Unofficial Tex Murphy

I've been wanting to show you guys a picture of the treehouse I've been working on, but the leaves in the tree are so thick it has been hard to get a good picture of it.

Now that the leaves are falling, I can finally get a clear shot of the treehouse I built for my daughter this year. (Actually, a few years in the making - hard to obtain that much bamboo here in the midwest.)

The idea for this treehouse was sort of inspired by the treehouses in Channelwood (from MYST) and reminescent of the Club Cascadas de Baja resort that we visit on the southern tip of Baja.

The floor of the treehouse is about 16 feet above the ground and it has a rope ladder leading to a trap door on the other side which you can't see in the picture. But us old folks use the extension ladder.

Very cool! A lot of effort and love went into it, I'm sure. But I am wondering. . .does your daughter get a chance to use it, or are you having parties all the time?

It's getting too cold now, but she used to do her homework up there. She's also had some sleepover parties.

Sometimes I mix up a batch of (virgin) Pina Coladas and pour them into coconut shells. We sip them up in the treehouse and pretend we're down in Baja.

But I'll tell ya. It's really hard to build something up in the trees like that. Took me about a year just to finish the platform. Just to put one of the joists up there requires going up an down the ladder about six times, and moving the ladder about four times. It really puts the 'labor' into labor of love.

Oh WOW!! That's amazing!!
What happens when it rains though? Since keeping in with the tropical style there doesn't look to be windows between the roof and the walls.

Your great efforts really show, it's really impressive!!
I really love it because I wanted a treehouse as a kid but I never did get one, nowhere to put one really, doubt we'd have authority to put one in the larger trees. I made do with sitting in a little tree. Or sitting at the top of a tall ladder leaning against the larger trees. But that was about the extent of my tree adventures. But I did use to see from atop my ladder some people who had a big treehouse, tempting me of course...
Your daughter is super lucky!

Great effort, Doc. In fact, I think it's bigger than my house!!

Most impressive.

Very well done indeed! Your workmanship is astounding. I might get you over here one day to design one for me!

I am especially impressed that you were partly inspired by the Channelwood age of MYST.

Your daughter is very lucky.

This wins my "woot! of the week" award!

-Cub. =o)

Thanks for the comments on the treehouse.

Sai asked what happens when it rains. I only have one layer of thatch on the roof and open windows. But it actually stays pretty dry because, in the summer there are lots of leaves on the tree above which buffer the rain, so the thin thatch can do a pretty good job of diverting what drips down from the leaves.

Hey Cub, Channelwood was my favorite age of MYST. My daughter's too. Regarding the construction, the floor and railing is solidly built out of treated lumber. Everything else is bamboo. But you can't drive nails in bamboo or rely on screws either, because the bamboo tends to split. So all of the bamboo construction was done by lashing it with wire. That was quite a new experience for me. The roof was especially challanging. I hope it will be able to handle the snow this winter.

Also, it was a little difficult to find a good source of bamboo. The first place I found was in Australia, but they said they couldn't ship is this far. Then I found a source in California and another in Florida, but I think they import it from somewhere else.

I prefer wattle & daub myself...

very, very, very nice. I always wanted a treehouse as a kid, but all I got was a fort. Not that it was a bad fort, it just wasnt a cool house in a tree.

Channelwood was also my favorite age in Myst...very cool.

Thats fantasic DrPaul. Now all you need is a elevator, and some drawbridges to the hut. But we have to get power to it first . Good job. Later.

Looks like there's already power? (referring to the coloured lights)
Could probably get good TV reception up there too

Sowden wrote:Thats fantasic DrPaul. Now all you need is a elevator, and some drawbridges to the hut. But we have to get power to it first . Good job. Later.

Yeah and make sure you turn on the windmill first.

-Cub. =o)

I've been away from the board for a bit so missed this earlier, but wow this is amazing. I'd love to build something like that. Did you bolt the lumbar into the branches or tie it down? I'm curious how you get it to sit still when the wind comes.

Did you bolt the lumbar into the branches or tie it down? I'm curious how you get it to sit still when the wind comes.

Good question. That was something I agonized over for a long time before starting. I was trying to design some kind of pad system on which the frame could rest, so that the tree trunks could move independently. My neighbor, who is an architech, told me not to worry about it. The tree is big with four trunks, each a couple feet in diameter. I think my house flexes more than the tree does.

Anyway, the bottom layer is constructed with a series of joists, approximately parallel, which are screwed into the tree trunks with six inch lag bolts. On top of those, and perpindicular to them, I attached another layer of joists with metal brackets. The brackets allow a small amount of flex to occur between the two perpindicular layers of joists.

Apparently it's working ok. We've had winds gusting over 50 mph for four days in a row here recently. No sign of cracks or weakness. I'm sure it helps to be in a good sturdy tree.