MrFlyTrap2
OMG h8 pings
First the sob story, recently I had to move to a new location, the move coupled with a new setup ended up being a total disaster for my plants. I was close to loosing everything, all my dews, all my Neps, all my tropicals, even my fish... it was horrible. No matter what, I couldn't get the temperatures, the humidity, or anything right. So I vowed to fix the problem, hopefully for good.
Enter the abandoned steam tunnels. The city used to provide hot water for heating to all of the down town buildings, the service ended years and years ago, and now many of the buildings are left with these underground tunnels. I personally feel the tunnel you see here is actually a result of sewers being added in the early 1900's. But I digress, the one here is currently storage for landlord goodies.
I decided to make this my new home, no longer to be bothered forced air, weird lighting, or anything out of my control. I scrapped another storage vault in the tunnel for this project.
The Vault door to my new home...
Here are the converted pictures of my new underground green house. 8)
The tile was found on clearance at $0.75 a square foot (off from $5) it's even raised a 1/4" off the ground by plastic spacers, keeping the wet stuff away. Foam insulation with a Mylar finish was a good find and perfect for insulating the tunnel. The hard part was keeping them in place, it's still a bit of a battle. The dampness prevents the glue from curing, hence the wooden rafters. They ended up being handy for lighting and cable runs though.
The Koi tank even made it's way back!
The tissue culture lab / my work bench has internet access and a hookup for TV as well. Going to perform a batch of sterile seedlings within the next week or so for spring.
It's been working pretty well so far and I think the plants are already starting to settle in!
If you're in the area, let me know and feel free to join me for a tour! 8) Mini fridge will be here soon and it's always a nice 70 at the moment... (unless it's night time for the highlands)
-Nate
Enter the abandoned steam tunnels. The city used to provide hot water for heating to all of the down town buildings, the service ended years and years ago, and now many of the buildings are left with these underground tunnels. I personally feel the tunnel you see here is actually a result of sewers being added in the early 1900's. But I digress, the one here is currently storage for landlord goodies.
I decided to make this my new home, no longer to be bothered forced air, weird lighting, or anything out of my control. I scrapped another storage vault in the tunnel for this project.
The Vault door to my new home...
Here are the converted pictures of my new underground green house. 8)
The tile was found on clearance at $0.75 a square foot (off from $5) it's even raised a 1/4" off the ground by plastic spacers, keeping the wet stuff away. Foam insulation with a Mylar finish was a good find and perfect for insulating the tunnel. The hard part was keeping them in place, it's still a bit of a battle. The dampness prevents the glue from curing, hence the wooden rafters. They ended up being handy for lighting and cable runs though.
The Koi tank even made it's way back!
The tissue culture lab / my work bench has internet access and a hookup for TV as well. Going to perform a batch of sterile seedlings within the next week or so for spring.
It's been working pretty well so far and I think the plants are already starting to settle in!
If you're in the area, let me know and feel free to join me for a tour! 8) Mini fridge will be here soon and it's always a nice 70 at the moment... (unless it's night time for the highlands)
-Nate