Treehouse Attachment Comparison

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How to attach a treehouse in a tree without damaging it? We show you the best fastening techniques for building a treehouse!

1. Treehouse Screws – State of the Art
2. Rope Attachment – Hanging your treehouse
3. Cuffs – 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

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 injured unnecessarily. Damage caused by incorrect fixings often only comes to light decades later.

Trees grow – trees move!

This is what distinguishes treehouse building from “normal building”. To ensure that even the grandchildren still enjoy the treehouse, it is important to know exactly the different attachment methods and their area of application.

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 are built worldwide every year with tree screws!

The idea of the screw is to imitate a natural branch. The injury on the tree is punctual and similar to that of a branch break, i.e. the tree knows exactly how to react to injuries 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 after some time the screw becomes a permanent part of the tree.

As you are creating a wound, the carrier tree should have a good wound response. More info here: “Choosing the right tree”

Studies on treehouses and in 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 – 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. 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. Stilts – On the safe side

Stilts are used when there are concerns about the load-bearing capacity and 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, …).

You can also build a treehouse on a cut 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 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! 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 pincer 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.

Wrapping rope and loop 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 beams directly on top

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 tree

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 looping and clamping methods are at first glance gentler on the tree, there is always the danger of large-scale constriction.

Injurious methods (e.g. tree screws) 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 have become accepted worldwide in professional tree house construction! They are considered the safest and most sustainable fastening method!

The trees should be fully grown, healthy and free to move. Also plan for thickness growth over the next 10-20 years.

As the mechanical and static properties are difficult to estimate from a living tree, the fixings should not be loaded to their limits:

Safety factor > 2

Dive deeper into the world of treehouse building… read on!