operation tree fort (the design)

 

this tree fort will be big.

and that is probably an understatement.

but there is room for it.  and i want it to be a place the littles can still use when they are no longer so . . . little.  a place that they will still use in 10+ years.  

measuring 18 feet long by 10 feet wide and sitting 6 feet off the ground, one could easily say we are building an apartment in the backyard.  the house itself will enclose two trees and measure 12 feet by 7 feet, leaving a 3 foot porch wrapping around the front and both sides.  You will be able to access the porch via rope bridge on the the east end and a spiral staircase on the west.  Inside, the ceiling will begin at 6 feet and peak at 15 feet.  This height will allow a 3 foot wide loft on the back wall, reached by a 6 foot high ladder.  (see sketch in previous post.)

there are many features such as the door, windows, and whatnot that i will go into detail about at a later date.

to hold up the weight of such a large structure, we began with two 18 feet long 2x10 pressure treated beams, spanning the length of the deck and sandwiching the trees. they are attached to the trees with 1.5x6 inch lag bolts.

i have been informed by two amateur carpenters (ahem, jesse and dad) that sandwiching is not an official carpentry term.  i guess it confuses them.  too bad.  i like the description it provides.  so there.

and this was our first weekend of the build.  purchasing, securing and leveling the beams took an entire afternoon.

no one said this would be a quick process.