Robert Miskimon - The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents and Adults Who are Kids at Heart

The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House:

For Parents and Adults Who are Kids at Heart

By Robert Miskimon

The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents and Adults Who are Kids at Heart

Copyright 2010 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

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ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-244-3

ISBN-10: 1-60138-244-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Miskimon, Robert, 1943

The complete guide to building your own tree house : for parents, and adults who are kids at heart-with companion CD-ROM / by Robert Miskimo.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-244-3 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-244-8 (alk. paper)

1. Tree houses--Design and construction. I. Title.

TH4885.M57 2009

690.89--dc22

2009033945

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

DISCLAIMER: The author has made every attempt to present safe and sound building practices, but he makes no claim that the information in this book is complete or that it can cover every circumstance. The reader is warned to consider and adopt safety precautions that might be indicated by the activities herein and to avoid all potential hazards. By following the instructions in this book, the reader assumes all risks in connection with such instructions. Neither the author nor the publisher makes any express or implied representations or warranties regarding this information. The reader assumes full responsibility and risk of loss resulting from the use of this information. Neither the author nor the publisher will be responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages or any damages whatsoever

Trademark: All trademarks, trade names, or logos mentioned or used are the property of their respective owners and are used only to directly describe the products being provided. Every effort has been made to properly capitalize, punctuate, identify, and attribute trademarks and trade names to their respective owners, including the use of and wherever possible and practical. Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. is not a partner, affiliate, or licensee with the holders of said trademarks.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Many people helped to make this book a reality. I am particularly grateful to Michael Garnier of Out n About Treesort, Pete Nelson of Seattle, Meghan Welch of Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Ray Cirino of Los Angeles, Barbara Butler of San Francisco, Luke Lukoskie of Vashon Island, Washington, and to all those who helped by providing me with their stories to be used as case studies. To my editor, Carrie Speight, and especially, to my grandmother, Mae Martyn Miskimon, who first encouraged me to become a writer.

Dedication

To Elizabeth, Mae, and Anina
and to all children of all
ages everywhere.

Foreword

In the past few years, there has been a boom of interest in tree houses, but there are not many resources that show the average person how to build his or her own. This is where author Robert Miskimon and The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents and Adults Who Are Kids at Heart come in.

In an easy-to-understand style, Miskimon covers all the bases from initial tree selection all the way to the final coat of paint. In between, nothing is left out. He covers safety, types of wood, fastener selection, and much more. That information alone is worth the price of this book.

The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House is a book you will want to keep close at hand while building. You will want it for checking joist spans when planning the design; you will want it to check pilot hole sizes when drilling for lag placements; and you will also want it to check the recommended sizes of all the accessories your kids will want in their new abode. Do you know how far apart to space the rungs of a vertical ladder? You will after reading this book.

It is refreshing to find a tree house guide that focuses on the practical aspects of tree house construction. This is not a coffee table book its a router-table book.

I believe everyone should have the right to experience being cradled in the boughs of a tree. It has been the focus of my life these past few years, and even though we build about one tree house per week, to make that dream a reality, we really need an army of empowered individuals creating their own special hideaways. The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree Hous e will aid that goal. I wholeheartedly encourage you to read it, apply it, and most of all, enjoy the fruits of your labor. Happy building!

Steven Chmielnicki
Artisan Tree & Treehouse, LLC
Bryn Mawr, PA
www.artisantrees.com