Building a Tree House with Free Pallet Wood: Cheap Off Grid Project (PART 2)
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Date: 2025-09-01
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Comments and reviews: 20
JusBidniss
Beautiful project! Great setting, shot composition, editing, and as always the camaraderie between father and son.
A couple of old carpenter's tips for framing that may help it last a few years longer for your family's enjoyment: Joist hangers and jack studs. The latter would be sistered alongside the vertical supports, nailed together the entire vertical length and sitting on the postcrete pads, to provide like a notch for the beams to rest on and carry the load to the ground, instead of all the load resting only on the beam fasteners (the lag screws. This could also happen on the trees, vertical jacks under those beams, with jacks of any length providing extra support in addition to the fasteners attaching the beams to the trees.
As to the joist hangers, the joists are currently only hanging on nails driven into their end grain. A crack or check across that grain might allow the joint to fail, causing the floor to sag at that point. Metal hangers under each joist end, nailed to it and to the beam, provide a strap to support the load, with the strap attached with many nails at different angles, plus driven into stronger face grain. These measures may seem redundant and unnecessary, but with the great weight of the materials, including a double-thickness of pallet wood cladding, they could help prevent one or more joint failures.
Anyway, not meant to nitpick, just offering a couple of helpful tips. The treehouse looks great! I'm sure the kids will love playing in it, and it will enhance their appreciation of the woods and natural beauty for years to come! Cheers!
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Beautiful project! Great setting, shot composition, editing, and as always the camaraderie between father and son.
A couple of old carpenter's tips for framing that may help it last a few years longer for your family's enjoyment: Joist hangers and jack studs. The latter would be sistered alongside the vertical supports, nailed together the entire vertical length and sitting on the postcrete pads, to provide like a notch for the beams to rest on and carry the load to the ground, instead of all the load resting only on the beam fasteners (the lag screws. This could also happen on the trees, vertical jacks under those beams, with jacks of any length providing extra support in addition to the fasteners attaching the beams to the trees.
As to the joist hangers, the joists are currently only hanging on nails driven into their end grain. A crack or check across that grain might allow the joint to fail, causing the floor to sag at that point. Metal hangers under each joist end, nailed to it and to the beam, provide a strap to support the load, with the strap attached with many nails at different angles, plus driven into stronger face grain. These measures may seem redundant and unnecessary, but with the great weight of the materials, including a double-thickness of pallet wood cladding, they could help prevent one or more joint failures.
Anyway, not meant to nitpick, just offering a couple of helpful tips. The treehouse looks great! I'm sure the kids will love playing in it, and it will enhance their appreciation of the woods and natural beauty for years to come! Cheers!
reply
Archons909
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I Will Always Support You For Sharing Your Priceless Life.
Do You Want To Know
( 1 ) How & When You Become Subject To Acts, Statutes & Legislations
( 2 ) How & When You Sign Off Your Children To The Ruling Satans
( 3 ) How To Reclaim Your Physical Existence Rights From The Vatican And Never Pay To Be Alive
( 4 ) How You Can Never Get Prosecuted Or Sentenced In Courts Unless You Have Harmed Any One
( 5 ) How The Banks Never Loan You Any Thing Therefore You Never Have To Pay Principal Or Interest
( 6 ) How You Can Never Get Expiated By Police Or Council
( 7 ) How You Can Never Get Taxed For Your Properties Or Income
I Will Teach You The Only Cure To The Entire Legal Trap Too Long To Be Outlined Here.
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stevelunde5683
Cool project. You can use a string for lining up your pieces if you use a chalk box. A chalk box is a spool with string on it mounted inside a box filled with chalk. Pull the line taut and snap the line. It will leave a perfectly strait chalk line on your wall. You can also use the chalk box as a plumb bob as well. After the wheel, the chalk box is probably the world's greatest invention.
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Cool project. You can use a string for lining up your pieces if you use a chalk box. A chalk box is a spool with string on it mounted inside a box filled with chalk. Pull the line taut and snap the line. It will leave a perfectly strait chalk line on your wall. You can also use the chalk box as a plumb bob as well. After the wheel, the chalk box is probably the world's greatest invention.
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lorddante2360
My boy is 10. I've been recycling pallets and crates, as well as a Steel Mold shipping box (plywood and 2x4s) to make his treehouse in the backyard. I used the pallets horizontally for siding like your cabin build (which is where the inspiration came from. The only things I've bought were the 6 treated 2x6s for the base supports, and the 8 inch lag bolts to secure the supports to the tree.
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My boy is 10. I've been recycling pallets and crates, as well as a Steel Mold shipping box (plywood and 2x4s) to make his treehouse in the backyard. I used the pallets horizontally for siding like your cabin build (which is where the inspiration came from. The only things I've bought were the 6 treated 2x6s for the base supports, and the 8 inch lag bolts to secure the supports to the tree.
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brain8484
You have basically built a shed on stilts and attached it on one side to two trees and called it a Tree House. Both of you dont have any imagination. a tree House should have at least 2 or 3 rooms and an open area like a balcony / turret where they can play on. What are kids going to do just run around in a square box .
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You have basically built a shed on stilts and attached it on one side to two trees and called it a Tree House. Both of you dont have any imagination. a tree House should have at least 2 or 3 rooms and an open area like a balcony / turret where they can play on. What are kids going to do just run around in a square box .
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teddysmith457
I totally get why you didn’t nail anything to the trees because it’s most likely gonna kill the tree or injured the tree if you nail boards to the trees. But I don’t actually think I could consider that a treehouse if it’s built between two trees on stilts. Maybe we could call it a stilt house amongst the trees
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I totally get why you didn’t nail anything to the trees because it’s most likely gonna kill the tree or injured the tree if you nail boards to the trees. But I don’t actually think I could consider that a treehouse if it’s built between two trees on stilts. Maybe we could call it a stilt house amongst the trees
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schrankp
I know you have said in the past how lucky you are to share this build with your dad, and you really are. Not only are you making great memories with your dad, but your kids are going to be able to enjoy this thing built by you and your dad. So great, and I'm so happy for three generations of your family
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I know you have said in the past how lucky you are to share this build with your dad, and you really are. Not only are you making great memories with your dad, but your kids are going to be able to enjoy this thing built by you and your dad. So great, and I'm so happy for three generations of your family
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Tuur75
7: 19, almost right, the real reason is so that when the water seeps through the gap between the upper boards, it always end up on a whole board. Otherwise it would seep straight through. Great project! Rember to make an overlap above the window so water drips off there and not gets it's way inside.
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7: 19, almost right, the real reason is so that when the water seeps through the gap between the upper boards, it always end up on a whole board. Otherwise it would seep straight through. Great project! Rember to make an overlap above the window so water drips off there and not gets it's way inside.
reply
jasonjohnson6344
You should have used 2 2x4s to wrap each corner and butted your shingles against them for a quick, finished look. I’ll be curious to see how you deal with your corners. Are you going to paint the exterior or let it weather A nice build, coming together great.
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You should have used 2 2x4s to wrap each corner and butted your shingles against them for a quick, finished look. I’ll be curious to see how you deal with your corners. Are you going to paint the exterior or let it weather A nice build, coming together great.
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T. hunstiger
Hi Mike,
Great episode. It’s always nice to see you and your dad building things. I’ve been watching you for years. Tree houses are awesome. I’m sure your kids will love it. I look forward to the next episode. Take care.
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Hi Mike,
Great episode. It’s always nice to see you and your dad building things. I’ve been watching you for years. Tree houses are awesome. I’m sure your kids will love it. I look forward to the next episode. Take care.
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taoutdoors
Nice work! I've been considering a similar project but I've read that, in Scotland, the construction of a tree house requires a local authority planning application, which seems ridiculous imho. Do you have the same issue in England
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Nice work! I've been considering a similar project but I've read that, in Scotland, the construction of a tree house requires a local authority planning application, which seems ridiculous imho. Do you have the same issue in England
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Wilks_outdoors
Hi. Oh I love to see builds like this. Your kids will definitely love and enjoy playing in that. I was wondering if you had a plan for the corner bits to fill the gap. Looking forward to see the finished result.
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Hi. Oh I love to see builds like this. Your kids will definitely love and enjoy playing in that. I was wondering if you had a plan for the corner bits to fill the gap. Looking forward to see the finished result.
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maureenwould32
The wood from the far east can be Ironwood, Teak, Oak or few others. When I did deliveries from Calgary Airport we'd get lots of exotic wood pallets. The gov. started putting a tax on the pallets a while back.
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The wood from the far east can be Ironwood, Teak, Oak or few others. When I did deliveries from Calgary Airport we'd get lots of exotic wood pallets. The gov. started putting a tax on the pallets a while back.
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andrewseymour41
Your children will absolutely love the tree house and you are doing it at the right time now, at those ages. Chance to play in the woods and fire the imagination of what the tree house can be. Awesome.
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Your children will absolutely love the tree house and you are doing it at the right time now, at those ages. Chance to play in the woods and fire the imagination of what the tree house can be. Awesome.
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taoutdoors
Always love these videos! Did you add weeping holes to that window It feels like something important to consider in a rainy climate like yours. The tree house looks great! Your kids are gonna love it!
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Always love these videos! Did you add weeping holes to that window It feels like something important to consider in a rainy climate like yours. The tree house looks great! Your kids are gonna love it!
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yvonnebailey9973
Well done Mike and Graham the tree house is looking amazing. Would love to see the children's faces when it's all finished.
Thanks for sharing this video with us.
Take care and stay safe
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Well done Mike and Graham the tree house is looking amazing. Would love to see the children's faces when it's all finished.
Thanks for sharing this video with us.
Take care and stay safe
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rebeccasourpuss
I love what you're doing with the different colors/grains of wood. The variation has a lovely organic feel to it, like an owl's feathers. I hope you're going to put some kind of ventilation in
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I love what you're doing with the different colors/grains of wood. The variation has a lovely organic feel to it, like an owl's feathers. I hope you're going to put some kind of ventilation in
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samnind9527
Everything about this video is brilliant. Building it with your dad for your kids and his grandkids. Choked me up to be honest. They will 100% love it and I doubt they will want to leave hahaha
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Everything about this video is brilliant. Building it with your dad for your kids and his grandkids. Choked me up to be honest. They will 100% love it and I doubt they will want to leave hahaha
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homerstu6133
Really enjoying this series, a great blend of traditional bushcraft and palletwood recycling- where did you get the stove from I'm sure you've mentioned it before but it's caught me eye!
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Really enjoying this series, a great blend of traditional bushcraft and palletwood recycling- where did you get the stove from I'm sure you've mentioned it before but it's caught me eye!
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zzzires5045
Get your dad a nice bit of flat hardwood for those nails, once he drops the head off to flatten he will love it. Also rub em on a candle prior to reuse. Way easier and less splitting
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Get your dad a nice bit of flat hardwood for those nails, once he drops the head off to flatten he will love it. Also rub em on a candle prior to reuse. Way easier and less splitting
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