Single Trunk Tree House Design

Simple, complete tree house plans

DIY tree house plans

• No previous tree house experience needed
• Full materials buying list, designed around readily available materials
• Components are prefabricated at ground level for safety and speed
• Sections are lifted into the tree and joined together to assemble the tree house
• More than blueprints — components have cutting lists, diagrams, and assembly instructions

Zelkova tree house

If your location has two trees, the Zelkova tree house design has support brackets attached to both trees, so that the main deck fits in between the two trunks. The advantage of this method is that the trees are not inside the tree house itself, which frees up space inside, and makes weatherproofing easier.

The front of the tree house is usually arranged to face out from the two trees, but could be rotated to face towards one of the trees, if this fits your site better. The front of the tree house has a covered deck area, which can be used for storage or a seating area close to the branches of the trees. The two tree support system allows the floor platform of the tree house to move in the wind along a sliding joint, which is an important requirement when two or more trees are used. The tree house supports will then be protected from excessive force in strong winds or storms. The Zelkova tree house can also be built with one tree plus posts, or completely freestanding, in the same way as the San Pedro — plans for all compatible support methods are included.

The two tree supports are combined with a sliding joint system, allowing wind movement without damaging the tree house. The entire floor is covered to keep the deck area protected from rain. When built in a tree, the instructions cover 58 pages, and extra plans to build on posts are included free.

When you want to be close to the branches and leaves of your tree, but don't need walls and a roof for weather protection, a tree deck could be the solution. The tree decks Terrazza and Outpost are open format plans, with a simple seating area and railings around the outside. Position them in a tree with a view, ideally where it will catch the evening light. These tree decks are also partially prepared at ground level, so you don't need to custom build from a ladder or scaffolding. The plans are laid out so that as much as possible of the structure is bolted or screwed together on the ground for simpler assembly in the tree.

The Outpost tree fort fits in a single tree and has trapdoor access. The Terrazza tree deck is slightly smaller than the Outpost design, and uses a simpler design to make construction easy and quick, with enough deck space for two chairs.

These plans are platforms only, allowing you to add your own tree house on top. Each platform can be used for a 8'x8' tree house, or you can divide up the space as you need — for example, you could have a 3' deck along the front and make the tree house 8'x5' to have both inside and outside spaces.

The freestanding platform plan includes options for different configurations. You can build completely freestanding (using four posts), or with partial tree support (using either two or three posts). This allows you to build close to a tree, without completely relying on its strength for the full load of your tree house. The three post method allows you to incorporate smaller trees, and the freestanding option allows you to build next to valuable or unusually shaped trees.

If you have two trees to use for your tree house, the two tree platform makes a solid foundation for your design. It uses a sliding joint system to allow the trees to move in the wind, without putting strain on the supports. Without this freedom of movement, the supports could eventually fail. The supports and sliding system use readily available materials, and don't require any special hardware.

In association with The Treehouse Guide
Free reference for DIY treehouse plans, design, and construction

Single Trunk Tree House Design

Source: https://treehouseguides.com/

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