Our Expert’s Guide to Treehouses Trees
Designed and installed properly, a treehouse should not harm the tree. The key is to give the tree enough space to keep growing and to move naturally in the wind. Wherever we can, we build the treehouse around the tree instead of fixing it to the tree.
How we protect the tree
Leave plenty of room for growth
This matters most with younger, fast growing trees. We allow extra clearance in places exposed to high winds, so the tree and the structure can move independently without rubbing or pressing on each other. There is more on this in how we allow for the tree growing and moving.
Use stilts wherever possible
The most tree friendly approach is to build the treehouse on stilts, with the stilts carried on screw piles. The structure is then completely independent of the tree. There is no digging and no concrete, so there is very little disturbance to the roots.
If we fix to the tree, we fix to the main trunk
Where a treehouse does need to be attached, we fix into the main trunk and not the branches. Structural screws and heavy duty joist hangers give a strong, reliable connection with as few fixings as possible. The branches are left free to move in the wind.
What we would never do
- Tie two trees or two branches together. Trees move independently in the wind. Restricting that movement can cause significant stress or damage.
- Build tightly around the tree. The trunk needs space to grow and the tree needs space to move.
- Rely on lots of small fixings. If the treehouse has to be attached, we use structural fixings made for the job and keep the number of holes in the tree to a minimum.
- Underestimate the height. The higher the treehouse, the harder the installation, and the more care the tree needs while the work goes on around it.
A well designed treehouse works with the tree, so the tree can keep growing, moving and staying healthy for many years.
