How to Build a Treehouse | This Old House

Рет қаралды 773,840

3 жыл бұрын

Kevin O’Connor begins a labor of love at the Belmont Victorian: a tree house for the kids.
SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse.
Kevin O’Connor begins building a tree house for the kids at the Belmont Victorian. Norm Abram builds a ladder, Tom Silva lays decking, and Kevin installs balusters. After a big team effort, the tree house is complete and ready for the kids to enjoy.
Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: bit.ly/2GPiYbH
Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/st...
About This Old House TV:
This Old House is America’s first and most trusted home improvement show. Each season, we renovate two different historic homes-one step at a time-featuring quality craftsmanship and the latest in modern technology. We demystify home improvement and provide ideas and information so, whether you are doing it yourself or hiring out contractors, you’ll know the right way to do things or the questions to ask. Our experts including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor give you the tools you need to protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
Follow This Old House:
Facebook: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB
Twitter: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter
Pinterest: bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest
Instagram: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG
How to Build a Treehouse | This Old House
/ thisoldhouse

Пікірлер: 587

@crmcbrideww 3 жыл бұрын

Kevin is so lucky to have such a great father figure around him like Tommy.

@lambrinos 3 жыл бұрын

Norm, Tommy, this will be the best built, most expensive treehouse in history

@tobleroni 2 жыл бұрын

Tommy: “We don’t want to fasten anything directly to the tree.” Kevin: “We’re going to screw this ginormous lag bolt right into the tree.” 😂

@aftech7268 Жыл бұрын

Exactly

@lizyh1783 Жыл бұрын

He means to say that you don't want wood sitting directly on the bark but he didn't say all that.

@karlbach1451 Жыл бұрын

Right. Lemme just drill this 3 INCH DIAMETER HOLE

@rafaelsibila6306 Жыл бұрын

@@lizyh1783 Yes, but it was funny...Maybe the tree proverbial eyes went wide seeing he lag bolt.

@Strizzle81 Жыл бұрын

Great way to damage a beautiful tree

@beesoffury 3 жыл бұрын

Who else started laughing when Kevin just grabbed the ratchet to keep things moving? 🤣

@s50201 3 жыл бұрын

dude was like "what is a ratchet?"

@philoyphilia 3 жыл бұрын

That was epic lol

@31mbur 3 жыл бұрын

When was this?

@jeremymurphy7320 3 жыл бұрын

I wondered how long it was going to be before he grabbed the ratchet and shamed the poor guy in front of his wife.

@robgautomotive 3 жыл бұрын

You can tell the guy never used a ratchet before in his life lol

@PoisonousChickens 3 жыл бұрын

That's just a normal playhouse screwed into a tree, needs more height and danger

@keithreay 3 жыл бұрын

We don’t want to attach anything directly into the tree. First step, drill two 3 inch holes directly into the tree.

@zackamania6534 3 жыл бұрын

Hey look billy, I’m a whole SIX FEET OFF THE GROUND

@mgjk 2 жыл бұрын

When I was 6, I did this by climbing up into a pine tree and start hammering 1x2 scrap to the branches. If you bend a nail, just keep hammering, it'll get flat. If you hear the 1x2s cracking, you're standing in the wrong spot.

@aidenp265 2 жыл бұрын

I built one when I was 13 it was 14 feet off the ground. We started off with a ladder made of scrap. You would climb and nail into the tree. We used scrap tongue and groove flooring and we even had a working sink and gutter. If you think about it, this treehouse is just a deck secured to a tree.

@walterjordan7844 2 жыл бұрын

I guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a way to log back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb lost the account password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me.

@MaxRenke 3 жыл бұрын

This is the most work I've seen Kevin do on a job in years 😂

@JoseMendoza-hv9fe 3 жыл бұрын

Lmfao

@youredoingitwrong1361 3 жыл бұрын

It's the biggest birdhouse he's ever made, he was excited

@greglee218 3 жыл бұрын

I agree he’s afraid norm might come back and take over his job

@jackhammer8364 3 жыл бұрын

😂I'm Dying

@johnlebzelter4208 3 жыл бұрын

Someone is jealous

@HomeCraftChronicles 3 жыл бұрын

Tommy says we don't want to fasten anything to the tree, yet the first thing they do is drill a hole in the tree for a giant bolt. Hmmmm

@ElectricGears 3 жыл бұрын

The bolts are fine. The tree will grow and envelope them without being damaged. Notice the generous space between the bark and the beam. The problem would be if you were to leg screw a beam directly against the bark. That would compress it, restrict it's growth and cause deformation of the attached structure.

@UnarmedZombie 3 жыл бұрын

He meant you don't want to fasten the framing directly to the tree. That was the way people used to do it, but now the correct way is to use hardware that is made specifically for tree houses.

@slimjimpotter8044 3 жыл бұрын

I assume he ment minimal tree bults.

@Davey768 3 жыл бұрын

Doing it like they did, the tree assumes it's been damaged and heals itself. Won't do that if you lag screw straight to it.

@stevenmalone38 Жыл бұрын

These bolts are not fastening anything to the tree... to fasten means to hold two things together by nailing, screwing, stapling, or bolting to something else. These bolts are simple an anchor for a platform to rest on. However... the galvanized lags are infact fastening the bracket to the tree...

@Terminal-Man 2 жыл бұрын

It’s good to see Norm. It’s probably been 20 years since I’ve seen him on TV.

@zmoorern 3 жыл бұрын

I get beyond excited the moment I see Norm. Such a joy to watch his craft.

@korndog76 3 жыл бұрын

Dang!! When I was a kid, we salvaged wood from an abandoned house, pulled and straightened each nail and mounted that sucker right on the bark... If only we had 10 grand and working tools, other than a hammer and a hand saw..............

@retprob 3 жыл бұрын

Beat me to it. As 11-12 yr. old kids we did the same thing. Is it better this way? Maybe structurally. Is this as fun ? Not by a long shot !

@Effedup 3 жыл бұрын

lol yeah same here our treehouse down by the creek was made out of cast off construction materials and other found things. It was not nearly as safe as this thing but hanging out up there reading comic books eating candy and drinking root beer slurpees we'd buy at the 7-11 around the corner on hot summer days was the best. There is no more magical time than summer breaks when you're in middle school, old enough to really make the most of the day but too young to have to get a job and start earning money. For me, this was back in the 80s, in those days kids had a lot more freedom, almost everybody's parents all worked full time in our neighborhood and the vast majority of us were left home alone all day to more or less do as we please (so long as our younger siblings survived unscathed) until dinner timer. After dinner it was usually right back outside to play until the street lights came on and we all marched home. There'd be groups of us 12 deep out in the woods building forts and climbing trees together, building ramps for our bikes, talking about movies and video games, listening to our walk-mans... I dont really see kids doing that stuff anymore in my neighborhood and it makes me sad. Running wild all summer long on our own at 11 years old was pretty freaking rad.

@adeebmomen4541 3 жыл бұрын

@@Effedup your comment gave me a run of nostalgia

@gangisspawn1 2 жыл бұрын

Same here. We built it on a wooded lot in our neighborhood. Never saw the owners there and never asked permission. 🤣. It was an amazing hangout for us neighborhood kids and so much fun building. It had a thatched roof from field grass we collected. Kids need to do stuff like that on their own.

@oo-gg6yo 3 жыл бұрын

im gonna need one of those Tommy. shirts

@geoffbuilds 3 жыл бұрын

Apparently they were sold on etsy a while ago and aren't available anymore, so far as I can tell. Would love it if they brought it back.

@paulrowan4974 3 жыл бұрын

When Norm said he built a jig for routing the rabbits for the ladder treads, I thought to myself "of course you did". That guy is amazing.

@VideoUserPerson 2 жыл бұрын

Then they didn’t even use it! 😅

@Husky_Honey 2 жыл бұрын

I said the same thing to myself!!

@coltsjason 6 ай бұрын

Figured Norm would ɓuild a 19th century full size dresser 😂😂

@Frankie_2s 3 жыл бұрын

My maple tree is metric, does anyone have an adapter?

@hoen00 3 жыл бұрын

Must be one of them Canadian Maples!

@johnmyers473 3 жыл бұрын

Always great seeing Kevin and Tommy but really great seeing Norm! Great job!!!

@annhysell6064 7 ай бұрын

Absolutely love it! Planning a tree house/slide/rope ladder for our family's home and these ideas are an inspiration. Thank you This Old House b/c ours is well over 100 yrs old. And great to see Norm involved too. Be well

@philoyphilia 2 жыл бұрын

I love watching these guys working together. But that project is a tree deck, rather than a tree a house.

@alexdevelter5091 3 жыл бұрын

Tommy is a genius! He can build anything thank you for being a great teacher tom!

@Patmanduu 2 жыл бұрын

The neighbors are going to love having kids looking into their yards.

@Sussy-hotdog 2 жыл бұрын

Yep… that’s how it goes when you live in postage stamp size yards. Like it or lump it… or move to the countryside.

@Guillotines_For_Globalists Жыл бұрын

A voyeur's dream cum true!

@heavyq 3 жыл бұрын

Using the old tree limbs and trunks as the railing is such a great idea. Excellent work, TOH crew!

@112wade 3 жыл бұрын

Leave it to Norm to make a jig for a treehouse project.( Gotta love it). I could have used you guys in the '50's when I was a kid making a treehouse in my grandmother's backyard. Really fun and instructional video, thanks.

@dolam 2 жыл бұрын

That is really great. I love the little touches, like a hammock chair and log railing.

@CuddleTrouble 3 жыл бұрын

Man, I miss watching norm make furniture.

@communityracecar Жыл бұрын

Wow!! I love that this show is still going! ❤️❤️

@dnfinnegan24 3 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure the husband has no idea how a ratchet works.

@jackhammer8364 3 жыл бұрын

😂

@slimjimpotter8044 3 жыл бұрын

Lmfao

@TheChangeWithin 3 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing. 😂

@roshi98 3 жыл бұрын

The dude looked like "what is this SORCERY?!!!"

@jsweizston5410 3 жыл бұрын

Lol I was laughing at that too.

@farithjarir7616 3 жыл бұрын

Mann.. that's amazing family project

@kwatogsatx 3 жыл бұрын

There goes the privacy of that neighbor.

@112wade 3 жыл бұрын

Especially with the telescope.

@renevalencia7121 2 жыл бұрын

Hooo. That’s wonderful!!!, the kids must be very happy

@jackchn23 3 жыл бұрын

Neighbors must LOVE this....

@impsquared 10 ай бұрын

Norm working on a tree house - amazing!

@rikerdevil 3 жыл бұрын

Great, another project on my list!

@robopaul9 Жыл бұрын

Funniest part is when Kevin uses a long pole to get leverage for tightening one of the big bolts and right after that scene, Tommy is just using the socket wrench without a pole to tighten another one of the big bolts. Tommy, the legend.

@pklemm1 3 жыл бұрын

Wow look at Kevin. Putting in some work

@lukewilliams7264 2 жыл бұрын

Just got three people on the end of a drill 🤷🏼‍♂️😂 thanks for some great ideas, I loved the rustic rails.

@davebutler4959 3 жыл бұрын

Nice to see Kevin channel Tommy thru that shirt! Nice build!!

@James-wk5mj 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah great “very own water park” with the black mucky mulch and mud everywhere hours of fun

@johnroberts9560 3 жыл бұрын

I wish I was little again so I could enjoy a tree house , I love this one !!! 👍😀🛠

@chrislawson1233 2 жыл бұрын

Heck, don't need to be little. I'd take a book and a beer up there and hang out all afternoon if I had that.

@arturomontalvo2963 3 жыл бұрын

Tom Silva’s the man the legend

@ramonl6637 3 жыл бұрын

I love it. Now I just need a tree!!!!

@cearnach5046 2 жыл бұрын

Wholesome stuff

@musicjazzvez Жыл бұрын

I will like to build a tree house for my kids! Thank you for sharing!

@nomalevolence 3 жыл бұрын

This is like the avengers of This Old House! Great episode!

@nickkk420 3 жыл бұрын

Cept Roger wasn't there to pretty up the gahhden

@Mihogan 3 жыл бұрын

Him turning the ratchet 360 and nobody telling him how a ratchet works 😂

@embracethesuck1041 3 жыл бұрын

Great to see Norm again

@ivonnecorrea353 9 ай бұрын

I like it ❤

@jaredbrown2747 3 жыл бұрын

Festool for a treehouse... goals

@degenwow 3 жыл бұрын

Best show, best guys

@pandraus 2 жыл бұрын

I would take all my vacation days to do this with the crew. Amazing experience for the couple!

@LightGesture 2 жыл бұрын

His face @5:28. Priceless. 👀

@o0oitzJimmy 3 жыл бұрын

Wish I could work & learn from these guys!

@VatsalSingh007 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome!!

@saurabhg4060 3 жыл бұрын

He said the bark's important and later drilled 3 big holes in it😂

@wompbozer3939 3 жыл бұрын

It’s better than the half pound of bent over 16’s I used to use

@RegulareoldNorseBoy 2 жыл бұрын

That doesn't hurt the tree at all 🙂 That's the same procedure we use when checking the age of trees 🙂

@donaldfranklin5391 3 жыл бұрын

Great build on the tree house in great video

@kakaccc20 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video! What is the problem with using carpentry joints (e.g.lapping joints) when building a platform for a treehouse?

@heroknaderi 3 жыл бұрын

Very fun I enjoyed watching 😁

@vjdav6872 11 ай бұрын

Briliant!

@brodinigotmagic 2 ай бұрын

Feels like an episode of sesame Street without puppets.

@zentrucker 3 жыл бұрын

In the old days, kids would build their own tree-houses. That was a very important part about the tree house, that you did it your self.

@PatrolOfficer161 3 жыл бұрын

You can say that again. I had to all but force my teenage boy (he's a 35 year-old former Marine now) to build a treehouse with me and today we're converting half the garage of his new home into a carpentry shop and has been grateful for the tutorage. Don't let your kids down just because they initially resist an idea.

@sherriianiro747 11 ай бұрын

You are so right! The neighborhood kids all built one in my yard because I had the best tree. Had to buy all new tools after that one!

@jameslabs1 Жыл бұрын

Cool. Thanks

@maryannopara7768 Жыл бұрын

Lovely

@faridjahed 2 жыл бұрын

Nice tree balcony

@janebarry400 2 жыл бұрын

Wow! It's so inspiring! 😍 Maybe someone can tell me some good articles about treehouses?

@user-po5lb7dp3d 3 ай бұрын

There's definitely different ways of doing it and making it solid and sturdy and not necessary to do it theirs! This isn't the only way, but it's still good!

@ryanfoss6243 2 жыл бұрын

wow awesome!

@danielkennedy8530 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Kevin, how come Mr Silva didn't need a cheater bar on his bolt. lol...🤭 And the classic coin phrase"I made this jig". Still enjoy watching the craftsmanship of the crew ever since I was a little kid watching the shows with my dad.

@dyannevans9179 3 жыл бұрын

Wonderful job norm did very nice job on the latter. Very nice job you guys. Ron

@jeffwilson1399 3 жыл бұрын

Latter??? Wtf?

@rid1coza 3 жыл бұрын

@@jeffwilson1399 his part came in the end, so yes

@VishalSharma-dw1ub 3 жыл бұрын

Great Tommy...

@randyd3649 3 жыл бұрын

Tommy and Norm on the team? That treehouse will outlive every one of us!

@paulrowan4974 3 жыл бұрын

It's almost unfair, isn't it?

@bparabellumli39 4 ай бұрын

I was looking for videos on how to build my daughter a tree house... I was so lucky to find this because now I know that I'm going to go back home and look at my steam list library and play all those games that i bought that i would of never played if I had to build a tree house.

@phoenix0110 2 жыл бұрын

Best episode ever! Haha

@reneperalta5824 2 жыл бұрын

That's cool

@supermodestmouse 5 ай бұрын

Always wanted a treehouse as a kid. Probably outside my dad's skillset and not sure if we'll have yards with trees big enough to support one in CA, but maybe one day :)

@dhoyle19 3 жыл бұрын

With current lumber prices, this tree house was built for a cool 2.3 million dollars. Build yours today!

@Vanilla_Icecream1231 3 жыл бұрын

Lmao in Canada 2 years ago it was 3 cad for 2x4 now it’s like 9 cad

@dhoyle19 3 жыл бұрын

@@Vanilla_Icecream1231 USD $7.77 for a 2x4x8' today.

@McScott76 3 жыл бұрын

Not to mention the $500 of specialty hardware they used to anchor it to the tree.

@eastonvonschist2283 3 жыл бұрын

I would not call that a tree house. More like a tree platform.

@24revealer 3 жыл бұрын

I agree. Any house I ever have been in had a roof.

@jasenrock 2 жыл бұрын

aint that hard yo add a roof. The hard part is the platform

@Shawn-dg8ow 2 жыл бұрын

Give em a break. Lumber prices probably cut the project short.

@eastonvonschist2283 2 жыл бұрын

@@Shawn-dg8ow Probably!

@minirichiPap 2 жыл бұрын

@@jasenrock of course, why don't you add a roof to the floor and call it a house? no walls just "rails" se if that adds up

@njutarn8381 2 жыл бұрын

this channel is the best i will try this

@albertblair3444 3 жыл бұрын

Nice tree house

@johns5263 Жыл бұрын

Nothing like putting in a 4" nail and hammering that summabish flush. I was upset when the house around the corner from me dismantled the treehouse they had wrapped around a huge oak tree. It was a Fortress and I could tell by looking at it, whomever built it wanted it to last forever. P.S: everytime i hear Kevin, all i think about is the spongebob episode with Kevin the pickle. Keeeviiinnnnnn

@fufuberry23 3 жыл бұрын

yea i'm going to need some of those shirts STAT

@onezeroone354 Ай бұрын

Awesome build. Thanks. I would use gloves though especially working with power tools.

@almondflour4785 3 жыл бұрын

Grand view of the neighbor’s yard.

@chrislawson1233 2 жыл бұрын

Maybe Mrs. Jones next door likes to water the garden in a not-so-carefully fastened bathrobe.

@fairtex7 2 жыл бұрын

such a great foundation seems like you could have built more than just a treedeck.

@LucidDreamer54321 3 жыл бұрын

This is not a treehouse. This is a tree deck.

@ShakespeareCafe 3 жыл бұрын

The tree's bark is just a protective cover. Water flows via the xylem and sugars/carbohydrates/nutrients via pholem

@heartstonecampground1081 2 жыл бұрын

I sure miss watching Norm in his New Yankee Workshop building furniture...the end of an era for sure. Is there any way to purchase all those old episodes?

@ALAPINO 3 жыл бұрын

Honestly, I want a Tommy t-shirt.

@Gershwin17 3 жыл бұрын

These project videos need to include the number of man-hours involved; otherwise I might try this “great DIY project” and go missing for a month.

@ionlyplayps5530 3 жыл бұрын

Man, growing up the ghetto always wanted one.

@kristjan1757 2 жыл бұрын

Yep! That is really a great thing. I love very much touches and hammock and log railing

@4602experience 2 жыл бұрын

5:58 that look on Kevins face....my contract stipulates I'm not suppose to sweat this much

@JohnAranita 2 жыл бұрын

When I was a student @ Ka'ala Elementary School, I was part of a group that I named "the tree people." @ the schoolyard, we would hold meetings atop a tree. Also, we would climb my family's Avocado tree.

@jefffeyh3704 Жыл бұрын

Before the show started I was thinking Norm never built a tree house in the New Yankee Workshop. It was nice that he was apart of this build

@davecarter4129 3 жыл бұрын

Norm needs a MUCH bigger role... he's the absolute man

@rickfromthecape3135 3 жыл бұрын

Kevin was balking at paying a master carpenter to just build a tree house...lol

@davecarter4129 3 жыл бұрын

@@rickfromthecape3135 That lobster needs to learn some manners

@RegulareoldNorseBoy 2 жыл бұрын

he said in a interview that he doesn't want to be a host or anything I think he's right where he wants to be 🙂

@Ryan-bh9jp 2 жыл бұрын

I was worried about screwing up a bird box on my tree. I was worried screwing into it would damage the tree. After watching this I’m sure my tree will be fine 😂

@kazper4137 Жыл бұрын

How did you get both holes lined up perfectly for your mounting lags?

@smackenzie1340 Жыл бұрын

use a water level.

@harryboschdavidson8125 16 күн бұрын

Genius 🧐

@TdSharp 3 жыл бұрын

We want more norm!

@johnfoley2582 Жыл бұрын

The compressive force in the brace going down diagonally to the tree will want to pop the cross beam up out of the hangers attached to the girders. Am I wrong about this? I am sure the treehouse will be fine since those hangers get nailed in well and won’t let the crossbeam move up, but the whole point of using hangers is to have bearing connections right?