Tree Houses within Reach

“Diedricksen highlights the versatility of tree houses in this enjoyable guide. Among the simplest structures are a narrow box with transparent plastic walls for bird watching and a “truck bed and cap held aloft on a tree stump,” but it’s the most complex edifices that make the biggest impression. These include a luxury Vermont tree house with a bathroom, loft bed, and back porch; an elevated pirate ship with a below-deck crawl space, a crow’s nest, and tree limbs in the place of masts; and a “floating” yurt suspended by “an upgraded version of padded cargo straps.” On the prescriptive side, Diedricksen walks through how to build an A-frame house, detailing how to set support posts in concrete, erect cross beams, and assemble the walls and ceiling. He also outlines general construction tips and principles, suggesting that maple, oak, and other hardwoods provide the most durable foundations and warning that “collaring” trees too tightly with decking or flooring restrains their ability to sway during storms and widen as they grow. The basic guidance won’t be enough for novices to recreate the most dazzling edifices, but it will help get more modest projects off the ground. This will inspire readers to take to the trees.“–Publishers Weekly“A wonderful reminder to never underestimate the joyful, magical powers that come with inhabiting a treehouse!“​–B’fer & Ka-V, The Tree House Guys“Deek makes construction fun, and within reach for those of us who don’t own a hammer.”–Kirsten Dirksen, filmmaker YouTube/*faircompanies

Derek “Deek” Diedricksen is the author of Micro Living and Microshelters. He has hosted, built, and designed for the HGTV series Extreme Small Spaces and Tiny House Builders, as well as for the DIY Network, and has just released a feature-length documentary film, The Box Truck Film: Building a REUSEful Home. His work has been featured in numerous places in print and online, including NPR, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Seattle Times, the Wall Street Journal, Make magazine, Apartment Therapy, and Design Sponge. Diedricksen has taught hands-on building workshops around the United States since 2010, runs the YouTube design channel “RelaxshacksDOTcom”, and professionally builds tiny houses, tree houses, and backyard offices for clients. He lives in Stoughton, Massachusetts.