[jyl]

Reviving this old thread.

After ignoring the treehouse for several years, my son suddenly rediscovered it this spring. He and two buddies spent a weekend cleaning it out, patching a hole in the roof, cutting out a branch that went through the sleeping attic (a “green” design feature that never quite worked). He pulled rubber mats, an extension cord, and power strip up there, installed latches on all the windows and a lock on the door, and started moving in.

He goes out to his treehouse most afternoons, does his homework, plays video games, hangs out. He’s accumulated quite the comforts up there. I climbed up this weekend and counted: small TV, VCR, Wii console, a couple of retro joystick games, many pillows, some blankets, books, iPhone speaker and charger, electric heater (the oil-filled radiator type – I nixed the other one for safety reasons).

So I’ve gotten motivated to resume the treehouse improvement tasks. We installed electrical last week. A reverse (male) receptacle in a weatherproof enclosure down on one of the support posts, that is where the extension cord plugs in. PVC conduit up into the treehouse, exterior cable, master switch, and GFCI outlets in the walls. Next week we’ll place insulation between the studs, panel with ¼” ply (generously donated by herr oberst), and paint. He’s asked his mom to make blackout curtains for the windows (trying to keep it a bit “stealth”, since the treehouse overlooks a main road). There is still a damaged roof panel that needs to be replaced.

Some indoor-outdoor carpet for the lower level floor, a comfy chair or two, a fire extinguisher and his boy-cave should be complete. I think I'll give him our thermostatic camping cooler to use as a "mini fridge". He has suggested air conditioning, and yes it does get hot for about a month each summer, but I think he’ll just make do with a fan this year. The deal is, if he gets straight A’s in his freshman HS year, I’ll put one of those small freestanding AC’s up there for next summer.