Tree House time (pictures)

[Data]

Dave, what were you doing with the Spy005 while cutting the SS bar, measuring....????



Karl

Just adding scale to the picture. The 2" SS bar took three of us to carry onto the saw.

[karlthev]

Shoulda realized...

I just can't get over this project Dave!! Have shown my wife pictures and she wants one for herself---come to think of it, that may be a good idea!! Ha! Hope she doesn't read this one---then I'll be in the Dog House!! Do you build dog houses as well????


Karl

[Data]

Initially I was looking for a single solution to sealing the tree at the top of the house. But it occurred to me a few days ago to go about it in two layers.

This pic shows the aluminum cap from the inside. It closes in around the trunk and keeps 90% of the falling water and debris from getting through. It is designed so it can be adjusted larger over time as the tree grows. It does not actually ever touch the bark.




Under this I plan to install the second fitting. It will be water tight to the octagon steel collar and have a vertical cylinder about 2" long that will stand off the tree trunk 2" and let me wrap foam around the trunk and tape it off onto the cylinder. The end result is to keep the ants out but allow the water that comes through to run down the trunk. It will not touch the tree bark either, only the soft foam will touch the bark.

This area will still fill with debris and the foam will mildew but I can easily take off the old foam and let the tree bark breathe. The foam will not need to be in place for most of the winter months, no bugs then. This solution is reversible and serviceable inside the tree house. It takes lots of rain to wet the trunk inside the house. Only time will tell if this configuration will be adequate. I will post some pictures of it when I get it complete.

This is a close up of the upper mooring.



The lower mooring.



The trail below in the woods.




Cheers
Dave

[greenlight]

You are so rad. Where is the entranceway?

[Illum]

You are so rad. Where is the entranceway?

the entrance is hinted on the second picture...top right

[Data]

You are so rad. Where is the entranceway?

The plan is to have a spiral staircase that wraps around the tree. It would wrap around till it got to about 12" then it would come to a landing that is below the trap door. You can see the trap door opening in several of the pictures including the CAD drawing of the floor joist. A steep ladder would take you up through the trap door. The steep ladder is not shown in the CAD drawing.

The reason for the steep ladder is that a spiral stair case would take up too much of the tree house floor if it went all the way up.

I am open to suggestions on any of the details. Please feel free to comment.

Cheers
Dave

[Stan671]

The entrance is the square hole in the floor to the right of the tree. The spiral stairs will go around the tree to a few regular vertical stairs leading through this hole.

[Stan671]

Dave, I still think you should not bother putting up the stairs now when you know you will be replacing them with an elevator soon anyway. Just put the elevator in now.

If you think an elevator is a bit much for a treehouse, then tone it down a little bit and run a cable car gondola directly from the deck behind the main house, past the pool directly to the treehouse.

[Data]

Dave, I still think you should not bother putting up the stairs now when you know you will be replacing them with an elevator soon anyway. Just put the elevator in now.

If you think an elevator is a bit much for a treehouse, then tone it down a little bit and run a cable car gondola directly from the deck behind the main house, past the pool directly to the treehouse.

Hmmm

[milkyspit]

Dave, I still think you should not bother putting up the stairs now when you know you will be replacing them with an elevator soon anyway. Just put the elevator in now.

If you think an elevator is a bit much for a treehouse, then tone it down a little bit and run a cable car gondola directly from the deck behind the main house, past the pool directly to the treehouse.

Actually, I'm thinking run a rope bridge from the deck/pool area (or maybe OVER the pool somehow?) to the landing below the tree house proper. That would be cool!

Really dumb question... what (if anything) would happen to occupants of the tree house if the tree itself were struck by lightning?

Will the inside remain as seen in the photos, or do you have plans to install some sort of flooring and/or other interior decor? Just curious. Heck, you've gone this far!

Really looking great, Dave!!

[jcompton]

Absolutely Amazing

[greenLED]

Simply amazing, Dave!

[McGizmo]

Awesome!!! OK, my question is how did you decide on the actual tree and are the other trees OK with the situation.

Could this be the start of a tree village?

[greenLED]

Could this be the start of a tree village?

Dave, the Ewok King!

[jcompton]

Are your property taxes going to increase???

[Data]

McGizmo, You know what they say in the real estate business, location location location. There were talks of two other tree dwellings connected by bridges but not any time soon.

I would be starting on the stairs if greenHugger had not talked me out of drilling a thousand holes in the tree.

[greenLED]

I would be starting on the stairs if greenHugger had not talked me out of drilling a thousand holes in the tree.

Gimme a chainsaw, and I'll spare you the drilling!

[Bimmerboy]

Gimme a chainsaw, and I'll spare you the drilling!

LOL!... That oughta' solve the rotting issue for sure!

[Data]

Actually, I'm thinking run a rope bridge from the deck/pool area (or maybe OVER the pool somehow?) to the landing below the tree house proper. That would be cool!

Really dumb question... what (if anything) would happen to occupants of the tree house if the tree itself were struck by lightning?

Will the inside remain as seen in the photos, or do you have plans to install some sort of flooring and/or other interior decor? Just curious. Heck, you've gone this far!

Really looking great, Dave!!

The inside will be finished off. The walls will be paneling and the floor will have carpet . . . shag carpet . . . groovy baby.

As for the lightning question . . .

[Bushman5]

Into the tree? As in drilled in place? Tree dude here (not to be confused with tree hugger, though)... If you're planning on embedding those bars into the tree you're opening the tree to all sorts of diseases. Rotten wood is bad for tree houses, if you know what I mean. Then there's the issue of lateral bole growth (not to mention corrosion, etc.) slowly eating away into your bars, scarring changing wood physical properties, etc.

Maybe it'd be best if you anchored your spiral staircase to the base of the tree by the way of concrete bases and pillars going up and holding the staircase?

Anyway, just a random thought from your neighborhood tree dude.

as another tree climber guy i'll second this excellent info! definitely use a concrete base for the stairs, and pad the stair frame with rubber or UHMW "rubbing blocks" against the trunk.

[Patriot]

That treehouse is one of the coolest things I've seen. I don't think I'd ever come down if I even went in it. I'm very jealous but excited to see more pictures and video when possible. Thanks for sharing.

[Darell]

OK, BIG mistake here at Darell Central. I just showed the pictures to my daughter. And then reminded her that she actually MET Mr. Data at Ghost Mountain. And now... now only do I need to build her a tree house just like that, she first wants to come visit yours.

When is the house warming party, exactly?

[greenLED]

When is the house warming party, exactly?

I'm in! I'm not good in the cooking department, but will chop down that tree for some firewood in no time!

[Data]

OK, BIG mistake here at Darell Central. I just showed the pictures to my daughter. And then reminded her that she actually MET Mr. Data at Ghost Mountain. And now... now only do I need to build her a tree house just like that, she first wants to come visit yours.

When is the house warming party, exactly?

If you are ever on the East coast you must stop in. Preferably I hope, with your daughter in tow.

Tell her that we will have the s'mores cooking on the camp fire too!




Cheers
Dave

[Data]

I'm in! I'm not good in the cooking department, but will chop down that tree for some firewood in no time!

OK green, you got fire wood duty!


"NO, that tree over there . . ."

[dizzy]

Dave, I'm a little late to the party here but WOW!!! . That would look good in my back yard. Do you think we could transplant that thing?

Did you ever get the stairs built? Deer season is coming soon and that looks like it would be the ULTIMATE tree stand.

[ibcj]

This is really amazing !

My children and I have been reading a book series called The Magic Treehouse, which may be why they have been asking for me to build them a treehouse. I've been away from CPF for some time, but remembered that Dave had started a thread with the treehouse project, so I decided to check it out for some ideas.

Well, wouldn't you know as soon as I open the thread, in walk my children. "Wow....that is awesome ! Is that like the one that you are going to build us Dad ?"............"Uh....well....mmm...errr...yes, it sure is beautiful" Thanks for the inspiration Dave.

[WadeF]

Data, you rule. That's the coolest tree house I've ever seen, and I can't believe I live ~ 30 minutes away from it. Hehe. Hope that tree survives the drilling and continues to thrive and support your tree house for many decades. Going to hook up electric and plumbing? :P

[maxspeeds]

This is every boy's dream tree house.

[Danintex]

Couldn't do that in South Texas. Looks great!