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Ditchmonkey
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2016 01:35pm
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I am eager to get started on a treehouse guest cabin and am exploring best practices for the platform build. I will be using specialty hardware like the Garnier Limb for attachment to the trees. There will be two main beams with a platform on top of the beams. This is the basic plan, but the final orientation of the beams and how the platform will be constructed are to be determined. Some questions:
1. The main beams will be pressure treated lumber - probably 4x8. I live in a wet climate and wonder if I should also use pressure treated lumber for the platform joists? My concern is that PT lumber corrodes joist hangers and I'm worried about eventual failure. I have seen even the Zmax hangers fail on my deck after many years, although the treehouse platform hangers will be mostly out of the weather so maybe this is not a concern.
2. There are several main beam configurations I can go with, but the simplest to build would look like this plan from the GL website:
This puts the main beams close together, so the platform would need to be quite rigid and have very strong attachment to the beams (can anyone read the line that says "xxxxx bolt or stronger in the image?). What are peoples opinions of the strength and rigidity of this design? What dimension lumber would you use for the platform here?
I realize treehouse design is a bit outside the norm for topics here, but other than the platform this is mostly a standard build. Just wanted to see if folks here have any opinions on the platform part.
Thanks!
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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2016 05:07pm
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Got room for the trees to grow?
When the tree grows, won't the main beams disconnect from the platform lumber, as the main beams spread?
I don't know much about treehouse design, but had considered a guest tree house on my property too. 
Watching and tracking this thread.... Rich
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2016 09:14pm
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Oh, a tree guest house? That's just too cool!
Hmm, potential money-maker, too, if one wanted to rent it by night for the treehouse forest experience. Of course, one would have to "idiot-proof" it so drunks and imbeciles didn't fall out of the treehouse and then try to sue.
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razmichael
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2016 07:38am
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No experience with tree houses (maybe 50 years ago) but interesting video on using those
Garnier Limb things you mentioned. They look expensive.
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Littlecooner
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2016 09:22am - Edited by: Littlecooner
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I am like RichIntheUSA. After watching a lot of "TreeHouse masters" programs, I always wonder what all that time, money and effort will look like 10-20 years down the road as that tree never stops growing. Depending on species and amount of rainfall, they are always going to increase in diameter size. I have many permanent tree stands build years ago on my property where I "banded" the tree with heavy metal ( when considering it just supports a small one person weight) and now the trees have grown around the metal, producing even stronger vertical support. Building a tree house, one would need to make sure a great deal of material is in the structure to keep the tree growth from pushing it apart. Treehouses are neat ideas to think about, but for me, I will stay of the ground and hope things 10-20 years down the road are still square, level and keeping the wind and water
outside.
If I was considering build a tree house between two trees, I would use steel I beams for the two major supports for the house and use steel to connect these two together to insure that the tree growth did not push the two main beams apart. This way, using I beams, the tree would grow around the two flanges, providing additional support in the vertical dimension, every year the tree finished the growing season. A couple of 4 or 6 inch I beams and some cross bracing of steel would be a small increase of price in material and would add a huge amount of insurance about maintaining level and square in the structure over the life of the tree house. I would probably even cut a small groove in the cambium layer of the tree to sit the top and bottom flange of the I beam into to insure no movement under construction and to help start the tree growth around the I beam flange.
One of my tree stands is really a small tree house and is about 30 years old. It is solid as a rock after the growth around the flanges by the tree.
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littlesalmon4
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2016 11:45am
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We are in the process of designing a tree house as well. To eliminate some issues as our Yukon trees are far to small we will be using utility poles as trees. Also eliminates the growing problem as well.
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Ditchmonkey
Member
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2016 01:36pm
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Quoting: RichInTheUSA When the tree grows, won't the main beams disconnect from the platform lumber, as the main beams spread?
This is something I have wondered. I've seen treehouses where the platforms are attached with steel hardware that appears to allow for adjustments. Will do more research.
Quoting: Littlecooner time, money and effort will look like 10-20 years down the road
I plan on keeping it pretty small and simple so if I get 10 years out of it I'll be more than happy. The treehouse part is really just going to be a bed and a table + chairs in a room "floating" in the woods with as many windows as possible. Restroom and other amenities will be separate.
Quoting: razmichael those Garnier Limb things you mentioned. They look expensive.
Yeah, they are. The platform attachment equipment will be the biggest expense, but IMO doing this part right is absolutely critical to the health of the tree, and to the safety and longevity of the structure.
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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2016 01:45pm
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My local electric utility will be giving us free (used) telephone poles. May want to see if you can get free ones as well! (I plan to build a walking bridge over my creek).
I hadn't thought of using them as faux trees.
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Ditchmonkey
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2016 01:47pm
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Quoting: RichInTheUSA I hadn't thought of using them as faux trees.
You could decorate them with fake branches like they do with some cell towers
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ddurrett896
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2016 02:02pm
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Below is the only picture I have of one I built for the kids. Have since added railing, ladder and trimmed it out.
All I did was 2x8 lagged with 3/4" galvanized bolts that were 8" long. For added security, I wrapped a 1,500lb wire around the supports and up onto a branch higher than the house. IF the joists broke it would still hang. The 2x4s at an angle arn't support but help with the flex from side to side.
[url=  ][/url]
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 6 Mar 2016 10:24am - Edited by: KinAlberta
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If you had tall straight trees you could probably put diagonal suspension cables above the treehouse rather than solid wood diagonal supports under the treehouse.
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Ditchmonkey
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2016 01:09pm
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I ordered the hardware today. Will not be using the platform design shown in the image attached in the original post. I'm going to attempt to build 2 tribeams as seen here:
http://www.treehousesupplies.com/Tri_Beam_Standard_Kit_p/kit-tribeam_std.htm
The folks at Tree House Supplies were enormously helpful, and their detailed build videos gave me the confidence to go ahead and give this a shot. Will post updates when I have them.
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Haltzy
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2016 06:22pm - Edited by: Haltzy
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I built these myself. Will be using them to support 2 16' 4x12 beams.
All I can say is make sure you account for tree sway and tree growth.
I'm getting mine up this year as well. Good luck and have fun.
Haltzy
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