Friday, April 9, 2021

The Greenhouse









Tim called as I was getting ready to leave for the food pantry. He wanted to know if I was free to work on the greenhouse with him. There was nothing going on at work, and he didn't feel like just scrounging around for things to keep him busy for the rest of the day, when he had plenty to keep him busy at home. 

So...

We spent the afternoon at the retirement property. We cut and put up the roof rafters on the greenhouse. It was 77 degrees (25 celcius)  here today, and it was so wonderful. We put in four hours on those rafters. Nothing left but the purlins, which we will put on Saturday. Then we will put on the polycarbonate roof panels. 

Ignore the platform on the side. That was a last minute design change. That needs to be pulled and put on the front of the building where the sliding doors will go in that installed frame. In the back of the building, we have a very large and heavy piece of tempered glass to install in the frame for it, which is leaned up against that tree in the back. There will be a small window above that which can open and allow for ventilation to control heat and moisture. On the sides, there will be some repurposed storm windows. 

We should be done this weekend and we are both pretty excited about it. (Yes Northsider, we'll take pictures!)

Almost all the materials have been repurposed from previous renovations on at least 3 different houses. The floor is a deck left behind by the previous property owner. We pulled it into place and leveled it.  The roof was a lucky bit of serendipity. Tim was at a yard sale and found a stack of five panels, brand new, still in their protective sheeting marked $20 for all of it. 

We framed using our 2 x 4's from Levi, He charges $2.65 for an 8 footer. His 1 x 8s for the sheeting are $3.35 for an 8 footer. We also had had some lumber left over from the garage build. 

Tim did splurge and buy a vertical window for opposite the sliding doors. Both the windows and the doors have screens for cross ventilation and temperature control if necessary. That window was $49. Add to that the nails, screws, the breathable medical tape to close off the greenhouse panels, and probably some other incidentals that I have forgotten, we're looking at a total expenditure of no more than $150 for an 8 x 8 greenhouse. 

And that's how we do it at my house.

15 comments:

  1. It's going to be a great growing addition to your veg plot. Thanks for posting photos of the new greenhouse. You can never have enough sheds, greenhouses or polytunnels. I want another polytunnel.

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  2. Can you hear the applause winging its way to you from across The Atlantic Ocean? An excellent DIY project using ingenuity and recycled materials. The end feeling will be so much more satisfying than if you had purchased a self-assembly pack.

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  3. It's the practical skill and care that I admire so much. My son is an architect but he's never happier than when playing around with big bits of wood. Well done you for repurposing and building from scratch - it will be all the more special for it.

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  4. It is smaller than I imagined. I look forward to seeing the end product. The trees behind don't indicate spring with their such stark yet beautiful look.

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  5. My dad was a greenhouse guy (grower). We lived right on the nursery property for a few years.

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  6. It looks very sturdy, will you use heating in cold weather when the seedlings are delicate?

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  7. Ah, that looks great! Looking forward to seeing more progress!

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  8. We have a gas well. Probably a small gas heater at night, Thelma. For what we plan to use it for, it will be large enough. It is for extending the growing season not commercial use.

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  9. Someday. I should probably take notes.

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  10. Ps the trees have no leaves yet. That is why I wander around others' blogs staring avidly at all the spring pictures. :)

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  11. Looking good, and a bargain to boot! (Plus you're recycling!)

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  12. You should do Instagram, Debby. I could provide you plenty of nature photos. ;)

    I look forward to seeing the finished product here.

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  13. Wish I had a little greenhouse here but really nowhere suitable and most of my garden is up steps which I can no longer negotiate. But I can dream.

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  14. I've had little window greenhouses. The real deal would have been nice.

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