There is an undeniable bond between trees and children. The constant motion of a tree, even in still air, as well as its enormous size and reach, make it fascinating. You’ve probably imagined or even built, a treehouse at some point in your life. But you must be considerate. Whether your yearning for joyful youth leads to damage and dilapidation of trees. When you see your 10-year-old approaching your yard tree with a hammer, nails, and scrap lumber, you must make an immediate decision.
Because trees are living organisms that play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance of a given area, everyone must consider the negative effects on trees before constructing a treehouse. Before you can build a charming hideaway for your family, you must first map out a proper plan and then select the right tree. This article provides a detailed guide on how to build a strong and sturdy treehouse without harming the tree.
The Right Way to Build Tree-Safe Tree Houses
1. Make a Structure Plan
You might be inspired by those lovely treehouse shows to build one for your children or yourself. That treehouse could be a child’s play area or an adult treetop speakeasy. But don’t be fooled by that rush of inspiration; building a treehouse is not as simple as it appears.
Before beginning to build a treehouse, you must thoroughly plan everything and evaluate all of the variables. Rushing into a construction project without a proper plan of action can be dangerous and even result in injuries. So, before you get too excited and pull out your toolbox, consider the following.
- Call an arborist: Have a professional examine your tree to see if it is healthy and strong enough to support a treehouse.
- Check your local building and community codes to see if you are allowed to build a treehouse.
- Sketch out the blueprints: Make a detailed blueprint for your treehouse, keeping the size and design in mind.
2. Choose the Correct Tree
Choosing the right tree for your treehouse will ensure not only the safety of the tree but also the overall stability of the treehouse structure that the tree will support. While both coniferous and deciduous trees are suitable for supporting a treehouse, there are a few other factors to consider when selecting the right tree Keep an eye out for termite, bacteria, or fungi damage, and select a tree that passes all of the tests.
3. Keep an Eye Out for Infections
Your favorite tree in the garden may not be the best choice for a treehouse. As a result, when selecting a tree for your treehouse, check a few large and sturdy trees for infections and damage. Keep an eye out for termite, bacteria, or fungi damage, and select a tree that passes all of the tests. You can avoid damaging the tree by erecting your treehouse in this manner.
4. Examine the Tree’s Size and Experience
Trees generally narrow in size as they reach their peak. As a result, you should check the tree’s size – not just from the stump area, but also from above – to see if it can support an entire treehouse. In this case, a professional arborist may be able to assist you.
The tree’s experience is also important. If a tree has easily withstood snowfalls, storms, and other weather conditions, it is strong enough to support a wooden structure for your family to spend quality time in. If the tree is strong enough, you could decorate it with lights and have a party there without endangering anyone’s safety.
5. Don’t Harm the Tree’s Bark
The bark of a tree is similar to human skin in that it protects the inner network of organs and muscles from contact with the outside environment. In the case of trees, the bark not only protects the inner tissues from microbes, but it also protects the xylem and phloem tissues, which are responsible for transporting water and nutrients from the roots to the various parts of the tree. When you remove or damage a tree’s bark, the chances of the tree becoming infected with fungi and bacteria appear to increase.
As a result, when building a treehouse, you may not want to cut out or cut deep inside the bark of the tree.
6. Keep Your Distance from Its Roots
Harming a tree’s roots is one of the surest ways to harm the entire tree, no matter how large or small it is. As a result, do not select a tree that is too short to support your treehouse. In this manner, you risk damaging the roots and weakening the overall structure of a healthy tree.
7. Minimize Tree Damage
The key is to minimize tree damage, i.e. minimal penetration, reduce tree load, and use specially designed fixtures.
Remember that trees are living organisms, and nails or bolts will create a wound that will cause damage to the tree. Your treehouse should not kill the tree, and with proper care and equipment, the tree will recover completely and heal the damaged areas, a process known as compartmentalizing.
Check that anything you stick in the tree does not rust. Use only galvanized nails or bolts, and the fewer you use, the better, so use high load-bearing structures. Trees can also be infected with bacterial and viral infections, so reducing the number of “open sores” is critical because they provide direct entry points for nasty infections.
It’s also critical not to overburden the tree with ropes and pulleys, as this will cause undue stress on the tree over time, causing it to become malformed and eventually die. Any treehouse builder must also consider the tree’s future growth; it is critical that any external structures do not obstruct this growth.
By allowing for future tree growth, not only will the harm to the tree be reduced, but any potential damage to the treehouse structure will be reduced or eliminated entirely. TABs are an excellent way to reduce tree damage when constructing structures such as treehouses (Tree Attachment Bolts). They are the only solution to a robust treehouse because they are specifically designed to be high load-bearing while causing minimal damage to trees.
Is It Wrong to Drill into a Tree?
Drilling screws into trees is a quick and simple way to mount a platform on trees. People who are interested in backyard construction projects, whether professional or amateur, do it all the time. Will drilling into a tree, however, kill it? It won’t, but the method will undoubtedly wound it.
Drilling into a tree is required to create a clean hole for screw placement. Drilling is also required if you need to install support wires, such as in the case of a falling tree. You can still do all of these things without feeling bad about the state of the tree.
If you want to safely drill a hole through a tree, you should have a basic understanding of tree anatomy and growth. Drilling implies penetrating the outer bark, which acts as a protective layer for the trees. Once compromised, the tree is vulnerable to diseases and pathogens. To address this, we’ve compiled some advice on how to drill into a tree without damaging it.
Drilling into A Tree Without Hurting It
The bark protects what’s inside in the same way that skin does for humans. And, just like a cut, you must treat the wound to prevent infection. The same is true for trees; if you wound them, you must treat them.
One of them was to at least protect the tree while drilling through it and spraying on the wound. To seal the injury, most arborists use pruning paint. A tangleproof Pruning Sealer is a good option if you need one. Apply the paint after drilling through the trunk to prevent potentially harmful foreign particles from entering the inner layers of the tree.
Tree Attachment Bolts (TABs)
Use Tree Attachment Bolts (TABs) that are designed to bear loads ranging from 8,000 to 13,000 pounds. TABS are far superior to Lag Bolts because they allow for more weight-bearing, reducing the number of foreign objects embedded in the tree. TABS are made up of the following components:
- The stem enables direct penetration of the tree by “biting in.”
- The boss will be embedded in the tree.
- The perch serves as a mini platform for structures to sit on.
- Tab The tab serves as a point of attachment for external structures.
When TABs are used, it is critical that the correct size TAB is installed to ensure that load-bearing is safely distributed across the attachment points. If you get this wrong, the tree and possibly your treehouse will suffer.
While we strongly recommend the use of Tree Attachment Bolts, there are other options to consider. However, for safety reasons, we do not recommend using fixtures that are not specifically engineered for use on trees.
Alternative fixtures to consider include:
Bolts with Lag (not recommended due to safety reasons)
roping (not recommended due to safety and strain on the overall health of the tree)
As stated above, using alternative fixture systems for treehouse construction is not recommended; TABs are the industry standard. If you hire a professional and they use alternative installation methods, be sure to ask questions and check references for previous work.
Other Ways to Prevent Tree Damage While Building a Treehouse
- Make sure the weight of the treehouse is distributed evenly. Don’t put all of the weight of the treehouse in one location. Spread it out evenly to cover more ground.
- Make the treehouse as light as possible. More weight means that the tree will struggle to support the treehouse.
- Make sure the treehouse is no higher than 10 feet off the ground.
- Use a professional plan to build your treehouse.
- Always keep an eye on the tree to ensure its health.
Still Not Sure You Can Do the Job Without Harming Your Tree?
If you still believe that you will harm your tree in pursuit of the perfect treehouse after reading this post, please don’t give up; there are alternatives.
1. Metal and wood poles
You could use posts instead of trees to build your hideyhole, either in wood or metal. Here is a guide on how to build a treehouse without a tree. Among the advantages are:
- Low purchase prices
- Capability to be removed quickly
- Ability to be removed without causing tree damage
- Structure with known structural integrity
2. Keep it on the Ground
If children will be the primary occupants of the treehouse, you must ensure that safety is a primary function of the structure; no one wants their neighbor’s 5-year-old falling from 20 feet up, do they?
Building a treehouse and leaving it higher on the ground allows parents to:
- Remove height as a safety factor.
- Maintain child supervision
- In the event of bad weather, the treehouse can be easily removed.
There are many other ways to build treehouses that minimize damage to existing trees; you just need to use your imagination and ensure that any ideas are founded on safe and sound engineering practices.
Don’t forget that building treehouses is a fun family activity. Ensure that everyone understands the significance of keeping your trees safe and healthy; after all, these fantastic treehouses would not be possible without trees.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is it alright to nail into a Tree?
Overall, because of the minor damage, it can cause, hammering a nail into a tree for your treehouse is acceptable. The nail will remain in place, but the tree may grow around it.
This becomes a problem if the nail is no longer visible and someone arrives with a chainsaw to cut through the tree without knowing about the nail. Experts recommend using galvanized nails to prevent rust formation when hammering a nail into a tree to minimize damage.
2. What exactly is Tree Compartmentalization?
When a tree is damaged and infected by outside organisms, it compartmentalizes. There will be four layers of compartmentalization, which will prevent the spread of any damage caused.
At this stage, trees will seal off the damaged area and attempt to deal with the wound and any organisms present by focusing on preventing the spread of harmful organisms. To contain and localize the injury, the injured tree will go through three levels of barrier formation.
3. Is it possible to screw into a tree without harming it?
Screwing into a tree will, in theory, harm the tree. However, trees, particularly healthy ones, can quickly recover from the damage caused by tree compartmentalization. Tree compartmentalization occurs when the tree begins to protect the injured area by preventing disease spread and decay. They accomplish this by erecting layers, or “walls,” around the affected area.
