How to Build Treehouse Huts

A treehouse is a space that nourishes fond childhood memories.

Building a treehouse is no easy task. Choosing a worthy tree is a difficult job on its own, as the tree itself plays a role in the strength and safety of the treehouse hut. Long hours of strenuous work, a plethora of materials and a decent chunk of change are required to complete this task, but the joyful rewards are well worth the effort. Learn how to build a treehouse hut by following these steps.

Things You'll Need

• Wood: 4-by-3-inch beams, 16 feet minimum 2-by-6-inch pink planking, 64 feet 2-by-4 timber for roof joists and walls, 184 feet Forty nine square feet of pine decking for the platform Thirty 6-inch box head wood screws with heavy square washers Eight 8-inch box head wood screws with washers Thirty-two 4-inch box head wood screws with washers Jigsaw power tool, electric drill, rip saw--preferably an electric table saw Level Large drill bits of 14 mm, 16 mm and 18 mm Stepladder and long ladder Safety rope Bag of roofing nails and a hammer Plywood, enough to cover about 100 square feet Ratchet with set of heads to tighten the hex head wood screws Four eye bolts

Instructions

Find a Tree and Create a Fun Treehouse Hut

1. 

   Choose a strong, healthy tree. Consider the thickness and strength of the branches that will be used to support the base of the treehouse. The treehouse should be about 8 feet to 10 feet from the ground, but that will depend on the distance between the ground and the tree's main branches.

2. Design the treehouse framework. The framework is the basic shape of the treehouse hut, which is usually rectangular with a roof that is either flat or shaped like a point. These instructions will help you build a basic rectangular treehouse hut design, but there are other possible framework designs. The Tree House Guide website provides instructional details and different ideas and so does familyfungo.com. See "Resources."

3. 

   Build the base, or platform, of the treehouse. Have a long enough drill bit and extension to reach the tree. In this basic treehouse-building example, two 2-by-6 planks are secured parallel to each other on the tree--at the point where the base of the treehouse begins. Use three 6-inch hex head screws spaced evenly apart like three points of a triangle. Secure two more 2-by-6 planks perpendicular to the first pair in the same fashion. Use the safety rope to support the planks until they are secure, putting the rope over a higher tree branch and tying it off when the planks are in position.

4. Build the frame around the platform baseboards. Build a 7-foot square frame, using 2-by-6 planks around the top pair of boards from step 2. It is best to secure two planks together, from the ground, in a right angle using two 6-inch hex screws at the corner. Do this again to form the second half of the square frame. Then, form the full square frame at the tree above the baseboards by screwing together the other two opposite corners. Secure the frame by adding two more 2-inch screws where the frame touches the edges of the baseboards.

5. Support the platform. You most likely will have to saw off supporting beams to different lengths because of an uneven tree trunk. Use four 4-by-3 planks. Cut the end of the beam that will attach to the treehouse so it fits neatly inside the corner of the main platform. Think of gripping those inner corners. Each support beam will extend from the inner corner of the platform to the tree trunk in a diagonal fashion. Imagine the corners of the base pointing at the tree trunk. Use 8-inch hex screws to attach each of the four supporting beam ends to the tree trunk, drilling through the 4-inch length so that another 4 inches goes into the tree. Don't worry, the tree will be fine!

6. Complete the floor of the treehouse. Use remaining off-cuts of 2-by-6 to create bracers, or wooden space fillers, to fill in the gaps in the platform, leaving a gap for the entryway. Screw the decking straight into the bracers and main beams of the platform using a jigsaw to shape it around the trunk, leaving a small gap to allow for tree movement.

7. Assemble the walls. Build the walls on the ground. Use 4-by-2-inch planks with 4-inch box head screws to secure the planks together. The height and shape depend on the design, but two parallel walls--the side pair, not the front and back--will be notably shorter than the other two. Walls are screwed in from above, one at a time. First, screw the bottom wall frame piece to the deck using three 6-inch bolts. Then, screw the walls together where they meet at right angles and form the square. The walls become more solid once all four are put in place on the deck. Use four 6-inch bolts and nuts to secure the walls together where they form an angle. Space the bolts and nuts evenly for each of the corners.

8. Build the roof. Measure the distance of the hut from side to side, not front to back. Drill eight evenly spaced 2-by-4 joists at an angle from the top of the walls to the tree trunk to support the roof. The angle depends on how high and how pointed you'd like the roof to be. It also depends on the tree branches. Use tips sawed appropriately to "bite" the conjoined walls, where 2-inch screws are used. Where the joists meet the tree trunk, use the same 8-inch screws you used for platform supporting beams and drill in the same fashion. There are various ways to complete the roof and various possible materials, such as plastic roof membrane and plywood. Be creative!

9. Add the ladder. Use a standard ladder of adequate height to reach from the ground up through the gap in the platform, which can either set against the tree or be secured to the tree by tying rope around the ladder and tree trunk. See the references below for ideas and instructions for treehouse additions, such as window detailing and building trapdoors.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat the decking. Standard pine decking is available at any home improvement store and it can be treated against moisture, as can most woods. It is more expensive to get woods treated, but having this process done can increase the lifespan of a treehouse. Carefully research, design and cut the gripping "mouth" ends of the platform support beams and roof support beams. This step requires thought and precision, as this fit affects the quality of the structure.

• This is not a job for children. The steps that require hoisting parts into the tree require more than one adult.

Resources

• For Treehouse Plan and Build Advice
• Guidelines on Treehouse Framework