Any suggestions on building a really cool tree house for my kids?

Any ideas on places to get scrap materials or neat (and inexpensive) "extras" that could be added? I've got a good location picked out and would like to get started in the Spring. Just wondering if anyone has tips from their own experience.

Good source of materials, residential jobsite dumpsters! It never ceases to amaze me what gets thrown away daily on construction sites. Do you have any road construction giong on in your area? Usually they do drainage and water service updates at the same time. I`ve seen 24 inch PVC scraps that would make great "slides".

Don't use the tree for support......yeah, I know, it's a tree house. But each nail, screw or bolt you pound into the tree wounds the tree becoming a spot for disease and decay. Trees don't heal, they wall off injury interally thus eliminating potential stored food, but also putting the tree into a lifetime of maintining that chemical barrier walls.......a big energy drain better used elsewhere.

Ideally have the tree supported from the ground. If you can't do, keep the house light weight with canopies, etc thus requiring less tree support.

Thank you from the tree.

Certainly you won't strictly get any right or wrong answers here, and COOL is pretty subjective as it relates to the child. I've had a few and built many.

Safe is a prime directive, and while I agree that rope ladders, rope cat walks, a tire swing, are all "cool" I'd want to be careful about how high off the ground the "house" is, first of all, and the ages of the children. I'd also want to know the capabilities of THE TREE, and if you build this low enough to the ground, add 4x4's at a length on one side at least, to be anchored in the ground.

Also not knowing of any code/zoning issues in your area, I'd suggest creating it as if it was a REAL house in miniature, with some less detail. I do like the manual dumbwaiter idea, and without question Tree houses have been glorified in films.

Assume too the FLEX involved, and allow for it. I'd use screws, loose pin hinges, etc, as opposed to nails. I might even offer an escape pole to slide, or a slide.

Once you've secure the design, I suggest it's for THEM. you might be invited UP, and it should allow that they may grow through it, but define it as their sanctuary, not a place for YOU to hang out.

Steven Wolf
(The Rev.)

buy a HDB flat lah

Check out design books at any local Lowes, Home Depot or Menards. You can also look for designs online.

Rope swings....zip line to the ground.....suspension walkway.....rope powered dumb waiter.