Friday, January 30, 2015

Going UP! And it's a Tree House, not a Deer Stand!

The Loyd place has gone a long time now without
a tree house.  But I think the adventurous grandkids
deserve one as yet another outlet for their energy
and imaginations.  The site below may be the one
perfect spot on our entire property that features four
hardwood trees in a nearly rectangular configuration.
Thus, the finished product will be called Four Corners.


The last tree house around here dates back to
the 1980's, when Jennifer and Amanda and their
friends clambered up and down a three-level
model, the remnants of which are pictured below.
The trees bear the scars, but they're still alive.
I'm sure the kids have some scars, too. But
those were good times.

Being a minimalist in all things, I first selected
some treated 2x6 boards which I would re-purpose
for my "foundation."

The first two boards go up, with an extension
on the left for a "deck."

This pallet, sturdier than most, fit neatly
between the four trees.  This is the first floor.

Next, two more 2x6's are added for the upper
level.  On this floor, the beams extend to the
east and the west.

This is how things looked after Thursday's 
work session.  I headed to Lowe's to purchase
the only items I would need to buy, some
additional nails and a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4 inch
exterior plywood.  That thing was heavy!

Friday morning, before working at the site,
I constructed a ladder, since I'm not sure I'm
going to "donate" my aluminum extension
ladder for full-time use at the tree house.
The sides of the ladder are 4"x4" treated posts
and the steps are held on by 3 inch screws.
I had to do everything that required power
tools around the garage.

The 4'x8' plywood was transformed into
three platforms.  Two of them, below, are
5'x2' decks on the uppermost level (so far).
Here's the eastern view.

Here's an identical deck with a western view.
Note: these decks do not have railings, would
not pass a county inspection, and are not for
the faint of heart!

This is looking down at the lower deck and
the central area.

Here are a couple of views of the entire project.

It doesn't look very high, does it?

Trust me, when you stand up on the top
level and take a picture looking down, it
seems much higher.  

And there was a 20 mph wind, too.  I got
down as soon as I had my pictures!

It will continue to be a work in progress, and
one play area will be at ground level, between
the trees.  We'll let the grandkids make some
suggestions.  The last change I made before
wrapping it up at lunchtime was to move my
homemade ladder so you can either get off
of it on the lower deck or proceed to the top.
At least at first, I don't think any of the kids
will go to the top unless I have a firm grip
on them.  But that will quickly change!

So, it may look more like a deer stand than
a tree house, but soon it could be a pirate
ship, a fort, a castle, or a rocket to the moon.




No comments: