Treehouse Winding Staircase

Hello! Chuck McClellan here. At the World Treehouse Conference earlier this fall, I had the privilege of presenting on the design and construction process for winding stairs. We build these curved staircases for many treehouses: they add equal parts elegance and playfulness to the entry.

After my presentation, I received multiple requests to get this information online for treehouse-DIYers. Without a further ado, I bring you my guide to treehouse winding stair design and construction!

A couple important things to keep in mind about this guide:

• This is an advanced project, best suited to those with an extensive background in carpentry.
• Due to the infinite variability of trees and treehouse design, this walkthrough will not include a cut list for lumber or detailed materials/tools list.
  
• Dust off your geometry skills, because we'll be diving into a hefty bit of mathematics.
  
• I've created the following graphics as examples to help walk you through the process; naturally, your stairs will differ from my example based on your unique tree scenario and treehouse design.
• Please note that improperly installed hardware can pose a significant risk to not only the tree, but all parties involved. Using hardware and following this guide are done at your own risk. Nelson Treehouse assumes no liability.
• This guide does not cover treehouse hardware installation process. These plans are for aesthetic inspiration and will serve as the perfect launching point for your treehouse project.

I hope you find this a useful resource for building your own treehouse staircase!

Step 1: Design Considerations and Process

The design process begins with defining the size of the stairs. Let's assume that you have an entry location on an existing platform in a tree.

• The height of the stairs is the vertical distance from this entry point to the landing point on the ground.
• Now determine how the stairs will fit around the tree. Imagine a “virtual cylinder” outside of which the stairs wind (see image below). In our "plan view," this cylinder completely encloses the tree.
• I will refer to the radius of this cylinder as the "minimum radius."

Step 2: Laying Out Stairs and Making Stringer Patterns

With the minimum radius determined, we can lay out our stairs. This is most easily done on a flat surface. A full-scale plan of the stairs can be drawn on plywood as follows:

• Draw the minimum radius. We will call this the radius of inside of treads.
• Draw inside stringer radius. This radius is 6” out from the minimum radius to allow some distance from framing.
• Draw outside stringer radius. This is typically the inside stringer radius plus 36” (standard stair width).
  
• Draw maximum radius. This is the outside extent of stair treads, typically outside stringer radius plus 3”.
• Draw stair tread lines. At 12” beyond the inside stringer line (known as the “walk-line”), mark off 9” increments (minimum stair tread depth). Draw pie-shaped stair tread lines through those 9” increments from the center point of the virtual cylinder. In this example, the treads form 10° arcs.

In this example, I have designed for four treads per stringer set.

• Next, draw the outside stringer line at the points where stair line intersects the outside stringer radius.
  
• Draw inside stringer line as the tangent to the inside stringer radius and parallel to outside stringer line.

The stringers can be simply laid out thus:

• Draw perpendicular lines to the stringer lines where the stringer lines intersect the stair tread lines. These represent the plumb cuts on your stringers (the rise).
• Draw the stair tread lines parallel to the stringer lines, and offset from each other by the stair rise (in this case, 7”).

You now have the cut layout for your stringers. To finish cutting the stair patterns, you now lay out the knee beam cuts:

• The bottom seat cut on the outside stringer will be 3 1/2” to bear fully on the knee beam. This cut is 11 3/4” below the tread cut.
• Measure 11 3/4” on the inside stringer pattern to layout that seat cut. The top seat cuts are 28” higher.
  
• The top plumb cut is aligned with the 5th vertical (perpendicular) line from the stringer line.

Step 3: Visualizing the Build

I prefer to construct my stairs from top down. This involves using temporary 2x4 scaffolding, a “story pole,” and a “clock ring.”

• The scaffold provides bracing support before knee braces are placed.
  
• The story pole is used to reference the height of knee brace supports.
• The clock ring is used to reference the horizontal orientation of the knee braces. (Knee braces are installed after the stringers have been placed correctly in space. This sequence assures a more accurate placement of the stairs.)

The "story pole" here is a vertical 2x4 with reference lines that mark the top of the knee brace beam heights. In the example here, you will notice that the scaffold supporting the stringers is aligned with these reference marks.

The "clock ring" we use is a ring of 1/2” plywood cut to the minimum radius and at least 8” wide. I've shown the outside edge with straight cuts for simplicity. You can see that the clock ring lines reference the knee brace orientation.

• Note the center of virtual cylinder is offset from C/L of tree.
• Laser lines from story pole and clock ring are used for knee brace beam placement

Step 4: Construction Assembly of Stairs Onsite

• The vertical and horizontal laser lines converge at the center of the knee brace beam. These laser lines are referencing a story pole and a clock ring, both out of view.

• Patterns are made from 1/2” plywood. They are used to orient the knee beams to the paddle tabs and to mark through-bolt holes.

• The bottom bracket hardware is placed with lasers. Patterns are used to fit the knee brace beam.

From here, you can continue this process to assemble the full winding staircase onsite!

Step 5: Admire Your Hard Work!

Comments

[AlanS14]

Beautiful! I want one just like that.

[fCauneau]

Don't forget to put your Myst island linking book in the library ;-)

[billbillt]

YES!!... LOVE MYST.. (AND RIVEN)....

[Tepes]

There you go, another Myst/Riven reference...what's the connection? Or is this a dreamstream?

[fCauneau]

billbit told you already : just play Myst game, especially the "Channelwood" Age and you'll see the connection with this beautiful tree house ;-)

[Tepes]

Thanks guys. I played MYST years ago on the PC and never found another game even slightly as enthralling. I don't recall this option in the original, but my nimbleness of mind, as well as hands, isn't what it used to be. I've downloaded MYST and Riven on my tablet to relive the enjoyment.

[billbillt]

MYST HAD A LEVEL CALLED "CHANNELWOOD" THAT INVOLVED WALKWAYS AND TREE HOUSES.. RIVEN WAS FAR MORE COMPLEX THAN MYST AND HAS SPECTACULAR VIEWS.. REALISTIC.. VERY DIFFICULT TO PLAY..

[Jfieldcap]

Hahaha, yess- Wonder if anyone's made one of those yet... It's on my ideas list XD

[toreglia]

Epic!

[JosephB38]

I love it. A lot of hard work for you.

I would like one also but with one other feature, an elevator.

[kiwicooldaddy]

All those massive pins in the tree - not good for the tree, will eventually end up killing it. Better to have it supported from ground. Its not spiral either, has no flow to it and spoils the beautiful character and look of the tree.

[itsmescotty]

only going to address the 'killing it' comment.

ONLY the outer layer (Cambien) is alive! The rest of the trunk is dead. And over the course of time the tree will heal itself by layering the damaged area with sap and will eventually encapsulate the area. Given enough years it can actually engulf the the remnants of the stairway.

Don't believe me, look it up online. Any arborist will tell you...

One tree on my property grew thru a galvanized bucket and encapsulated a fair amount of it. It eventually died with a host of others during a couple drought years - I lost over 1,000 trees under 10' high because there wasn't enough surface moisture.

[parsifaldruddle]

Cambium - look it up - it's not the 'outer layer', either.

[Jmercede]

Species matters. The CODIT model, where a tree compartmentalizes damage, is only an accurate model for perrenial trees. These lag bolts should not go into any native deciduous tree, e.g., oak or California Sycamore. And if youre smart, you will work in winter months when bugs and fungi lay low.

It does not matter if the tree is alive or has "life giving properties" at the bark or pith (and it is). You will do damage. The point under consideration should be whether you will chose a tree that can come back from it and whether you will allow the introduction of a pathogen, such a fungi or predation by insects.

My experience is that California Sycamores and Black Walnut are guarunteed to become fatally impacted. Mature native Sycamores should not even be pruned on any branch larger than Taylor Swift's wee little wrists. Mature native oaks are a risk as well. I'd say stick to conifers or non-native perrenial trees. Minimalize damage, depth and surface area.

Don't mean to sound bossy, but the flat insistance that no lasting damage will be done, doesn't take into account differences in trees or the most recent threats to them.

[Anna-Grace]

This is amazing!

[Whyteboar]

Out of curiosity, how does one know whether a tree is rooted well enough to sustain high winds with the additional load and facing to put in all the work necessary for a tree house like yours? Beautiful work.

[BrendaH3]

what a unique and BEAUTIFUL design! Thank you for sharing this! Now.... to find a tree tall and strong enough in a treeless lawn.... ah well. I can dream.

[steadfast4life]

As I see people commenting on the pins in the tree, I feel I must contribute to the conversation. The pins will NOT kill the tree given they don't girdle the tree all the way around. The pins are anchoring into the pith of the tree. The pitch is the woody structure in the middle of the tree. The pith contains no life giving properties, its purpose is structure. The cambium layer is directly beneath the bark of the tree. This is the interstate of life for nutrients and water to move up and down the tree. Given the minute damage to the cambium by these pins, the tree will due just fine. Given time and the trees innate ability to overcome damage, callous will develop around the pin and the the tree will redirect water and nutrients around the damage. The tree won't be any worse. I would advise not taking the pins out of the tree as this would now open up holes for rot and insects. Overall, I'm in love with tree houses and yours has a very natural look!

[NonexB]

I was wondering why you did not just string a wire at a 45 from the bottom up and build your entrance to match you stairway, other than that you did a find job but you seem to create useless work that could of been avoided. The craftsmanship seems to be of good quality but the thought process needs working on.

[tpinkham]

WOW. WOW. WOW!!!
Wish wish wish !!!