I am going to be building a Treehouse soon, and am researching the best and most cost effective means to do so. I am good on the platform and beams (using Treehouse Attachment Bolts), and am going to use 45 degree knee braces for additional stability.
They make some great Knee Brace Attachment brackets, but man are they pricey. Almost $100 each, and we'll need four of them. Also mentioned at this tree house guide. When reading some books, and other online resources, I see mention of braces that are more like Joist Hangers. But rather than having numerous nail holes like traditional joist hangers, they are supports by a single lag screw. They are referred to in these resources as "Framing Connectors" or "Hold Down" brackets. Does anyone know the real name for these, or where to find them? Asides from having some fabricated myself, anyone know where to find these?
Like this:
As seen here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-A-Treehouse/?lang=pt
I also saw these in the popular tree house book by black and decker:
Best Answer
I think those are Simpson Strong-Tie HD3B, or maybe a HD5B. At under 10 bucks a pop, you can probably afford to buy one just to look at it and see if you think it suits your needs.
edit: just looked at the fancy $100 ones, and I can see how you get way better attachment from them. I suggest you integrate a strap that ties the bracket to the underside of the brace, as a single lag through the bottom of the simpson isn't going to be stellar at resisting a force that pulls away.