Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Treehouses 3rd Edition: Design and Build Your Dream Treehouse

by Philip Schmidt, Mark Johanson (Editor)

Overview

This third edition of BLACK+DECKER The Complete Photo Guide to Treehouses covers every aspect of treehouse building, from choosing a tree and safety considerations to adding interior furniture and even a zip line.

Featuring extended building techniques in step-by-step photo-illustrated instruction.

For kids, a treehouse is a room that never has to be cleaned, a place for muddy shoes and bug jars and adventures real and imagined; a house that you can paint whenever and however you want, without gaining approval. For adults, it’s a room that never has to be cleaned, a place for muddy shoes and…well, you get the idea. But best of all a treehouse is up in a tree. And that’s just cool.

Filled with inspiring photos of finished treehouses and easy-to-follow instructions for building your own, learn with your family treehouse basics—choosing a tree, planning and design, treehouse safety—followed by building techniques for:

• Platforms designed for various tree configurations
• Framing and finishing walls and railings
• Finishing interiors with paneling, shelves, and flip-down tables and bunks
• Doors, both classic and in fun shapes
• Windows, including shutters and pop-ups
• Building and framing roofs
• Modes of access, including ladders, stairs, trap doors, and a fireman’s pole
• Playthings, including swings, a zip line, a rock climbing wall, slides, and more

You can get started right away by following the complete plans and step-by-step photos for making your choice of two popular treehouse designs: an open-air treehouse and a gable house with entry deck. To give you even more to choose from, you will find fully developed plans for all treehouse types included that you can adapt to your particular trees and wishes.

Build the treehouse you and your kids have always dreamed of with BLACK+DECKER The Complete Guide to Treehouses 3rd edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780760371619
Publisher:	Cool Springs Press
Publication date:	07/12/2022
Series:	Black & Decker Series
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,060,712
Product dimensions:	8.35(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Mark Johanson is an experienced home improvement, woodworking and gardening writer and editor. He has collaborated and directed the production of more than 400 do-it-yourself books, including over 75 under the BLACK+DECKER® brand. He has also written numerous magazine and online articles on DIY topics. He lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

 

Philip Schmidt is an avid environmentalist and a home improvement expert who has written many successful DIY books, including Build Your Kids a Treehouse, The Complete Guide to Patios, and The Complete Guide to Contemporary Sheds.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Lofty Ideas: A Gallery of Creative Treehouses 8

Treehouse Basics 20

Choosing a Tree 21

General Tree Health 22

Is It Big Enough? 23

Location 24

Trees to Avoid 24

Grooming the Winner 26

Choosing a Tree Species 27

Planning + Design 28

Building Codes + Zoning Laws 29

Parts of a Treehouse 30

Design Considerations 40

Lumber, Hardware + Tools 40

Treehouse Safety 44

Safe Treehouse Design 45

Working Safely 49

Treehouse Construction 52

Treehouse support systems 54

Treehouse Support options 55

Beams and Braces 67

Platforms 76

Single Tree: Platform Nestled in Branches 77

Single Tree: Trunk as Center Post 80

Two Trees: Platform Spanning Between Trunks 85

Three Trees: Platform Spanning Between Trunks 88

Two Trees + Two Support Posts 90

Framing + Finishing Walls 92

Framing Walls 93

Siding + Trim 97

Installing Walls 102

Building Railings 103

Finishing interiors 104

Wall + Ceiling Paneling 104

Shelves + Tables 106

Flip-down Table + Bunk 110

Doors + Windows 112

Building a Window 114

Shutters + Pop-up Windows 116

Fun Doors 119

Classic Doors 121

Building Roofs 122

Framing the Roof 123

Sheathing + Roofing 128

Modes of Access 132

Ladders 132

Trap Doors 136

Fireman's Pole 137

Swings + Playthings 138

Classic Tree swings 139

Zip Line 146

Rock Climbing Wall 150

Water Cannon 154

Speaking Tube 157

Slides 160

Treehouse projects 164

Open-air Treehouse 166

Gabie House with Entry Deck 184

More Treehouse Plans 196

Plan 1: Gable Roof with Auxiliary Posts 197

Plan 2: A-frame with Walkout Deck 200

Plan 3: Half-covered Crow's Nest 204

Plan 4: Wraparound shed on stilts 208

Plan 5: Triangular Tree Hut 212

Plan 6: Four-tree Shanty 216

Resources/Photo Credits 221

Index 222