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While work isn’t scheduled for an official restart until the end of the month, I have to admit I sneak out to the Ithaca treehouse whenever I can. It’s just a fun project, and the idea of assembling a herringbone deck 15 feet over a pond simply has too high a satisfaction-quotient to stay away for too long.
Back in January when material choices were being finalized, we hoped it would all come together under the summer sun. Looking at the Douglas fir deck boards and tree trunks over the pond, it's clear we hit our mark.
Scheduling allowed for a few partial days on site this past week, including some time Monday, Thursday and Sunday; the latter over some protests from my wife. So, in between the summer thunderstorms and the calls to my cell phone from a wife telling me to come down, I was able to get a jump on the Douglas fir deck.
In a word, wonderful. The natural orange-pink hue of the “Dougies,” the green and gray colors of the willow and the blue-black pond below dance together spectacularly for the eye, and it all speaks well of what’s ahead when the cabin and deck rails begin to rise on site in the coming months. I know at times my wife’s not crazy about it, but sitting up on that treehouse platform is just too hard to resist.
Heavy rains interrupted this week’s progress, so I’m taking some time to add a mid-week update.
Trim and siding were designed to create a sea-worn feel for the pirateship treehouse.
Exterior corner trim was put in place on Monday and Tuesday, with persistence and my DeWalt saw overcoming the angles and the short blasts of rain and thunder that are typical for New York’s Southern Tier in July. What was imagined on paper is coming alive, with trim and rail lines joining together to create curves and reinforce angles. In spite of an understandably flat foundation, our tree-borne pirate ship seems to rise at the bow and stern, and offers a great curved hull line when looked at from the ground below the bow.
By Tuesday afternoon the siding for the upper cabin walls was taking shape, with the rear wall being tackled first.
Decorative details for the ship's exterior were made from leftover stock during a rainy Tuesday afternoon. As soon as they're painted, they'll take their place.
A wild midday storm on Tuesday dumped lots of water and sent me under the patio roof for some prefabrication work. More than 20 identical accent pieces were cuts from leftover stock. After some added paint, they’ll go atop the upper window trim and add a little 18th century character. Decorative lower braces were also cut from existing 2×10 stock. They will get installed under the rear cabin bump out, again re-creating a look common on sailing ships of the great pirate era.
The only living thing to log as many days on the job site as me and the tree is Wanda. The Bond's faithful pup has kept an eye on the project through rain and snow.
Since the Bond’s family dog Wanda has been such steady company throughout this project, I added a little bit of her to the treehouse: The semicircle cut into the lower braces was made by tracing the rim of her water dish. Here’s to you, Wanda.
Thursday will be a big day for the project, with the installation of the rope ladder and hatch meaning Capt. Jack will be free to play under supervision in his nearly completed ship. Cabin siding should also wrap up, leaving just a few items left on the project punch list.
One of those will be building and installing the bow and main masts, due to take place after a supply run on Friday. It’s all glamor work now.
As any carpenter can tell you, it’s the trim that takes the most time. Add to the mix the complications of working with multiple angles on multiple planes – and doing it all 10-20 feet of the ground – and that classic maxim is all the more true.
The good news is it’s all coming together wonderfully. Plenty of depth and shadow lines. Lots of character with big spaces and soft edges being broken up and given definition.
The bulk of the early part of the week was spent installing roof and window trim on the cabin. The trim here can be fairly complicated to cut – combining the roof’s 10-degree slope, the back wall’s 10-degree lean, the top rail’s 4-degree rise, the lower hull’s 10-degree pitch in and side walls that slope from 11 degrees in the front to 7 degrees at the rear corner. A good compound miter saw is a must, and I’m fortunate enough to have a trusted DeWalt slider to rely upon. It’s a fun stage because each step fills in a blank and makes the image we drew months ago on paper more and more a reality before our eyes.
After that, I jumped into building the custom hatch and installing a kick board along the inside edge of the hull. The hatch is constructed of standard 2×3 lumber, assembled into a 27-by-30 inch grid that’s equal parts open space and wood. The hatch is hinged in the back, and when it’s closed each side rests on 2×4 rails that are carriage bolted to the frame. Plenty of strength to spare, and still a neat window through the floor to the yard below. The kick boards were added to the edge of the deck at the inside of the hull as insurance against any little-footed visitor slipping and getting a shoe caught in the space between the foundation and the inside of the hull. With some extra five-quarter boards on their sides rising off the floor, there’s no chance of that now. The boards also help define the deck space and reinforce the intersecting lines that join to create a great rising bow.
With rain threatening to swoop in late Friday and Ed, the eager homeowner and helper, itching to flex his skills, I spent what was left of Friday afternoon cutting and pre-drilling hardwood rungs for a custom rope ladder. Ed, a longtime scout leader, has studied more than a few plans for making a serious rope ladder, and doing it himself from hand-selected materials will allow him to create a 15-foot ladder that can bear up to 1,400 pounds (an unimaginable load for a kid’s ladder) for about half the price of purchasing one from a playground or sailboat supply company. I’m eager to see what it looks like on Monday, and I know Ed has been studying main mast rigging so he can jump to that rope-themed task next. That scout knows his knots, and one thing I learned while working on community-built playgrounds is always find a way to let the native skills of volunteers working on a project shine.
Some schedule changes for the family cut the week at the Bond’s treehouse site to two days, but it was a very good two days.
With the application of felt paper, the process of installing the base layer of window and body trim is under way.
Thursday saw the completion of all flashing, and the application of 15-pound felt paper to all the outside surfaces of the cabin above the mid-hull line. Below that line the wall leans out 10 degrees, so any water that makes it over the 2×6 rail and down the side will naturally flow out and away from the cabin’s interior. To keep things light and simple, that section of the wall has only 1×3 hull boards as siding. The plumb midsection and the upper portion of the cabin – whose lean in varies from 7 degrees at the back wall to 11 degrees in the front corner – is another matter. Without careful flashing water will leak into the odd-angled corners of our triangular ship or under the red rails that are both structure and add detail. Wind and water could leak between the hull boards, so three-eighths-inch plywood was spread underneath the three-quarter-inch painted pine siding. The felt paper keeps any water that might leak between the boards from soaking into the plywood.
Once the system is buttoned up, is an effective shield. With trunks passing through the cabin the goal, of course, is not waterproof, it is water control. Keep the water from getting places it can cause trouble, and help any water that finds its way in along a trunk to find its way out in a similarly benign manner. In the end, the Bond’s pirate ship should handle heavy seas
When windows are installed, a custom-made panel will allow this trunk to pass through.
Friday saw the start of trim detailing, which always looks a little odd until it’s all done. The four rear windows get a solid horizontal board above and below, with vertical panels between each opening. All of that is red, to contrast with the black hull. Above the top board will be small red decorative braces, in a style borrowed from a pirate ship we all saw at a miniature golf course in Cortland, New York. With the body of the ship black and the trim red, we had one more color to call upon before we started to induce dizziness. Again borrowing from classic 18th century ship design, we decided our last accents will be in gold. The color will be used sparingly to maximize its impact, including its main role as the color of the windows. That means the black hull, with its strong horizontal lines, will give way to bold and thick multi-layered red trim that will enclose a burst of gold. I even like the way it sounds. The window trim pattern continues around the corner to the side windows, and will be followed on the cabin’s front door and window, which open to the main deck.
It will take a few days to dress it all up, but the look will be worth the wait. After that, we get to the final details – masts, rigging, rope ladder, cannon ports, hatch and accent lights. All in all, we should be just a few short weeks from Captain Jack and the Bond crew heading out to sea.
With a last-minute schedule change limiting time at the Bond’s treehouse site in Horseheads to two days, there was time to shake a little dust off the Ithaca treehouse project.
With plywood in place and added structural supports installed, the Ithaca treehouse is ready for the next step -- installing the deck.
Although not due to a return to active status until August, the Ithaca treehouse project did allow a few easy points of entry to advance the cause. While it will never win “oohs” and “aahs” from passersby, there are a host of subtle details that make the engineer happy and let us all sleep better at night. With a few surprise days on site, it was time to tackle of few of these details.
First up was the installation of special metal connectors at every point where floor joists pass over the main beams. For some joists, where the cantilever is on the larger side, the pressure-treated 2×6s were screwed through each board on edge and into the black locust beams below. There are few screws up to this type of task – strong enough to make a meaningful anchor yet thin enough not to damage the joist as it passes through on the edge plane; and of course able to resist the chemicals in treated lumber before sinking into America’s hardest hard wood. If you’ve ever used them, you’re nodding your head by now: Timberlok screws. They’re amazing high-strength steel screws and, with 1,200-plus pounds of pull out resistance and a very lean profile, they proved their worth again on this project. The 8-inch version passed through the 5 1/2 inches of southern yellow pine like butter, and dug hard into the locust. Everywhere else, we used the engineer-recommended Simpson H2.5A connectors. Designed for hurricane country, the small and inexpensive custom straps attach easily from underneath the deck.
Special materials, brackets, cables and strapping helps keep a fluid treehouse foundation under control.
With the platform joists secured at all points to the main beams, it was time to make sure the main beams can’t walk off the job. Part of that task was already accomplished by the special brackets used to connect the beams to the high-strength Garnier limb treehouse bolts installed earlier this spring. All GL attachment points have these special brackets, which limit lateral movement by the beams and strictly control uplift – a surprisingly powerful force that affects treehouses. Near the mid point of the biggest beams, where they cross the two main engineered wood girders that reinforce the entire platform, treehouse engineer Charley Greenwood called for the addition of special tethers to limit movement. Angled steel brackets are attached to girders and beams with short lag screws, and then tied together with one-quarter-inch high-strength steel aircraft cable. With a skimpy half-inch of play in the cable, lateral motion is limited to a few inches and uplift is controlled again. It may seem like overkill, and it probably is. I’m good with that. You see, while we may never need all that strength, you never know when the remnants of a late-summer hurricane will come rumbling over the mountains.
Another detail tackled this week was the installation of two cable hanger backups on the two GLs that are farthest from the center of the structure. Using a system pioneered and well explored by industry leaders at The Treehouse Workshop and the Out-n-About Treesort, a special attachment is added to the end of the GL allowing a three-eighths-inch cable to be secured. That cable then gets connected to another anchor further up the tree, with a turnbuckle added to keep things tight. By turning the cantilevered Garnier Limb into the base of a structural triangle that includes the cable and the tree itself, the load carrying capacity of the GL is effectively doubled from 4,000 pounds or 6,000 pounds to as much as 12,000 pounds. Not a bad strength gain for a few pounds of hardware that takes just a few minutes to install.
The addition of a cable backup to the high-strength Garnier Limb treehouse anchor doubles its load-carrying ability.
Looking ahead to the Douglas fir decking due to be installed next, some sistering also had to be done. For those not familiar with the term, it means attaching one piece of wood alongside another for added strength or support. In this case, we chose a herringbone pattern for the deck boards. That means in some place the ends of the boards will have no support for as much as 14 inches. There’s no danger there, but it does make for a spongy floor. The sisters give these deck boards someplace to land. A little old-school felt paper was added where the sisters met the edge of the plywood interior floor, to make sure water running off decking boards drips down to the ground and doesn’t decide to soak into the end grain. Again, a few pennies and a few minutes invested save a lot of potential trouble down the road.
As I noted, next up are the decking boards. That’s definitely “ooh” and “aah” time
It was a short week due to the upcoming holiday weekend.
Just a side note here: Take a few minutes on Independence Day to read the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson’s work – with plenty of Franklin, Adams and Congress added in – is a masterpiece. Beyond its literary value, it is the perfect summation of the American political identity. This is the promise with which we began. Fulfilling that promise is the challenge we all inherit with our citizenship. It is our sacred honor.
With the roof and walls in place, the inside rear of the cabin takes shape.
Work Tuesday focused on trimming the rafters and installing the plywood roof. We’re using half-inch plywood for the roof, a little thinner than in a typical house but a good strength-to-weight compromise for a treehouse. The rafters are 2×6s spaced at 16-inch centers, and the roof shows little or no flex even under my, let’s say “generous,” weight.
Early on in the design process the Bonds said they liked the idea of opening up a new level even higher, so the roof was built strong enough to be an added deck in the future. But with Jack still very young and little brother Liam even younger, we agreed that this will remain a future option for now. With the addition of a ladder from inside or outside the cabin and a good rail, it will be a wonderful perch — once the boys are old enough to resist any temptation curiosity might offer them 18 feet above the ground. For now, only the builder will know just how good the view is from up top. Just another perk of the job
Wednesday was mostly flashing and preparing for trim. Although no treehouse with trunks through the walls and roof can every really be watertight, I’m spending some time and effort to make sure water only comes in where it’s invited. Dampness in corners and under trim has ruined many a structure – earth or tree-bound. Since treehouses tend to flex in the wind and live most of the year in the shade, watertight joints are very important. The first line of defense for the cabin structure is Vycor self-adhesive flashing made by Grace. It’s easy to install and its flexibility and strong adhesion are a good fit for the challenge of a treehouse. On the sides we’ll use standard 15-pound felt paper under the 1×3 pine hull boards to help seal the envelope.
After the holiday break, the Bonds head out of town for a vacation. I’m hoping to impress their house sitter – a wonderful mutual friend – by getting the trim and siding up so that the final look takes shape. After that, it’s windows and lots of fun final details.
The Bond treehouse is really taking shape.
This week was largely spent putting the skin on the hull. Again, our design choice to use multiple angles along multiple planes to provide a more genuine and less stiff look to the pirate ship adds some effort to the project, but the finished look that is emerging says it was a worthwhile investment. As we hoped, curves and angles are starting to work together to create a ship that seems to rise at the bow and stern and curve from keel to cabin deck. As the skin goes on, the look gets better.
Looking out along the bow, the pirate ship sails amid a moving sea of green. When all is done, a custom hatch and bow mast will add to the maritime mood.
Ed also noticed one neat phenomenon while up in the treehouse for a progress tour. With the hull in place, the field of vision has narrowed when you’re at the door to the cabin so that the ground is no longer visible (a “real ship feel” design choice we made). Combine that loss of horizon reference with the engulfing green canopy the tree spreads around all sides of the tree – including the across the bow and beneath the hull – and the treehouse visitor enjoys a wonderful sensory illusion. When a light breeze kicks up and the branches off the bow and sides shift in unison, there is a very real perception that the pirate ship treehouse is rising and falling through the waves. It’s strong enough to make you grab a rail and peek over the side to see if you’re really moving. Once you check the ground your brain seems to re-find its land legs, but it’s a thrilling experience and a perfectly in-character surprise addition. I imagine Jack will have lots of fun crashing through the waves.
By week’s end – which came on Thursday so I could travel to Detroit to meet with some potential new clients – the cabin had all its skin.
Although it’s not typical for me or my business, Ed asked early on to play a role in the treehouse project and he’s been doing so whenever his schedule allows. From helping dig post holes and set deck joists to painting rails and trim, Ed has ound many ways to get his hands dirty. He’s a great help, and his copy editor’s attention to minute details makes him a great fit for several tasks that have come up. As I’ve learned working on community-built playgrounds, there’s a lot of hidden talent and energy out there that just needs a place to jump in. Ed’s been great at that, and his son will know for the rest of his life that dad left his thumbprint on the treehouse as well.
