Is this elevated playhouse design safe?

Looking for playhouse plans on the net I found this really cool one for a "Treeless Treehouse" that uses a telephone pole as the "tree." I'd love to build it for my son but I'd like some gut reactions from folks who know better than me if this seems safe/stable. Not a legal opinion, just a "yeah I'd let my kid play in this" or not.

Here's the link:

http://pages.areaguides.com/ubuild/TreeHouse.htm

 

hi
looks fine to me.
I would have some king of protection on the ground like recycle tire chip or
some sand to cushion any fall.
Caution on lumber selection.
Pressured threatted lumber is a NO NO

good luck

 

Why is it a no-no?

 

caleyg,

Pressure treated in exposed areas is a no no because depending on the treatment it could be arsenic or other heavy metals as the treatment. It was discovered that even after 5 years outside, many playgrounds were as toxic with arsenic as the day they were installed. Children would run their hands along the structure and then later place those same fingers in their mouth on their food etc... If it kills bugs for years it can do the same to us. Redwood or another tree species with natural tannins for insect resistance is always a better choice.

Even if you went with untreated wood it takes several years for rot or insects to do damage.

I hope this helps.

Brian Garrison
General Contractor/Professional Building Designer

 

I guess my main concern wasn't the falling risk--that's pretty obvious. Nor the arsenic risk for that matter--I think the newer versions of Pressure treated lumber have adressed the arsenic concern, but I'll check.

I was hoping some engineering type would comment on the stability of hanging the rim joists off the two center joists and the remaning joists off of those. Are the diagonal braces made of 4x6 landscaping timbers (I assume those that are semi-log shaped) going to give enough support for those corners?

 

caleyg,

If the structure is built as the pictures dictate, this is sufficient. UBuild has been around for years. No worry about what they do- they stand behnid it.

The 4x6 landscape timbers are a rectangle - not a semi-log style as assumed.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks Doug. I'll have to ask at Menards for those lanscape timbers.

 

caleyg,

You're welcome.

Here is an example of they look like.

http://store.dunnlum.com/dunn/adv/pa...=1&itemid=2109

http://store.dunnlum.com/dunn/adv/pa...=1&itemid=2108

Good Luck!

 

caleyg, If you are going to buy your lumber from menards, their pressure treated lumber is all arsnic free, it is called AC2. I do most of my lumber shopping at menards, and all menards carries the new AC2. It is illegal, in Wisconsin, to build with the other stuff. Just remember though, that regular flashing or joist hangers cannot be used with the AC2, it will eat away at the metal. there is plastic flashing now that you can use, and different hangers to use, just ask the lumber dest at menards, they willl tell you everything you need to know. Have fun, looks like this would be fun to build.

 

Thanks all for your help. This is meant to be a birthday present for my son who turns 6 in August.

 

good luck! R U in WI? What part?

 

Thanks, no I'm in central IL, the southernmost reaches of Menard's natural habitat.

 

I want to build a playhouse in my backyard. Backyard is not big so I am planning to build a 6 feet by 8 feet playhouse. This thread had a good elevated playhouse but it is 15 feet high. I am hoping to find something which is about 10-11 feet high. Can you help me with such plan/link
- Pankaj

 

why waste your time..just use those plans. put a flat roof on it and pull it down a couple of feet. that would give you 11 ft tall.

 

Wow, I just happened to drop by and see this at the top. I did make it and it was way cool. I've since mooved but it still stands. It was much larger than I expected. I mean I knew the dimensions but seeing it built it was big. I might take it down to 7x7 if I did it again.

My city gave me the pole for free.

 

I couldn't open the link even with the pop-up blocker turned off. Anybody know why?