How To Pick The Perfect Tree For Tree Houses

 

tree houses

Building a treehouse is great fun and a great experience for families. However, it’s important to realize that not every tree is perfect or suitable for a treehouse.  Furthermore, if you have plenty of trees to work with in your backyard but you’re unsure of which tree to use, this expert guide will give you the top helpful hints.  Here’s a few tips:

Best Practices When Choosing A Treehouse Tree

  1. Look For Tree Damage

First, while all trees grow equally, not all trees are suitable. It’s important before making any decision that you check the tree for damage. Damage can come in many forms.  Some things to look for include:

  • Dead trees where the branches break off easily.
  • Rotting or infection of funguses that may compromise the integrity of the tree down the road.
  • Lightning damage or other damage during a weather event.
  • Trees that look limp while others around them are blooming well.
  • Damage from white ants, damaging insects or bugs that are eating the tree.

These are some of the key areas to look for in order to avoid choosing a tree that may be dangerous at a later time.

  1. Height Of The Tree

Next, consider the height of the tree and the first set of strong branches. While you don’t want to go too high, having some height gives the effect of freedom.  As a general rule, try to avoid going higher than 3 feet.  This distance will help to reduce the risk of major injury if a fall occurs.

Next, treehouses that are built an average of 3 feet or less in height will also feel less impact from windy conditions.  The higher the treehouse, the more wind speed and swaying motion it will be susceptible to.  Consider the impact of the wind before you build the treehouse.

Consider the tree house door when building.  If you can, try to build the treehouse in a curved effect to allow the wind to glide over it better. This will help reduce the sail effect that can be experienced with a square treehouse.

  1. Branch Thickness

The thickness of the branch is also important, because it ensures the treehouse is supported well.  Furthermore, the additional weight of both the building and the weight of the children must be considered.  The right branch should be thick enough to be able to place up to four attachment screws or bolts into it.

Additionally, the tree branch should be thick enough to secure the base of the tree house.  It should be solid enough to support the treehouse floor when positioned in the center of the branch.  Use support beams if the branch is not thick enough to support the tree house. The bigger the branch, the better the treehouse support will be.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing the right tree for your kids tree house, these are some of the most important things to consider. By taking your time to choose the right tree for tree houses, you’ll be able to really keep your children safe.  So have you found a suitable tree yet?

 

About the author Daniel Stone:

Daniel has worked in the management, cutting, and caring of trees for the last 20 years. He works and helps run Bellarine Trees and is passionate about the environment and tree worker safety. He has a wife and two daughters and he enjoys playing tennis in his spare time.

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  1. I have to say that not having a tree in the yard is something I have really missed and that I wish we could have provided for Amara. Trees are just so much fun. Wish I’d had a tree house growing up but at least I was lucky and had lots of trees to climb.

    • Rhonda Gales says

      I don’t have a lot of trees in my yard, but I do have one that would be perfect for a treehouse.  I’m really thinking about building one for the grans, lol.