Dominating Treehouse Kills Tree And Is Abandoned

Dominating Treehouse Kills Tree And Is Abandoned

Sometimes we just gotta learn by seeing how not to do something.

I found this image on Flickr by poppL. It pretty much serves as a prime example of how structural domination over a tree does not work. I'll point out three no-no's I picked out of this photo:

My first criticism is that the platform is far to low in the tree, too close to the crotch, and the branches look to be cut where they meet the floor. One branching trunk seems to be left protruding through the roof, or out the back, and that was eventually topped as well when the tree began to die.

Trees need their canopy to live and a well designed treehouse will accomodate that and take advantage of the natural shelter it provides. Smart treehouse designs are all about optimizing a symbiotic relationship with the trees!

Second, look at the base of the trunk. There is a large section of bark missing on the right hand side. Injuries such as this are devastating and can kill a tree. The bark layer is what transmits most nutrients, not the core of the tree, and by stripping it off all growth above that point will be stopped.

Third, I suspect that the supports for the floor and walls of the house are nailed directly into the tree trunk. This also damages the bark and steel nails will rust and cause rot to occur. Too many nails, throughout all sides of a tree trunk, and the tree will be severely injured and susceptible to other problems.

There is a nice analogy here with body piercing. Anyone can get numberous well placed , and sterile, piercings in their body -- ears, nose, bellybutton, etc -- without any real harm done. But no one would volunteer to have a number of small steel spikes randomly driven into their torso. That would result in serious pain and a trip to the hospital. Well, same goes for a tree: there are certain ways to get support from a tree without doing any real damage.

So, the overall lession to be learned here is this: A tree house sucks when it is in a dead tree. A good tree house design ensures the health of the tree and takes advantage of the natural strength and protection it can offer. Enjoyment of a tree house depends in part on having a healthy tree.

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