The House Projects Thread

[unzippy]

How about a ramp for lawn mower? Especially if it could slide along to be in front of the main door too. Would be good for sending toys down to the garden..

PS, the Tesla panel gaps one the garage door - can you adjust please...

[Rich B]

How about a ramp for lawn mower? Especially if it could slide along to be in front of the main door too. Would be good for sending toys down to the garden..

PS, the Tesla panel gaps one the garage door - can you adjust please...

good thinking, I like that!

Believe it or I have already I have already done the panel gap because it was irritating mid too!! The left hand jamb has been shifted in a few mm at the bottom and it’s even now!

[turboferret]

Howdy folks, not been on here for quite some time since the new server is blocked from work. It has probably been good from a productivity perspective though! Now I'm working from home no such restrictions apply

I have a treehouse build which is in its infancy - we have a large eucalyptus tree in the corner of our garden which was crying out for something creative being done with



This was the initial concept, with an intermediate platform accessed by a ladder, then stairs up into the house, but I realised that headroom on the intermediate access platform would be minimal so wasn't really viable



Revised design has a proper staircase down the side which will be safer and also maximise space inside the treehouse - haven't quite worked out how many steps I want going around the corners, but the concept is there



The main platform will be constructed from 6x2 and will measure about 2m x 2.5m supported from cast aluminium scaffolding handrail brackets screwed into the trunks with 200mm M10 screws, plus additional diagonal bracing at the corners.

I thought it might be fun to capture the build from a 1st person perspective, but I couldn't find the chest-harness for my GoPro. Fortunately I'm scrawny enough for a helmet strap to fit fairly comfortably around my ribs



As the platform is about 3.2m up to clear the trampoline and which also works well with the lay of the branches, it seemed pertinent to put the climbing harness on to try and minimise the risk of an A&E trip. It's remarkable how hard work it is drilling holes when you are dangling from a rope and can't get your weight behind the tool :O

A few shots below of progress so far



















Wood is coming next week for the main platform and stairs. The walls are going to be fun as they will have multiple branches going through them. Despite being pretty large, I'm hoping that it can stay relatively well hidden in the tree, which is evergreen which helps. Should be a fun project and hopefully the children will enjoy the finished result. Got to try not to piss off too many neighbours in the process, otherwise I may find that my 'temporary structure' will need to come down...

[Simon]

OK silly question. I've always wondered with treehouses - what happens when the tree grows? Will that treehouse be ripped apart? Does it go up with the tree?

[mik]

It will become at-one with the tree and also grow organically.

[Rich B]

Looks great, definitely worth making it taller than you need now too, it’ll give it a longer life.

I love building tree houses - we did one at my brothers house down the end of his garden a few years back and have just kept adding to it. It is basically a platform about 10x10ft at about 7ft high in an apple tree.

This was after a day or two, I haven’t got any recent photos though.



It now has windows, a proper balcony/handrail, a tubular slide (bloody expensive they are - but about 6 months of searching eBay found one for reasonable money), an opening side that is a “juice bar” for some reason, a nerf gun rack and is all disguised with cargo netting.

Build the platform well then just add to it whatever your kids want! He went for a ladder Access, his boy was about 6/7 though.

[Mito Man]

I love a treehouse, always wanted to try building one but never got round to it. Used to enjoy that Treehouse Masters program on Discovery but always wondered how the tree did long term after they drilled a bunch of 4 inch holes through it and the owner spent hundreds of thousands of dollars - you really wouldn’t want it to die

[Swervin_Mervin]

Fantastic!

1 question though - do tree houses need planning permission? I'd have thought they wood.

[integrale_evo]

Doubt it, I expect they'd come under permitted developments as a temporary structure as long as they cover less than 1/3rd of your outside area ( or similar, it's a long while since I looked into it when building our garage.

[Jobbo]

It almost certainly does require planning permission (sorry Rich!) - it's a structure and the fact that it may be considered temporary is no longer relevant. A treehouse worth having will never be below the height restrictions for permitted development.

Having said that, if it's not overlooking or overbearing to neighbours then they may not complain and once it's been up for 4 years no enforcement action can be taken.

[NotoriousREV]

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of bonded resin drives?

[Rich B]

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of bonded resin drives?

no good for tree houses.

[NotoriousREV]

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of bonded resin drives?

no good for tree houses.

Probably true.

[Carlos]

Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of bonded resin drives?

no good for tree houses.

Probably true.

We had our drive done 2 years ago and aesthetically it's what I wanted but was nearly twice the price of the printed concrete we went for.

Tarmac was the same price as the concrete to have done properly and I couldn't be arsed with a block driveway as I won't maintain it.

The printed concrete looks great though.

[NotoriousREV]

[mention]Carlos[/mention] What did you pay per M2? My current drive is about 35, but ideally I’d want to do my entire front, which is about 70.

[jamcg]

Printed concrete can be absolutely lethal when it’s wet, stupidly slippy. Have seen someone who had resin driveway damaged by someone turning on it and wheelspan, taking some resin with it. Of course this may have been done incorrectly, but something to ask when getting potential quotes

[Carlos]

Printed concrete can be absolutely lethal when it’s wet, stupidly slippy. Have seen someone who had resin driveway damaged by someone turning on it and wheelspan, taking some resin with it. Of course this may have been done incorrectly, but something to ask when getting potential quotes

The resin isn't bombproof but neither is any driveway and they can all be repaired.

Mine isn't slippery as I opted for a textured colour/sealant. I think they were like tiny glass beads, it dulls the finish slightly but gives a grippier surface.

[Mito Man]

Block paving needing maintenance is a new one for me what maintenance?!

[Carlos]

@Carlos What did you pay per M2? My current drive is about 35, but ideally I’d want to do my entire front, which is about 70.

£50m² but I had a local farmer to dig out the old drive and lawn with a small digger and did some groundwork myself with my builder.

[Carlos]

Block paving needing maintenance is a new one for me what maintenance?!

Weeding and moss mainly but it always sinks to a certain extent as well.