High society 9 4 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
Do your kids want to
live it up?
Here’s how to get your treehouse project
off the ground When I was kid, growing up in the wilds just outside of North Bay, we always had a treehouse – rather rickety affairs that we built ourselves. We spent endless hours in them; it gave us a sense of independence and adventure, elevated as we were above the world (even if it was just a few metres up). Back then, we didn’t think our treehouses might damage living trees and, like all children, we didn’t worry much about our own safety. But I designed this project with safety, stability, and tree health in mind. The treehouse is freestanding, so you can build it anywhere, even where there are no suitable trees. It’s supported by a triangular framework, a versatile and inherently stable structure. In fact, there’s no need to sink the posts into the ground; I could have located the treehouse on top of good old Canadian Shield granite. If you’ve already built Cottage Life’s famous outhouse (“The Perfect Privy,” Jul./Aug. ’99), you’ll recognize many of the techniques here. This is a bigger project, but it’s fun, especially if you get the kids involved in planning and customizing it. And for me, there’s nothing as rewarding as kudos from Douglas (pictured playing chess on p. 102), one of the treehouse’s satisfied tenants along with his sister Leah, below. “Wow, this is so cool,” he said as he inspected the finished product. “This must be the best treehouse on the lake.” >>
By Wayne Lennox Photography by Roger Yip
24"
3" FRONT
BACK
SIDE
PULLEY ARM CENTRE POST PULLEY BRACE
18"
FIG. 1: Cross braces 1"
4"
FIG. 2: Pulley support FIG. 3: Deck corner detail
CENTRE POST
4" HEADER JOIST
193⁄4"
14" BOLT
22" RAILING POSTS
DECK JOISTS 19 3⁄16" o.c.
BRIDGING
551⁄2" 30°
BACK LEG BACK CROSS BRACE CROSSBAR
1"
24"
HEADER JOIST
FRONT LEG
441⁄2"
1" SIDE CROSS BRACES
CROSSBAR
FIG. 4: Supporting frame
HANDRAILS
TRAP DOOR
19 3⁄16"
The Support Framework 1] The spreading triangular frames, front and back, give the treehouse a large, stable footprint and help prevent racking. Start with the front assembly, bolting the centre post to the middle of one header joist, using two 3⁄8" x 6" carriage bolts in predrilled 3⁄8" holes. As you work, check regularly that your assembly is square. Tip: Sight down any structural pieces that aren’t vertical – including crossbars, legs, joists, and rafters – and look for
any crown, or curve. Position pieces so the hump of the curve points up; gravity will work to straighten it out. 2] Cut one end of each front leg at a 30° angle, as in Figure 4. Working flat on the ground, clamp the legs to the header joist and, with a few 3" screws, temporarily secure their angled ends to the centre post. Chamfer the crossbar ends: Mark a line 1" from the ends on all four sides, and with a circular saw blade set to a 45° angle, bevel the edges. Lay the crossbar
Illustrations by Terry Dovaston and Chad Greenwood 9 6 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
991⁄4"
331⁄2"
19 3⁄16"
18"
18"
HIDEY-HOLE
HANDRAILS
983⁄4" FIG. 5: Handrails and trap doors
331⁄2"
Materials For a shopping list you can take to the lumberyard, see p. 101. PT UT SPS T&G
Pressure-treated spruce Untreated spruce Spruce strapping #4 pine tongue-and-groove
Newer pressure-treated wood corrodes and weakens some metals. Always use hardware (hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel) intended for contact with it.
Support structure and deck
on top of the legs. Clamp in place. Drill 3⁄ " holes where shown (six in all for the 8 header and crossbar) and secure with 6" and 8" bolts, just finger-tight for now. Tip: Prevent scrapes and barked shins by rounding off any sharp, pointy ends. Cut bolt ends off and file smooth; soften protruding wood corners by chamfering or rounding. Strategically placed foam, such as camping pads and foam pipe wrap, can also help avoid bumps and bruises. 3] Drill a 1⁄2" hole through the legs and centre post, near the thickest part of this joint, for the 1⁄2" x 14" bolt (substitute threaded rod if you can’t find a long bolt). You’ll be drilling through about 12" of wood, so you’ll need an extra-long bit or a bit extender. Chisel a neat pocket at both ends of the hole for the bolt head, washer, and nut. Tighten all bolts and cut and file all exposed threaded ends. 4] Assemble the back frame. It mirrors the front assembly, with three differences: There’s no centre post, the legs don’t extend above the header joist, and the back legs are stiffened with two diagonal cross braces, which you’ll add later. 5] Cut the deck joists (six 9'9" joists).
6] Now let the fun begin! You’ll need a helper or two for a few hours to get the frame assembly up, level, plumb, square, and the correct height above the ground. The deck surface cannot be higher than 71" above grade, or the railing must be 42" high instead of 36" (according to the Ontario Building Code). To get the deck to the right height, you’ll likely have to dig in, or trim, one or more legs. Work carefully, because you’ll have several heavy pieces propped up with temporary braces. A fairly level site will make this job easier. On the ground, mark a 12' x 10'8" rectangle. This will show approximately where the ends of the legs sit. Measure diagonals to check your layout is square; if both diagonal corner-to-corner measurements are the same, it’s square. 7] You’ll need to determine which of the four leg positions is lowest. You can do this with a long straight board and a carpenter’s level, a line level, or a water level. 8] Starting at this lowest leg, stand the corresponding assembly up, in position, and brace it so it is more or less plumb. Check that the header joist is level and the right height from the ground (71" less
MATERIAL
CUT TO
QTY.
Centre post
4 x 4 PT
8'
1
Front legs
4 x 4 PT
12'
2
Back legs
4 x 4 PT
8'
2
Leg crossbars
4 x 4 PT
12'
2
Header joists
2 x 8 PT
8'
2
Deck joists
2 x 8 PT
9'9"
6
Pulley arm
4 x 4 PT
24"
1
Pulley brace
4 x 4 PT
18"
1
Railing posts
2 x 4 PT
43"
8
Side cross braces
2 x 6 PT
12'*
4
Back cross braces
2 x 4 PT
10'*
2
Deck boards
5⁄ x 4
8'
25
Bridging
2 x 8 PT
6 PT
1711⁄16* 6
Ladder stringers
2 x 4 PT
8'
Ladder rungs
2 x 6 PT
2' x 23⁄4" 6
Handrails Balusters
2
2 x 4 PT
34"*
2
2 x 4 PT
8'4"*
2
PT precut 401⁄2" 42"
40
Support-structure hardware QTY.
#8 x 2" deck screws
31⁄2 lbs
#8 x 3" deck screws
4 lbs
Dock-style corner brackets (Kwikdox model KD90-CN)
4
5⁄ " 16
16
x 4" lag bolts
3⁄
8" x 4" carriage bolts
30
3⁄
8" x 6" carriage bolts
15
3⁄
8" x 8" carriage bolts
4
2" x 14" carriage bolt
1
1⁄
5⁄ " 16
washers
16
8"
washers and nuts
49
2"
washers and nuts
1
3⁄ 1⁄
2 x 8 joist hangers
8
Joist hanger nails
3⁄ lb 4
51⁄2" zinc-plated door pulls
2
Clothesline reel
1
Safety snap
1
Threaded 3⁄8" hook
1
Small dock cleat
1
1⁄ " 4
25'
rope
*approximate length; cut to fit
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
Cottage Life 9 7
Materials, continued House MATERIAL
CUT TO QTY.
Top and bottom plates
2 x 3 UT
90"
Studs
2 x 3 UT
45"
12
Window sills and headers
2 x 3 UT
161⁄2"
4
Temporary brace
1 x 3 SPS
8'
2
Top and bottom plates
2 x 3 UT
61"
2
Studs
2 x 3 UT
45"
3
Temporary brace
1 x 3 SPS
8'
1
Bottom plates
2 x 3 UT
173⁄4"
2
Studs
2 x 3 UT
531⁄4"
2
Girts
2 x 3 UT
183⁄4"
4
Header
2 x 3 UT
62"*
1
Temporary brace
1 x 3 SPS
8'
1
Door 1 x 3 pine
181⁄2"
300'
Outer frame stiles 1 x 3 pine
263⁄4"
4
Inner frame rails
1 x 2 pine
231⁄2"
4
Inner frame stiles 1 x 2 pine
233⁄4"
4
Door panel pieces 1 x 6 T&G
233⁄4"
8
Owl door rails and stiles
1 x 3 pine
123⁄8" x 1"
4
Owl door panels
1 x 6 T&G
12"
2
1⁄ " 2 plywood
61" x 24"
2 4
Side walls 4
Back wall
Front wall
Cladding Siding Corner trim Flooring
MATERIAL
Outer frame rails 1x6 pine cove 1 x 2 pine
48"*
4
1 x 3 pine
54"*
4
1⁄
11⁄2 pces*
4"
G1S plywood
Roof Rafters
2 x 4 UT
57"*
16
Ridge board
1 x 6 pine
8'4"
1
Back gable studs
2 x 3 UT 2 x 3 UT
30"* 16"*
1 2
Front gable stud
2 x 3 UT
24"*
1
CUT TO QTY.
4
Bunk beds Bases Side ledgers
2 x 3 UT
253⁄4"
Back ledgers
2 x 3 UT
58"
2
1 x 4 pine
61"
2 2
Roof boards
1 x 10 #4 pine
150'
Rails
Side fascia
1 x 6 pine
2
Support strips
1 x 2 pine
61"
4
Ladder stringers
2 x 3 UT
4'
2
Ladder rungs
2 x 3 UT
12"
4
End fascia Collar ties
1 x 6 pine
8'6" 58"*
2 x 3 pine
32"
2
Top and bottom
1 x 3 pine
161⁄2"
4
Sides
1 x 3 pine
121⁄2"
4
Window side trim 1 x 3 pine
121⁄2"
4
Window bottom trim
1 x 4 pine
21"
2
Window top trim 1 x 6 pine
22"
2
the thickness of the deck boards). If not, trim or dig in the legs to suit. 9] Once that’s done, stand the other frame assembly up, in position, and brace again for plumb. Place a straight board from one header joist to the other, check for level, then trim or dig in the second assembly. 10] Screw two deck joists (with 3" deck screws) between the front and back header joists, one at each end. Double-check that everything is square, plumb, level, and to the correct height. After a few more adjustments, and perhaps a few expletives, the basic supports will be in place. 11] Attach the diagonal side cross braces to the legs to help strengthen and stabilize them (see Figure 4). Clamp them in position to mark the excess, remove and
Window frames FRONT
BACK ROOF BOARDS
SIDE END FASCIA
Door frame Side jambs
1 x 4 pine
54"
2
Head jamb
1 x 4 pine
251⁄2"
1
Door side trim
1 x 3 pine
54"
2
Door top trim
1 x 6 pine
31"
1
Door stop
pine trim
12'*
*approximate length; cut to fit
98 Cottage Life
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
SIDE FASCIA
201⁄4"
161⁄2" 161⁄2"
CORNER TRIM
FIG. 6: Framing and siding
43⁄4"
FIG. 7: Rafter detail
RIDGE BOARD
45°
COLLAR TIE
43⁄4"
50" 18" o.c.
BIRD’S MOUTH NOTCH
31⁄8"
RAFTERS
BACK GABLE STUDS
31⁄8" 21⁄4"
18" o.c.
FRONT GABLE STUD
TOP PLATES
HEADER HEADER GIRTS
For clarity, window on opposite wall not shown
WINDOW FRAME
HEAD JAMB
Header and girts are notched
SIDE JAMBS
14" 18" 18" o.c. BOTTOM PLATES
SILL
18" o.c.
24"
1x2 CORNER TRIM
BOTTOM PLATE
18" o.c.
1x3 CORNER TRIM
21"
STUD
18"
Top edge of siding trimmed to align with top of rafter
24" 21"
FIG. 8: Framing 90° BIRD’S MOUTH NOTCH fits
Materials, continued
over top plate and siding
House hardware QTY.
FIG. 9: Siding notch detail
trim, and then tack back in place with 3" screws. Drill two 5⁄16" holes through each end of the braces and about 1" into each leg. Hammer a 4" lag bolt, with washer, into each hole and tighten. Drill two 3⁄8" holes where the braces intersect and secure with 4" carriage bolts. Tip: Newer pressure-treated wood, called Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) and Copper Azole (CA), is more corrosive to metal, so you must use hot-dipped galvanized or stainless-steel hardware, or
fasteners recommended by the manufacturer, or the hardware could fail prematurely. Check labels when you buy. Electroplated or Grade 2 steel just won’t do. Filling in the deck 1] Now reinforce each deck corner with a metal bracket, the kind commonly used in dock building, bolted to the inside face (see Figure 3). For extra strength, five of the railing posts are bolted with the headers or joists through these brackets. Making
Shingles
3 bundles
7⁄
3⁄ lb 4
8" roofing nails
11⁄4" ring nails
3⁄ lb 4
#8 x 11⁄4" wood screws
100
2" finishing nails
2 lbs
4" strap hinges
2
3" butt hinges
2
2" butt hinges
4
Spring hinges
2
21⁄2" barrel bolt
1
43⁄4" door pulls
3
Screen door catch
1
Foam weatherstripping
12'
Door sweep
1
Fibreglass screening
3' x 3'
Outdoor glue
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
Cottage Life 9 9
5 1
4 2 3
tree dwellers
Cottagers are building up and branching out
1 00 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
6 1 Kalley Libera and her dad, Steve,
inspect the family treehouse on
Harris Lake near Pointe au Baril. Built by Kalley’s Uncle Markus, it’s a work in progress: Trap door and cottageto-treehouse delivery system (a clothesline) are complete, while new railings are to come.
2 At Kasshabog Lake, north of
Peterborough, Lelia MacDonald and son Andrew (right) designed a treehouse with a trap door, translucent roof panels, and drop-down table. Lelia’s neighbour Peter Puky (lower left) helped build it; Andrew’s grandmother Sybil (top right) is one of many visitors to the treehouse.
3 The two-storey, 18-window treehouse (sleeps six) that Mark Allen built for his children, Marah and Quentin, overlooks Red Bay on Lake Huron, perfect for sunset-watching.
4 “Raven Treehouse,” as the Hick-
ling family calls their retreat on Paint Lake, near Dorset, Ont., sits on a white pine stump. Before it fell, the long-dead tree housed two noisy ravens who have since resettled in a nearby hemlock.
5 Severn River cottager Harvey
Presement built a breezy treehouse for his grandchildren, Adam and Alexa, in three weekends. Stencilled moon and stars, and dollar-store decor – giant snakes, butterflies, and insects – add a whimsical touch.
6 To avoid damaging trees on
his Fairbank Lake property, west of Sudbury, Brian Yanchuk had a scrap utility pole dropped in to support a hexagonal treehouse. It’s shared by his three children, Caleb, Clara, and Christian, who occasionally invite adults up for colouring sessions.
sure the posts are plumb, drill 3⁄8" holes and install with the 3⁄8" x 4" carriage bolts. 2] Use joist hanger nails, not deck screws, to attach joist hangers to the front and rear header joists at 193⁄16" on centre (o.c.). Slide the deck joists down into the hangers, screw through the header joists into the deck joists with 3" deck screws, and nail the hangers. 3] Cut the deck boards to 96". Temporarily screw one across the middle of the deck framework to hold each joist in place. Starting at the back, nail or screw (with 2" hardware) the first deck board flush to the edge. The next three boards need to be cut to leave a space for the trap door (see Figure 5), which is 193⁄16" wide. Mark these cuts to line up with the joist centres, so when the trap door is closed, both sides will be supported. Likewise, cut the eighth, ninth, and tenth boards to leave an opening for the secret hidey-hole. Tip: For screws going into the ends of the deck boards, drill clearance holes first to prevent splitting. 4] When you reach halfway, remove the temporary brace. At this point, cut the 2 x 8 bridging pieces to fit between the joists; note that a piece of bridging forms the front of the box for the hidey-hole, and an extra bridging piece forms the back. Screw pieces of 2 x 2 around the inside bottom edges of the hidey-hole to make a ledge; then screw down 1⁄2" plywood for the bottom. Secure the remaining deck boards to the joists; you will likely have to rip the last one to fit. 5] Attach the 2 x 4 cross braces to the back legs, trimming off any excess length. Secure the braces with 3⁄8" x 4" carriage bolts at their intersection, at bottom through the legs, and at top through the header joist. One brace has its end bolted through the 2 x 4 railing post as well as the header joist, requiring a 6" bolt. Add the ladder and pulley 1] For the ladder rungs, I ripped pressuretreated 2 x 6s in half to 23⁄4". Screw two rungs to the stringers to square the ladder up. Position it at the same angle as the legs, fitting between the two railing posts (see Figures 15 and 16). Screw the ladder stringers into the deck joist. Starting from the top, screw the first rung to the stringers with four 3" screws. Ensure its top edge is flush with the deck surface to avoid a tripping hazard. Add the other rungs
24" apart. You can adjust this distance so the last rung is high enough to help keep very young children off the structure. On the right side of the ladder, screw through the railing post into the stringer; on the left side, cut the stringer flush with the railing post; again, this minimizes the trip factor. Two door pulls, attached to the railing posts, make climbing easier. 2] Cut the pieces for the optional pulley structure and drill 5⁄16" holes for the bolts. Use two 5⁄16" x 8" lag bolts to secure the horizontal piece to the centre post and four 5⁄16" x 4" lag bolts to attach the support piece. Add a 3⁄8" threaded hook, a clothesline pulley, about 25' of rope with a snap, and a cleat to tie the rope off. >>
Lumber shopping list With careful layout and cutting, this is enough wood to build the treehouse.
Pressure-treated spruce
SIZE
LENGTH
QTY.
2x4
8'
6
2x4
10'
2
2x4
12'
2
2x6
8'
1
2x6
12'
4
2x8
8'
2
2x8
10'
7
4x4
8'
2
4x4
12'
5
5⁄ x 4
8'
25
6
Pressure-treated precut balusters
2x2
42"
40
Untreated spruce
2x3
8'
25
2x4
10'
8
Spruce strapping
1x3
10'
4
Pine
1x2
8'
2
1x2
10'
1
1x3
8'
4
1x3
10'
2
1x4
10'
1
1x4
12'
1
1x6
8'
1
1x6
10'
5
1x6
300'
Pine cove
Pine tongue-and- 1 x 6 groove Pine door stop
10'
2
12'
#4 roof boards
1 x 10
1⁄ " 4
G1S plywood
4' x 8'
1
1⁄ " 4
G1S plywood
4' x 4'
1
4' x 8'
1
1⁄ " 2
spruce plywood
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
150'
Cottage Life 10 1
RAIL BASE
SUPPORT STRIP FIG. 10: Bunk bed detail
1 02 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
The wee house To give myself room to work on the deck, I installed the handrails and balusters after I finished building and shingling the house. For safety, temporarily clamp some boards in place as railings, and watch your step. The untreated 2 x 3 lumber that frames the house is usually sold only in 8' lengths, so it requires some careful layout work to minimize waste. 1] On the ground, assemble the side wall framing as shown in Figure 8. Temporarily attach a piece of 1 x 3 spruce strapping as a diagonal brace across the inside of each wall to keep it square. Bring one wall up and screw the bottom plate to the deck, flush to the outside and back edges. If it’s windy, you might have to brace it to the floor. 2] Assemble the back wall, which consists of a top and bottom plate and three inside studs. You’ll note there aren’t studs on the
ends of this wall; the front and back wall share corner studs with the sides. Carry the back wall assembly up onto the deck and screw the bottom plate to the deck, flush to the back edge and tight to the bottom plate of the side wall. Bring up the other side wall and screw it to the deck, being careful to keep it parallel to the other side wall. Toenail (or screw) the back wall top plate to the top plates of the side walls. Attach a temporary brace to the inside of the back wall to keep the side walls plumb. Don’t worry about any gable studs for now. 3] The front is assembled without the header or the gable stud (both will be added once the rafters are in place). Cut studs, girts, and bottom plates to length, notching the outside ends of the horizontal girts to wrap around the side-wall studs (see Figure 8). Screw the pieces together and carry both halves of the wall up onto the deck and screw in place. Add braces
FIG. 11: Pattern for owl cutout
1 square = 1 inch
Build for less I left the lumberyard with about $2,200 worth of materials for the treehouse, including the lookout tower, but there are easy ways to cut that cost. The treehouse might not look quite as deluxe as this one, but it will still be safely and solidly built: • SUBSTITUTE WAFER BOARD for the pine roof boards. • REPLACE THE PINE COVE SIDING with 1⁄2" plywood, or a less expensive siding (but don’t use wafer board here; it’s not strong enough to hold up to kids or weather). • USE LEFTOVER WOOD OR PAINT from another project. • BUILD A SIMPLER DOOR, or recycle an old door. • SKIP THE BUNKS (and add collar ties). • TRIM THE WINDOWS AND DOORS with less-expensive wood, such as pressure-treated deck boards.
1 0 4 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
to the inside so that the two front studs are plumb and aligned, and the wall is stable. 4] I selected 1 x 6 pine cove siding for the walls. Start at the bottom of the back wall and work up until you are one piece short of the top plates (use 2" finishing nails). 5] Proceed in the same manner with the side walls, leaving openings for the windows. The last course of siding on each side is notched to accept the rafters (see Figure 9). Tack this course in place to mark the notches; their sides line up with the side-wall studs and the bottoms align with the top plates. Remove, cut, and tack them up again, since you’ll need to rip them to match the height of the rafters. 6] Cut the rafters as in Figure 7; 12 have bird’s mouth notches while four, for the gable ends, don’t. These notches include extra width so they fit over the siding. This unusual detail makes it easier to nestle the siding in tight to the roof and keep out bugs. Position one of the rafters in a siding notch. Mark the siding at the top edge of the rafters, remove and rip the last course of siding. With this cut, the roof boards will seal snugly with the siding. Nail this last course of siding in place. 7] Lay out the locations for the rafters on the ridge board. Position each rafter
in a notch cut in the siding and over a sidewall stud; secure each with a 3" screw through the narrowest part of the bird’s mouth, into the top plate. Slide the ridge board up between the rafters; position the rafters on one side and screw or nail in from the opposite side (naturally, you’ll have to shift one set of rafters out of the way). Move the remaining rafters into place and toenail from the opposite side. Check that the rafters are plumb and attach a brace across one side of the roof to stabilize it. Finish fastening the rafters to the top plate with two additional screws for each rafter. 8] Add 2 x 3 studs to fill in the gable end of the back wall as in Figure 8. To avoid complex notching to fit them around the rafters, I turned the two short studs 90° so they’re flush with the back of the building. Finish siding the back wall. 9] Notch the front wall header to fit around the rafters. Screw it to both the door frame studs and to the rafters. Add the gable stud and finish siding the front. Remove all the braces. 10] Beginning at the roof ’s leading edge, nail or screw 1 x 10 rough-sawn pine boards to the rafters. The roof is 8'6" long, so lay the boards out carefully to minimize
1⁄ " gap 4
around door
Add a lookout tower and other fun features
21⁄2"
21⁄2"
OUTER STILE INNER STILE
TOP TRIM
Let your kids’ imagination, and your ingenuity, run wild with this project.
181⁄2"
SIDE TRIM
We added a lookout tower on one side: For construction details and
Vertically align all four hinge pins
plans, go to www.cottagelife.com 26 3⁄4"
and click on “What’s new in the Workshop.” Here are some other
OUTER RAILS
ideas to customize the treehouse:
INNER RAILS
• ATTACH A FIREHOUSE POLE for sliding, or a rope ladder for climbing.
54"
• STRING A HAMMOCK across the deck. • INSTALL WATERGUN MOUNTS for defensive manoeuvres.
OUTER RAILS
1⁄ " gap 8 between top and bottom
• ADD A PERISCOPE, telescope mount, or peepholes for young James Bonds. • OPEN UP THE ROOF with a hatch or
OUTER STILE
FIG. 13: Door detail PANEL PIECES
INNER STILE
clear fibreglass panels. • WRAP THE BASE in nylon tarps for
LATCH
an instant cave hideout. • DISGUISE IT with camouflage pattern paint and army surplus camo nets.
1" 24" FIG. 12: Outside of door
OWL DOORS
123⁄8"
• LAUNCH A PIRATE SHIP with a ship’s wheel and a Jolly Roger flag.
INNER RAILS
• GO GILLIGAN with coconut and conch shells, fake flowers, and bamboo trim. Hey, little buddy!
• USE LEFTOVER WOOD to make shelves, a mailbox, birdhouse, or the classic treehouse accessory: a “No Grown-ups Allowed” sign.
waste. You’ll have to rip the top course on each side to butt over the ridge. 11] Screw the remaining four rafters, the ones with no bird’s mouth, to the ends of the roof boards and to the ridge board. 12] Cut the side fascia boards and nail to the rafter tails. Cut the four end fascia pieces at 45° and temporarily nail in place; mark where the side fascia meets the end fascia. Remove the end fascia and cut to 1 06 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
length, at the same time trimming the sharp bottom corner flush with the side fascia. To avoid scraped scalps when kids are tearing around the corner of the deck, round off that corner of the fascia. 13] Shingle the roof. I didn’t use metal eave starter because I was concerned that the sharp edges might prove to be a hazard. I also used 7⁄8" roofing nails because they don’t stick through the roof boards. Remember to round the corner of the shingle near the ladder. 14] The door jamb is 1 x 4 pine – nail the pieces to the door studs and header, shimming if necessary so the jamb is plumb and level. The door trim is 1 x 3, except for the piece above the door, which is fashioned out of a piece of 1 x 6. 15] Install window frames as you did the door jambs, although it’s not critical that they’re plumb and level. Staple screens to the frames and add trim. 16] Add corner trim to the house (1 x 3s on the front and back; 1 x 2s on the sides). Railings 1] Screw the handrails to the railing posts, notching as needed to fit around the front leg assembly and the corners of the house. The measurements in the cutting list are approximate; final measurements
1" 10 3⁄8"
FIG. 14: Inside of door
will depend on whether you choose to mitre or butt the corners. Round any sharp exposed corners, especially those on either side of the ladder. 2] For convenience I used precut deck balusters, cutting off one angled end to butt to the handrails; screw or nail to the joist face and the bottom of the handrails. Code dictates that the balusters cannot be more than 4" apart, a distance that prevents kids’ heads getting stuck between. 3] Now install some simple safety features. Door pulls on the two railing posts above the ladder will give kids something to grab as they’re climbing up or down. A safety chain with a snap, hooked in to eye bolts and positioned across these railing posts will help prevent falls. Remember that kids will lean against the chain, so be sure it’s strong and secure. Tip: Don’t skimp on hardware or use undersized lumber. Kids are the ultimate product testers; they’ll jump, swing, hang, and pound on everything, so it needs to be strong. >>
A treehouse gave us a sense of independence and adventure, elevated as we were above the world Inside the house 1] Inside the building, I installed 1⁄4 " plywood (with 11⁄4 " ring nails ) over the deck boards to keep the darned bugs out. Cut holes for the trap door and the hideyhole. Screw two 1 x 2 scraps to the bottom of the three short pieces of deck board that make up the lids. Nail the plywood pieces on top. The trap door is fastened with 4" strap hinges to the floor; add a door pull to ease opening. Since kids don’t want just anyone accessing their secrets, I decided not to give away the hidey-hole’s location with a pull for its lid. It needs small, persistent fingers, or something similar, to pry it open. 2] I built two bunks inside, but you could easily install a table, benches, shelves, or whatever suits your kids. The bunks are really just 24"-deep shelves of 1⁄2" plywood, installed 20" and 40" above the floor. They’re supported on the sides and back with 2 x 3 ledgers, and finished on the front with a simple lip (see Figure 10). A short ladder, built of 2 x 3s, provides support and access. Position the ladder near the centre of the bunk so its stringers also act as a safety barrier (if small children sleep up top, add a full-length guardrail). The bunks help stabilize the walls, so if you leave them out, add a collar tie or two.
prefer, you can use other joinery options here, such as biscuits or pocket-hole joints. 2] With the last tongue planed off, four 1 x 6 tongue-and-groove pieces fit almost perfectly in these frames. Fasten with 11⁄4" ring nails. Enlarge the owl template (Figure 11) to 11" high with a photocopier, or by hand. Centre the owl on the upper half and cut out with your jigsaw. 3] Make the frame for the owl doors, as in Figure 14, so the inside of the frame measures 123⁄8" x 103⁄8". I ripped some leftover trim pieces to a width of 1" for this. Remember to staple some screening under the frame before you secure it. 4] Two 12" pieces of 1 x 6 tongue-andgroove – tongues planed off – serve well as inside owl doors. Drill two 1" holes – eyes for the owl, peepholes for the kids – and mount these doors to the frame with four 2" hinges. A scrap of wood screwed to the frame forms a simple pivoting latch. 5] Attach spring hinges – surface mounted – to the bottom half of the door. Locate this half in the door opening and screw the spring hinges in place, using one
screw each for now (I substituted #8 x 11⁄4" screws for the dinky ones in the package). Position the 3" butt hinges on the top half. This can get tricky, because all four hinge pins, top and bottom, must align or the door won’t close smoothly. I mortised the butt hinges into the door’s edge. Locate the top half in the opening and attach the hinges (again, one screw for now). A helper is a definite asset here. Be sure both doors swing properly. Add a barrel bolt to the doors and check the doors’ operation again. If everything works, finish screwing the hinges to the frames. 6] Nail doorstop to the jamb so the door closes flush with the trim. For extra bugproofing, I added foam weatherstripping and a door sweep. Screw 43⁄4" door pulls to both the inside and outside of the top half of the door. Add a spring-loaded screen door catch and you’re done! Done, that is, until the kids start asking for a lookout tower. For plans and construction details, go to www.cottagelife.com and click on “What’s new in the Workshop.” Finishing I used Para Paints “Refined Melody” (P2710-2) for the outside walls and “La Cloche Gold” (P2711-2) for the trim (three litres of blue and one litre of gold). To give the pressure-treated lumber and the interior floor a rich cedar look, I used Para’s Timber Care Raincoat (V223 #2). You’ll need about five litres. L
The door 1] I opted for a dutch door for the play-
house – more fun, but also more complicated to construct than a full door. The outer frame of both halves consists of 1 x 3, with 1 x 2 inner frames glued and screwed to them (11⁄4 " screws). If you
FIG. 15: Front
Wayne Lennox is the author of Cottage Essentials, an eclectic and extensive how-to book published by Whitecap Books.
71"
FIG. 16: Side
1 08 Cottage Lif e
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 0 5
FIG. 17: Side
FIG. 18: Back
