How To Build A Treehouse Roof Around A Tree

Don t restrict tree growth.

How to build a treehouse roof around a tree. Aim for a slope of at least 30 but preferably 45 or more. Build the diy treehouse in mid summer. Making a treehouse roof. This can strangle the tree.

The heavy spring flow of sap will have slowed greatly but the tree will still have time to heal before winter. A properly sloped or pitched roof is much superior. Add the floor joist perpendicular the main supports. 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.

If your design calls for a flat roof try to introduce even a small slope of 3 5 so water cannot sit there. The first is a bit dramatic. Minimizing tree damage for diy treehouse. The second solution is to build a wall vapor barrier around the trunk on the inside of the treehouse.

Build the perimeter of the frame using 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 cuts of lumber. Get it perfectly horizontal with the help of a level and nail the other end to the other tree. If you get particularly harsh winters a steep pitch is critical to avoid a build up of snow which could easily spell disaster for a treehouse of limited support. For reference we have finished the base and frame of the treehouse as well as the floor and stairs.

Next install the perimeter beams to the top set o beams and square them up using the 3 4 5 rule. 2x4 inch boards work well for this and you will end up with a square to work with. For a standard 8 x8 treehouse choose a tree with a trunk at least 12 in diameter. Try to to drill the pilot holes as straight and level as possible.

Add joists on 16 inch centers and build the floor with deck boards or 3 4 inch plywood. The top set of beams will be the floor height of your treehouse. A good roof protects the whole of the treehouse beneath it. Rails sides and a roof complete the treehouse.

On each corner install an angled 2 x 8 down the tree directly below the main supports. Get a strip of light wood and nail one end to one of your trees at a height about 1 ft lower than you want the floor of your treehouse to save a future concussion it should also be at least 1 ft higher than your head. Lag two sets of beams to the tree using a 3 4 diameter x 10 lag screw. Divide that number by pi 3 14 to get the diameter.

Add spacers between the beams and the tree to. Now it s time to build the platform atop the supports. Now we are working on the roof and then we will talk through the walls and windows after that. Find a corner that isn t square and create braces to run at the top corner of the wall.

Once you finish one corner move on to the corner opposite of it and work on that one. Don t constrict branches with rope straps or wire. Leave gaps around the tree.