Tree houses are often seen as an idyllic part of childhood – a private sanctuary up in the branches where kids can play and let their imaginations run wild. However, while tree houses can certainly provide hours of fun and adventure, they also come with some significant downsides that parents should consider before building one.
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Safety Concerns
One of the biggest cons of tree houses is the safety issues they present. Tree houses are located high off the ground, often with minimal railings or barriers. This makes them inherently precarious for kids who may lean too far over the edge or roughhouse near open sides. Falls from tree houses can lead to serious injury. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an average of 26,867 children per year are hurt badly enough in tree house accidents to require emergency room visits. Common injuries from tree house falls include:
- Broken bones
- Sprains and strains
- Head injuries
- Back injuries
And tragically, falls from tree houses can sometimes be fatal. Between 1990-2007 there were 84 reported tree house related deaths of children under the age of 16. Additionally, a study in the journal Pediatrics found that kids who play in tree houses are 3 to 4 times more likely to sustain fall injuries than kids who play on home playground equipment. The high incidence of injury has led some medical experts to argue that tree houses may simply be too dangerous for young kids.
Risk of Falling Objects
In addition to fall risks, objects falling from tree houses can cause significant injuries. Kids may accidentally drop toys, sticks, rocks or tools from an elevated tree house onto someone below. Being struck by heavy or sharp falling objects can lead to concussions, deep cuts and severe bruises.
Structural Failure
Poorly constructed tree houses can collapse or break unexpectedly, endangering children’s safety. Using inadequate support anchors in the tree, subpar building materials, or not accounting for the dynamic forces of winds and storms can lead to catastrophic structural failure. There have been instances of entire tree houses breaking free of the tree or tipping over with children inside leading to severe crush injuries and even death.
Physical Health Concerns
Beyond safety issues from falls and injuries, tree houses may negatively impact children’s physical health in other ways as well.
Lack of Sun Protection
Kids playing for hours in the exposed tree house may get excessive sun exposure, raising their risk of sunburns, skin damage, and skin cancer later in life. Unlike playgrounds which often have shade structures or trees nearby, tree houses leave children fully exposed to the sun’s UV radiation for long periods of time.
Exposure to Elements
Children in tree houses are vulnerable to whatever weather elements may arise, whether it’s cold winds, rain, snow or heat. Getting soaked or chilled can lead to illness. And if inclement weather strikes suddenly, kids may be stranded in the tree house unable to easily get down.
Risk of Insect & Animal Bites
Spending time in a tree house exposes kids to local insect populations and potential bites or stings. Wasps, bees, ticks, spiders and mosquitoes may take shelter in or around the tree house. Some kids are also allergic to stings and may have severe reactions. There’s also the possibility of encounters with squirrels, raccoons, bats or snakes that may bite or scratch if startled or threatened.
Difficulty of Access
Climbing up and down from a tree house multiple times a day can lead to slips, strains and muscle soreness for kids. Tree house ladders angled at 60 degrees or more also force awkward neck positioning that can contribute to spasms or pain. And as children get older and bigger, it becomes more challenging to comfortably fit in and use fixtures originally sized for smaller kids.
Trouble for Trees
While tree houses allow children to enjoy being among nature, the structures themselves can damage the trees they are built on in several ways.
Weakened Structural Integrity
Bolting platforms and framing directly into the tree can pierce and break vital structural and transport tissues. This makes the tree more prone to disease and decay, compromises strength, and shortens lifespan. The more nails and anchors driven into the trunk, the more injury caused to the tree. Weight loads from larger tree houses also burden trees in unhealthy ways contributing to weakness.
| Tree House Weight | Equivalent Tree Stress |
|---|---|
| 100 lbs | 1 person hanging from a branch |
| 500 lbs | 3 people hugging the tree trunk |
| 1,000 lbs | 13 people embracing the tree |
As the table shows, even a modest tree house places unnatural strain on a tree equivalent to multiple people clinging tightly to it at once.
Increased Insect & Disease Vulnerability
Opening wounds on the tree from nails and anchors provides entry points for insects and decay fungi. Exposure to carpenter ants, wood borers and pathogenic fungus is increased. Likewise, any rotting timbers used in the tree house construction can spread fungus spores through the tree.
Altered Growth Patterns
The tree is forced to grow around and encapsulate foreign objects attached to it which may lead to abnormal callusing, bulges, cankers and knots. Weight redistribution also alters the tree’s natural growth habit in unhealthy ways that exacerbate structural weakness.
Soil Compaction
Foot traffic around the tree kills ground level vegetation leading to erosion and soil compaction. Compacted soils have poor aeration and drainage inhibiting the tree’s root functioning.
Damaged Bark & Cambium
Climbing activities like shimmying up ropes or spikes on the tree damages protective bark and kills the vital cambium (growth) layer underneath. Even minor abrasions make the tree more vulnerable to diseases and pests.
Risk of Property Damage
Beyond potential harm to children and trees, tree houses also introduce risks of property damage to houses and other structures. Because they are elevated and exposed, tree houses are vulnerable to storms. A tree house damaged or blown over by high winds can smash into a home, vehicle or utility lines leading to costly destruction and repairs. Meanwhile, the weight of a tree house can cause the tree to uproot and collapse onto structures during storms.
Financial Costs
Constructing an elaborate tree house is expensive, with costs quickly running into the thousands of dollars. Complex tree houses must be built by professional contractors using high grade lumber and hardware. Homeowners insurance policies also typically do not cover any injuries or damage related to tree houses. Any costs associated with injuries, property damage or lawsuits will come out of pocket.
Legal & Regulatory Issues
Depending on laws and regulations in your local area, building a tree house may require permits or violate zoning restrictions. Things to consider include:
- Size limits on structures that do not require permits
- Whether tree houses are allowed in front or side yards
- Required setbacks from property lines
- Neighborhood CC&Rs that prohibit tree houses
- Historical designation or protected forests that limit tree house construction
Unauthorized tree houses or failure to meet code requirements can lead to fines and orders to dismantle the structure. In many cases, such regulations are intended to protect homeowners and prevent nuisance issues in residential areas.
Potential Lawsuits
Given the safety concerns, you may be vulnerable to legal action if a child is injured in your tree house. Lawsuits may allege negligence in building, designing or maintaining an unsafe tree house. Homeowner’s insurance typically does not cover claims or legal judgments related to tree houses. Even if you are not found liable, defending yourself in court can still be very costly in both time and legal fees.
Annoyance to Neighbors
While your kids may have a blast in their backyard tree house, it’s important to be mindful of how the structure may impact and annoy neighbors as well.
Noise Pollution
Kids playing in a tree house make noise that travels and disturbs neighbors trying to enjoy their own property. Excited yelling and stomping across elevated floors can be very audible even dozens of yards away when local sound ordinances prohibit excessive noise.
Privacy Issues
An elevated tree house may allow kids to peer into neighboring yards and houses invading privacy. Some tree houses directly overlook adjacent homes’ backyards, porches and pools.
Eyesore
Even a well-built tree house is still an obtrusive structure interfering with neighborhood views and aesthetics. They run counter to expectations of tidy yards and block sight lines.
Increased Traffic & Visitors
A neighborhood tree house will attract additional children, noise and commotion. This may frustrate some neighbors who counted on a quiet residential area.
Potential Trespassing
Tree houses make it easier for neighboring kids to climb onto other properties without permission leading to trespassing conflicts.
Negative Environmental Impact
Tree houses contradict the naturalism that attracts many homeowners and children to them in the first place. Beyond damaging the host tree, they also have wider detrimental environmental effects.
Non-Native Materials
Most tree houses are built from milled lumber, plastics, and metals that are out of place in the local habitat. These structures leach chemicals and degrade rather than integrating organically into the ecosystem.
| Tree House Material | Environmental Impact |
|---|---|
| Pressure treated lumber | Leaches arsenic and chromium into soil |
| Plywood | Off-gasses formaldehyde |
| PVC Plastic | Leaches toxins, is non-biodegradable |
| Galvanized hardware | Leaches zinc and cadmium |
Non-Permeable Footprint
The roof and floor of a tree house create an impermeable surface that increases runoff contamination and prevents natural water absorption into the soil.
Disrupts Local Habitat
The structure blocks animal movement, nesting and foraging behaviors. Lights, noise and human presence stresses nearby wildlife. Overall biodiversity is diminished.
Invasive Species Transport
Tree houses built from nonlocal or reclaimed wood can transport invasive pests and diseases into new habitats. Diseases like Dutch Elm have been spread this way.
Alternatives to Consider
Given the array of risks and downsides, parents may want to consider alternative play structures rather than a tree house such as:
- Backyard play set
- Playhouse on the ground
- Swing set
- Sports court
- Pool house
- Garden cottage
- Yurt / tent
These provide children with many of the same play and sanctuary benefits in a safer setting without the same degree of functional and environmental issues as tree houses.
Conclusion
While childhood tree houses may evoke idyllic memories, the reality is they come with an array of risks and downsides for children’s safety, neighborhood relations, property values, trees and the environment. Parents must weigh how much unstructured play and adventure is worth the potential for injuries, lawsuits and conflicts with neighbors and local regulations. In many cases, safer and more harmonious alternatives exist that allow children to still enjoy playing creatively outdoors.