using trex as decking in treehouse?

[Jonathan Epstein]

Hi,

I'm building a kids' treehouse, mostly out of pressure-treated lumber (the "good old" arsenic-laced kind).

I'm thinking about making the treehouse floor out of Trex or something similar, since kids will be sitting, eating, etc., off the floor of the treehouse regularly, unlike the way that a deck is used. Also, this would avoid splinters.

The extra cost would be about $140, roughly doubling the treehouse's materials budget.

Does this sounds crazy/reasonable to you folks?

Also, since the treehouse is 7' square, I think that I will need to buy 16' lengths since Trex doesn't come in 8' lengths, and neither 12' nor 20' lengths are practical for this purpose.

Is Trex easy to cut with a circular saw? What about with a decent hand saw?

Any other suggestion for suitable materials which might be cheaper?

TIA,

Jonathan

[JackD]

Sounds reasonable. It is a bit more flexible than wood so take that into account when supporting it.

Cuts and works easily using common power tools. I didn't try a handsaw, but I think that it might take a bit more work than usual - I may be wrong about that though.

I've been thinking of doing the same thing with it as the flooring as it is splinter free. I'm also planning to avoid PT wood except perhaps for posts.

-Jack

[Swingman]

It's also a whole lot heavier, so the OP needs to take the extra weight into account in his structural plans.

[JackD]

It is 49 square feet. So figure it weighs about 500 lbs vs maybe 200-250 for dry redwood. Not a huge deal for a small structure like this, but maybe so for a big deck.

-Jack

[Swingman]

That depends on how big the tree is. :)

[JackD]

If it is a trex tree it should be accustomed to the weight.

-Jack

[Bay Area Dave]

plywood. for a very strong floor, you can get Sturdifloor at HD. it's either 1 1/8 or 1 1/4" thick. way cheaper than Trex

dave

J> Hi,

[Andy Dingley]

Go for larch or eastern red cedar instead. They last longer untreated than the arsenical stuff does, even after treatment. The tanalised timber, certainly round here, is usually spruce, which nothing will make last well.

-- Smert' spamionam

[Prosecutor]

It's about double the weight too. You might want to consider *that* for the use in a treehouse. IMO this would be overkill this purpose, compared with alternative materials available.

[Jerry McCaffrey]

"JackD" wrote in :

I've statrted interplanting Trex in my Wicker forest, it is an excellent companion tree and provides needed habit for Naugas and Neets.

Jerry

[Jonathan Epstein]

Thanks for all the responses, especially those pointing out the weight issue, which I think is not a problem in this case.

With regards to Sturdifloor, it seems that it's not suitable for exterior use such as a treehouse ... or am I missing something? Won't it rot within two or three years?

Jonathan

[Bay Area Dave]

I put it in more than 5 years ago in a shed. The shed is built pretty much like a house and it doesn't get water inside. I sealed the Sturdifloor with wood preservative and it's holding up fine. Is the inside of the treehouse NOT going to be protected from rain?

dave

J> Thanks for all the responses, especially those pointing out the weight

[JackD]

It might not rot in a mere two years, but over time it will buckle and do what plywood does when it gets wet. You could of course paint it...

-Jack