How far to go for a tree house / elevated play house?
TimTuckerCom
| Posted in General Questions on
Planning to build a ~120 sq. ft. play house roughly 10 ft. up in the air in our backyard.
Would like it to be sealed up from the elements & built somewhat close to home construction standards, but debating on how far I should take things like air sealing & insulation in a structure that doesn’t have HVAC or a mechanical ventilation system.
Anyone worked on any similar projects at building play structures similar to houses?
From a general perspective, the guidelines on insulated wood framed floors would seem to apply:
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/insulating-a-wood-framed-floor-assembly
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Replies
Timothy,
Are you intending to heat the structure?
As mentioned, no HVAC planned.
If I can come up with something cheap & simple that doesn't require a connection to the grid, it might be doable as a future project, though.
For right now the priority is more spring / summer use and trying to keep it naturally a little cooler than the outside weather here in Michigan.
With the shaded area beneath, would leavings things uninsulated / unsealed below result in cooling via the stack effect?
Without active cooling, I would think that insulation is going to have minimal effect (with the exception of the roof and surfaces getting a significant amount of direct sun). A vented attic with insulation above the ceiling would be best. Passive cooling through air flow is what you want. And on that note, you certainly don't want to air seal such a small abode without having a ventilation mechanism in place.
Timothy,
Sorry for the confusion - HVAC is typically is used to describe the mechanical delivery of heat and ventilation through air. No HVAC doesn't mean no heat.
As Bill said, there isn't much point in insulating or air-sealing if you aren't conditioning the space. Doing so will make the building assemblies less resilient to moisture damage. I'd concentrate of detailing it to resist bulk-water intrusion, and leave the floors, roof and walls as open as possible.
I would not bother with insulation if you won’t be conditioning the space. You can help a LOT with keeping it cooler by putting in a ridge vent to let hot air exit naturally out the top.
If I were building this, I’d go for a rustic look. I’d leave the interior walls open (studs exposed), and no ceiling so the roof would be a the ceiling with a vaulted interior look. This makes for a simple and open structure. If I was going to do any finish step, I’d paint it for a whitewashed interior look. Make sure you have some screened windows/doors or some other way for cool air to enter low in the structure. You want to provide some ways for cool air to enter to replace the warm air that exits out the ridge vent.
Make sure to “seal” things for bug protection. Sometimes this means tight fitting parts, sometimes you need to use fiberglass window screen as a BRB — bug resistant barrier.
Bill
I guess in my mind, I've mentally associated HVAC with any of the component parts not just air-based systems -- i.e.: no HVAC = no heating, no ventilation, no air conditioning.
Summarizing some of the notes so far:
- No insulation
- Caulk most seams to prevent bugs from entering
- Ridge vent for air to exit
- Some type of screened vent(s) on or near the floor for air to enter
Timothy,
A fruitful exercise might be to imagine what would make it easier to insulate the play structure later, and incorporate those things into the initial build. A sort of future-proofing for when you might find it a delightful spot for a study, or a quiet refuge for your children when they are a bit older.
Recently I've been designing a series of small backyard structures for use as B&Bs. As part of that process I've tried to have the clients imagine what the building will be used for when (or if) they tire of paid guests.
If you frame the structure to code, using standard stud spacing and wall/door dimensions, for example, it will be much easier to insulate or otherwise modify in the future. If you build as I described earlier, for example, you end up with basically open studwalls with only exterior sheathing so you essentially build up a structure that will withstand weather and then stop. It’s like getting a new home build ready for weather but never doing the interior finishes, for example. It’s pretty easy to start back up and finish the interior with a project like that.
Bill
I would want to get the windows and door to be flashed water tight to prevent rot. I see adding insulation and drywall as something that could trap water and lead to rot and mold.
Walta
I would allow for easy venting of hot air out the top and insulate the roof. Though you don't need massive insulation, R10-20 is more then sufficient. Go with foam above the sheathing and below the shingles. Use recycled foam to save on cost if available in your area.
The reason for venting off the top is to take advantage of the stack effect at night, if you have a closable/openable vent one can use it to let heat out and get come convection cooling. And an air source near the floor, on the opposite side of the vent so air has the longest possible travel path.
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