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Selecting a Tree
Home » Outdoor Living » Building a Tree house » Selecting a TreeBefore you can plan the layout of your tree house, you first need to select the tree in which you will build it. There are several things to consider when choosing a tree to build your tree house in. First, you want to take note of the species of tree. Oak, beech, maple, fir and hemlock trees are all excellent choices. Find out what types of trees grow in your area and what their strengths and weaknesses are. You’ll also want to consider the age and size of the tree, as well as any damage that has been done to it. Are there twisted limbs? Is the top blown off? Is the tree in danger of being struck by lightning? These are all important things to consider.
When scouting for possible trees to hold your tree house, the first things you should look at are the roots. Check to make sure there are no areas of disease at the base of the tree, such as fungus or damaged bark. You also need to make sure the root area is away from heavy traffic, such as what would occur on a driveway or a heavily used footpath. You can determine this by whether the earth around the roots is compacted.
Once you have deemed the foundation of the tree acceptable, you should inspect the trunk. Check for damage, either from wind, lighting, freezing, or an extended drought. If there are large openings in the bark, check to see if the tree is healing, or if the exposed wood is rotting. It’s critical to make sure that the tree is completely solid. Although you can usually determine if a tree is hollowed out just by looking at it, take a 2 x 4 and tap on the trunk to verify its density.
If the trunk appears solid, continue your inspection with the branches. Branches that extend at a 90-degree angle are ideal for tree house building as they are typically the most secure. Limbs at a 45-degree angle are sometimes acceptable, but the area at the joint may be weak. There should be enough strong branches for several attachment points, with the minimum thickness of the branches being 8 inches. If there is more than one story to your tree house, the branch thickness should be closer to 12 inches. If branches of this thickness are not available, use more attachment points.
The height of the tree is another important thing to consider. Although some may feel that the higher up you can build, the better, you must think in terms of safety in case there is a fall. A suitable height is around 10 feet. If the tree is in a high wind area, the tree house should be built in the bottom third of the tree.
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