How to Find a Tree for a Treehouse

Treehouses should be built on sturdy branches.

Many children crave a personal space where they can spend time alone or with friends. A treehouse, a private space close to home, is the perfect sanctum sanctorum. When designing a treehouse, it is crucial to select a proper tree for the base before planning and building the structure. A treehouse tree must be strong and healthy to adequately and safely support the weight of children and building materials. Location is also important, as weather conditions can affect the comfort and stability of a treehouse.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Ladder

Instructions

1. Select a tree known to have strong branches; oaks, maples, firs, hemlocks and beeches make excellent treehouse supports.

2. Inspect the strong trees in your yard to ensure that they are in good health. Leaves should be green with minimal spots and the bark should be intact. Look for signs of insect or fungal infestation; it is normal for a few insects to crawl on a tree but large numbers of insects, such as termites, feeding on tree branches is a bad sign. Trees in poor health cannot adequately support treehouses since their branches may weaken, become brittle or fall off.

3. Check the base of the tree, including the soil. Compacted soil is a problem, since trees need aerated soil for healthy roots. Root girdling, a condition where roots twist around the tree's trunk, is also a problem, since the girdling roots can strangle other roots, weakening and eventually killing the tree.

4. Look for strong, thick branches that can act as attachment points for the treehouse frame. The ideal tree should have three to five branches to securely support the treehouse without complicating its construction. The branches should be alive and actively supporting new growth. Each support branch should be about 1 foot in diameter or more.

5. Measure from the base of the tree to the base of the support branches, using a ladder if necessary. For safety's sake, the height should be between 5 to 10 feet. A higher treehouse offers more privacy and a better view but obviously increases the risk of falling. It is also difficult to build a treehouse so high.

6. Avoid trees in windy areas. High wind areas decrease the life of the treehouse and complicate construction, since moving trunks and branches can loosen treehouse supports.

References

• Tree House Planning: Choosing a Good Tree for a Treehouse
• The Treehouse Guide; Choosing a Tree; Patrick Fulton; 2010
• "The Kids' Summer Handbook"; Jane Drake, Ann Love; 1994