Constructing the treehouse supports
From a practical point of view, plans for a solid treehouse foundation are similar to those of a normal house. You need to anticipate what demands are placed on the supports to make them simple to build and maintenance free. Trying to replace structural beams at a later stage when you discover they aren't up to the task is a hugely difficult, frustrating and time-consuming job. Avoid this situation by drawing yourself up a plan that shows where all parts of the floor loading will be applied, and how much weight each beam and attachment point needs to be able to hold.
- What support methods are used for treehouses?
- Types of flexible joints
- Fixtures and fastenings
- Dangerous things to avoid
- Building using rigid framed supports
- Using metal brackets
- Using steel cables
- Fitting knee braces
- How to attach to non-flat surfaces
- Building without trees, using posts
Once the floor is in place and you are convinced everything is secure, you can begin the building of the house itself on top. The treehouse should be entirely supported from the floor, with no contact with the rest of the tree. This prevents the build-up of stresses from parts of the tree moving in different directions. The supports should take care of all the tree movement. Occassionally this isn't practical, as will be discussed later.
The actual construction is similar to how you might make a ground based house or playhouse now that you have a solid wooden floor, so you can borrow techniques from other walks of architecture and design to make your design work. By now you should have a pretty clear idea of how the treehouse should look in the tree, with plans drawn up to guide the build and prepare materials.