Barbara Butler Artist-Builder Inc.

View Original

Staining the Minnesota

In our last post about this Modified Minnesota Treehouse, we showed you the fabrication process in the shop. The next step is to take it apart into its component pieces for the staining process.

First, every ladder, wall and section of roof must be hand-stained with our custom tung-oil stain. We create each batch of it here in the shop using natural tung-oil and high-quality pigments. The final coat is a clear layer of tung-oil solution for extra resistance to the weather.


Here, two sections of roof sit drying after being bedecked in their brilliant hues.

Every treehouse needs a Top Secret Safe! It can only be opened using the correct combination, which is secretly painted behind the coat of arms. Once the stain has dried, we move on to the detailing process: adding small things like hinges, knobs, and rock holds. Windows and doors are fully assembled in the shop while larger things, like clubhouses, remain as four sides to be reunited on site.

Sections of slide must also be assembled into their correct configuration in a process we detail here.

Stay tuned for on-site installation pictures coming soon!