How To Build A Treehouse Roof Around A Tree

Use exterior bolts to make sure they are heavily bolted in to the tree on all sides.

How to build a treehouse roof around a tree.

Rails sides and a roof complete the treehouse. If your design calls for a flat roof try to introduce even a small slope of 3 5. The first is a bit dramatic. The roof s primary role is of protection and so it is a good place to get right.

Measure the tree at the desired height so you can decide on the right size for your platform. I read around a lot first of course. Top off the tree just below the roof line and build a solid roof above. You should never use a flat roof for a treehouse.

For heavy tree houses consider spreading the weight among several trees. Ours was approximately 4 inches off each side. When your rafters are all on lay down the plywood for the roof an leave a good 2 and 1 2 space around the tree so it can sway in the wind without hitting the roof. Build the diy treehouse in mid summer.

Add joists on 16 inch centers and build the floor with deck boards or 3 4 inch plywood. The ideal roof is impervious to water but also needs to rapidly shed water so there is no chance of pools or damp patches building up. When building on one main trunk level the main. The first photo is of my plan which was sketched on a cereal box.

Also one thing to remember is that you want your roof to hang off the side of the treehouse a bit for water protection. In high wind areas build your tree house in the lower third of the tree. The second solution is to build a wall vapor barrier around the trunk on the inside of the treehouse. I used shingles cut in half to seal around the tree and shingled the rest of the roof like normal.

To build a simple and safe treehouse start by choosing a healthy sturdy tree that can support your planned structure. The heavy spring flow of sap will have slowed greatly but the tree will still have time to heal before winter. The build took about six months start to fin. 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.

Find a section where the trunk separates into a v shape and build your platform in this area with 4 points anchoring the base to the tree. Once your treehouse plans have been mapped start by installing the supports using 2 x 12 cuts of wood decking board. When you go to cut the angle you want to make sure you re keeping your longest side at 46 inches. I found david jeanie stiles books especially easy to follow and i also consulted the 1st edition of this treehouse book the design changed as i was building it i didn t end up adding the braces drawn in the bottom left elevation and i built an entrance platform that i hadn t.

A tree house will act like a sail in strong winds adding a large load to the tree s roots.