NOTHING SAYS you鈥檙e the coolest kid in town like a tricked-out treehouse鈥攁n adult-free zone that鈥檚 the perfect respite from the 鈥檙ents. But most treehouses are shoddily constructed and fall apart after a few years. The reason? Amateur architects (thanks, Dad) usually just nail everything to the trunk. Building a structure that can support all the cool stuff you鈥檒l want to include鈥攂alconies, rope bridges, trap doors鈥攔equires a solid platform that will move with the tree as it grows.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 treat a living tree like a post,鈥 says Daryl McDonald, lead foreman at Nelson Treehouse and Supply in Fall City, Washington. 鈥淚t鈥檚 growing, it鈥檚 moving in the wind.鈥 Of course, unless you鈥檝e been mowing lawns since you were two, you鈥檙e probably going to need your parents to chip in. So here鈥檚 what you do: wait until your birthday, then slip them these instructions.
1. SELECT THE PLATFORM
sells plans for nearly any tree configuration (from $100). Single-tree designs like this one are the most popular. All you need is a straight trunk at least 24 inches in diameter. (See sidebar for the installation blueprint)
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT ANCHOR
Nelson uses what it calls a treehouse attachment bolt (TAB)鈥攁 twelve- or twenty-four-inch steel rod that鈥檚 screwed into a tree鈥檚 heartwood. Each TAB runs about $250 and can support upwards of four tons. More importantly, it allows the tree ample space to grow.
3. ATTACH THE BOLT
Bore out a pilot hole in the trunk with a one-inch bit, then use a three-inch bit to widen the opening. Insert the TAB and crank it into place with a pipe wrench. The wound may look big, but the tree will heal itself by clotting the area with sap, turning the TAB into an artificial limb.
4. INSTALL THE BEAMS
These are mounted on the TAB and will hold most of the weight of the house, so use burly wood. This design calls for two 12-foot-long four-by-tens.
5. ADD SUPPORTS
Four-by-six angle braces, anchored to the tree with ten-inch lag screws, will help prevent the frame from bending or shearing under heavy loads.聽
6. FINISH IT OFF
Screw two-by-eight joists together to create the deck鈥檚 frame, then cover it with two-by-six decking boards. Add walls, railings, zip lines, rope ladders, and fire poles to taste.