DIY Treehouse: A Home Project You Can Do With Your Children

Do you want to build a treehouse to keep your kids occupied this summer? If you’ve grown up with these structures in your backyard, you’ve probably spent more time there than in the house. Approximately 81% of homeowners attempt to build something on their own.

Moreover, involving children in such DIY projects lets you spend more time with them and boosts their confidence. With a DIY treehouse, you’re enhancing your home’s appeal and also ensuring that your kids learn a few woodworking skills. 

In this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know about building a treehouse with your children this summer.

6 Easy DIY Tips for Building a Treehouse

Building treehouses can help your children get in touch with nature and develop problem-solving skills. That’s why you should build one only if your property has a 6- to 10-foot maple, hickory, or oak tree. 

You can ask your children to help you with some of the following tips:

1. Create a blueprint: Ask your kid to help you draw a treehouse design, highlighting its height, location, ideas about railings, foundation, etc. 
2. Building the foundation: You’ll need to build the structural foundation using concrete deck blocks and scrap lumber. After that, you can create the platform, but ensure the load is centered over the tree’s base.
3. Attach floor joists and hangers: You must pre-drill the tree to install lag screws and floor joists with a wrench. Add a joist hanger to keep everything in place using a hammer. Along with these, you should also build supporting beams.
4. Cut angle braces and attach deck boards: You must use a miter saw to cut angle braces for extra stability. You can also attach some deck boards after measuring each piece properly. Moreover, adding diagonal bracing will account for any extra load on the structure.
5. Building the frame and roof: To build your walls, you’ll need to cut the vertical studs and frames based on the desired height. But remember to leave room for doors and windows. Once done, install a sturdy plywood sheathing as your roof.
6. Adding the siding, handrail, and ladder: Install the siding after measuring and cutting it properly. You must also create a handrail in the deck area and build a sturdy ladder for your kids. 

You can also ask your children to pick their favorite colors to paint the walls. Moreover, let them choose what they want to store in the treehouse. 

Where Can You Get the Tools to Build a Treehouse?

Spending money on equipment for this one-time project isn’t feasible because you probably won’t need it in the future if you aren’t a keen DIYer. That’s where a tool rental service comes in. 

But where do you find such services? All you have to do is search for tool rental near me on Google. You’ll get a list of all the companies offering equipment rental services. To find a trustworthy company, you must look for the following factors: 

• Their extensive inventory should contain modern technology and equipment.
• They should have a good overall experience and positive client testimonials.
• Their company’s culture should be customer-centric.
• They should have a pay-as-you-use module.

Once you’ve found the best company in your area, you can place an order for a saw, adjustable wrench, drills, etc. According to SitePro Rentals, this will be a smart financial move because you can rent out some general tools for a few hundred dollars. With these, you won’t have to spend any upfront costs on machinery to build your treehouse. 

5 Things to Keep In Mind While Building a Treehouse

The treehouse you’re building for your kids has to be sustainable and sturdy. To make that happen, you must keep the following things in mind: 

1. Consider the weight and stability of the structure while building the foundation and flooring. 
2. Keep the platform as close to the tree as possible to avoid any slip-and-fall accidents.
3. If you live in areas with harsh weather, you must build the treehouse in the lower third portion to prevent uprooting.
4. Ask your children to build a pulley system using rope and a bucket. You can also build a slide or trap door and add accessories like tables, lanterns, etc.
5. Leave some space around the tree trunks and branches to avoid restricting its growth. Don’t use wires or straps, as they will constrict the branches.

Some American cities might require you to get a permit before you build a treehouse. Therefore, remember to check the local building laws and talk to your neighbors before starting the DIY project.

Conclusion

Getting your kids involved in such a DIY project will surely help them gain collaborative skills and boost confidence. But before that, you should consider which tasks can be simple for your kids based on their age and experience. Remember to supervise everything they’re doing and teach them to wear safety equipment at all times.