Building a treehouse is an awesome idea for kids to have endless amounts of fun outdoors. A treehouse creates a magical space for the kids to play with their friends. You can be a part of the excitement as well! Building a tree fort is a great way to spend time with your children. If you are thinking about building a tree fort somewhere in your yard, there are some factors that you need to be aware of before you start creating this epic structure.
An Arborist’s Tips for an Epic Tree Fort
Where Should You Put Your Epic Tree Fort?
Of course, before you start anything, you will have to decide where you are going to build your epic tree fort. The location of where you will build it will determine how difficult the project will be. You should choose a tree that is strong, healthy, and long-lived for the best support. The tree should also have thick load-bearing branches. The tree should also be tall enough so that no one can hit their head on the structure while on the ground. Common examples of trees that are the best choice for a fort are oak trees, maple trees, as well as fir trees.
The location of the tree is also important because you need to build a fort that is in line with local laws. This often means that you should avoid building near boundary lines. Building a treehouse near boundary lines can increase the chances of the neighbors complaining, because it may infringe on their privacy.
Take Note Before You Start To Build
Keep the following in mind before you start building to ensure the strength of the tree fort, and to avoid any tree damage that could affect the structure. Always try and include at least two ground supports for the structure to reduce the stress on the tree. You also want to minimize the number of punctures you make in the tree to avoid any disease from entering.
When using fasteners, avoid putting them too close together as it can weaken sections of the tree. Lastly, avoid using any type of rope. The rope will cut through the bark of the tree when the structure moves and create the possibility of the tree getting a disease.
Take Tree Growth into Consideration
When you are designing the tree fort, you need to account for space to let the tree grow. Where the parts of the structure are close to the tree, leave a decent gap so that the tree can grow without causing damage to the fort. Trees can also move in extreme weather conditions, so you should allow for this movement in the design as well.
Build Smartly and Safely
Building the tree fort high up in a large tree is a dangerous task that can lead to serious injuries. We suggest you build the different sections of the fort on the ground and then hoist them up and put them in place. Building a tree fort takes accurate planning because it is a lot like putting a puzzle together. Planning will help reduce the chances of anyone getting hurt up in the tree.
Be Sure to Use the Right Fasteners
One of the smallest parts of the build, yet one of the most important, is to use the proper fasteners. Fasteners are responsible for holding the different sections of the fort together and are important for holding the weight of the structure on the tree as well. It is vital that you use heavy-grade fasteners that have been tested to support structures and hold a sizeable amount of weight.
Additional Reading: 13 Amazing (and DIY-Able) Tree Houses for Kids
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