How To Build A Treehouse Roof Around A Tree

Next install the perimeter beams to the top set o beams and square them up using the 3 4 5 rule.

How to build a treehouse roof around a tree. Rails sides and a roof complete the treehouse. Don t restrict tree growth. For a standard 8 x8 treehouse choose a tree with a trunk at least 12 in diameter. For reference we have finished the base and frame of the treehouse as well as the floor and stairs.

If you get particularly harsh winters a steep pitch is critical to avoid a build up of snow which could easily spell disaster for a treehouse of limited support. The first is a bit dramatic. Minimizing tree damage for diy treehouse. Top off the tree just below the roof line and build a solid roof above.

A good roof protects the whole of the treehouse beneath it. Leave gaps around the tree. The top set of beams will be the floor height of your treehouse. Get a strip of light wood and nail one end to one of your trees at a height about 1 ft lower than you want the floor of your treehouse to save a future concussion it should also be at least 1 ft higher than your head.

To accommodate tree movement and growth allow gaps around any branches or trunks that penetrate the tree house. Aim for a slope of at least 30 but preferably 45 or more. Find a corner that isn t square and create braces to run at the top corner of the wall. Now it s time to build the platform atop the supports.

Build the perimeter of the frame using 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 cuts of lumber. Don t constrict branches with rope straps or wire. On each corner install an angled 2 x 8 down the tree directly below the main supports. Add the floor joist perpendicular the main supports.

2x4 inch boards work well for this and you will end up with a square to work with. Lag two sets of beams to the tree using a 3 4 diameter x 10 lag screw. Add joists on 16 inch centers and build the floor with deck boards or 3 4 inch plywood. Making a treehouse roof.

The heavy spring flow of sap will have slowed greatly but the tree will still have time to heal before winter. To calculate your tree s diameter measure its circumference by wrapping a string or measuring tape around the trunk at the point where you want the treehouse to sit. I have seen a treehouse built in four cedars designed this way and it works remarkably well however it is not practical for most applications. Divide that number by pi 3 14 to get the diameter.

Get it perfectly horizontal with the help of a level and nail the other end to the other tree. A properly sloped or pitched roof is much superior. Now we are working on the roof and then we will talk through the walls and windows after that. The second solution is to build a wall vapor barrier around the trunk on the inside of the treehouse.

Build the diy treehouse in mid summer. If your design calls for a flat roof try to introduce even a small slope of 3 5 so water cannot sit there. Add spacers between the beams and the tree to.