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2. gardening and landscaping
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High society
9 4 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
Do your kids want to
live it up?
Here’s how to get your treehouse project
off the ground
When I was kid, growing up in the wilds just outside of North Bay, we
always had a treehouse – rather rickety affairs that we built ourselves. We
spent endless hours in them; it gave us a sense of independence and adventure, elevated as we were above the world (even if it was just a few metres up).
Back then, we didn’t think our treehouses might damage living trees and,
like all children, we didn’t worry much about our own safety. But I designed
this project with safety, stability, and tree health in mind. The treehouse is freestanding, so you can build it anywhere, even where there are no suitable trees.
It’s supported by a triangular framework, a versatile and inherently stable
structure. In fact, there’s no need to sink the posts into the ground; I could
have located the treehouse on top of good old Canadian Shield granite.
If you’ve already built Cottage Life’s famous outhouse (“The Perfect Privy,”
Jul./Aug. ’99), you’ll recognize many of the techniques here. This is a bigger
project, but it’s fun, especially if you get the kids involved in planning and customizing it. And for me, there’s nothing as rewarding as kudos from Douglas
(pictured playing chess on p. 102), one of the treehouse’s satisfied tenants along
with his sister Leah, below. “Wow, this is so cool,” he said as he inspected
the finished product. “This must be the best treehouse on the lake.” >>
By Wayne Lennox
Photography by Roger Yip
24"
3"
FRONT
BACK
SIDE
PULLEY ARM
CENTRE POST
PULLEY BRACE
18"
FIG. 1: Cross braces
1"
4"
FIG. 2: Pulley support
FIG. 3:
Deck corner
detail
CENTRE POST
4"
HEADER JOIST
193⁄4"
14" BOLT
22"
RAILING
POSTS
DECK JOISTS
19 3⁄16" o.c.
BRIDGING
551⁄2"
30°
BACK LEG
BACK
CROSS BRACE
CROSSBAR
1"
24"
HEADER
JOIST
FRONT LEG
441⁄2"
1"
SIDE
CROSS BRACES
CROSSBAR
FIG. 4: Supporting frame
HANDRAILS
TRAP DOOR
19 3⁄16"
The Support Framework
1] The spreading triangular frames, front
and back, give the treehouse a large, stable footprint and help prevent racking.
Start with the front assembly, bolting the
centre post to the middle of one header
joist, using two 3⁄8" x 6" carriage bolts in
predrilled 3⁄8" holes. As you work, check
regularly that your assembly is square.
Tip: Sight down any structural pieces
that aren’t vertical – including crossbars,
legs, joists, and rafters – and look for
any crown, or curve. Position pieces so
the hump of the curve points up; gravity
will work to straighten it out.
2] Cut one end of each front leg at a
30° angle, as in Figure 4. Working flat on
the ground, clamp the legs to the header
joist and, with a few 3" screws, temporarily secure their angled ends to the centre
post. Chamfer the crossbar ends: Mark
a line 1" from the ends on all four sides,
and with a circular saw blade set to a 45°
angle, bevel the edges. Lay the crossbar
Illustrations by Terry Dovaston and Chad Greenwood
9 6 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
991⁄4"
331⁄2"
19 3⁄16"
18"
18"
HIDEY-HOLE
HANDRAILS
983⁄4"
FIG. 5: Handrails and trap doors
331⁄2"
Materials
For a shopping list you can take to the
lumberyard, see p. 101.
PT
UT
SPS
T&G
Pressure-treated spruce
Untreated spruce
Spruce strapping
#4 pine tongue-and-groove
Newer pressure-treated wood corrodes
and weakens some metals. Always use
hardware (hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel) intended for contact with it.
Support structure and deck
on top of the legs. Clamp in place. Drill
3⁄ " holes where shown (six in all for the
8
header and crossbar) and secure with 6"
and 8" bolts, just finger-tight for now.
Tip: Prevent scrapes and barked shins by
rounding off any sharp, pointy ends. Cut
bolt ends off and file smooth; soften protruding wood corners by chamfering or
rounding. Strategically placed foam, such
as camping pads and foam pipe wrap,
can also help avoid bumps and bruises.
3] Drill a 1⁄2" hole through the legs and
centre post, near the thickest part of this
joint, for the 1⁄2" x 14" bolt (substitute
threaded rod if you can’t find a long bolt).
You’ll be drilling through about 12" of
wood, so you’ll need an extra-long bit
or a bit extender. Chisel a neat pocket at
both ends of the hole for the bolt head,
washer, and nut. Tighten all bolts and
cut and file all exposed threaded ends.
4] Assemble the back frame. It mirrors
the front assembly, with three differences: There’s no centre post, the legs
don’t extend above the header joist, and
the back legs are stiffened with two diagonal cross braces, which you’ll add later.
5] Cut the deck joists (six 9'9" joists).
6] Now let the fun begin! You’ll need a
helper or two for a few hours to get the
frame assembly up, level, plumb, square,
and the correct height above the ground.
The deck surface cannot be higher than
71" above grade, or the railing must be
42" high instead of 36" (according to the
Ontario Building Code). To get the deck
to the right height, you’ll likely have to
dig in, or trim, one or more legs. Work
carefully, because you’ll have several heavy
pieces propped up with temporary braces.
A fairly level site will make this job easier.
On the ground, mark a 12' x 10'8"
rectangle. This will show approximately
where the ends of the legs sit. Measure
diagonals to check your layout is square;
if both diagonal corner-to-corner measurements are the same, it’s square.
7] You’ll need to determine which of the
four leg positions is lowest. You can do
this with a long straight board and a carpenter’s level, a line level, or a water level.
8] Starting at this lowest leg, stand the
corresponding assembly up, in position,
and brace it so it is more or less plumb.
Check that the header joist is level and the
right height from the ground (71" less
MATERIAL
CUT TO
QTY.
Centre post
4 x 4 PT
8'
1
Front legs
4 x 4 PT
12'
2
Back legs
4 x 4 PT
8'
2
Leg crossbars
4 x 4 PT
12'
2
Header joists
2 x 8 PT
8'
2
Deck joists
2 x 8 PT
9'9"
6
Pulley arm
4 x 4 PT
24"
1
Pulley brace
4 x 4 PT
18"
1
Railing posts
2 x 4 PT
43"
8
Side cross braces
2 x 6 PT
12'*
4
Back cross braces
2 x 4 PT
10'*
2
Deck boards
5⁄ x
4
8'
25
Bridging
2 x 8 PT
6 PT
1711⁄16* 6
Ladder stringers
2 x 4 PT
8'
Ladder rungs
2 x 6 PT
2' x 23⁄4" 6
Handrails
Balusters
2
2 x 4 PT
34"*
2
2 x 4 PT
8'4"*
2
PT precut 401⁄2"
42"
40
Support-structure hardware
QTY.
#8 x 2" deck screws
31⁄2 lbs
#8 x 3" deck screws
4 lbs
Dock-style corner brackets
(Kwikdox model KD90-CN)
4
5⁄ "
16
16
x 4" lag bolts
3⁄
8" x 4" carriage bolts
30
3⁄
8" x 6" carriage bolts
15
3⁄
8" x 8" carriage bolts
4
2" x 14" carriage bolt
1
1⁄
5⁄ "
16
washers
16
8"
washers and nuts
49
2"
washers and nuts
1
3⁄
1⁄
2 x 8 joist hangers
8
Joist hanger nails
3⁄ lb
4
51⁄2" zinc-plated door pulls
2
Clothesline reel
1
Safety snap
1
Threaded 3⁄8" hook
1
Small dock cleat
1
1⁄ "
4
25'
rope
*approximate length; cut to fit
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
Cottage Life 9 7
Materials, continued
House
MATERIAL
CUT TO QTY.
Top and
bottom plates
2 x 3 UT
90"
Studs
2 x 3 UT
45"
12
Window sills
and headers
2 x 3 UT
161⁄2"
4
Temporary brace
1 x 3 SPS
8'
2
Top and
bottom plates
2 x 3 UT
61"
2
Studs
2 x 3 UT
45"
3
Temporary brace
1 x 3 SPS
8'
1
Bottom plates
2 x 3 UT
173⁄4"
2
Studs
2 x 3 UT
531⁄4"
2
Girts
2 x 3 UT
183⁄4"
4
Header
2 x 3 UT
62"*
1
Temporary brace
1 x 3 SPS
8'
1
Door
1 x 3 pine
181⁄2"
300'
Outer frame stiles 1 x 3 pine
263⁄4"
4
Inner frame rails
1 x 2 pine
231⁄2"
4
Inner frame stiles 1 x 2 pine
233⁄4"
4
Door panel pieces 1 x 6 T&G
233⁄4"
8
Owl door rails
and stiles
1 x 3 pine
123⁄8"
x 1"
4
Owl door panels
1 x 6 T&G
12"
2
1⁄ "
2
plywood
61" x
24"
2
4
Side walls
4
Back wall
Front wall
Cladding
Siding
Corner trim
Flooring
MATERIAL
Outer frame rails
1x6
pine cove
1 x 2 pine
48"*
4
1 x 3 pine
54"*
4
1⁄
11⁄2
pces*
4"
G1S
plywood
Roof
Rafters
2 x 4 UT
57"*
16
Ridge board
1 x 6 pine
8'4"
1
Back gable
studs
2 x 3 UT
2 x 3 UT
30"*
16"*
1
2
Front gable
stud
2 x 3 UT
24"*
1
CUT TO QTY.
4
Bunk beds
Bases
Side ledgers
2 x 3 UT
253⁄4"
Back ledgers
2 x 3 UT
58"
2
1 x 4 pine
61"
2
2
Roof boards
1 x 10 #4 pine
150'
Rails
Side fascia
1 x 6 pine
2
Support strips
1 x 2 pine
61"
4
Ladder stringers
2 x 3 UT
4'
2
Ladder rungs
2 x 3 UT
12"
4
End fascia
Collar ties
1 x 6 pine
8'6"
58"*
2 x 3 pine
32"
2
Top and bottom
1 x 3 pine
161⁄2"
4
Sides
1 x 3 pine
121⁄2"
4
Window side trim 1 x 3 pine
121⁄2"
4
Window
bottom trim
1 x 4 pine
21"
2
Window top trim 1 x 6 pine
22"
2
the thickness of the deck boards). If not,
trim or dig in the legs to suit.
9] Once that’s done, stand the other frame
assembly up, in position, and brace again
for plumb. Place a straight board from one
header joist to the other, check for level,
then trim or dig in the second assembly.
10] Screw two deck joists (with 3" deck
screws) between the front and back header
joists, one at each end. Double-check
that everything is square, plumb, level, and
to the correct height. After a few more
adjustments, and perhaps a few expletives,
the basic supports will be in place.
11] Attach the diagonal side cross braces
to the legs to help strengthen and stabilize them (see Figure 4). Clamp them in
position to mark the excess, remove and
Window frames
FRONT
BACK
ROOF
BOARDS
SIDE
END
FASCIA
Door frame
Side jambs
1 x 4 pine
54"
2
Head jamb
1 x 4 pine
251⁄2"
1
Door side trim
1 x 3 pine
54"
2
Door top trim
1 x 6 pine
31"
1
Door stop
pine trim
12'*
*approximate length; cut to fit
98 Cottage Life
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
SIDE
FASCIA
201⁄4"
161⁄2" 161⁄2"
CORNER TRIM
FIG. 6: Framing and siding
43⁄4"
FIG. 7: Rafter detail
RIDGE BOARD
45°
COLLAR TIE
43⁄4"
50"
18"
o.c.
BIRD’S MOUTH
NOTCH
31⁄8"
RAFTERS
BACK
GABLE
STUDS
31⁄8"
21⁄4"
18"
o.c.
FRONT
GABLE STUD
TOP
PLATES
HEADER
HEADER
GIRTS
For clarity, window
on opposite wall
not shown
WINDOW
FRAME
HEAD
JAMB
Header
and girts
are notched
SIDE
JAMBS
14"
18"
18"
o.c.
BOTTOM
PLATES
SILL
18"
o.c.
24"
1x2
CORNER
TRIM
BOTTOM
PLATE
18" o.c.
1x3
CORNER
TRIM
21"
STUD
18"
Top edge of
siding trimmed
to align with
top of rafter
24"
21"
FIG. 8: Framing
90°
BIRD’S MOUTH
NOTCH fits
Materials, continued
over top
plate and
siding
House hardware
QTY.
FIG. 9: Siding notch detail
trim, and then tack back in place with
3" screws. Drill two 5⁄16" holes through
each end of the braces and about 1" into
each leg. Hammer a 4" lag bolt, with
washer, into each hole and tighten. Drill
two 3⁄8" holes where the braces intersect
and secure with 4" carriage bolts.
Tip: Newer pressure-treated wood, called
Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) and
Copper Azole (CA), is more corrosive
to metal, so you must use hot-dipped
galvanized or stainless-steel hardware, or
fasteners recommended by the manufacturer, or the hardware could fail prematurely. Check labels when you buy. Electroplated or Grade 2 steel just won’t do.
Filling in the deck
1] Now reinforce each deck corner with a
metal bracket, the kind commonly used in
dock building, bolted to the inside face (see
Figure 3). For extra strength, five of the
railing posts are bolted with the headers
or joists through these brackets. Making
Shingles
3 bundles
7⁄
3⁄ lb
4
8" roofing nails
11⁄4" ring nails
3⁄ lb
4
#8 x 11⁄4" wood screws
100
2" finishing nails
2 lbs
4" strap hinges
2
3" butt hinges
2
2" butt hinges
4
Spring hinges
2
21⁄2" barrel bolt
1
43⁄4" door pulls
3
Screen door catch
1
Foam weatherstripping
12'
Door sweep
1
Fibreglass screening
3' x 3'
Outdoor glue
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
Cottage Life 9 9
5
1
4
2 3
tree dwellers
Cottagers are building up and branching out
1 00 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
6
1 Kalley Libera and her dad, Steve,
inspect the family treehouse on
Harris Lake near Pointe au Baril. Built
by Kalley’s Uncle Markus, it’s a work
in progress: Trap door and cottageto-treehouse delivery system
(a clothesline) are complete, while
new railings are to come.
2 At Kasshabog Lake, north of
Peterborough, Lelia MacDonald and
son Andrew (right) designed a treehouse with a trap door, translucent
roof panels, and drop-down table.
Lelia’s neighbour Peter Puky (lower
left) helped build it; Andrew’s grandmother Sybil (top right) is one of
many visitors to the treehouse.
3 The two-storey, 18-window treehouse (sleeps six) that Mark Allen
built for his children, Marah and
Quentin, overlooks Red Bay on Lake
Huron, perfect for sunset-watching.
4 “Raven Treehouse,” as the Hick-
ling family calls their retreat on Paint
Lake, near Dorset, Ont., sits on a
white pine stump. Before it fell, the
long-dead tree housed two noisy
ravens who have since resettled in
a nearby hemlock.
5 Severn River cottager Harvey
Presement built a breezy treehouse
for his grandchildren, Adam and
Alexa, in three weekends. Stencilled
moon and stars, and dollar-store
decor – giant snakes, butterflies, and
insects – add a whimsical touch.
6 To avoid damaging trees on
his Fairbank Lake property, west of
Sudbury, Brian Yanchuk had a scrap
utility pole dropped in to support a
hexagonal treehouse. It’s shared by
his three children, Caleb, Clara, and
Christian, who occasionally invite
adults up for colouring sessions.
sure the posts are plumb, drill 3⁄8" holes
and install with the 3⁄8" x 4" carriage bolts.
2] Use joist hanger nails, not deck screws,
to attach joist hangers to the front and
rear header joists at 193⁄16" on centre
(o.c.). Slide the deck joists down into the
hangers, screw through the header joists
into the deck joists with 3" deck screws,
and nail the hangers.
3] Cut the deck boards to 96". Temporarily screw one across the middle of the
deck framework to hold each joist in
place. Starting at the back, nail or screw
(with 2" hardware) the first deck board
flush to the edge. The next three boards
need to be cut to leave a space for the trap
door (see Figure 5), which is 193⁄16" wide.
Mark these cuts to line up with the joist
centres, so when the trap door is closed,
both sides will be supported. Likewise, cut
the eighth, ninth, and tenth boards to
leave an opening for the secret hidey-hole.
Tip: For screws going into the ends
of the deck boards, drill clearance holes
first to prevent splitting.
4] When you reach halfway, remove the
temporary brace. At this point, cut the
2 x 8 bridging pieces to fit between the
joists; note that a piece of bridging forms
the front of the box for the hidey-hole,
and an extra bridging piece forms the
back. Screw pieces of 2 x 2 around the
inside bottom edges of the hidey-hole to
make a ledge; then screw down 1⁄2" plywood for the bottom. Secure the remaining deck boards to the joists; you will
likely have to rip the last one to fit.
5] Attach the 2 x 4 cross braces to the
back legs, trimming off any excess length.
Secure the braces with 3⁄8" x 4" carriage
bolts at their intersection, at bottom
through the legs, and at top through the
header joist. One brace has its end bolted
through the 2 x 4 railing post as well
as the header joist, requiring a 6" bolt.
Add the ladder and pulley
1] For the ladder rungs, I ripped pressuretreated 2 x 6s in half to 23⁄4". Screw two
rungs to the stringers to square the ladder
up. Position it at the same angle as the
legs, fitting between the two railing posts
(see Figures 15 and 16). Screw the ladder
stringers into the deck joist. Starting from
the top, screw the first rung to the stringers with four 3" screws. Ensure its top edge
is flush with the deck surface to avoid
a tripping hazard. Add the other rungs
24" apart. You can adjust this distance
so the last rung is high enough to help
keep very young children off the structure. On the right side of the ladder, screw
through the railing post into the stringer;
on the left side, cut the stringer flush with
the railing post; again, this minimizes the
trip factor. Two door pulls, attached to
the railing posts, make climbing easier.
2] Cut the pieces for the optional pulley
structure and drill 5⁄16" holes for the bolts.
Use two 5⁄16" x 8" lag bolts to secure the
horizontal piece to the centre post and
four 5⁄16" x 4" lag bolts to attach the support piece. Add a 3⁄8" threaded hook, a
clothesline pulley, about 25' of rope with
a snap, and a cleat to tie the rope off. >>
Lumber shopping list
With careful layout and cutting, this is
enough wood to build the treehouse.
Pressure-treated
spruce
SIZE
LENGTH
QTY.
2x4
8'
6
2x4
10'
2
2x4
12'
2
2x6
8'
1
2x6
12'
4
2x8
8'
2
2x8
10'
7
4x4
8'
2
4x4
12'
5
5⁄ x
4
8'
25
6
Pressure-treated
precut balusters
2x2
42"
40
Untreated
spruce
2x3
8'
25
2x4
10'
8
Spruce strapping
1x3
10'
4
Pine
1x2
8'
2
1x2
10'
1
1x3
8'
4
1x3
10'
2
1x4
10'
1
1x4
12'
1
1x6
8'
1
1x6
10'
5
1x6
300'
Pine cove
Pine tongue-and- 1 x 6
groove
Pine door stop
10'
2
12'
#4 roof boards
1 x 10
1⁄ "
4
G1S plywood
4' x 8'
1
1⁄ "
4
G1S plywood
4' x 4'
1
4' x 8'
1
1⁄ "
2
spruce
plywood
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
150'
Cottage Life 10 1
RAIL
BASE
SUPPORT STRIP
FIG. 10: Bunk bed detail
1 02 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
The wee house
To give myself room to work on the
deck, I installed the handrails and balusters after I finished building and shingling the house. For safety, temporarily
clamp some boards in place as railings,
and watch your step.
The untreated 2 x 3 lumber that frames
the house is usually sold only in 8' lengths,
so it requires some careful layout work to
minimize waste.
1] On the ground, assemble the side
wall framing as shown in Figure 8. Temporarily attach a piece of 1 x 3 spruce
strapping as a diagonal brace across the
inside of each wall to keep it square.
Bring one wall up and screw the bottom
plate to the deck, flush to the outside
and back edges. If it’s windy, you might
have to brace it to the floor.
2] Assemble the back wall, which consists
of a top and bottom plate and three inside
studs. You’ll note there aren’t studs on the
ends of this wall; the front and back wall
share corner studs with the sides. Carry
the back wall assembly up onto the deck
and screw the bottom plate to the deck,
flush to the back edge and tight to the
bottom plate of the side wall. Bring
up the other side wall and screw it to the
deck, being careful to keep it parallel to
the other side wall. Toenail (or screw) the
back wall top plate to the top plates of
the side walls. Attach a temporary brace
to the inside of the back wall to keep the
side walls plumb. Don’t worry about any
gable studs for now.
3] The front is assembled without the
header or the gable stud (both will be
added once the rafters are in place). Cut
studs, girts, and bottom plates to length,
notching the outside ends of the horizontal girts to wrap around the side-wall studs
(see Figure 8). Screw the pieces together
and carry both halves of the wall up onto
the deck and screw in place. Add braces
FIG. 11: Pattern
for owl cutout
1 square = 1 inch
Build for less
I left the lumberyard with about
$2,200 worth of materials for the
treehouse, including the lookout
tower, but there are easy ways to cut
that cost. The treehouse might not
look quite as deluxe as this one, but
it will still be safely and solidly built:
• SUBSTITUTE WAFER BOARD for the
pine roof boards.
• REPLACE THE PINE COVE SIDING
with 1⁄2" plywood, or a less expensive
siding (but don’t use wafer board
here; it’s not strong enough to hold
up to kids or weather).
• USE LEFTOVER WOOD OR PAINT
from another project.
• BUILD A SIMPLER DOOR, or recycle
an old door.
• SKIP THE BUNKS (and add collar ties).
• TRIM THE WINDOWS AND DOORS
with less-expensive wood, such as
pressure-treated deck boards.
1 0 4 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
to the inside so that the two front studs are
plumb and aligned, and the wall is stable.
4] I selected 1 x 6 pine cove siding for the
walls. Start at the bottom of the back wall
and work up until you are one piece short
of the top plates (use 2" finishing nails).
5] Proceed in the same manner with the
side walls, leaving openings for the windows. The last course of siding on each
side is notched to accept the rafters (see
Figure 9). Tack this course in place to
mark the notches; their sides line up with
the side-wall studs and the bottoms align
with the top plates. Remove, cut, and tack
them up again, since you’ll need to rip
them to match the height of the rafters.
6] Cut the rafters as in Figure 7; 12 have
bird’s mouth notches while four, for the
gable ends, don’t. These notches include
extra width so they fit over the siding.
This unusual detail makes it easier to nestle the siding in tight to the roof and keep
out bugs. Position one of the rafters in a
siding notch. Mark the siding at the top
edge of the rafters, remove and rip the last
course of siding. With this cut, the roof
boards will seal snugly with the siding.
Nail this last course of siding in place.
7] Lay out the locations for the rafters
on the ridge board. Position each rafter
in a notch cut in the siding and over a
sidewall stud; secure each with a 3"
screw through the narrowest part of the
bird’s mouth, into the top plate. Slide
the ridge board up between the rafters;
position the rafters on one side and
screw or nail in from the opposite side
(naturally, you’ll have to shift one set of
rafters out of the way). Move the remaining rafters into place and toenail from the
opposite side. Check that the rafters are
plumb and attach a brace across one side
of the roof to stabilize it. Finish fastening the rafters to the top plate with two
additional screws for each rafter.
8] Add 2 x 3 studs to fill in the gable end
of the back wall as in Figure 8. To avoid
complex notching to fit them around
the rafters, I turned the two short studs
90° so they’re flush with the back of the
building. Finish siding the back wall.
9] Notch the front wall header to fit
around the rafters. Screw it to both the
door frame studs and to the rafters. Add
the gable stud and finish siding the front.
Remove all the braces.
10] Beginning at the roof ’s leading edge,
nail or screw 1 x 10 rough-sawn pine
boards to the rafters. The roof is 8'6" long,
so lay the boards out carefully to minimize
1⁄ " gap
4
around
door
Add a lookout tower and
other fun features
21⁄2"
21⁄2"
OUTER
STILE
INNER
STILE
TOP
TRIM
Let your kids’ imagination, and your
ingenuity, run wild with this project.
181⁄2"
SIDE
TRIM
We added a lookout tower on one
side: For construction details and
Vertically
align
all four
hinge
pins
plans, go to www.cottagelife.com
26 3⁄4"
and click on “What’s new in the
Workshop.” Here are some other
OUTER
RAILS
ideas to customize the treehouse:
INNER
RAILS
• ATTACH A FIREHOUSE POLE for
sliding, or a rope ladder for climbing.
54"
• STRING A HAMMOCK across the deck.
• INSTALL WATERGUN MOUNTS for
defensive manoeuvres.
OUTER
RAILS
1⁄ " gap
8
between
top and
bottom
• ADD A PERISCOPE, telescope mount,
or peepholes for young James Bonds.
• OPEN UP THE ROOF with a hatch or
OUTER
STILE
FIG. 13: Door detail
PANEL PIECES
INNER
STILE
clear fibreglass panels.
• WRAP THE BASE in nylon tarps for
LATCH
an instant cave hideout.
• DISGUISE IT with camouflage pattern
paint and army surplus camo nets.
1"
24"
FIG. 12: Outside of door
OWL
DOORS
123⁄8"
• LAUNCH A PIRATE SHIP with a ship’s
wheel and a Jolly Roger flag.
INNER
RAILS
• GO GILLIGAN with coconut and
conch shells, fake flowers, and bamboo trim. Hey, little buddy!
• USE LEFTOVER WOOD to make
shelves, a mailbox, birdhouse, or the
classic treehouse accessory: a “No
Grown-ups Allowed” sign.
waste. You’ll have to rip the top course
on each side to butt over the ridge.
11] Screw the remaining four rafters, the
ones with no bird’s mouth, to the ends of
the roof boards and to the ridge board.
12] Cut the side fascia boards and nail to
the rafter tails. Cut the four end fascia
pieces at 45° and temporarily nail in place;
mark where the side fascia meets the end
fascia. Remove the end fascia and cut to
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A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
length, at the same time trimming the
sharp bottom corner flush with the side
fascia. To avoid scraped scalps when kids
are tearing around the corner of the deck,
round off that corner of the fascia.
13] Shingle the roof. I didn’t use metal
eave starter because I was concerned that
the sharp edges might prove to be a hazard. I also used 7⁄8" roofing nails because
they don’t stick through the roof boards.
Remember to round the corner of the
shingle near the ladder.
14] The door jamb is 1 x 4 pine – nail
the pieces to the door studs and header,
shimming if necessary so the jamb is
plumb and level. The door trim is 1 x 3,
except for the piece above the door,
which is fashioned out of a piece of 1 x 6.
15] Install window frames as you did
the door jambs, although it’s not critical that they’re plumb and level. Staple
screens to the frames and add trim.
16] Add corner trim to the house (1 x 3s
on the front and back; 1 x 2s on the sides).
Railings
1] Screw the handrails to the railing posts,
notching as needed to fit around the
front leg assembly and the corners of the
house. The measurements in the cutting
list are approximate; final measurements
1"
10 3⁄8"
FIG. 14: Inside of door
will depend on whether you choose to
mitre or butt the corners. Round any
sharp exposed corners, especially those
on either side of the ladder.
2] For convenience I used precut deck balusters, cutting off one angled end to butt
to the handrails; screw or nail to the joist
face and the bottom of the handrails.
Code dictates that the balusters cannot
be more than 4" apart, a distance that prevents kids’ heads getting stuck between.
3] Now install some simple safety features. Door pulls on the two railing posts
above the ladder will give kids something
to grab as they’re climbing up or down.
A safety chain with a snap, hooked in
to eye bolts and positioned across these
railing posts will help prevent falls.
Remember that kids will lean against the
chain, so be sure it’s strong and secure.
Tip: Don’t skimp on hardware or use
undersized lumber. Kids are the ultimate
product testers; they’ll jump, swing, hang,
and pound on everything, so it needs
to be strong. >>
A treehouse gave us a sense of independence
and adventure, elevated as we were above the world
Inside the house
1] Inside the building, I installed 1⁄4 " plywood (with 11⁄4 " ring nails ) over the
deck boards to keep the darned bugs out.
Cut holes for the trap door and the hideyhole. Screw two 1 x 2 scraps to the bottom of the three short pieces of deck
board that make up the lids. Nail the plywood pieces on top. The trap door is fastened with 4" strap hinges to the floor;
add a door pull to ease opening. Since
kids don’t want just anyone accessing
their secrets, I decided not to give away
the hidey-hole’s location with a pull for
its lid. It needs small, persistent fingers,
or something similar, to pry it open.
2] I built two bunks inside, but you could
easily install a table, benches, shelves, or
whatever suits your kids. The bunks are
really just 24"-deep shelves of 1⁄2" plywood, installed 20" and 40" above the
floor. They’re supported on the sides and
back with 2 x 3 ledgers, and finished on
the front with a simple lip (see Figure 10).
A short ladder, built of 2 x 3s, provides
support and access. Position the ladder
near the centre of the bunk so its stringers
also act as a safety barrier (if small children
sleep up top, add a full-length guardrail).
The bunks help stabilize the walls, so if
you leave them out, add a collar tie or two.
prefer, you can use other joinery options
here, such as biscuits or pocket-hole joints.
2] With the last tongue planed off, four
1 x 6 tongue-and-groove pieces fit almost
perfectly in these frames. Fasten with 11⁄4"
ring nails. Enlarge the owl template (Figure 11) to 11" high with a photocopier,
or by hand. Centre the owl on the upper
half and cut out with your jigsaw.
3] Make the frame for the owl doors, as
in Figure 14, so the inside of the frame
measures 123⁄8" x 103⁄8". I ripped some
leftover trim pieces to a width of 1" for
this. Remember to staple some screening
under the frame before you secure it.
4] Two 12" pieces of 1 x 6 tongue-andgroove – tongues planed off – serve well
as inside owl doors. Drill two 1" holes –
eyes for the owl, peepholes for the kids –
and mount these doors to the frame with
four 2" hinges. A scrap of wood screwed to
the frame forms a simple pivoting latch.
5] Attach spring hinges – surface mounted
– to the bottom half of the door. Locate
this half in the door opening and screw
the spring hinges in place, using one
screw each for now (I substituted #8 x
11⁄4" screws for the dinky ones in the package). Position the 3" butt hinges on the top
half. This can get tricky, because all four
hinge pins, top and bottom, must align
or the door won’t close smoothly. I mortised the butt hinges into the door’s edge.
Locate the top half in the opening and
attach the hinges (again, one screw for
now). A helper is a definite asset here. Be
sure both doors swing properly. Add a barrel bolt to the doors and check the doors’
operation again. If everything works,
finish screwing the hinges to the frames.
6] Nail doorstop to the jamb so the door
closes flush with the trim. For extra bugproofing, I added foam weatherstripping
and a door sweep. Screw 43⁄4" door pulls
to both the inside and outside of the top
half of the door. Add a spring-loaded
screen door catch and you’re done! Done,
that is, until the kids start asking for a lookout tower. For plans and construction
details, go to www.cottagelife.com and
click on “What’s new in the Workshop.”
Finishing
I used Para Paints “Refined Melody”
(P2710-2) for the outside walls and “La
Cloche Gold” (P2711-2) for the trim
(three litres of blue and one litre of gold).
To give the pressure-treated lumber and
the interior floor a rich cedar look, I used
Para’s Timber Care Raincoat (V223 #2).
You’ll need about five litres. L
The door
1] I opted for a dutch door for the play-
house – more fun, but also more complicated to construct than a full door. The
outer frame of both halves consists of
1 x 3, with 1 x 2 inner frames glued and
screwed to them (11⁄4 " screws). If you
FIG. 15: Front
Wayne Lennox is the author of Cottage
Essentials, an eclectic and extensive how-to
book published by Whitecap Books.
71"
FIG. 16: Side
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A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
FIG. 17: Side
FIG. 18: Back