Best Tree House Plans
Reliable Tree House plans or Treehouse designs are absolutely essential when it comes to building a Tree House, for to build a Tree House that is the least bit unsafe, is to risk the health or even the life of your own kids – unthinkable! Am I trying to scare you off here? Certainly not, as I personally believe that this is a fantastic addition to any garden that is fortunate enough to have a tree large enough to put one in. The fact remains however that many people have built one without following good Tree House plans, and the consequences have been disastrous.
That said, lets look at the things that you may expect from good guidebook of the type that Ron Stephens has to offer in his ebook ‘How To Build a Tree House’.
Tree House Plans – Choosing your location
Well it may seem obvious at first I admit 
of course you need a tree ! However the real question’s you should ask yourself are these:
- Is the tree strong enough? It goes without saying that before you can build a treehouse then the tree has to be strong enough to take the load. However, by following good plans and the advice of experts such as Ron Stephens, you will discover how you can indeed build a strong Tree House in a tre
e that you would otherwise have thought too flimsy. This is done by quite simply re-enforcing the tree with additional timber to help carry the load.
- Is it a good sunny spot? No use at all building it in a position that is too shady or is completely overshadowed by other trees. This will lead to all sorts of damp problems in the Tree House itself, and could be quite unpleasant to stay in. Try and choose a tree in a good spot before you build a tree house if you want to build something that your child can enjoy to the max.
- Does it overlook the Neighbours? A point of contention – whether or not you are following good Tree House plans – can be the fact that some individuals will just throw up a Tree House in any old place, without the least consideration for the Neighbours privacy. This can lead not only to bad relations re your neighbours, but also lead to trouble with the local authorities. For that reason, before any construction that is likely to overlook you neighbours house or garden, it would be wise to consult both your immediate neighbours and the local authorities before building your Tree House.
Building your Tree House
These previous points in this article involve issues that should be addressed before any Tree House plans or project’s even begin, but what about the ‘nuts & bolts’ of building a Tree House ? These are some of the things you will encounter when building and following good plans to the letter.
Foundations: Again the first thing to consider is the Tree itself, because if it is a sturdy 200 year old Oak tree for instance, you will probably find that the tree itself is strong enough to carry all but the largest of Tree Houses. For an exceptionally wide construction however, you will probably still need some supporting ‘stilts’ to help keep the balance rather that carry the load. This is where good schematics such as the ones promoted will keep you on the right track.
- Roofing material: It is of course important that your Tree House has a good water proof roof, especially if it is exposed & vulnerable to the wind and rain. Even under the leaf canopy, a Tree House gets a lot of weather especially from the drip, drip effect after the main rain storm has passed by. You should consider using a roofing material that is ‘in sympathy’ with the environment (the tree) and not just cover it with corrugated iron or some such material. Good tree house plans would consider instead, timber shingles for instance if they are available. Straw thatch can look fantastic also, and if not then perhaps a green mineral felt will at least make that attempt to blend in.
- Following Tree House Plans – Construction: When it comes to the main construction it will come as no surprise that the main material is…wood ! However there are a few less obvious things to consider. If possible try and get the timber pre-injected with a suitable insect and root repellent – not creosote, which is highly inflammable. Most timber suppliers now supply ‘tanalized’ timber which is treated for both rot and insect before leaving the mill. Make sure that during construction there are no nails left sticking out or that the timber itself is not too rough – a visit to the hospital to remove a splinter or repair a sliced arm, is enough to ruin your whole day
- Safety: By it’s very nature, a Tree House is likely to be quite high of the ground – even 6 feet of the ground is enough to cause injury to young children, or adults for that matter. This is particularly important area that following good Tree house plans will help you with, you just cannot risk building anything that will put the general safety of your child at risk. This can be a fantastic project for a child and as such can be a great bonding experience for any child-parent relationship. It is also a great time to show your child some basic safety issues involving not just the tree house but indeed lessons that they will take throughout their lives. I Know this for a fact because I learned a whole lot from my Father about the basics of building when I was still only a kid.
To Summarise – Tree House plans:
Building a Tree House is probably high on the list of any child’s ‘wants’ especially with TV characters such as Bart Simpson and Milhouse Van Houten of the Simpsons having one! However unless you follow good advice from experts such as Ron Stephens in his ‘ How to build a tree house ‘ book, or other reliable plans then it just might not be such a good experience.
