Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site Treehouse in a pond?

My pond builder will be clearing out the last big trees from our embankment pond site (2 to 3 acres) in the next couple of weeks. We have a very large beech tree sitting in what will be the middle of the pond. My kids and I were discussing the possibility of cutting off the top of the tree above water line and building a platform/tree house using the trunk as the support. We were thinking that it might last at least several years before it fell over and would give the kids an "island" during that time. Anyone done anything like this or know why this is a bad idea? Thanks.

dang that would be cool dont know if it would work or not but im pretty sure beach trees are realitivly strong wood or are they weak cant remeamber, but it still should last 10 or so years. that would literally be a cabin "on" the lake.

Do it, Tim. If and when it falls in, the aqua residents will use it more than the kids. I imagine it will require regular structural checks for integrity to ensure safety.
When you do it, please post some photos on the Human Habitat thread .
I have some mental plans for an adult treehouse retreat, but I will be staying on shore at the pond's edge...would love to see others.

Tim, if I had such a structure over my pond, I would never, never leave. I'm sure it would cause a divorce and the loss of any custody of my kids, but Man!, that would be crazy.

I think it would be great! If I ever get a chance to own another backhoe I can finally finish my own 'Island Retreat'.
Do it!

i would go for it and just keep an eye on the structural integrity of the supporting limbs. i might try to keep the overall platform weight as low and as "centered" as possible, which makes me think of at least two ways it could go down the road:

1)depending on the soils and the weight distribution of what's left for the tree, and the weight of the platform, a water logged shallow root system may fail long before trunk and large limbs decay, and cause whole structure to topple.

2) if weight distribution is even and direct over root system (i.e. the tree is not a leaner) and if root system does not decay that rapidly under water, the portions of the tree outside the water will decay faster than those under water due to sunlight, intermittant moisture, bugs, woodpeckers, etc.

what a cool project!! definitely post updates!

"Fish Family Robinson"

Tim, sounds great. A couple of things to consider: you know the kids will jump off of it, so it probably shouldn't be too high (don't want them to hit the bottom) or too low (they will pull themselves up out of the water on the sides) - over time weakening the platform (if it is attached to the tree rather than on pontoons). The tree would probably stay alive longer if you just pruned back some branches and built around the trunk. Good luck.

Thanks for all the input. We're still talking it over, but if we do it I'll definitely post some pictures.

Toss in a zip line and a sliding board and I'll bet Sunil will be at your door with suitcase in hand.

Hey Tim,
Give us an update on your property development. Did you tune up the long driveway? Can you share some pics and thoughts on the pondsite development? Your project interests me alot because of the fairly substantial ravine that you plan to excavate...a little different than many of the flat-lander ponds we see here.

I can't think of anything neater than a treehouse in the middle.

Tim,

I had 25+ dead trees that were in my pond for 8 - 10 years. When the pond was drained down for repairs - I chain sawed most of them down.

That was the hardest wood I have cut in my life! I don’t know why – maybe have something to do with oxygen depletion? Those trees would have lasted many more years had I not whacked them down.

Go for it.

Gator

Tim, IIRC beech is a good hardwood with relatively extensive root system.

couple questions gator,

what kind of trees were they?

did they extend above water or were they completely submerged?

why did you decide to cut down?

In a recent post , Brettski said:
I haven't had much to post on our pond because the builder has not been able to work on it because of other projects. He was finally ready to start last weekend, but that apparently broke our 6-month drought (and the great dirtwork weather). I'm thankful for the rain, and Lord willing we will have some pond progress soon.

I needed to update this treehouse thread. We decided to give it a try and now have a treehouse/deck in the middle of the pond site. Here are some pictures....

Here is a picture of the tree before cutting. It was very large (see the next picture to compare with this long-distance shot). We wanted to take the weight out of the top to make it last longer after it was submerged. The two large trunks were a scary chainsaw job, and our tree guy didn't want to cut them any higher than he did. We would like to have had another 10 feet or so but we're thankful for what we have.



One of my sons climbing the tree after cutting out the top and starting the platform. The pile of dirt in front of the tree was a ramp we made so that we could get our Kubota front end loader high enough to stand on while starting the structure...


The platform is primarily supported by doubled 2x10s that sandwich the tree uprights. Here you can see the main supports and diagonal secondary braces (notice the Brettski-style hat )...


We floored with exterior plywood for strength and to reduce the number of times my children lose things in the water....


We attached posts, then built our railings in sections on the ground. Here is my son attaching the first section.....


Here is the current status with 3 of my sons enjoying the view. The platform is approximately 17 feet off the ground, and we estimate the water level at that point will be 12 feet (putting us 4 or 5 feet above the water).


Here is a little closer view....


When the dirtwork starts and we confirm our elevations we plan to coat the tree trunk at water level with a rubberized coating since I've been told that the water line is where the tree is most likely to rot first. I would also like to build some type of shade, maybe an overhead pagoda-style structure with a removable cloth covering so we can enjoy the view or cover up as needed.

I'll try to add more pictures when the pond work commences.

Hey DIED, just saw your post, sorry I didnt answer you sooner.

Dang wear burnt up my chain saw cutting those trees down.

The trees looked like oaks but I am not 100% sure, All the bark and most limbs were gone. We have mostly oaks and sweet gums in this bottom.

They extended above the water, full height in about 4 - 6 feet of water.

My wife "didnt like the look". !@#$% So I cut them to be submerged by about about 2 - 3 feet at full pool. : )

Tim, that is one heck of a fun looking treehouse - any way to add a zip line? Wow that would be a hoot. I guess getting back and forth would present logistical issues...better yet - electricity. Heck, with a fridge you could last quite a while out there. Cant wait to see tree house above full pond.

Nice job, Tim! The only other con to having a treehouse that I can think of, since that was your original question, is that I wouldn't be surprised if snakes and/or any other critters that travel across the pond decided to slither up there. I guess it's no different than a dock in a lot of ways, but I've seen snaked in trees over ponds before, and a treehouse would be in an ideal location for them.

I wouldn't let that stop me, however. That thing looks like a blast!

By the way, the shade and structure provided by the treehouse could make for some great fishing on hot summer days, especially considering the water depth.

BRAVO! Outstanding design and application, Tim! I love it...way cool.
What are the dimensions of the platform? The scale looks absolutely grand against that monster foundation.
Please post an introductory and link to this fine example in the Human habitat thread. .
Keep the progress updates comin', man!

Neat deal Tim.

BTW, if a coon ever decides to take up residence in/up there, you'll have a character building experience. I had to get one out of an elevated deer blind and have the scars and memories that go along with it. At least, you'll land in water.

Very nice!! Are you putting a roof on it?

Eddie

Thanks for the feedback. This was really just a light-hearted idea that turned into a bigger project .

To answer a few questions:

• Alligator - No plans for a zip line connected to the treehouse right now - we're trying to keep the stress off the tree trunk/roots. We have a 200 foot zip line at our house now so when we move to the pond we will probably set it up somewhere.
• davatsa and Dave - As far as snakes and raccoons, we'll hope for the best. One reason for the simple open platform design is to avoid having critter-friendly hideouts. But I expect we will have some experiences that will be funny AFTER the fact.
• Brettski - The dimensions of the platform are 12'x12' with the weight centered around the tree trunk. This was the largest size we felt comfortable doing with basically a cantilever support system. (I will post a link on your Human Habitat thread.)
• Eddie, I would like some type of roof for shade but also like the open airiness of being able to see the sky. I'm still pondering an inexpensive way to get some shade that doesn't detract from the view.

Tim,

Cool project!! For shade, could you adapt a folding umbrella somehow?

That is too cool! why don't you go ahead and put in some pilings. So that it could suport itself once the tree is gone.

Russ: An umbrella is a good fallback option if we can't come up with something more permanent.

John G.: The treehouse platform is about 17 feet (20 feet on the low side) above the ground and I'm not sure about the cost/ability to sink pilings that would reach that high. We've sort of reconciled ourselves to losing the treehouse when the tree rots away.

Here's a picture from Saturday after some clearing by the pond builder: