DIY treehouse safety - what did you do?

Jan 15·1 min read

Scrolling through and saw the treehouse post and got inspired but also paranoid. Before we even think about building anything, what safety measures did people actually put in place? Railings? Harnesses? How high is reasonable for kids? My 8yo is pretty fearless which is both awesome and terrifying for a parent lol. Don't want to be the dad who built an injury machine in the backyard but also don't want to build something that's no fun. What's the balance?

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Comments(5)

SSteve Q.RegularJan 16

Honestly just ask yourself if you'd be comfortable YOUR mom watching the kids play in it. If the answer is no then keep building lol. That's been my litmus test for anything involving my kids' safety.

VVictor M.New DadJan 16

What's your plan for railings? That's where most people cut corners and it drives me crazy when I see them. Even if the floor is solid, a kid falling 8 feet can mess them up bad.

MMarcus T.New DadJan 17

I built ours about 4 years ago and went way overboard with safety inspections. Got a structural engineer buddy to look it over which probably cost me in beer but my wife finally stopped worrying. The kids have used it constantly and no incidents. Worth the extra time upfront honestly.

JJoe C.RegularJan 17

Make sure you're checking the bolts every season, especially if you used the wood from the fence. My cousin's kid got hurt because a bolt corroded and nobody had looked at it in like 18 months.

LLucasNew DadJan 17

Just finished mine last fall and spent probably 20% of the budget on harnesses and rope systems. Seems like overkill until you watch a 7 year old try to climb everything like a monkey.