Garden structures – tree house planning
Practical planning – should begin long before you start to build, because it is essential for the physical integrity of the tree house, its safety and the attractiveness of the design. Get to know how your tree house will appear – think about the four seasons and how the tree house will look and perform, draw up some plans and check them over for potential errors. This approach has major advantages, such as allowing you to determine the loads which bear on the supports - helping you choose the correct materials for each stage of the project. Also, a budget can be created from a practical plan which is good of you aren’t to have the nasty surprise of features that cost too much and need to be re-thought.
Legal planning - the legal system of planning regulations and building codes can cause many a headache for would-be tree house builders. The complex laws – both national and local – that govern building work are designed to provide safety for occupiers and builders but they can seem over the top and mysterious to the average hobby gardener. To avoid disaster:
- Build on your own land, or at least have permission to build
- Ask around the neighbours for people's general thoughts on your tree house, this can be used as evidence of support if it becomes necessary
- Very discreetly ask around the local council about any laws exist regarding tree houses. Not many areas have specific laws, but if yours does, study them in detail
- Keep away from boundaries -these are definite high risk areas for building and should always be avoided. No part of the structure should reach within ten feet of the boundary of your property. Remember a boundary may not be yours, but your neighbours.
- ry to choose a site that's not visible from the road. Anyone can make a complaint about a tree house or any other garden structure that they can see from public space.
- Keep the size and design in line with the designation “temporary structure” meaning you have no need for a building permit.
Garden tree house planning photograph by chinyi, used under a creative commons attribution licence.
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