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I'm going to build a greenhouse!!

Hello.  Yesterday my dad said that if I want to we can build a greenhouse together.  I looked around on the internet and I thought one of those PVC hoop greenhouses looked pretty good.  Here are the plans for the one I'm thinking about:

hoop%20greenhouse.jpg


So what does everyone think??  Does it look like a good set of plans??  Does anyone else have a greenhouse like this one?  And if you do, do you like it??  Thanks,


      -buckeye
 
looks pretty good to me! personally i would go with the dome frame (i think thats what its called) its flat up the sides and then slants up at around 8 feet, looks like a regular house, only its a greenhouse. lots more room for racks and sruff, with a hoop greenhouse its kinda hard to get racks in there, its easy to hand nepenthes though
biggrin.gif
 
Maybe it's just me but I don't trust pvc pipe to hold the weight of snow and potential wind storms.

Think about what equipment you will use and where to put it. 6.5' tall in the center is not very tall so no room for anything overhead or hanging. For a 4season setup your basically looking at heating/cooling/venting systems as well as water supply and electric for running everything.

Tony
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Maybe it's just me but I don't trust pvc pipe to hold the weight of snow and potential wind storms.

I wondered about that too. I think I'm going to add a post in the center to help support the weight of snow in the winter. I'm not as worried about snow piling up on it as I am about wind though. Wind can get pretty nasty around here. The foundation and the frames on each end are made of 2x4's and 2x6's so those should help against the wind. I may run an extra 2x4 the whole length of the very top so it ties both end together too.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]looks great to me : ) Are you gonna put a bar across the top? and shelving in?

Yes I'm going to do both. I'll probably sit all the plants on the shelves since like Tony said, there really won't be much room for hanging plants.


Also, does anyone know of a good place to get greenhouse sheeting?? I found this site: Sheeting and the price seems very reasonable (.09 cents a Sq. ft.). I wonder about shipping cost though. Thanks everyone,


-buckeye
 
Can check out IGC also. Prices for Durafilm are higher if cut by the linear foot but less expensive if you buy a stock sized roll. I don't know the quality of the site you linked. It does say 4yr film which is good but some films are better than others and cost more. Durafilm is usually one of the pricer ones. Shipping may indeed make or break your decision on where to get it. You could look locally for a greenhouse supply place also.
 
wow i would love to have a greenhouse. looks great!! tell me how it goes. how long does it normally take to build one?
biggrin.gif
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]wow i would love to have a greenhouse. looks great!! tell me how it goes. how long does it normally take to build one?

Hello. I'm going to take pictures as we build it and post them on the forums. I'm not sure how long it will take but it shouldn't take too long. You can never be for sure though, since it always seems to take longer to build something than you would think. We're planning to start it sometime over spring break.


-buckeye
 
  • #10
Good luck on your green house. Jeremiah and his dad built a small greenhouse for Jeremiah's plants last year. Wish I had the room in my yard to build one. Not quite enough room though.

Good luck,
smile.gif

BCK
 
  • #11
Thanks BCK. I just ordered the greenhouse film. I got Durafilm from IGC like Tony suggested. It has a 4 yr. warranty so it should last a minimum of 4 yrs. We're probably going to start building it on Wednesday. I can't wait!!!
biggrin.gif



-buckeye
 
  • #12
That's cool! I wish i could build a green house. My mom said that I couldn't and I shouldn't be getting plants that are too big! I'm stuck with terrariums. (4 of them, hahaha!!!)
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (BigCarnivourKid @ Mar. 13 2004,22:14)]Good luck on your green house.  Jeremiah and his dad built a small greenhouse for Jeremiah's plants last year.  Wish I had the room in my yard to build one.  Not quite enough room though.

Good luck,
smile.gif

BCK
3 years ago i think
 
  • #14
Well it looks like i might have to delay building the green house. We're suppose to get 4-8" of snow tonight and tomorrow.
sad.gif
It's weird since it's nearly 50 out and sunny today.  But that's Ohio's weather for ya.  We might try to build the wood frame in the garage or barn, so at least we'll get started.  


       -buckeye
 
  • #16
From my research on greenhouse construction I've read the following.

PVC will become brittle do to UV exposure from the sun requiring replacement. I don't know how long it takes. I think you can buy PVC with UV inhibitors as well.

Why not use conduit for your hoops? The won't ever need replacement and will carry a heavy snow load. The only thing you will have to replace every few years will be the Plastic Film.

I have never built a greenhouse so my comments are based on my reading. If anyone has experience with PVC hoop style greenhouses it would be good to know how long the PVC lasts.

Just some thoughts on the subject.

If you build one with PVC, keep us posted on how long it lasts.

Glenn
 
  • #17
hte only problem with this kind of greenhouse is it doesn't keep heat in at all. with plastic for a cover you'll just be heating the great outdoors in the winter
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wow.gif
 
  • #18
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]PVC will become brittle do to UV exposure from the sun requiring replacement.  I don't know how long it takes.  I think you can buy PVC with UV inhibitors as well.

Hello.  I'm planning on painting the PVC with an outdoors UV inhibiting paint to protect it.  I'm hoping this will give it a much longer life.  

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Why not use conduit for your hoops?  The won't ever need replacement and will carry a heavy snow load.  The only thing you will have to replace every few years will be the Plastic Film.

The reason I didn’t want to use conduit is because I would have to bend it into the hoop shape.  I think it would be pretty hard to get it bent right too. Since PVC flexes I think it'll be much easier to bend into the correct shape.

Thanks everyone,

       -buckeye
 
  • #19
They do make PVC that is uvstable but you have to buy it from electrical companies. It's grey color and suited for above ground use fully exposed to sunlight.. if you really wanted to use it. I think you will be fine though because the pvc will be fairly well protected by the greenhouse film from uv light.

One of the many aspects you will need to determine: What you are growing and what temperature range to maintain. The poly should be two layers thick and inflated between the layers with a small blower if you plan on maintaining a 'tropical' temperature range through the Winter.

I am curious how you would attach the greenhouse film to the PVC.. inflating it would require a good seal around the edges.

Tony
 
  • #20
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Spectabilis73 @ Mar. 18 2004,00:43)]hte only problem with this kind of greenhouse is it doesn't keep heat in at all. with plastic for a cover you'll just be heating the great outdoors in the winter
rock.gif
 
wow.gif
Not true Spec,

Greenhouse films are specifically designed to hold in the heat as much as possible. Sure, you loose alot of heat through the plastic but with the use of a inflator and a higher R factor for the film, you can have a very successful heat efficent greenhouse.
 
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