Treehouses aren’t just for kids anymore. They’re popping up all over the place as cool and stylish getaways for adults too, and you can recreate one in your own back garden. In this guest blog from Chris at Canopy & Stars, who offer glamping and luxury camping holidays in the UK and France, shows us how it’s done.

“I have often thought that my childhood would have been much improved by a treehouse. Unfortunately my aspirations were hampered by my father – a somewhat portly and hopelessly un-athletic man who is far more likely to be found perfecting a powerpoint presentation than wielding power tools.

Fortunately if your old man wasn’t comfortable scampering up and down trees brandishing a chainsaw, you can still stay in one!

Charles and Linda at Harptree Court got the experts in to help build their treehouse. It was, admittedly, a particularly ambitious project. The treehouse has a king sized bed, a roll-top copper bath, a fully equipped kitchen… it even has a dishwasher!

And if you do fancy building your own treehouse, here are some top tips from treehouse building expert, Simon Parfett of Bower House Construction – the team who built The Treehouse at Harptree Court.”

Top Treehouse Tips from the expert

1. Keep on the right side of the law

• Check the planning regulations in your area BEFORE you start building

2. Choose your tree carefully

• The higher you go, the better the view, obviously – but do think practically. If you’re building in a very windy area, make sure you build your treehouse in the lower third of the tree.

• For an average sized treehouse a trunk diameter of at least 12″ is recommended.

• Make sure your tree is healthy. Signs of sickness include dead branches, patchy leaves and leaf discolouration. Consult a tree surgeon if you are in any doubt.

3. Plan before you cut

• Photograph the branch structure to help you visualize where the treehouse will be placed.

• Remove excess vegetation round the foot of the tree before you begin

• Plan around the seasons – try to do the main onsite construction in the summer but avoid the bird nesting season.

• Have a design

4. Build on the ground

• Design the treehouse in separately built sections that can easily be joined together – supports, floor, walls and roof. These can then be pulleyed into the tree and quickly secured in position.

5. Don’t kill your tree

• Keep puncture points to a minimum by using single large ‘lag’ bolts

• Never cut pieces out of the tree as this exposes a lot of living tissue, which can lead to rot and infection.

• Anything tied around the trunk or branches will damage the bark as the tree moves and can gradually strangle the branch.

6. Trees grow

• Allow a 2″ gap around the tree if it passes through the floor

7. Keeping dry

• Wood will survive getting a soaking if it can dry out in a breeze or sunshine, but rot will set in very quickly if the wood stays damp. So make sure you have a properly sloped roof and, if possible, a 5mm gaps between floor slats.

8. Pruning

• For most types of tree, you should prune branches in the autumn or early winter when the tree is dormant

• Use very sharp, clean tools and cut the branch outside the collar, not flush to the trunk. Leave the cut clean and bare – coatings can encourage fungal infection.

The interior of the finished treehouse at Harptree Court. Luxury…in a tree!"

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