There’s an attraction between trees and children.

A tree’s constant motion, even in still air, and its great size
and reach make it
fascinating. At some time in your life you’ve imagined, or maybe
even built, a tree
house.

When you see your 10-year-old headed toward your yard tree with
a hammer, nails and
scrap lumber, immediate decisions need to be made.

The only major concern is the child’s safety. But there are some
minor tree issues to
think about.

Tree houses should be designed to rest on major branches and
nestle around the tree
trunk. Never wound the tree with nails, screws and saw
notches.

Trees bend and twist in the wind. So simply jamming or wedging
boards between
branches or into crotches will lead to failure. Use rope to make
sure a tree house stays
snug against a branch.

Attaching it to branches with rope can keep windstorms from
blowing it away. It can
keep ambitious and ingenious children from changing design
concepts and injuring
themselves, too.

Carefully consider how children will enter the tree house. Don’t
nail ladder rungs into
the trunk. Use a self-supporting ladder tied to the tree or a
heavy, unlooped, knotted
rope. For many trees with low branches, children don’t need a
ladder or rope for entry.

Next, determine how high to build it. For most play, any height
represents the thrill of
a tree house.

Build it for easy, safe access, not to maximize height. Always
build in the bottom
one-third of the tree. And position it so it rests or is
attached to the basal one-third of
each branch.

Use wood to build it. Wood is “soft” on the tree and children,
is strong for its weight
and withstands bending and mechanical shocks well. Attach the
main floor pieces or
braces to branches with heavy rope in multiple wraps.

Well-connected, large tree branches should support the weight of
a tree house. Use
rope attachments to keep it in position on branches but not to
bear its full weight. Tie
up all loose ends of rope, or melt them into knots.

Remember, tree houses should be temporary, seasonal structures
that are removed each
year. This allows a tree time to adjust and a parent time to
check and repair the tree
house. Use new, synthetic, heavy rope to reattach it each
year.

Slightly tilt the floor to shed water. Allow any water falling
on the tree house to run off
away from the tree trunk. Don’t allow water and leaf litter to
accumulate.

Leave thin, open gaps along the bottom and top of the tree house
to allow for good air
circulation and plenty of light, and to let breezes blow tree
litter away.

Don’t install or allow wires, electrical lines, heat sources,
fires or metal poles in or
around a tree house. Any tree-selection process for building a
tree house should have
already eliminated trees near utility lines, antennas, chimneys
and overhanging roofs.

A tree house structure will weaken over time. Check it monthly,
remove it in the cold
season, and examine it after every storm.

They may be for kids, but tree houses require adult construction
and supervision for
safe play and for minimizing damage to the tree.

Tree houses are inherently dangerous and require careful
maintenance. But they can be
fun, educational and challenging, too.

Remember to defend the life of a tree that will stand long after
any tree house is gone
and the children have departed. Piece together your tree house
carefully to reduce
major, long-term tree injuries.