Treehouse Progress
 

Posting some pics of the latest project.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210046306.jpg

Kids have been wanting this for a while.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210046464.jpg

It is perhaps less of a "treehouse" than simply a raised platform amidst the trees. But it is supported by trees at one end.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210046700.jpg

Framing coming along. Not exactly "to code" but it will be sturdy.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210046812.jpg

House will be (is) 42 sq ft, with a little porch and a sleeping attic. After the fence, the ground falls off so when up in the house, you are 20 or so feet above the sidewalk.

Very nice! I used steel studs on mine. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1210048199.jpg

Sir, may I see your building permit?

Yes, I do worry about that. So far all neighbors have been positive, fingers crossed . . . still, it is sturdy, complies with setback, not visible from any house on my side of street, and barely visible from the other side of street, so I might have a chance.

Very cool, we had one in the back yard, I took it down before the 1st hurricane hit us in 2004, I was afraid it would come loose and destroy my house.

Moving along.

Figured out what I'll use for the roof covering - corrugated steel for the outer sections, corrugated transparent plastic/lexan for the inner (center) sections to let in light.

Still not decided what to cover the exterior walls with, shingles or siding, stain or just paint. Or whether to make it look like the main house, tan and white - or come up with a camouflage scheme.

Not sure the architectural preservationist neighbors across the street will like having an over-grown duck blind in RealTree (TM) pattern on the block - but then again they said they can't even see the treehouse, it's tucked into the trees.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1211339719.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1211339733.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1211339744.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1211339756.jpg

Coming along, just have to install windows and doors and finish a few bits.

From the firepit
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1214880856.jpg

Small wraparound deck
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1214880896.jpg

From deck, spying on the street
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1214880921.jpg

From upstairs looking down at the main floor deck
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1214880953.jpg

Upstairs, carpeted loft. Roof is partly transparent. Still need to fill in the open ends, debating between solid wood wall, open railing like on deck, and ? ? ?. Would like to retain the view and the "amidst the trees" feel, while keeping rain out and bodies in.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1214881200.jpg

Transparent roof is cool! Nice work.

How about clear eaves with rails below and otherwise open for the ends?

Wow, that's a long way from the treehouse we had as kids.

We made ours out of a box spring, rope and some bungee cords.

We'd liberate a couple of our friend's dad's brewskis out of the fridge and drink them up in the trees.

When I was a kid, we didn't have box springs, rope and bungee cords; we made treehouses out of bronze and stone.

guy built a huge one in the hills here - in town but a very woody area -- he hiked in each stick bit by bit - got caught after about 3-4 years of living in it!

he was about 80 ft. up

I'd like to see pics!

I'd like something like that. Wife thinks it will be too drafty, wet, cold when its raining, which it does most of the time here. My thought is to put up some triangles of tarp material, like the flaps at the ends of a "A-frame" tent, unroll and fasten when weather inclement.

Very cool, guys.

I used to have a tree house when I was a kid. It was literally just a big laundry basket on a platform of 2X4s. I "built" it myself when I was in 4th grade. I guess it was more of a perch than a house.

Wow! John!

Thats not a simple tree house. You could successfully accommodate the Royal family in there..having them begging for to come back next year again! Well done!

My son better no see this post or I will be pestered the rest of the summer.

Very nice! I really like your fence with the "Mission look" lattice work!

Very cool. You gonna run power to it?

John Man - that is so cool, a great place to hang out. Are you going to build something for the kids??:D:rolleyes:

What about a rope swing? Are they even allowed these days?

How many days a year does it rain/drizzle in Portland? I'll be there for a few weeks in a couple of weeks.

Nice treehouse.

Wired for power - I don't think so, not permanent power anyway. Don't want to attract "building inspector" attention with lights.

Wife wants interior walls of 1st floor insulated and finished off. I'm resisting because kind of needing to move on to the next home project.

But for the winter here, when it is rainy and chilly, I guess I can see the appeal of pulling a little space heater on long extension cord into the treehouse. Find a squishy armchair and a warm rug. Make sure the WiFi reaches, and I'll be surfing PPOT from the trees.

http://www.oregonphotos.com/Haggart-Observatory.html

Avg 150 days/year rain, included in the 220 days/year cloudy

But summer is nice.

less than 120 s.f. - probably would not require a building permit

Cool, not as bad as I thought but I know you still get twice as much rain as Michigan.

68 clear days a year............East Lansing, MI is 81, which is about an hour north of Ann Arbor.

There is a tire hanging from the neighbor's tree, that pretty much serves as the rope swing for all the kids on the block. So I prob won't put up a rope swing for the treehouse. Better that kids crack their skulls on the neighbor's property than on mine.

Another option is to enclose the space below, sheathing the four support posts, to make it a three-story treehouse. Right now, I'd rather have the firewood storage than a rez-de-chaussee.

Great job John. Very nice!!

When your kids are done with it, you will have to remember to tear it down. At the age of 35 I went back to my old "fort" at the back of my folks property and found countless syringes and empty bottles that I do not recall leaving behind...

Wow, that is too cool. Looks medieval - I think you need to dig a moat around it.

Do you enter in the bottom part, under the deck, and then climb up to the upper part? I can't see quite clearly because of the foliage.