Tree deck is best deck

"The Lurktastic Opponaught" (oppolurker)
08/07/2016 at 18:47 • Filed to: Maineiac

What did you do this weekend?

Bonus Prisma image of the sky before thunderstorms yesterday:

DISCUSSION (19)

CB > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 18:51

Nice! And I dig your tag as well.

I flew home from vacation and did paperwork, and just got home from meeting up with a buddy. So not a very busy weekend.

TheRealBicycleBuck > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 18:57

Kayaking saturday morning. Dodging rain the rest of the weekend. Taht worked out ok. School starts tomorrow, so we were getting the kids prepped for another year of edification!

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 19:21

I worked this weekend. Today was Thursday for me. Tomorrow is Friday. Then I will have 15 Saturdays before another Sunday, and then a Monday. I like 16-day weekends.

Also tree deck is too close to trees. In less than five years the trees will be suffering. In ten they will be very dead. Dead trees fall on things. Be nice to trees.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
08/07/2016 at 19:43

The boards surrounding the tree are all installed so that they can be lifted out and trimmed as the trees grow and move over time. The mount points are all ceramic coated fasteners, and are tree compatible. All attachment points can be removed for releveling and tree health as necessary. And finally, the substructure is designed so that if the trees can't support the structure in the future, it can be set on 6x6s at each corner. This was specifically designed and built to be nice to the trees. It's a tree house, after all.

BorkBorkBjork > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 20:11

Cleaned and organized the entire garage during our 103-degree heat advisory. Needless to say, I’m wiped.

Sweet deck by the way

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 20:16

That's so cool. More pics?

The Lurktastic Opponaught > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
08/07/2016 at 20:28

I don’t have any of the substructure which was built last fall. I was advised to build as far as the ledgers and joists last winter, then wait a spring/summer cycle before doing the deck and railings, which is what I was working on this weekend. I'll post more as I make progress. The kids want their tree house.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > BorkBorkBjork
08/07/2016 at 20:29

Thanks. It’s a tree house in progress for my kids.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
08/07/2016 at 20:33

Kinja'd!!!

Actually I do have one more photo of the deck.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 20:48

Just keep an eye on it over the years. I have a similar deck that I now have to do some major work on because I let the tree grow into the boards and push it all out of whack.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 20:54

Cool! Did this come as a kit of some kind? (if so I want it... even though my landlords would flip shit if I attempted to build a treehouse anywhere. Something something national park...)

The Lurktastic Opponaught > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
08/07/2016 at 21:05

Thanks for the advice. I knew that it wasn’t going to be a “set it and forget it” type of structure, and I fully expect to have to undertake at least annual preventative maintenance with the structural fasteners and clearances. The trees are healthy middle age maples that were cored to check age and structural integrity before building. I did a fair bit of homework before undertaking the build as it’s a tree house for the kids. I expect I’ll be taking it down in 6 or 7 years, so that’s why every fastener on the build is a screw- every board and deck piece can be removed and adjusted as necessary over time.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
08/07/2016 at 21:11

Nope, this was a homebrew with a lot of research done beforehand.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 22:35

That’s even more cool. I wouldn’t even know where to get all those things. This is going to be a friggen sweet treehouse.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
08/07/2016 at 22:43

I work in applied research. Finding this information is just a matter of looking in the right places and talking to the right people.

Just because I come home at the end of the day doesn’t mean I turn my brain off. I just switch projects.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
08/07/2016 at 22:57

Also: thanks! I’m getting to the “lets make it awesome” stage, which is the best part. The structure is the really hard part and is nearly complete. Making it into a good place to play is a big priority. Climbing walls, zip line, and rope and pulley system are in the works. My last big obstacle is molding climbing grips for a four year old and an eight year old.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > TheRealBicycleBuck
08/07/2016 at 23:01

Fresh or salt water?

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 23:12

Okay now you’re just making me jealous. I hope to be an awesome dad some day

TheRealBicycleBuck > The Lurktastic Opponaught
08/07/2016 at 23:42

Chlorinated. I took the family down to an into class that does two things for us: allows us to rent kayaks through the local parks department, and gets everyone ready for the advanced classes. While I don’t think my wife will be interested, both of the kids want to go whitewater kayaking. We all have to learn to roll first!

I have an open invitation to use a friend’s kayaks. We've been out twice, but I don't want to take advantage. I'd rather rent a few different styles before taking the plunge and buying my own.