katie, ben and lucy

For those who haven’t had the chance to see, we are building a treehouse at our family’s place out at Lake Limestone.

The treehouse is actually a large wooden platform spanning the space between four big trees.  The platform is made of lumber we reclaimed from the old pier we tore down.  We then began building a small house on top of the platform.  Our family and friends bring plenty of little kids up to the lake.  The goal is to make it a fun playhouse for anyone old enough to climb the stairs, but young enough to not bump their head on the short door.

It is partially complete, so I thought folks might like to see some photos of the progress, plus some plans for what it will look like when finished.

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These photos were taken just after New Years.  The tin roof is on, but needs a bit more work on the edges.  The outside is silver in these photos because of the radiant-barrier boards we used for siding.  The exterior walls will probably be covered with brown cedar to match the house and garage.  The inside has already been insulated with foam board, but we’re still deciding exactly how to finish out the inside.  The door and windows have not been installed yet.  My younger brother, Patrick, made some 3-D models of how the treehouse will look after it is finished.  He also showed the “upper deck” we are considering adding to the structure.

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After we finish the basics, we will have to decide what to do with the interior.  I vote for a 65-inch flat panel HDTV with surround sound.  We might as well throw in a Nintendo Wii, X-Box 360 and Playstation 3, because you never know what game you need to play.  Another thought is a fully stocked bar.  However, because it is a kids’ playhouse, the bar will be equipped with all varieties of juice boxes and an assortment of sippy-cups.  Instead of pretzels and peanuts, it should have all the ingredients for making mud pies.  The last option is to equip the treehouse with all necessary equipment for filling and launching a water balloon assault on anyone who dares come near the hideout.  Well… that’s what I would have wanted when I was a kid.