# Treehouse Masters - Anyone Watching?



## tivoboyjr (Apr 28, 2003)

This show is on Animal Planet. If you're into tricked-out treehouses, this is the show for you. My kids love this show!

The stuff they do is very cool, and the way it's presented, it looks pretty "easy," as in it looks easier than I thought it would be to build a mega-treehouse. But I know these guys are treehouse professionals, and it is TV, and it really isn't so easy.

The worst part of watching this with my kids is having to explain over and over why I can't/won't spend $100,000 on a treehouse.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

$100K? That's the cheap one! There was one a few weeks ago that busted a quarter of a million. $250,000+! 

I love this show. Sure it's over-dramatized for the effect, but it's just fun to watch. I love Pete and his infectious enthusiasm. And his crew is a blast. Characters all.

And these treehouses they build!!! OMG! O.M.G. Bathrooms, little kitchens, this week had a deck to grill on. And the 200 foot bridge!

I want a treehouse!


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Been watching since the premier and really enjoying it. Their enthusiasm is contagious. The prices do seem a bit extreme.


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## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

I've never heard of it, sounds pretty cool. Setup to record an episode tomorrow and will check it out.


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## Frylock (Feb 13, 2002)

It's a great show. The wife and I both love it. These houses cost INSANE amounts, but they are really, really cool.


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## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

I've seen two random episodes that I stumbled across. One was the Irish Cottage and the other was a brewery. Cool show, I just wonder how long they last. It seems they use large bolts that are drilled into the tree, wouldn't that damage the health of the tree? I can't imagine spending so much money and then having the tree die.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

I stumbled upon this series last week (I think there was a marathon) and my older son (7) and I watched a few episodes and enjoyed it. We set up a season pass. 

How do they deal with the fact that trees grow? Won't the branches slowly draw and quarter the treehouses over time, as the trees get bigger and the branches move and spread?

My son's comment, after watching, was "I wouldn't want a treehouse. You know why? No wi-fi."


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## Frylock (Feb 13, 2002)

danterner said:


> How do they deal with the fact that trees grow? Won't the branches slowly draw and quarter the treehouses over time, as the trees get bigger and the branches move and spread?


That's what the tree bolts are for I believe. I think it's designed to handle the growing of the tree(s), both up and in circumference. They are adjustable I think to handle the tree growth over time.


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

The episode I saw had rods through the tree trunks (which the guy said made the trees stronger as long as they fit tight) and then the beams were attached to the rods with sliding tracks that allowed for growth, but mostly for the natural sway of the trees.

The biggest questions I had with the designs I've seen...

1. why did they run the plumbing down directly under the tree house (unsightly) instead of incorporating it into the stairs or ramp?

2. the Irish cottage, it looked like they simply left the roof garden in the plastic containers and there's no way those plants would survive that way (they'd become root bound). I wonder if that was just a quick assembly for TV and later they actually made a real roof garden?

I do want a tree house now.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

jradosh said:


> The episode I saw had rods through the tree trunks (which the guy said made the trees stronger as long as they fit tight) and then the beams were attached to the rods with sliding tracks that allowed for growth, but mostly for the natural sway of the trees.


I need to pay closer attention. The one I was thinking about, particularly, was not one they built, but one he visited. I think it was called "the hotel" or something like that. It was a 10-story structure with dozens of smaller rooms, and it looked like the tree (or trees) passed directly through many of them.


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## billboard_NE (May 18, 2005)

I have watched a couple of these shows and love the work they do.

I question some things, like the initial climb up a tree with no safety gear, using climbing helmets as hard hats (when lifting objects overhead), and using sailing tackle to lift heavy loads overhead.

I would think they would use a portable puller like the one linked below.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Greenlee-Brand-Cable-Tugger-Puller-Model-640-Chains-CLEAN-/161050399096?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257f5a1178


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

This week's episode had me scratching my head. A 200 foot ladder? That should have a plaque at the bottom with the names of local attorneys to contact after you fall and break every bone in your body. Also, in liability terms I would think it would be considered an "attractive nuisance". From Wikipedia:

In the law of torts, the attractive nuisance doctrine states that a landowner may be held liable for injuries to children trespassing on the land if the injury is caused by a hazardous object or condition on the land that is likely to attract children who are unable to appreciate the risk posed by the object or condition. The doctrine has been applied to hold landowners liable for injuries caused by abandoned cars, piles of lumber or sand, trampolines, and swimming pools. However, it can be applied to virtually anything on the property of the landowner.

In their situation, there are likely to be children in the families renting other treehouses on the property and the ladder would be attractive to many of them.


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## Frylock (Feb 13, 2002)

Bob Coxner said:


> This week's episode had me scratching my head. A 200 foot ladder? That should have a plaque at the bottom with the names of local attorneys to contact after you fall and break every bone in your body.
> 
> In their situation, there are likely to be children in the families renting other treehouses on the property and the ladder would be attractive to many of them.


I thought the same thing. Well, first I thought who would risk climbing that, but I also noticed that to get to the ladder, you needed another ladder. I think they did it like a fire escape ladder, where the ladder is from 20 ft up the tree to 200 ft up the tree. So walking through there you can't just climb it. They must need to set it up for you, and when they do, they put you in a harness.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

I caught a couple episodes of this show over the weekend. I really enjoyed it. Setup a season pass to record old and new episodes.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

The new season has been confusing. All of the ones so far have actually been repeats from last season, with some added tweets and behind the scenes footage. I think the first truly new one will be tomorrow: Black Bear Bungalow.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

So this show is actually on Animal Planet? I ran across this show a few weeks ago and setup a Season Pass. But it has been airing the first season on The Discovery channel. I guess I need to create an SP on the Animal Planet channel to catch the new episodes.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

aaronwt said:


> So this show is actually on Animal Planet? I ran across this show a few weeks ago and setup a Season Pass. But it has been airing the first season on The Discovery channel. I guess I need to create an SP on the Animal Planet channel to catch the new episodes.


I ran into this problem. I saw the show on Discovery and set a SP there. I then figured out last night, the show is actually on Animal Planet. So, I changed the SP.

Animal Planet's tagline is funny. "Surprisingly Human" It is an animal channel with reality shows about people.


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## betts4 (Dec 27, 2005)

I watched this last night - wasn't incredibly impressed with the Christmas house but loved the one up in Alaska on the edge of the hill. I can't imagine actually living there in the winter, but it was a beautiful view.

They said that the guy had scoped out some land, built the treehouse and now because of his living there he can claim the land. Is this true? I may be missing something in the process. I was actually switching between this show and Love it or List it.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

betts4 said:


> They said that the guy had scoped out some land, built the treehouse and now because of his living there he can claim the land. Is this true? I may be missing something in the process. I was actually switching between this show and Love it or List it.


He called it homesteading. Basically, there is a ton of land in Alaska that nobody has claim to. I guess if you build a house on a piece of land, you can claim it as yours.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Bob Coxner said:


> The new season has been confusing. All of the ones so far have actually been repeats from last season, with some added tweets and behind the scenes footage. I think the first truly new one will be tomorrow: Black Bear Bungalow.


They've been rerunning the first season, but they gave it a new name, something like "Treehouse Masters Revisited" or something just different enough that it seems new.

I think the first actually new episode of S2 was two weeks ago, the Indiana Jones adventure house, set in the Poconos.

Did look pretty cool!:up:


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Hoffer said:


> He called it homesteading. Basically, there is a ton of land in Alaska that nobody has claim to. I guess if you build a house on a piece of land, you can claim it as yours.


Homesteading in Alaska ended in 1986.

http://www.alaskacenters.gov/homestead.cfm


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

Bob Coxner said:


> Homesteading in Alaska ended in 1986.
> 
> http://www.alaskacenters.gov/homestead.cfm


I wonder if this guy had built this treehouse like 30 years ago or something? He definitely called it homesteading and said that if he built a house on this property, it was his.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

betts4 said:


> They said that the guy had scoped out some land, built the treehouse and now because of his living there he can claim the land. Is this true? I may be missing something in the process. I was actually switching between this show and Love it or List it.


I'm guessing it has to do with the legal concept of "adverse possession." Every state's laws on this front are a little different, but the basic idea is that if you are in "open and notorious possession" of a piece of property for a specified period of time, and the rightful owner takes no steps to remove you from the land, you gain a legal right of ownership that will supersede that of the actual owner.


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## Fl_Gulfer (May 27, 2005)

He said he had built a place on the land over 30 years ago.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

I'm all caught up on the show. I downloaded the first season off usenet over the weekend and had a little marathon. 

I now want to buy a house in the woods and have this guy come out and build a treehouse.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

I had never heard of this show, but I'm glad I saw this thread. My 10-year-old son will love this show. Just set up an season pass.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

The last episode of season 1 was interesting. I did not realize this guy Pete has kinda like a treehouse resort. That Treehouse Point place has like 7 or 8 treehouses that people can rent like a bed and breakfast. If I'm ever in Seattle again, I wouldn't mind driving out there. If he allows for tours and such.


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

Hoffer said:


> If I'm ever in Seattle again, I wouldn't mind driving out there. If he allows for tours and such.


Yes, they have tours


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

*Animal Planet Renews 'Treehouse Masters,' Greenlights 'Redwood Kings' *

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/animal-planet-renews-treehouse-masters-689904



> Animal Planet has renewed Treehouse Masters for a second season while also giving the green light to a new show, Redwood Kings.
> 
> Treehouse Masters, which returns for a second season at 10 p.m. May 30, stars "tree whisperer" Pete Nelson as he fulfills people's dreams of turning peaceful nooks in nature into the ultimate escapes. In upcoming episodes, Nelson creates a Texan man cave in the sky; a two-tiered flower-petal paradise treehouse for a consummate gardener in Tulsa; and a multilevel house for country singer Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line.
> 
> ...


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

Cool! Love me some Treehouse Masters.


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

The treehouse featured on the episode "Christmas Candy Kitchen Treehouse" has apparently *not* gotten the sign-off from the county. (They are upset about the kitchen and sleeping area.)


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## GDG76 (Oct 2, 2000)

Do they still do the ultra-fake "phone call" where he "leaves" to go help someone in the area? It always took me out of the show since it was so clearly scripted and unnecessary.


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## Odds Bodkins (Jun 7, 2006)

Amnesia said:


> The treehouse featured on the episode "Christmas Candy Kitchen Treehouse" has apparently *not* gotten the sign-off from the county. (They are upset about the kitchen and sleeping area.)


Beautiful. Always fun when the ultra-rich get a little sticking to.


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

Really? People build their dream treehouse and you laugh at their misfortune because they have more money than you? Sad.


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## Odds Bodkins (Jun 7, 2006)

Amnesia said:


> Really? People build their dream treehouse and you laugh at their misfortune because they have more money than you? Sad.


It's funny cuz I don't know 'em.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

GDG76 said:


> Do they still do the ultra-fake "phone call" where he "leaves" to go help someone in the area? It always took me out of the show since it was so clearly scripted and unnecessary.


I guess I always thought the fake call was funny, because it was so obviously fake. It was just an excuse to get a small glimpse of some other tree house that they'd never spend an entire episode on.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Has TreeHouse Masters been renewed for a third season?


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

aaronwt said:


> Has TreeHouse Masters been renewed for a third season?


The second episode of season 3 aired Friday. So, the answer to your question is 'yes'.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Hoffer said:


> The second episode of season 3 aired Friday. So, the answer to your question is 'yes'.


I saw that several episodes had been recorded but I thought they all said season 2. I guess I need to go back and look closer. Thanks.


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## Graymalkin (Mar 20, 2001)

I enjoy this show, because I like to see things being built. But I know they're editing out a LOT of stuff and recreating some, if not a lot of, scenes. I'd like to know just how long it actually takes from the initial client contact to the final reveal. Two months? Six months? Also, how many jobs does Pete's company do that are less than inspired and are never televised?


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## GDG76 (Oct 2, 2000)

Hoffer said:


> I guess I always thought the fake call was funny, because it was so obviously fake. It was just an excuse to get a small glimpse of some other tree house that they'd never spend an entire episode on.


I'd rather just have them give a profile of the other treehouse that is nearby, give some facts about it, who built it, etc. There is no reason to set it up - it makes sense he'd want to go see existing treehouses anyway.

Seeing them trying to act like he's talking to the person then leaving there is just silly. Keep the acting to the professionals .


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## MikeCC (Jun 19, 2004)

I agree with those who lament the inane side stories, because this Peter guy has an acting style that seems to require being mentally deficient. When he goes off to learn about the training to be a volunteer fireman, of how to make candy, or visit his "mentor," his weird ass acting makes me cringe.

I like the tree houses, but the side crap ruins the show for me. Season Pass canceled.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

Oh, I don't like it when he goes off to catch lobsters, or make candy. I do like when he goes off to see other treehouses and fix them. It does seem like his little side thing has become more about doing things that have nothing to do with treehouses.


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## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

From what I read in the news, the candy kitchen never got the approval from the start. The town gave them the OK to build the kitchen for the show but once the the tree house was done filming it had to be removed.


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## xuxa (Oct 8, 2001)

I have been to this one they featured before they closed it and probably was a good idea it was closed to the public. After they aired it, they were getting way too much traffic to support the style, lack of safety etc.

http://offbeattenn.com/worlds-largest-treehouse-and-its-in-crossville-tn/


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## Odds Bodkins (Jun 7, 2006)

The product placement/mentions are getting obnoxious. I guess if these sponsors keep the show on the air, that's cool... but man. The GMC stuff from Friday's episode was ridiculous.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

This is the first year (new season started last month) that it's been so blatant. There's nothing wrong with product placement, but geez, try a little subtlety.

Pete: "I love the way this new GMC pickup let's me know when I'm drifting out of my lane. Let's make a call on my GMC pickup. 'GMC Pickup, call Mike'."

GMC Pickup: "Calling Mike"

Having said that... this week's treehouse was one of the most amazing yet. The fantasy/Shire build was awesome; the way it fit into and around a single tree, albeit one with multiple branches. Very cool treehouse.


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## Graymalkin (Mar 20, 2001)

Treehouse Masters succeeds in part _because_ Pete is a character. Just like Wayde and Brett on Tanked. Also, they're able to do bigger and bolder builds. The people who do the insane pools aren't as colorful, but they get by with increasingly more impressive pools. And Tanked has now resorted to showing celebrity episodes almost exclusively.

By contrast, a more animal-centric show like Treetop Cat Rescue, which has just been canceled after one season because of low ratings, featured two nice but bland guys, Shaun and Tom. They're arborists who like to rescue cats stuck in trees by rappelling up and coaxing the cats to come with them. They tried very hard to manufacture drama that wasn't there, but they're not colorful characters. They're better suited to YouTube and Facebook.

I _still_ want to know what the heck happened to Gator Boys. The show disappeared last fall without a word from Animal Planet.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Graymalkin said:


> I _still_ want to know what the heck happened to Gator Boys. The show disappeared last fall without a word from Animal Planet.


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## Frylock (Feb 13, 2002)

Tanked was good when it was about the amazing Tanks. Now it's just about the crazy facades around the tank, that they don't even build.

Treehouse Masters, while I have no idea why it is on APL, still is sticking to its roots, though I agree about the product placement.

Before the product placement was for YellaWood, but it made sense, as it was a treehouse they were building.


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## Hoffer (Jun 1, 2001)

The GMC stuff is pretty obvious. They only spend like 10-20 seconds on it each week. If it keeps the show on the air, so be it. This is one of those shows that I just have to watch if I see it on my DVR, and my DVR is full of stuff.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

I enjoyed the first 2 seasons but now it's really fading for me. It's become very formulaic. If you like treehouse shows, give The Treehouse Guys on DIY a shot. I'm enjoying it more than TM now.

http://www.diynetwork.com/shows/the-treehouse-guys


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