Thursday, 5 December 2013

Different Ideas For Building Custom Tree Houses

By Tiffany Gill


Few things in the world are as cool as staying up late in the night with a few friends outside in a tree house that your family built over the course of a few months. In most cases they do not have to take up a lot of space or a lot of expensive materials. In reality custom tree houses are about taking childhood dreams of a special place to hang out with buddies away from parents and bullies and making it real.

One of the many important considerations is the trees or tree you will use for the support and base for your new structure. It is critical that you ensure it is a healthy and strong tree which is planted firmly inside the ground. A few ideal trees are apple, oak, fir and maple. Not making a good choice for this step can often cause a problem sometime later on from wasted money and possible property damage.

As lame as it sounds you should also talk to your local planning department. Sometimes there are special permits that you have to get to build on your property so you do not get fined. It is also a good idea to speak with any neighbors that may be affected to get their input and just to let them know what you plan to do. A few kind words can often go a long way to preventing issues later on.

It is generally a poor plan to just start putting stuff together. Sit down to draw out a detailed plan for what and how you plan to build it. By putting it down on paper you will get a good idea of what it should look like when it is finished. Now would be the time to fine tune things so they fit in with what you plan to build.

Come up with a good plan for supporting it. There are many different methods to use. The post method uses posts cemented into the ground. The bolt method uses lag-bolts screwed directly into the tree to hold the floor joists. The suspension method uses steel cables from strong branches to stabilize it.

Decide on the method you plan to use to get to it. This might be a stairs, a ladder, a rope or various combinations of these ideas. The vital thing is to make it secure and safe so people will not get injured. This is generally the single area where most accidents occur so always be safe.

Now that all the difficult stuff is out of the way, the fun stuff begins. Start building your dream getaway. Take your time and do it right the first time. Remember in many cases this is not just for you but there is a good chance your children will love spending time in it as well.

You do need to spend lots of money for construction. Always leave enough room around your trunks to let the trees keep growing. This not only helps make them grow stronger but will add to the lifetime of any custom tree houses.




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