Tricked Out Treehouse Tour

Daddy Troy: Welcome back to Gear Daddy, I am your host Daddy Troy. All week along we have been talking about backyard fun. Earlier in the week Daddy Brad and Daddy Clay gave you some real simple solutions. Well today we are going to the opposite end of the spectrum, and we are going to look at a tricked out treehouse. So I have here with me today Larry, who is the constructor and engineer behind this Tricked Out Treehouse, and I want to warn you he is a home-builder so he might have some skills that you don't have. The kids, you may not want to try this one at home. Tell me about this rock-climbing wall over here, what's this made of? Larry: This is made of marine plywood. It's not cheap, it's about $115 a sheet, but it's guaranteed in the weather for 20 years and you don't have to put preservatives on it. Daddy Troy: So tell me a little bit about this whole structure. I know that you've built it to have contour lines that match the tree aesthetically but you have also been kind to the tree in other ways? Larry: Well, as well being sculptural to the tree that the three is not violated in anyway with that. There is not a nail, a screw, a bolt that enters the trunk of the tree and you will walk around, there are places where you see just a little bit of daylight, but it doesn't touch the tree anywhere except right on that resting point. The black thing is a piece of used tire. Daddy Troy: What are these climbing holes right here? Are these --? Larry: Those are REI, off-the-shelf. Daddy Troy: Okay, is this some sort of beanbag toss? What's going on right here? Larry: No, it's a climbing board which the kids like, but it evolves from meeting bracing. After we have the whole thing built, you could stand up and it would wobble a little bit. What we did is just take a bunch of bowls out of the kitchen, draw some circles on it and cut it out with a jigsaw and it became a climbing board instead of just a brick. Daddy Troy: So this is one way the kids can get up to the deck level. What's another way that kids can get on board? Larry: Here are your options here. They can jump up on a trapeze and climb up, because the railing above is based like a ladder. So they will climb on the outside, you can go up the holes of this climbing board, you can go up the rock-climbing wall, two different climbing ropes. You can go up this ladder, this has a platform halfway, it's good for younger kids and I have added some handles. Daddy Troy: So it gives a kid break when he or she is climbing up. So they -- Larry: Right, a long ladder is scary to a young kid. We had three holds to make it from the bottom up through the top. Daddy Troy: Now I see some monkey bars underneath there, is that right? Larry: Yeah. Daddy Troy: Let's check those out. These are the monkey bars you were talking about. It looks like it's also a galvanized pipe. Larry: Right, it's the same material as all the ladders, just cut to size. Good pluming supply -- if you make your list, they will cut exactly what you want. Threads, no threads, whatever you need. Daddy Troy: And what this little ramp right here? Larry: That's a launch platform for a monkey-swing. Daddy Troy: A monkey-swing, it's hanging from the big -- Larry: Hanging on the tree. Daddy Troy: Yeah. Larry: And this is the lower platform. Daddy Troy: Oh so the kids can get on here. It's like a tire, so it's like a rope-swing and kids swings out into drive going back. Larry: They can launch from here or there. Daddy Troy: On the bottom part right here what do you find kids using the most? What's their favorite? Larry: The favorite swing is monkey-swing and then I would say, trapeze. Daddy Troy: The trapeze? Larry: Yeah. Daddy Troy: So do you want to climb on top and check out the view? Larry: Sure, I am brave enough, if you are brave enough. Daddy Troy: I am in, let's go. Larry: Alright! Daddy Troy: Here we are in the second level of the Tricked Out Treehouse. First of all, what's this thing right here? Larry: This is a shed and it keeps up all the funky things that drop off the trees off the deck, and it's sculptural. I just like it. Daddy Troy: And how much time do kids spend up on this level? What are they doing up here? Larry: It depends on who their playmates are and what their imagination is. Daddy Troy: One think I am always worried about is this giant hole right here, sitting right in the middle of the deck. The kids ever fall down that hole, is that dangerous, what do you think? Larry: No one has ever fallen down the hole and I am more Darwinian parent than a politically-correct parent. Daddy Troy: I love it. Sure! Well, thanks Larry for showing the treehouse, really, really cool thing. I remember, Larry is professional, you might want to get professional help if you are going to build one of these in your own backyard. This whole week of Dadlabs has been sponsored by One Step Ahead if you want a big chat out, and thanks to One Step Ahead and we are givingaway a gift certificate to One Step Ahead. All you need to do is go to dadlabs.com and comment on this episode or any episode and you will be in the drawing for a gift certificate. We'll see you next week on dadlabs.com, and I am going to take you down if that's okay with you. Larry: Sure, take the elevator. Daddy Troy: Alright, we'll see you next week.