Treehouse Attachment Comparison

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How do you securely fasten a treehouse in a tree without damaging the tree? In our big comparison we show the best fastening techniques for tree house construction and for heavy installations in aerial forest parks, tree adventure courses and tree top trails!

1. Treehouse Screws – State of the Art
2. Rope Attachment – Hanging your treehouse
3. Cuffs and Clamping– Be careful with long term damage
4. Stilts – On the safe side
5. Through-Bolting – Alternative cable attachment
6. How NOT to do – Damage due to incorrect fastenings!
7. Table – Fastening methods in comparison
8. Conclusion

Preface:

One thing should be clear: the tree comes first! It is not only the pillar that supports our treehouse, it is above all a valuable organism that should not be harmed unnecessarily.

Trees live, trees grow & trees want to move!

This is the essential difference between building a treehouse and building a “normal house”. If you want your grandchildren to still enjoy the treehouse, we should not permanently damage the tree. Therefore, it is important to know exactly the different fastening techniques and their area of application. Damage caused by incorrect fastening often only comes to light decades later!

1. Treehouse Screws – State of the Art

The first “tree screws” were introduced to the market about 30 years ago under the names “Garnier Limb” and “Treehouse Attachment Bolt” – this is how the success story of modern treehouse construction began. Nowadays, thousands of treehouses and adventure parks are built worldwide every year with Treehouse Screws!

Here is an example of a modern Treehouse Screw:

The idea of the screw is to imitate a natural branch. The injury caused by the drilling is punctual and similar to that of a branch break, i.e. the tree knows exactly how to react to an injury of this kind: it seals the wound, stores fungus-inhibiting substances, and forms stronger reaction wood. The “artificial branch” continues to grow year after year, and over time the screw becomes a permanent part of the tree.

As you are creating a wound, the tree should have a good wound response. More info here: Choosing the right tree to build a treehouse

Studies on treehouses and climbing forests have shown that bolting methods cause less damage to the tree in the long run than wrapping and pressing methods (rope & clamping technique).

2. Rope Attachment – Hanging your treehouse

A very elegant & low-injury method is to suspend the platform with steel ropes. The system consists of three parts:

• Tree support sling (also called “tree protection belt”, “tree guard cable”)
• Cable & turnbuckle (steel or Dyneema)
• Anchorage on carrier beam (e.g. ring nut + carriage bolt)

The “tree protection belt” is placed around a twig (preferably a U-twig) or a stable branch forking. The rope is tensioned by means of a turnbuckle. The anchor point should be located as centrally as possible on the main trunk, so that the loads are introduced directly into it, and the construction does not begin to sway in the wind. Avoid large lever arms and ensure that the rope course is as vertical as possible.

Well suited are trees with a thick, robust bark (dead bark), e.g. oaks and chestnuts. Beech trees are less suitable because their very thin bark offers little protection against abrasion.

3. Cuffs and Clamping – Be carful with long term damage!

Cuffs usually consist of a two-part steel ring that encloses the tree trunk; the technique works similarly to a belt, using contact pressure and compression. Steel profiles are welded to the sides, to which the support structure (wooden beams) of the treehouse is attached. In order to prevent slipping, the collar can additionally be fastened to the tree with screws.

To prevent the tree from being strangulated, the steel ring must be adjusted to the tree’s thickness growth every few years. Cuffs are particularly interesting for single trees whose trunks no longer grow much in width.

4. Build treehouse on stilts – On the safe side

Stilts are used when there are concerns about the load-bearing capacity or health of the tree. To avoid overloading the tree, a combination of stilts and other fixing methods is often the only sensible thing to do. Depending on the dimensions of the stilts, high loads can be supported. This in turn makes it possible to use heavier materials, which are particularly attractive in luxury areas (stone slabs, solid wood, bathtubs, …).

Of course you can also build your treehouse on a tree stump? You can find instructions in our FAQs under: “Can I build my treehouse on a sawn-off tree trunk?”

5. Through-Bolting – Alternative Rope Attachment

The technique of bolting through is popular with treehouse builders as well as in tree care (tree crown protection). Depending on the load, a 20–40 mm (0,8-1,6 in) hole is drilled through the entire trunk or branch. Then you push a suitable threaded rod through the hole, and attach a large washer & nut to one side, and a ring nut to the opposite end – this is the anchor point for the rope.

6. How NOT to do – damage due to incorrect fastening

Normal screws

Stay away from nails, normal wood screws or similar from the DIY store with a diameter < 20 mm (0,8 in) ! These are not designed for the high alternating load in the tree and can suddenly fail. We also strongly advise against replacing the quality of the screws with quantity – the tree will thank you!

Clamping and wrapping techniques

Also avoid clamping techniques where support beams are pressed directly against the bark. This leads to bruising, impaired growth and predetermined breaking points. Waterlogging can collect at the contact zone – the wooden beams will rot and a weak point will develop.

Caution: The direct clamping technique with beams – which is still very popular in tree adventure parks, aerial adventure parks and treetop trails – has been proven to cause damage to trees when installed over the long term!

Wrapping rope and loop steel cables

Crushing is also caused by wrapping ropes and steel collars that are not regularly readjusted. The result is a disturbed water and nutrient supply to the tree, and in the worst case the tree dies or breaks off at the constriction.

Laying wooden beams directly into the tree

Another possibility is to lay the beam directly on a branch fork or a twig – but this construction is only suitable for smaller loads. The fork must be very stable. Remember that crushing, waterlogging and bark abrasion can also occur here.

We recommend all these methods only for temporary installations < 3 years!

7. Table – Treehouse fastening techniques in direct comparison

8. Conclusion – Choosing the right treehouse attachment

There is no “perfect fastening technique” in treehouse construction – each technique has its clear advantages and disadvantages. Often a combination of different fastening techniques is the best solution for treehouse and tree!

Although “non-injurious” clamping and wrapping methods are at first glance gentler on the tree, there is always the danger of large-scale constriction. If the technique is not monitored and readjusted, the tree will suffer serious damage after 10–20 years.

Injurious methods (e.g. tree screws or bolts) initially seem daunting, but are more sustainable and safer. Trees have developed strategies over millions of years to deal with such wounds. The great advantage is that the tree firmly integrates the steel screw into its living situation. In addition, the wound is directly sealed – in contrast to a branch break.

In fact, Treehouse Screws (aka. Treehouse Attachment Bolts or Garnier Limbs) have established themselves in professional treehouse construction worldwide! They are considered to be permanently safe, gentle on trees and low-maintenance! This makes them ideal not only for tree house construction but also for permanent installations like platforms in tree adventure parks, aerial forest parks, high ropes courses and tree top paths.

Dive deeper into the world of treehouse building…