Tree house
- Thread starter Ponchik
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zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Separate from what
?You'd have to bury any circuit(s) to the tree since it can't be used to support conductors (225,26 and other places). The permitting might be a challenge, too.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Hopefully you are at least allowed to use the tree to support raceways or else you will have a hard timing getting the power up into the tree house.
Tapatalk!
Tapatalk!
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
Aerial and a mast on the treehouse. Never touch the tree.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
But since the tree supports the treehouse and the treehouse supports the wire, it is a thin distinction from just nailing some 2x4s to the trunk and attaching the mast to that.
Which I suspect most inspectors would reject.
Tapatalk!
Which I suspect most inspectors would reject.
Tapatalk!
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
410.36 (G) allows for lighting and associated equipment to be supported by trees.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Associated equipment covering any raceways necessary, but not a mast and aerial run?
Tapatalk!
Tapatalk!
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
That seems to be how it is written.
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I'd set a post mounted GFCI at the bottom of the tree and run a SO cord to the treehouse. If they decide to move the treehouse, they can plug it in somewhere else
Ragin Cajun
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate S.C.
PICTURES??????????
RC
RC
renosteinke
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Arkansas
A treehouse does introduce some interesting design issues.
Sure, you can use the tree to support your electrical; it's "services" where the use of vegetation is banned. However, trees grow, which will introduce other issues- so I'd run the power up a fixed, dead, supporting pillar.
Trees also move. You need to allow for that in your design; RMC might not be such a good idea. Plus, you'll need to foresee the wiring being used for climbing, hanging things, vines growing upon, etc.
I define 'separate structure' as 'something for lightning to hit.' A tree certainly qualifies. Still, I have to ask: can a wire & ground rod be a better ground than the tree itself? Maybe the NEC needs to define "inherently grounded."
Wiring needs to be 'mechanically' protected. That means keeping it away from squirrels, and keeping the bugs out. Ordinary "raintight" won't work.
Sure, you can use the tree to support your electrical; it's "services" where the use of vegetation is banned. However, trees grow, which will introduce other issues- so I'd run the power up a fixed, dead, supporting pillar.
Trees also move. You need to allow for that in your design; RMC might not be such a good idea. Plus, you'll need to foresee the wiring being used for climbing, hanging things, vines growing upon, etc.
I define 'separate structure' as 'something for lightning to hit.' A tree certainly qualifies. Still, I have to ask: can a wire & ground rod be a better ground than the tree itself? Maybe the NEC needs to define "inherently grounded."
Wiring needs to be 'mechanically' protected. That means keeping it away from squirrels, and keeping the bugs out. Ordinary "raintight" won't work.
I can just see it now...........
I tree house for the kids to play in but with an electrical supply for their iPhone chargers, computers, heating, lighting............
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Don't forget about air conditioning.
I wonder why no one has made a branch circuit joke yet. Or made reference to going out on a limb.
Maybe they haven't twigged it yet.....
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Twigged does not compute.
verbBRIT.informal
past tense: twigged; past participle: twigged
1.
understand or realize something.
"it was amazing that Graham hadn't twigged before"
synonyms: realize, understand, grasp, comprehend, take in, fathom, apprehend, perceive, see, recognize
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
I had a bad experience with a tree house. A lady called me at work saying no structural engineer would sign off on a tree house her kids built. I asked why she was looking for one. She said because my plans examiner required it. I asked her the address and found that code enforcement had a new inspector who cited her for construction without permits. She applied for a permit and sure enough one of my employees told her she needed a structural engineer. I fired him and wrote her a letter saying we don't require permits for tree houses built by kids with a copy to code enforcement. This was not the first time this plans examiner did that. It seems he was telling everyone on every 1&2 family permit they need a structural engineer because he did not know how to do calculations, even though 1&2 family is expressly exempt under state law from requirements for an engineer. There was a pile in his file from prior to my time being in charge where he was told to get remedial training and not do plan review on anything other than signs & fences. The week before this he had approved an application for a change of use zoned single family into a crematorium. The tree house was just the last straw.
And I know you're asking so I'll answer it. There was no electric to the tree house.
There are some pretty exotic tree houses which you can find under a google search. https://www.google.com/search?q=exo...Ho7IA4&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=684 I've never had to deal with one from a regulatory compliance perspective.
Although I have dealt with plenty of chickees built by the Miccosukee tribe of Florida and that tribe is exempt from needing an engineer or a contractor's license. They still need a permit and there's electric in them. Waterfront bars often hire their services. They do really good work.
And I know you're asking so I'll answer it. There was no electric to the tree house.
There are some pretty exotic tree houses which you can find under a google search. https://www.google.com/search?q=exo...Ho7IA4&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=684 I've never had to deal with one from a regulatory compliance perspective.
Although I have dealt with plenty of chickees built by the Miccosukee tribe of Florida and that tribe is exempt from needing an engineer or a contractor's license. They still need a permit and there's electric in them. Waterfront bars often hire their services. They do really good work.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Oh, now I twig it!
Thanks. I love learning new words. Well, this is an old word with a definition that's new to me.
We old worlders can still educate you new worlders..........
You have been on this forum long enough to have possibly twigged that my sweet wife is from GA and that I'm a Brit.
We live in England though neither of us is English. She works for me and our customers love her Gone With the Wind southern accent an mellifluous tone of voice.
We work it for all its worth............
The diversity of regional accents and local vernacular from an entire country only around one third of the size of Texas is perhaps remarkable.
A little anecdote that I trust the mods will be lenient with.
My elder daughter was born and grew up with a fairly "posh" English accent. She married a Scot. They have a friend the the husband calls Mabawser.
His name is Pete Richie.
So Mabawser? Well, Scots dialect from the region makes balls baws. My is ma.
You can probably work it out from there.....
I will try to be sneaky and get pictures next time I drive by.
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