, the second with a cutout on the left, and so on until the end.

The boards are attached to the beams with a continuous sheet, without gaps. The finished ladder is attached to the house, fixed on the outside of the platform with plates and bolts. Be sure to check the reliability of fastening, because a fall from the stairs can result in serious injury. A firmly fixed structure is treated with a primer with antiseptic properties, and then painted or varnished for wood.

The final stage - finishing

The house is ready, now it remains to decorate and make it cozy. To protect wood from weathering, all outdoor surfaces are recommended. It is advisable to choose the same tone for the walls and stairs, so the house will look more harmonious. It is not necessary to paint the boards inside, the main thing is that they be as smooth as possible. For convenience, you can fix light shelves inside, put a basket for toys or a children's table. The floor is covered with a soft rug, children's comfortable pillows are laid. Everything else depends only on the small owners of the house, so further arrangement should be entrusted to them.

Video - DIY treehouse

By building a tree house in the garden, you will simultaneously instill in your children a love of nature. Of course, the treehouse must have a floor that will serve as a support frame. The treehouse has an open platform that can be reached by a fixed ladder or a rope ladder.

Safety
Ensure the solid construction of your treehouse.
Give it enough time.
The exact construction method depends on your garden environment, but these step-by-step instructions can be used as a guide.
You can choose materials from various types of wood.

Necessary materials
Boards, wooden beams, roof tiles or corrugated sheet.

1. Tree selection

2. Check if you need permission

   
   

   Before you begin, check to see if you need a special permit to build a treehouse. If necessary, contact your city council and check if there are any local directives, laws or other regulations that may affect treehouse construction (such as height restrictions). In some cases, it is necessary to apply for a permit before building a lodge. In addition, there may be restrictions if you have legally protected trees in your garden.

   It is also recommended to talk to your neighbors; this will help prevent their complaints and maintain friendly relations. A treehouse can reduce the view from their windows, or it can be used to look into their rooms and break their privacy. You should also contact your insurance company to make sure the treehouse is covered by your property warranty. If this is not the case, then any type of loss or damage caused by the treehouse will not be covered by the insurance.

3. Choosing the right place

   
   

   After choosing the most suitable tree, you can decide what type of house you want to build. To build a standard 3 x 3 meter treehouse, choose a trunk with a diameter of at least 30 cm. The diameter can be calculated by measuring the circumference of the trunk with a tape measure at the location where you decide to build the treehouse. Then divide the measurement by pi (3.14) to get the diameter. It is also important to first check how the base of the house will be located on the tree. Carefully mark the places where you will need to make cuts in the trunk and branches. Leave enough free space around the tree trunk. The thickness of the support beams depends on the specific situation and platform size.

4. Treehouse supports

   
   

   There are several ways in which you can secure a treehouse with supports. Regardless of which method you choose, remember that the tree will sway in the wind. Therefore, make sure that the house will not be damaged as a result of this movement.
   You can choose different ways of fixing the house:

   1) Fastening with screws to a tree
   This means that the platform support beams are screwed in place directly to the tree trunk. This is the most common way to secure platform legs. But this method is most likely to damage the tree, although this danger can be minimized if the right materials are used.

   2) "Floating" way
   In this version, the treehouse is suspended from strong high branches using ropes, cables or chains. However, this method is not suitable for all types of trees that you can choose to install a heavy house. For example, it is ideal for just attaching a platform, but without a heavy guardrail.

   3) Use of support pillars
   Support poles are dug into the ground next to the tree and are not attached directly to the tree itself. Leave enough space around the platform for the tree to swing freely in the wind. When using this method, the likelihood of damage to the tree is minimal.

5. Access to the treehouse

   
   

   Before you start building a treehouse, you need to decide how you will climb into it. Above all, remember the safety of children! The means of access to the treehouse must be strong and secure.
   There are several different designs:

   1) Rope ladder
   You can make such a ladder out of rope and several short rungs attached to the rope one below the other and descending straight down to the ground. It takes some getting used to using a rope ladder, and you may feel unsteady and wobbly when climbing it.

   2) Fixed ladder
   This is a standard ladder that you can buy in different stores. It provides a quick and easy way to get up to the treehouse.

   3) Fixed flight of stairs
   A fixed flight of stairs is the safest way to climb into the house. If you choose to use a fixed flight of stairs, it is a good idea to add railings or handrails to the side of the stairs for added security.

6. Obstacles

   
   

   Is it necessary to build a house so that the branches pass through it, or is it better to cut them down? Obstacles can affect the design of your treehouse. Often there are difficulties in changing the design, given the asymmetrical shape of the tree. But after completion, you will look at your design with great satisfaction!

7. Safety first

   
   

   Before you start building your treehouse, remember that falling is the biggest hazard. You can take the following steps to reduce this risk:

   1) Do not install the house too high
   Too high location of the house is dangerous for children who will use it. Therefore, do not install the platform higher than 1.5-2.5 meters.

   2) Install a safety fence or railing around the perimeter of the platform
   A protective fence or railing around the perimeter of the platform will prevent children from falling. The protective fence or railing around the perimeter of the platform should be 70 to 90 cm high, the distance between the vertical posts should be 10 to 15 cm.

   3) Create a soft surface on the ground under the house
   You can lay soft natural materials, such as shavings, on the surface of the ground under the house. By itself, this will not prevent a fall, but it will ensure a soft landing!

8. Attachment points

   
   

   A tree with V-shaped branches gives additional strong support for the house, as this results in four attachment points instead of two. Drill holes at four attachment points on opposite branches. Use a 10 mm drill and make sure the holes are horizontal and at the same height (A). If the mounting holes are not aligned, the platform will not be level.

9. support beams

   
   

   Measure the distance between the mounting holes on both sides of the tree branches and mark this distance (A) on the two support beams. Make sure this distance is the same on the left and right sides of the support beams. Starting from this anchor point, draw a line 5 cm long on the left and right (total length 10 cm) and mark the ends of this line. Do the same for the other end of the beam. Drill two holes with a diameter of 12 mm on both sides of the marked ends of the drawn line. After that, use a jigsaw to cut a groove 12 mm wide between the two drilled holes.

   This groove is necessary so that the tree can swing freely in the wind without splitting the tree trunk and damaging the platform.

10. Support beams (continued)

    
    

    Attach the two support beams to the tree at the marked height using 4 spanner screws (hex head wood screws) 12mm in diameter and 200mm long. Install washers between screws and support beams. Repeat these steps on the other support beam on the opposite side of the tree trunk. Make sure the support beams are at the same height and parallel to each other. By pre-drilling the mounting holes, you will prevent splitting of the tree trunk and branches, as well as the support beams. If your house has a relatively large overall mass, thicker and stronger support beams should be used.

11. Cross beams

    
    

    Install 4 cross beams measuring 50 x 150 mm, spaced at equal distances and parallel to each other. Attach these crossbeams with 80 mm long screws designed for wood-based panels. Then attach two 50 x 150mm beams to the ends of the four cross beams using 80mm wood board screws.

    Note:
    The platform must be at right angles to the two support beams, otherwise the floor boards will not be straight when you install them later.

12. Beam support brackets

    
    

    Attach the platform to the cross beams with 8 beam support brackets. Make sure that the entire structure is perfectly horizontal and that all beams are installed at right angles to each other. Attach 4 beam support brackets to both sides of the platform.

13. Support beams under the platform

    
    

    The platform is still a bit unstable, but we will secure it with two 30 x 100mm support beams. These beams are fixed with two brackets attached to the top side of the platform. Attach the undersides of the support beams to the branches of the tree.

    Saw the tops of the support beams to size at an angle of approximately 45° depending on the specific configuration. Attach the support beams to the inside of the platform, again using the two beam support brackets. Fasten the two overlapping support beams together at the bottom with a 100mm M8 bolt or threaded rod. Install washers between support beams and bolts.

14. Fixing the floor boards of the house

    
    

    Check to see if you need to make cuts in the floor boards so that they neatly follow the outline of the trunk and branches of the tree. Leave a distance of 10 mm between the boards. If necessary, use a jigsaw to cut round holes where the trunk and branches need to pass through the floor. Fasten the ends of the floor boards with at least two screws. Use a stepladder or ladder for this job and finish the floor to be free of burrs.

15. Perimeter fencing

    
    

    Place 80cm vertical braces at each corner of the platform to create a perimeter fence. Make the corners of the fence using two pieces of wood 60 x 10 mm. Thicker wood can be used if desired, but remember that overall weight has a big effect on stability. Install these wooden blocks in place with the screws screwed in from the sides. Attach handrails made from 60 x 10mm wood blocks to the top of these uprights. Cut the handrail exactly to size and at a 45° angle (see the circled insert in the figure showing the detailed connection diagram). After that, put the railing in place over the vertical supports, then the vertical posts with an interval of approximately 10 cm between them. Mount these racks in place with countersunk wood board screws. Remember that safety is paramount, especially when there are (small) children!

16. Fixed flight of stairs

    
    

    A sturdy fixed flight of stairs is attached to the side of the platform. A safe angle of installation of the ladder for a platform at a height of 2.5 meters will be provided if the lower part of the ladder is located at a distance of 1.35 to 1.80 meters from its upper part. Make a ladder with 50 x 10 mm vertical supports and 50 x 12 mm rungs. You need to choose the width and length of the stairs depending on the specific configuration. Place the steps on vertical supports at regular intervals and mark where each step needs to be secured. You can screw the bars with screws to the vertical supports, so that you can then screw the steps to them with screws. Or you can make grooves in the vertical supports with a depth of 25 or 30 mm and then force the steps into these grooves. Saw off the vertical supports and steps to the required length and install them in place with glue and screws.

17. house with three walls

    
    

    Treehouses come in a variety of designs, such as three walls and a corrugated sheet roof. But it is also possible to make a roof simply from a strong plastic sheet supported by wooden beams, or to set up a small tent on a platform.

18. A-frame

    
    

    We will be making a house based on an A-frame with a 60° slope.
    You can make this house with the props we used before.
    You must select the height and width to match your specific configuration. If one of the branches has to go through the roof, an additional beam with a cross beam must be installed.

19. waterproof roof

    
    

    To make your treehouse roof completely watertight, staple the thick plastic sheeting to the A-frame before attaching the shingles or battens to the roof.

20. Completion of the treehouse

    
    

    Screw the first roof planks into place on top of the A-frame and then force the other planks under them. Screw the roof planks into place with screws so that they overlap. Cut the front and back walls to size, with windows if needed, and screw them into place on the A-frame. Pre-drill the screw holes and use countersunk screws for a smooth appearance.

21. HINT!

    If you want a treehouse that can withstand adverse weather conditions, or just want to make it more attractive, you can use not only a simple varnish, but also cover it with a layer of tung oil (Chinese wood oil). It is non-toxic and will protect the wood. This oil is used by professionals and is one of the best natural finishes on the market. Alternatively, consider painting the house the same color as your home!