Open Source Greenhouse Project

Excellent idea for a thread though. I hope to see more of what people have done for hoop houses/greenhouses on their own. Around here about the cheapest I can get a 'ready made' greenhouse that would do the job for me ( 10x20 ) is around 6000.00, way more than I can afford. I'm going to check out the cosco carports and see if I can modify them to do the job.

"the wind still found the weakest part of the structure, and once that was loosened, everything else went to hell."

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Very well said. The tiniest little place and wind elbows it's way into the party and then raises hell. Definitely my biggest challenge. Don't get it often or regularly, but can get up to 60 mph gusts when I do.

I'm plan to use smaller pipe on shorter centers. That will help with rain ponding and also wind buffeting, which is the reason I need the damn thing in the first place! Tarps failing in rain storms are a common event around here. Water weighs about 7 pounds/gallon, so a puddle gets heavy quick.

Saw a horse shelter today that might work really well. two-sided with a roof, walls protecting the interior from the prevailing southerly winds and roof keeping rain off. Open on the leeward side. Recycled sliding glass door blanks are $3 each here. A 4x4 frame, 2x6 rafters, and skinning it in those panels might solve the problem of wind tearing up a more "squared up" structure. Of course, this would cost a bit more (about 1.5 new carports), but a permanent solution for a landowner living with wind and rain but an otherwise moderate growing climate. I'm liking it more as it goes from my brain to the posting. I'll never need a shade cloth in W.WA, but one could easily be draped over the structure and fastened if it was needed.

I don't love the idea of a hoop house (hate all that plastic), but have already chased a Costco carport across the pasture and traded the carcass for a pressure washer! Our crazy making storms have left me with vivid memories of failed structures, and one was epic. It cartwheeled hundreds of feet into a huge blackberry bramble. Getting it out was special, but marching it back across the pasture was pure hilarity. Held up very well, actually. Well made. I am now cruising Craigs List for a dead one, but wouldn't risk another couple hundred bucks with our weather. Recent freaky storm dump took out virtually every one in the area! cheers, mg

You can fasten the carport down & it won't fly away. I have a concrete block strapped to each leg. The plastic will tear away before the carport will go anywhere.
I've had a couple of blow-outs in heavy winds. Only 1 side tore loose. I repaired it in 1 hr. My costco carport has lasted for years

peace
doublejj

build a wood frame and put paper over it was quite simple , it should be if you have ever used a hammer or drill before, but its wood cuz am going to eventually put a plastic see through roof and do the sides with off cuts so that it looks more like a building not a green house

That's why my Costco carport greenhouse blends in so well, it doesn't look like a "greenhouse"

peace
doublejj

mugan said:

build a wood frame and put paper over it was quite simple , it should be if you have ever used a hammer or drill before, but its wood cuz am going to eventually put a plastic see through roof and do the sides with off cuts so that it looks more like a building not a green house

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wood would be a nice idea, I have no experienec with wood work before though. If someone could post a how to ?

Above in the thread there is a ebook you can buy how to build a geodome. Looks cool http://www.biodomerevolution.com/ book was kind of expensive though, apparently they can withstand very high winds.

apparently you can make this for under $600

squarepush3r said:

wood would be a nice idea, I have no experienec with wood work before though. If someone could post a how to ?

Above in the thread there is a ebook you can buy how to build a geodome. Looks cool http://www.biodomerevolution.com/ book was kind of expensive though, apparently they can withstand very high winds.

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i might, but its not timber, i figured the paper doesn't weigh much, so structural soundness doesn't need to pe flawless, so i used gum poles, and covered them with black paper to stop weather DMG. i also drenched em in oil before that so that the termites can't get to them

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its been up as long as i have been on this site, no sings of weakness, total cost 2 days 3000ksh .. about 25 bucks

I can put up a costco carport in a couple hrs & have a sturdy greenhouse that will last for years, for $350.
You can put blocks under my carport & jack it up as high as you need

peace
doublejj

squarepush3r said:

wood would be a nice idea, I have no experienec with wood work before though. If someone could post a how to ?

Above in the thread there is a ebook you can buy how to build a geodome. Looks cool http://www.biodomerevolution.com/ book was kind of expensive though, apparently they can withstand very high winds.

apparently you can make this for under $600

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I love this SO much! In another thread I posted about being in a structures class in college and having to build a geodesic dome out of plastic straws. We divided into teams, one to assemble, the other to steal straws. I lucked out and was on the assembly team...avoided potential arrest...they stole lots, in every bar in two college towns in two states. I think there were 8 teams, so run the numbers. (Looking back as an adult, cringing a bit at the assignment. Surely profs knew we couldn't afford to BUY straws and it was inevitable we'd nick them.)

Criminal behavior aside, it was AMAZING how strong it was. Ours needed added support (held in place by apple boxes full of rocks because we "pushed the envelope" and made it 30 feet in diameter. I kept one of the sections for decades...you could stand on it and it wouldn't collapse. Made of drinking straws.

Buckminster Fuller, father of the GeoDesic Dome. Visionary.

http://bfi.org/about-bucky

doublejj said:

That's why my Costco carport greenhouse blends in so well, it doesn't look like a "greenhouse"

peace
doublejj

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For where you live, your carport is perfect camo....right up until your plants blew the roof out!!! lol... Those pics are epic. I aspire to that, but I can't see the smoke from my neighbor's chimney...camo isn't the issue, it's the damn wind!

doublejj said:

You can fasten the carport down & it won't fly away. I have a concrete block strapped to each leg. The plastic will tear away before the carport will go anywhere.
I've had a couple of blow-outs in heavy winds. Only 1 side tore loose. I repaired it in 1 hr. My costco carport has lasted for years

peace
doublejj

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lol....I had 2 CMUs on each leg, because I hadn't gotten around to the cross anchor tie-downs. I knew it was a temporary fix, but got an early storm. I live in a weather mico-zone where Costco carports are marginal solutions because of the wind and rain. They go slimy green in a couple years and look terrible, collapse with boring regularity, and go on walk abouts without warning.

This last snow took down every one in the 'hood. Again. Scouring Craigs Lists for bargains and will try out another anchoring scheme.

The best solution for here would be to use mobile home tie downs (I was going to drill through the legs and do some sort of cable connector to fasten them to the structure). The $15 Craigs List buy has me looking, and I'll keep thinking about how to tie them down. Still hate losing the plastic and having to put it in the waste stream.

Will post pictures of the horse shelter I think could be skinned with sliding glass door blanks and would last forever in a high wind area. All over this...have the glass and the 4x4s. cheers, mg

I really like the idea of shower door blanks, dang I wish I could get a truck full. They would distort the view from outside enough so your plants would not be as redilly identified and would last forever. The only problem I see with it is Zoning regs. It might be considered a permanent structure and you would have to get permits etc. to put it up. The costco carports would be a temporary structure and not be subject to zoning reqirements.

Randm said:

I really like the idea of shower door blanks, dang I wish I could get a truck full. They would distort the view from outside enough so your plants would not be as redilly identified and would last forever. The only problem I see with it is Zoning regs. It might be considered a permanent structure and you would have to get permits etc. to put it up. The costco carports would be a temporary structure and not be subject to zoning reqirements.

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I live very remote, surrounded by 1,000s of acres of forest land in a podunk rural county, so zoning isn't an issue. Because it's farm and forest country, "outbuildings" with no power and under around 500 sq. ft. don't need permits anyway. And...the topper is with the latest budget problems, we no longer have any code enforcement officer whatsoever!

Great idea about shower door blanks in a more populated area, but might not be available at "scrounge" prices. Where we get our sliding glass door blanks is a glass company that replaces insulated windows when they lose their seal. They take the old ones back to the shop, and salvage the remaining glass panes. Sell them for $3 each! 44"x77" laminated glass.

I have another greenhouse/potting shed made from salvaged bus shelter panels. Lexan. It's not as clear as the glass, and bulletproof as an extra option. :-/ When the panels get too scratched up with graffiti, etc, the transit companies replace them. Our transit company was happy to give them away rather than put them in the landfill. Put the worst ones on the roof, so I have to look up to see the bad words!

you lose all the strength puting a angel on the sides you should of just used. a straight peicr in a hoop. with a few ts from hoop to hoop.

Wanted to update, I went ahead with my 'plan b', which is similar to my last plant, only ribs are at 5' interval, instead of 10' before. Also, I am making the base out of concrete blocks with rebar concreted in, then plan to bury these for much more stability. Using 1/2" rebar and this looks like the good choice, and using 1/2 PVC to run on top, its a tight fit, but I think using the lower PSI pvs (not 600 psi, step down) makes the fit much better.


For fun, I have been looking at DIY geodesic domes. The hardest part by far is doing the connectors or hubs, because you need like 50-60 of them in varying sizes to 5 and 6 star shapes, and you have to custom build them mostly. Geodesic domes can be made of wood, EMT metal piping, but also it appears PVC

See here for a really cool and fairly easy HUB
http://destinysurvival.com/2009/03/28/domes-from-karl/
[video=youtube;osnv4IFZW5o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osnv4IFZW5o&feature=player_embedded[/video]

OK, for the Carport people! I found this while browsing for greenhouse ideas

http://www.shelters-to-go.com/low34galvanized.shtml

These are the corner/connector fittings that are used in carports I believe. YOu can just use EMT standard pipe from home depot connected to these, so basically buy the connectors, and buy the EMT pipe from hardware store, and build your own Carport to your own specs~!


EDIT: This site looks like it has better prices
http://www.ysbw.com/Canopy-Fittings-3-4-Inch-s/6.htm

ok folks, heres my update as of today with some pictures. You can see the latest design, using 8x6 stone open blocks, 1/2" rebar inside then setting with concrete. Hopefully this can stand up to the wind once its up and ready

You could do the same thing with a carport frame. That PVC is not as strong as metal tubing, I think the wind get to it.

Good luck

peace
doublej

doublejj said:

You could do the same thing with a carport frame. That PVC is not as strong as metal tubing, I think the wind get to it.

Good luck

peace
doublej

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see the 1/2 rebar inside the pvc?

Also, I posted above, I would consider a carport frame if this design doesn't work, but actually I would construct it myself using these parts and EMT tubing to allow for more flexible design options.

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has anyone thought about digging down 2-3 ft. and having the hoop house partly under ground. then pots could sit on blocks until tall enough??? it would be lower profile for sure. might help with the wind a little.