Tree Houses?

Allaboutwords13 · Aug 23, 2011

This is gonna sound random, but I'm trying to put details of a tree house in my novel, and as much as I've googled, I can't seem to find a simple explanation as to what kind of trees you use to be able to build a sturdy tree house, or even what kind of wood you use.
If anyone has or knows someone with a tree house, could you tell me, roughly, what kind of tree it's built in?
I thought of a willow tree (only because that's the only tree name I know) but when I googled, the picture of one made me realise they don't look strong enough, or tall.

alleycat · Aug 23, 2011

Many of the common hardwoods (such as oaks or maples) that are both sturdy and have nice, big branches fairly low would work. There are a few hardwoods that tend to have "weak wood" or have their main branches higher up the tree, so those wouldn't make a good place to build a treehouse, but otherwise most of them would be okay. You could do a Google search for hardwoods in the setting location, and then do a little more research. If the setting was the US I could tell you exactly.

BTW, is that a picture of Taylor Swift in your avatar? She lives just down the road from me.

missesdash · Aug 23, 2011

You'd get better answers to this in the research forum. They have all kind of experts over there.

Chris1981 · Aug 23, 2011

We have lots of oak trees in our part of Texas. My brothers and I built our treehouses in these--worked just fine. We scavenged plywood, 2x4s, and whatever other materials we could scrape together, including scraps of corrugated tin for roofs.

Smish · Aug 23, 2011

No, a willow tree won't work for a tree house. A mature willow tree is great for a hideout, though.

An oak tree would work well. And I had a friend in gradeschool who had a tree house in a sugar maple, I think. I remember the leaves.

Becca C. · Aug 23, 2011

I had a friend who had a tree house in a cedar tree. Evergreens make a nice alternative to deciduous trees in writing, since they're not used as often.

Allaboutwords13 · Aug 23, 2011

alleycat said:
Many of the common hardwoods (such as oaks or maples) that are both sturdy and have nice, big branches fairly low would work. There are a few hardwoods that tend to have "weak wood" or have their main branches higher up the tree, so those wouldn't make a good place to build a treehouse, but otherwise most of them would be okay. You could do a Google search for hardwoods in the setting location, and then do a little more research. If the setting was the US I could tell you exactly.

BTW, is that a picture of Taylor Swift in your avatar? She lives just down the road from me.

Yah its Taylor. i got it from her photo blog she posted recently on her website

Allaboutwords13 · Aug 23, 2011

Thanks for all the help.

derbytown · Aug 23, 2011

I've always loved treehouses. I found a good children's story about one on the net a while back and read it to my kids. But I can't seem to find it again. It was about a boy who gets a treehouse for his birthday. Maples and oaks would be good for a treehouse.

AlishaS · Aug 23, 2011

Becca C. said:
I had a friend who had a tree house in a cedar tree. Evergreens make a nice alternative to deciduous trees in writing, since they're not used as often.

I live in Canada, Alberta to be exact and we have tons and tons of evergreens, but honestly, they just won't do for a treehouse. Their limbs are long and a little on the spindly side. They wouldn't support a tree house. Or you'd have to limb them a lot since they have lots of very close together layers. And needles and sap and pinecones just don't work well either.

Ashes Oh Ashes · Aug 23, 2011

Pretty much any big tree that has the correct branch structure. I've seen them in Oaks a lot. But I've also seen them in Pines and Firs (looked like a pain in the ass to build them though). It really depends. If you're willing to put in enough work, it can be in almost any tree.

As for the type of wood, it really doesn't matter. Just as long as you make the structure sturdy.

Williebee · Aug 23, 2011

Maples and oaks, birches and elms, among others. I built one in a mesquite tree when I was a kid in Texas. Built right, they can be huge.

They can be lashed to the tree with rope, nailed, splinted and wedged in place.

Here's my favorite, so far. It belongs to Ezra Idlet, half of a folk rock group called Trout Fishing in America.

alleycat · Aug 23, 2011

As far as materials, there are three basic types of treehouses:

1. The kids build it on their own.
2. Dad builds it, the kids help.
3. Dad buys one of those pre-fabricated treehouses. These can be cheap or fancy.

For the first two, either scrap lumber and plywood is used, or, if none is available, dad goes to a home improvement store and buys some cheap lumber (generally pine in the US).

The best ones I've ever seen were designed by architectural firms for a local art museum and botanical garden as a special feature one summer. They looked like something from a fairy tale. One had a spiral staircase that wrapped around the tree to a turret.

toldyouso · Aug 23, 2011

I have nothing to add, but I want to read this story

Allaboutwords13 · Aug 24, 2011

Haha thanks for all the help. I'm sure I can come up with something. By the way, it's a Vampire story, so @toldyouso I'm not sure if you'd still be interested.
The part about a treehouse is literally only a few sentences anyway, so even though I asked for details, I just wanted to describe it. It's not actually a story ABOUT a tree house. Sorry if I confused anyone.

Williebee · Aug 24, 2011

aww man.

A vampire who lives in a tree house would be... ironic.

Tree Houses?

Allaboutwords13

You Snooze, You Lose!

alleycat

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missesdash

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Chris1981

Just Another Transman

Smish

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Becca C.

Allaboutwords13

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Allaboutwords13

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derbytown

AlishaS

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Ashes Oh Ashes

Honest, not Harsh

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

alleycat

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toldyouso

Surly Temple

Allaboutwords13

You Snooze, You Lose!

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.