A tree trunk can be used wonderfully for various construction projects: for example as a support beam for the new, covered terrace or set up as a decoration in the living room. There are several ways to securely anchor the trunk to the ground. However, please note, especially indoors, on terraces or balconies, that the statics must not be overloaded.
There are several ways to anchor a tree trunk to the ground
Insert tree trunk into the ground
A very simple method is to insert a long tree trunk directly into the ground. In order for the trunk to be stable and secure, about a third of its length has to disappear into the ground. The soil is then well compacted, for example with a vibrator. The problem with sinking the tree trunk into the ground, however, is the fact that dead wood (which is what it is after all) in contact with soil that is always moist is very quickly attacked by rotting fungi and bacteria, which is why such a construction does not have a particularly long service life should.
Protect wood against rot
However, there are ways to improve the durability of the wood and thus delay rot. This means that you should only use hardwood such as oak or beech for such a project - these types of wood are much more resistant and therefore rot more slowly. Soft wood such as spruce, fir or pine, on the other hand, is not recommended - even fruit tree wood and especially birch rot very quickly. There are also various ways to protect the wood against moisture:
- Filling the bottom hole with gravel and stones instead of topsoil
- Saturate the wood with wood preservative
- Treatment of the wood with tar
- Only use well dried wood
Concrete in the tree trunk
If you want to be on the safe side, concrete the tree trunk in the ground. However, even with this method, the wood is not completely protected against moisture, since the foundation also absorbs and transmits moisture. It is better to lock the trunk a few centimeters above the foundation so that the wood does not even come into contact with the ground. Also, the concreted area could become a problem a few years later as it is very difficult to remove. The tree trunk may have long since rotted above ground and the concrete foundation is still holding up, making it difficult to implement another construction project in the same place.
Anchor the tree trunk to a substrate
There are various options available for anchoring the tree trunk to any surface, both indoors and outdoors. For example, you can use the following tools to lock:
- a foot
- a U-angle
- a ground anchor
- a T-socket
- a round bar
tips
You can hide the usually rather unsightly anchorages behind a self-made wooden ring made of the same type of wood.