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The Vault - My new home... (pics!)

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.

RawTunnel.JPG


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...

VaultDoor.JPG


Here are the converted pictures of my new underground green house. 8)

VaultPlants1.JPG


VaultPlants2.JPG


VaultPlants3.JPG


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!
Koi3.JPG


Koi1.JPG


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.

Lab1.JPG


Lab2.JPG


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
 
very nice.
wish we had an empty room i could turn into a grow room xD
i might just buy a little greenhouse or something later on
 
pretty neat little hideout you got there. hmm wait till your highlanders start to vine :grin:
:
 
When life gives you lemons... Great transition there. Looks like an area that will do quite well for you. I like all the photos. Is the fridge that is coming for drinks or for growing ultra highlanders?

xvart.
 
This is like some kind of super heros lair, very awesome!
 
Cool! TC looks challenging (but fun!)
 
Looks like a place to take a girl on the first date.
"Hey, would you like to see my carnivorous plants dungeon?"
 
very very very well done. it looks spectacular and kinda eerily like the lab in "I am Legend" :p lol! Well done! :) I love your work bench.

How much did u end up spending to make this transformation if you mind disclosing?

BTW...what is that intense green inside your Koi tank? it doesn't look like a plant to me. looks like a green carpet. :p
 
da nu nununu nu nu ..... PLANTMAN! ok so th song sucked lol but you know.....
 
  • #10
Thanks for the comment! 8)

Xvart, The minifridge will be for me, unless ultra highlands enjoy diet coke and/or bud light. Some of the tissue culture stuff will go in there too though.

Vraev, The green at the bottom of the Koi tank is just some old neon green gravel I had laying around, so it's at the bottom of the tank. I've been thinking of replacing it with silica instead, for a more natural look.

DrWurm, hehe I prefer vault instead of dungeon it's just a few points lower on the creepy scale. Hmm... well maybe it's a toss up. :oops:

Vraev, here's the shopping list:

136 Paver Square Tiles: $0.74
3 sheets of 4x8 foam insulation 1" thick: $16 per sheet
6 sheets of 4x8 foam insulation 1/4" thick: $11 per sheet
5 tubes of glue: $3 per tube
5 2x4's: $3.50 each
Total: $249.14
The rest, the furniture, shelving, heater and lighting I already had and just brought in.

-Nate
 
  • #11
Xvart, The minifridge will be for me, unless ultra highlands enjoy diet coke and/or bud light.

Either way, I'd be satisfied. Thanks for the update, Nate.

xvart.
 
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