Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build

by David Stiles, Jeanie Stiles

Overview

Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build shows how average "do-it-yourself" families can easily and affordably bring to life a "Hobbit's Treehouse," a "Pirate's Playhouse," or a "Crow's Nest" in their own backyards! There are a lot of books out there filled with enchanting photos of elaborate treehouses and playhouses built by professionals and costing tens of thousands to build. For the rest of us, there's bit of elbow grease, a lot of imagination, a trip to the hardware store-and Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build.

Authors David and Jeanie Stiles are the best-selling authors of a number of books on treehouses with sales of over 150,000 copies. They have created another straightforward how-to-build book filled with beautiful hand-drawn step-by-step illustrations that are easy to follow and describe in detail how to create each project. They include tips on budgeting, using basic tools, buying materials, and kid- and adult-friendly instructions! Even for DIY novice types, this book simplifies the building process and inspires families of all types to work together and build cool stuff.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781586857806
Publisher:	Smith, Gibbs Publisher
Publication date:	08/10/2006
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

David and Jeanie have been writing "how-to" books together for the past twelve years. Most recently, the couple built a treehouse on The Today Show in Rockefeller Center in New York. They divide their time between New York City and East Hampton, where they live in a barn they renovated together.

David and Jeanie have been writing "how-to" books together for the past twelve years. Most recently, the couple built a treehouse on The Today Show in Rockefeller Center in New York. They divide their time between New York City and East Hampton, where they live in a barn they renovated together.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

About this Book 11

Chapter 1:

Basic Building Information 13

Tools 13

Tool Tips 15

Lumber & Materials 16

Lumber Tips 17

Joining Logs 19

Making a Peg ''n Hole Joint 20

Mini-ties 21

Bamboo 21

Joining Bamboo 22

Decking 23

Staging or Scaffolding Planks 24

Spans 24

Treehouse Span Table 25

Lumber Delivery 25

Making a Simple Sawhorse 26

Sawing Through Lumber 27

Bolts, Nails & Screws 27

"Secret" Glue 28

Installing Posts 29

Making Concrete Footings 30

Rope Railings 31

Branch Rails 32

Doors & Windows 33

Making an Easy Plexiglas Window 34

Attaching a Window 35

Building a Simple Fixed Skylight 36

Building an Operable Skylight 37

Building a Loft 38

Chapter 2:

Building a Treehouse 41

Family Meeting 42

Planning a Treehouse 42

Planned Building vs.

Building as You Go 43

Choosing the Right Tree 43

Tree Expansion & Movement 45

Installing a Lag Screw 48

Threaded Rods 49

Flexible Connections 49

Rope 54

Knots to Know 55

Chain & Wire Rope 57

Cables & Turnbuckles 58

Attaching Beams 58

Beams/Planning 59

Beams/Attaching 60

Braces 60

Access to the Treehouse 65

Building Stairs 65

Rope Ladder 68

Innertube Collar 69

Chapter 3:

Three Treehouse Designs 71

(Step-by-Step Instructions & Illustrations)

Building a Basic Treehouse 72

Building a Treeless Treehouse 82

The Hobbit Treehouse: Our Story 88

Building the Hobbit House 90

Chapter 4:

Four Playhouse Designs 93

(Step-by-Step Instructions & Illustrations)

"Pie-Rat" Ship Playhouse 94

"Pie-Rat" Ship Party 104

Victorian Playhouse 105

Hobbit Playhouse 113

Building the Hobbit Playhouse 120

Shed Playhouse 124

Building the Shed 129

Building the Playhouse 131

Chapter 5:

Accessories 133

Ladder Hoist 133

Tips for Making Swings 133

Making a Simple Swing 135

Zip Line 136

Message Board & Mirror 137

Trash Box 137

Bridges 138

Pulley & Basket 139

Drawbridge 139

Hoist 140

Crow''s Nest 141

Pirate Ship Accessories 142

Pirate''s Cutlass 142

Jolly Roger 143

Ship''s Wheel 143

Resources 144