How to build a hut in a tree?

Les adeptes des dessins animés des années 80 se souviennent très probablement de Tom Sawyer, cette série télévisée japonaise adaptée des Aventures de Tom Sawyer, roman de l’écrivain américain Mark Twain édité en 1876, qui mettait en scène Tom Sawyer, un jeune orphelin américain au XIX^e siècle dans le Missouri d’avant la guerre de Sécession, et son ami vagabond Huckleberry Finn — héros d’un autre roman du même auteur, Les Aventures de Huckleberry Finn, paru en 1884.It was this friend "Huck" who, at the start of the series, will build a "house" of fortune: a hut suspended among the trees on the banks of the Mississippi river.

A cabin, for what to do?

Unlike Huck, you are not-at least we hope-homeless.In addition, if you read this article because the subject interests you, it is a priori because you have, where are about to do so, a house with a garden, a garden in which at least one tree thronemajestically.

That's it ?Have you made your decision?You are seduced by the idea of building something from your hands, to experience the satisfaction of the work accomplished and to be able to contemplate it daily next to your home?It's a great decision!In addition to the pleasure of tinkering, alone or with several - essential here for security reasons, see below - you will be delighted with this "new piece", to watch and live.

Children will have fun as crazy by giving free rein to their imagination and legendary creativity.For adults, a perched shelter allows you to cut themselves off from urban or domestic life, disconnect from electronics, isolate yourself to work, concentrate, dream, relax, imagine, rest, recharge your batteries.Because it also allows you to get closer to harmony with nature, the environment created by a hut in a tree is ideal for reading, writing, composing, playing, painting, so many artistic and manual activities that we haveneed to suspend time in a world where everything goes so fast.A "secondary resilience" at a lower cost, in short.

What materials, tools, wood treatment?

A “100 % recovered” construction would be ideal, but unrealistic and above all relatively dangerous.Even if you have at heart to paraphrase Mark Twain - "They did not know that it was impossible, so they did it" -, be pragmatic and effective, especially for the elements that will support the structure of your cabin: theymust be of stability and solidity to any test.

For wood, the classic planks recovered from the pallets and the driftwood (large and thick branches fallen into the rivers and more or less polished by time)))) will be able to do the trick for the side faces and the roof, butIt is not easy to find in quantity and which are in an exploitable state.It is recommended to get closer to specialized suppliers, many on the Internet, in addition to the traditional DIY brands.They generally offer two ranges for each petrol: raw wood and planed wood.The latter, slightly more expensive, is to be favored to avoid very unpleasant bursts when handling the boards.

In terms of hut construction, the favorite wood species for their solidity are pine, spruce and Douglas, three conifers from the Pinaceae family which are particularly suitable for external constructions.As such, such an arrangement potentially confronted with bad weather requires stainless steel screws to avoid the risk of rust as much as possible.

For ties, if necessary, steel wires dedicated to gardening as well as ropes or cords treated to resist the outside will suit perfectly.

Wood treatment, essential for the life of your shelter, is generally very polluting.There is an ecological alternative which however presents the disadvantage of a relatively long drying time, from several days to two or three weeks depending on the case and the number of layers: the "Norway tar", also called "Swedish tar"or "liquid pitch", discovered by the Vikings to nourish and protect the wood from their Drakkars.It is a vegetable tar obtained by carbonification of the pine, which should not be confused with the creosote, prohibited from use.

In terms of tools, prefer electric (screwdriver, saw, etc..)))).If you know without difficulty fixing a hook on a door to the sole force of your hands helped by a screwdriver, the repetition of the task and the hardness of certain materials could take your life here and discourage you.To facilitate screwing without altering the solidity of the fixings, opt for the "pre-grown", made to the drill with a forest of a diameter fairly lower than that of the screw.

To bring different elements of the hut in height, finally think of cable and pulleys systems.

Regarding "combat outfit", for your comfort and voting security, you will also adopt gloves and closed clothes and shoes.Glasses are also recommended during drilling and sawing operations.

What method of conception respectful of nature?

Be foreseen and pragmatic: draw sketches and plans, even approximate.If you are comfortable with IT tools, you will find many devices on the Internet to help you model the cabin of your dreams in 3D.

Obviously, your hut in a tree in your garden is for, among other goals, bring you closer to nature.Therefore, you are keen to protect it, including the tree that you are about to invest.In this case, there are two main design modes for a hut that does not damage the tree: the tightening flange and the structure on stilts.It is neither essential nor desirable to dig or unravel the tree to fix its structure.

If you do not have confidence in your DIY talents, train first with constructions intended for smaller inhabitants: birds, cat, your dog.

Very detailed and very educational tutorials and plans are available on many websites, for free or for a few euros.

Watch out for safety

It would obviously be very regrettable that the pleasure of building and the happiness of having a cabin in a tree of his garden turn into drama.To better prevent this risk, various precautions are necessary.

The importance of lift

Check stability in all angles of the “habitable” surface.Depending on the type of construction, the tree is more or less "carrier" of the structure.Make sure that branches that support certain weights are not rotten.

Your safety during construction

Ne réalisez pas les travaux en étant seul, consultez des proches qui s’y connaissent un peu ou des experts assermentés, respectez les consignes de sécurité de base du bricolage (gants, chaussures, lunettes de protection)))) et, le cas échéant, celles relatives au travail en hauteur (harnais, garde-corps, etc.)))).

Everyone's safety after construction

The structure being installed in height, the risk of falling elements or people on the ground is not to be excluded, in particular in the event of violent bad weather (storm, heavy rain, storms)))).

If the falls from a perched hut do not flourish in the “news” sections of the local press, it is mainly because the vast majority of them are designed by qualified installers respecting safety standards and performing checksregular.As such, the exploitation of huts for hotel purposes has been authorized in France since 2007 and some of them have been federated, affiliated with a network, such as Cabanes de France.

In individuals, it is "another pair of boards", so be careful, especially if you want to "occupy" your adventurer construction, in addition to its decorative function.

Solidity, stability and accessibility must be favored when designing and building your cabin.As such, you have to know how to consider the worst to prevent it: on the ground, a soft and generous vegetation will absorb any possible fall, the ideal being, a few centimeters higher, the installation of a safety net, why not recoveredwith a fishery or fishing port if you live by the sea.

These few ideas intended to help you imagine the cabin of your dreams and make it real are not limiting: letting free rein to your creativity (design, recovered materials, etc..)))) while remaining reasonable in terms of security and harmony with nature.