The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents and Adults who are Kids at Heart

The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House:

For Parents and Adults Who are Kids at Heart

By Robert Miskimon

The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents and Adults Who are Kids at Heart

Copyright © 2010 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

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ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-244-3

ISBN-10: 1-60138-244-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Miskimon, Robert, 1943-

The complete guide to building your own tree house : for parents, and adults who are kids at heart-with companion CD-ROM / by Robert Miskimo.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-244-3 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-244-8 (alk. paper)

1. Tree houses--Design and construction. I. Title.

TH4885.M57 2009

690’.89--dc22

2009033945

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

DISCLAIMER: The author has made every attempt to present safe and sound building practices, but he makes no claim that the information in this book is complete or that it can cover every circumstance. The reader is warned to consider and adopt safety precautions that might be indicated by the activities herein and to avoid all potential hazards. By following the instructions in this book, the reader assumes all risks in connection with such instructions. Neither the author nor the publisher makes any express or implied representations or warranties regarding this information. The reader assumes full responsibility and risk of loss resulting from the use of this information. Neither the author nor the publisher will be responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages or any damages whatsoever

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: Getting Your Feet on the Ground

Chapter 2: Planning and Design

Chapter 3: Tools and Materials

Chapter 4: Safety Concerns

Chapter 5: Building the Platform

Chapter 6: Doors, Walls, and Windows

Chapter 7: Raise High the Roof Beam

Chapter 8: Out ‘n’ About Treesort

Chapter 9: The Most Important Part: Getting the Kids Involved

Chapter 10: Access and Accessories

Conclusion

Appendix: More Case Studies: Experiences From the Professionals

Glossary

Bibliography

Author Biography

More Great Titles from Atlantic Publishing

Acknowledgements

Many people helped to make this book a reality. I am particularly grateful to Michael Garnier of Out ‘n’ About Treesort, Pete Nelson of Seattle, Meghan Welch of Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Ray Cirino of Los Angeles, Barbara Butler of San Francisco, Luke Lukoskie of Vashon Island, Washington, and to all those who helped by providing me with their stories to be used as case studies. To my editor, Carrie Speight, and especially, to my grandmother, Mae Martyn Miskimon, who first encouraged me to become a writer.

Dedication

To Elizabeth, Mae, and Anina —

and to all children of all

ages everywhere.

Table of Contents

Foreword

In the past few years, there has been a boom of interest in tree houses, but there are not many resources that show the average person how to build his or her own. This is where author Robert Miskimon and The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents and Adults Who Are Kids at Heart come in.

In an easy-to-understand style, Miskimon covers all the bases — from initial tree selection all the way to the final coat of paint. In between, nothing is left out. He covers safety, types of wood, fastener selection, and much more. That information alone is worth the price of this book.

The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House is a book you will want to keep close at hand while building. You will want it for checking joist spans when planning the design; you will want it to check pilot hole sizes when drilling for lag placements; and you will also want it to check the recommended sizes of all the accessories your kids will want in their new abode. Do you know how far apart to space the rungs of a vertical ladder? You will after reading this book.

It is refreshing to find a tree house guide that focuses on the practical aspects of tree house construction. This is not a coffee table book — it’s a router-table book.

I believe everyone should have the right to experience being cradled in the boughs of a tree. It has been the focus of my life these past few years, and even though we build about one tree house per week, to make that dream a reality, we really need an army of empowered individuals creating their own special hideaways. The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House will aid that goal. I wholeheartedly encourage you to read it, apply it, and most of all, enjoy the fruits of your labor. Happy building!

Steven Chmielnicki

Artisan Tree & Treehouse, LLC

Bryn Mawr, PA

www.artisantrees.com

Table of Contents

Introduction

A tree house, whether plain or fancy, is a castle in the sky, a flying ship that chases wild geese around the moon, a quiet refuge from the world, and a door to the realms of pure imagination for children of all ages — including adults. There is truly something magical about being up in the limbs of a tree, cradled in the arms of nature, safe from the marauding pirates below.

If you built a tree house with your parents as a kid, or if you are a parent and you want to build a tree house for your own children, you will find this book useful as you begin to contemplate the nuts and bolts of location, design, construction, and safety (among other basics).

Whether simple or intricate, your tree house will be a learning experience. If there is a young potential carpenter in your family, it is a great opportunity for him or her to watch, learn, and provide an extra pair of hands.

Of course, once the tree house gets started, you will probably want to include some fun extras, such as ladders, trap doors, skylights, zip lines, fireman’s poles, and perches. You can even make your own tree-a-phone with two empty tin cans and a length of high-quality twine.

In this book, you will see that there is not just one way to build a tree house, and that these wonderful structures can be as individual as the personality and imagination of the builder. If you are an inexperienced builder, this book gives you basic concepts and tools that you can use in a variety of applications.

You will find words of wisdom from fellow tree house builders throughout the book in sections titled case studies. You will find these at the end of each chapter and in the appendix. They offer stories of tree house building experiences, and will provide you with useful advice, keen insight, and entertainment.

For example, you will find the Case Study of professional builder Scott Daves, who first became interested in the construction trade by building his own tree house as a kid. Now he is an adult with a successful home-building business. He used his experience to keep up the tree house tradition by working with his son to build his first tree house. He demonstrates that building a tree house is a fun and rewarding way to spend family time together.

You will meet Barbara Butler, whose whimsical, cartoonish tree houses and playhouses for children have become immensely popular with celebrities as well as everyday folks. You will learn the story of Michael Garnier, the Oregon tree house trailblazer who won an eight-year battle with local authorities to get permits for his tree house resort and who is in the process of becoming an iconic figure in the tree house movement.

Los Angeles inventor Ray Cirino’s experience is also included in this book. Cirino has built tree houses mostly out of objects he finds, such as recycled aircraft metals, driftwood, and other unusual materials. He has perfected a unique method of suspension involving the use of rubber rings around the trunk that minimize tree damage. His story, along with many others, is featured in this book to provide you with extensive knowledge of the process of building a tree house.

Along with these case studies, you will find valuable information in each chapter that will assist you along your way to creating your tree house. You will find techniques for roofing, flooring, and decorating. A special chapter just for kids will help you get your children involved in this process. You will also find a chapter that outlines some of the fun accessories you can add to your tree house to enhance your child’s imagination and creativity.

This book will provide you with everything you need to know to build your tree house. You can find pictures of tree houses, as well as 15 tree house plans and a tool glossary complete with photos. Good luck on this adventure, and may you have as much fun making a tree house as you will playing in it.

When it comes to imagining and building your tree house, the sky is the limit.

"A house of dreams untold

That looks out over the whispering treetops

And faces the setting sun."

Edward MacDowell

(1861-1908)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Getting Your Feet on the Ground

Location, Location, Location

Where you build your tree house is just as important as how you build it. Walk around your house and property and take note of the various trees — their species, size, age, and evident health. Older trees are generally bigger trees, which makes them more able to support a tree house. Make note of where these mature trees are located, keeping in mind the proximity of two or more large trees as support for your structure.

As you observe and assess the potential of various trees, remember to inspect the foundation and look for any signs of disease, such as damaged bark or fungus where the trunk contacts the ground. Trees that have compacted earth around their foundation are not the best trees for a tree house because the earth cuts off their nutrients. If a tree is too close to a paved driveway or busy footpath, it may have root damage that causes it to get sick and die. If you were to build a tree house here, it could result in a structural failure.

Inspect the trees for any large openings in the bark. Look for spots where the tree is healing from injuries to see whether the exposed wood is solid or rotting. If there is a question of whether the tree is hollow because of damage and rot, tap on the trunk with a 2- by 4-inch length of lumber. If there are changes in tone as you thump the trunk, it is a sign that there is hollowing inside.

Getting Started

Building a tree house is much like building any other house. The planning component is logical and linear; however, it is important to allow room for that creative impulse that gives your project its personality. With a tree house, you will be considering several factors at once. Some of these factors are:

Looking for appropriate tree(s) to use

Considering the height of the branches from the ground

Figuring out what you will need to get into and out of the tree house

Considering whether you want just a platform or a house

No matter what your desire, the tree you choose is the ultimate factor for determining what you can build in it.

Who Will Use the Tree House?

If your tree house will be a kids-only structure, you have to build it kid’s size, which means looking at it from two angles: from a kid’s-eye view and a safety view.

Have you ever gone back to a play area of your childhood and wondered how everything had shrunk so much? To a 6-foot-tall man, a platform 6 feet from the ground is nothing — but to a 3-foot-tall child, it is like Mount Everest. Thus, a kids-only tree house does not have to be very high. Anywhere from 4 to 8 feet from the ground is quite sufficient, with 8 feet being probably the utmost limit. These heights are enough to give kids what they want (elevation)