By the grace of God you WILL be successful! I was excited for you with the first hoop forward and could already smell the plant material. It's a fragrance all it's own and once you smell it...you will never forget it. I'm truly rooting for you and you will be amazed at how quickly you will build a nice business for you and your family. I'll certainly be along for the ride!!!:):):)
I just found your channel, Thank you, first of all, for giving God praise:)... we're building a hoop house tunnel and were looking for how-to's. We are big veggie eaters and figured we spend around $50/month off season on lettuce and spinach alone. So if we invest in a hoop house and lengthened our growing season, it will pay for itself very quickly!! We're going to build our greenhouse this week, during the feast of Tabernacles, we dedicate our lives, home and garden to the Lord :) You videos are so informative and helpful, thank you, love that sun mapping app! Be blessed, Angela Karing
One idea, add a line of conduit that acts as a rdgebeam that arches to the ground at the front and rear ends of the greenhouse. This should give rigidity to the front and back ends that will likely rock without rigid support. Also saw your video about your new start church. May the Lord bless you as you step out in faith and expand His body the church. Blessings.
Your channel is very entertaining. I love what you do, wished I had the room you do to do what you are doing. I am trying to play around on less that a 1/3 acre doing square foot gardening, all I have the room for. Wished I had more room to experiment with greenhouse's and the like. Wish you all the luck!
Great video! I am hoping to see the progress and and how it all works. I too am in Michigan and I would say your greenhouse positioning is spot on. I am in the planning stage for my greenhouse and my thoughts for positioning were the same. Stay warm!
I would plan for a ridge beam to absorb the snow load, a simple 2x4 with 4 evenly spaced support post. Once you get it tied together, it should be ok, but definitely plan in a ridge beam and some wood structure to add some solid rigidity to it so in the winter when the wind blows it doesn't flex and break. My parents lost two green houses in one night because of the snow came down faster than they could clear, the new ones have ridge beams.
great point, I will have wooden walls on each end for support there and then maybe run a 2X4 laminate beam down the center with a few supports spaced evenly will do the trick.
Just some thoughts. I like the orientation for the prevailing westerly winds for ventilation. I think you should consider some posts, beams and framing. I see that HD has 2 in. x 4 in. x 16 ft. #2 Prime Ground Contact Pressure-Treated Lumber for $11 each or get some more free pallets and build what you need from them. I'm guessing you're thinking rain water collection for irrigation. Looking forward to the rest of this build!
I am just across the river from Detroit and am at at similar stage with mine. I am re-purposing a car port to make green house. Will be following your progress...
Go for it dude! Go with the higher arch too. I like the orientation but why not move it slightly farther away from the trees giving you more hours of sunlight so you are better able to grow some winter veg too.
This idea is AWESOME! We live in UT, so our sun is on a crazy pattern. Btw, if you are trying for xtra income, I was talking to my real estate agent and found out that they are short on notary public services. 165 bucks for a signature on a contract. Just register with the banks after a notary test, and it is a way to bring in the extra for the farm. My husband and I will be going LLC after we test for NP. I thought it would be a good idea for our place too, since we need to improve our home.
We build a S40 hoop house 16 years ago (still standing) and down the center at the top i used a S40 pipe with T's glued at every hoop and down the center of the pipe i ran conduit that fits snugly inside the S40 and made the whole hoops more ridged kinda like a backbone, and with snow and ice load it will pile up on top but one good hit or shale and it all falls off, I;m guessing the heat melts the part touching the plastic and when its bumped it just slides off. The north end of the green house we didn't use plastic we used blue Styrofoam insulation and painted it white inside and out this would protect it from the sun and reflect light back in and help block the cold north wind Also if your not going with the two layer of plastic with dead air space between it you can buy bubble wrap it comes 4' wide and place it between the hoops and the plastic for a thermal barrier some years just the lower part and some years all over, it would last about two years more if i removed
I would look at mabey getting a couple of t cuppelers and putting in 2 or 3 upright supports made out of the pipe down from the center ridge support, also look at making a rubble layer of plastic with a blower. It ads something like R5 insulation and will allow the heat to stay in better.
I know making videos of the progress is a lot of extra work and slows you down when you have a time crunch for completion but it is very insightful to watch.
In my opinion you will have much more strength with say a 16 ft base and you will also have more height at the outside edges of the green house allowing you to have more vertical growing space. My cousin built a similar green house in Colorado that was only 12x20 but he had a lot of success with starting plants early in the season. Excited to see how yours turns out!
Love my greenhouse and so will you. One very important factor to consider is snow load. The greenhouse hoops need to be able to support it without crushing. You might consider a run of 4x4 posts down the middle with a 2x6 ridge beam.
+Mac B from Tennessee I am thinking. A beam down the center might be the best option in the end, I will see how sturdy it us once all things are connected but at least I have that option
Try taller stakes so they can stick out of the ground more. Also, agree with others that you shouldn't need to drill through the PVC to attach the runners.
I think the orientation is perfect, but I think if you go taller with your arch it would become less stable. Just my thoughts, leave it 20 ft., more planting space, good luck. Looking forward to watching the build & the planting! ✌
Love that App. My initial thoughts: 1. Concerned about structural strength in regards to weight of snow-load 2. Instead of using lag bolts which will severely weaken the conduit's strength due to drilling, look for a "cross fitting" that will clamp over the intersection of the conduits. I do however, like the design of the structure. and it's definitely the cheapest and fastest way to go. Best wishes.
+Charlie Zellner I had thought about that with the brackets. I may look around and see what the cost would be. If all fails I can throw up a few posts down the center and make a 2x4 beam to add support as well.
Hoop houses work great, KY university has free plans for one. Make sure you do good cross bracing, remember it's wind and snow load you have to worry about. Curious what type of cover, I know plastic but where are you buying it from. There are a difference in grades, cheap stuff will give you ONE season, the better grades are more expensive but you won't have to replace it as often.
I just bought a greenhouse from Harbor Freight. I'm going to try to build an aquaponics garden in it this spring. I started watching your videos a long time ago when you were doing your aquaponics. Are you going to be doing another one?
Have you thought of Cattle panels? Very quick and easy and strong. Mine is small--- only two panels lashed together-- So it is ~7X9 and about 6 ft tall at max. If you wanted taller then could mount on a two foot high base.
+Terry I have considered them, I love the idea, just not sure of cost for this size hoop house. I may use cattle panels on some smaller ones later on though
Now THIS is modern homesteading, unlike others who just produce clickbait and play with wood every day. This is why I really enjoy this channel. You get things honestly done.
I am trying to use your link for your Facebook page and it’s not working I am also in Michigan and I am adopting a lot in the city and also don’t have a lot of money so I like your idea on the green house products you used
Hi. Great video, and and interesting challenge. My 5 cents: 1 I would consider opening up the gap between the greenhouse and the fence to the south so that you can get your mower through easily. 2 I would go 90 degrees round, cooling will likely be you biggest summer problem 3 you may wish to plan diagonal cross bracing at the ends. It will need to be rigid to stop the gable ends collapsing inwards 4 you may wish to rough out your beds under your arch - to see how wide they will be and whether you can get and reach everywhere easily. 5 the hoop house is huge. Buying and manhandling the cover into place, 9 feet high, could be a major challenge. Plastic can come pre folded to make assembly easier. In my experience this means end to end running rather than over the hoop. Good luck - we look forward to you next vid.
+Submanca t fittings would be fine but I was trying to design this without any fittings. Hoping the small hole and bolt will not cause any structural issues. We will soon see!
5' apart seems like a long way considering how much snow you have. You might want to build a ridge line out of wood to push up the middle (for better slope) and to hold some of the weight.
I think that will still be a bit much. 2-3' seems to be what most people use but you can try it and see. Snow and wind will definitely be an issue where you are. You could save the expense by just making it smaller. Get the first one up and running and see how profitable it is before diving into another one.
I think your orientation is perfect. The 1" should work well for you. I built a hoop house out of 3/8" rebar, welded together, and live in Monroe county MI and it is holding up well, plastic and all. And I only used cheap 4mil crap from a big box store. Just keep the snow off it and you should be fine.
Another thing to consider is that when it's significant'y warmer inside your ghouse than outside, you can literally have a rain storm going on inside. It will be interesting to see what happens with all that moisture boiling sap. Can't wait to see what you do.
I used to live in Kalamazoo. My family lost 37 greenhouses in one night due to snow. Snow load will get you. I would recommend building with two rows of purlins using 2x4s with 4x 4 supports. You then could use pipe straps to anchor ribs. This would also allow trellising your veggies. 1 1/2 pipe would be much better. A minimum of 4 foot spacing on your ribs with 1 1/2 pvc. I know your short of money so I would build it strong and that would dictate how how much area I would cover.
It will definitely work as long as it is sturdy.Might have to use more ribs though and double 2x4's on the ends. Covering that green house will be fun to watch. Right now you have to move fast because you have a lot of inside work on your green house too. It's gonna be close. Good luck.
I think it will work but I was wondering if you have checked to see if Michigan offers any kind of homestead grant to help pay for a professional greenhouse? Watch Daniel at Arms Family Homestead. He did a series on his and talked about the program that he went through in Oklahoma. He got a great deal on his. Just a thought.
+Brad Vaughan great point! There are some programs in Michigan for grants and other projects we are looking into. The program is only open for application certain times of the year so we are looking into that for next year
Denny Nason Thank you! I'm really excited and will be starting in the spring (will be documenting it on my channel). Huge pools are such a waste of time, money, water, and energy. I'm looking forward to making it productive. :)
Consider a North/South direction of the greenhouse. Why? Because at sunrise you want the sun to penetrate the long side of the greenhouse to quickly heat the air in the winter. And, in the summer, you don't want the greenhouse overheating at high noon with the sun beating on the long side of the greenhouse. Winter sunrise and sunset heat is most important. Therefore, North/Side orientation is best. Also, look at Gothic style greenhouses vs the PVC. I'm in WI, how about that Global Warming??? LOL
Have you seen where the sun rises and sets in the spring? That's more south-south-east/west than east/west. The moment the sunrise/set position is south of 45° an east-west orientation is better than a north-south one.
Hmm, drill a hole in frigid (a.k.a. brittle) PVC. Yikes! Have you considered lashing with wire? Higher is good for snow loads, but bad for wind load. Is there an app for THAT? I've seen some greenhouses (a.k.a. poly tunnels) on you tube that have "cow fence" panels for re-enforcement. You may also benefit from looking up COLD FRAME construction.
I would like to add that it isn't really a greenhouse unless it is heated. This would be a cold frame. I have a small cattle panel greenhouse/cold frame and love it! My husband put in a support beam from one end to the other. But yours is much larger than mine. But maybe a couple support piers to hold up a support beam?
+SSLFamilyDad With one this large I would definetly recommend a support beam running the whole length of the structure supporting the top of the arch. Probably out of PT 2x4 for the horizontal support, and PT 4x4 for the vertical supports. 3 should be plenty, one on either end, and one in the middle. It's not really going to be supporting much it'll mainly give you shear strength for wind racking. Once you have it up there secure every arch with a 1" conduit strap.
failure? not a chance, nor is it an option, you'll do it and it will be fine, you may have to modify it a bit on the way but it will be fine, and on a budget you got to do what you can, I wish you all the best
Great app, very helpful. That greenhouse will do the trick, my concern is the distance between the hoops . I would space them no more than 4 ft apart. I think at 5 ft apart the snow load on the sides near the ground may cause issues on the gh plastic. I saw how much stress mine took at 4ft. My GH was 21 x 36 commercial steel ribs. I'm in Niagara / Buffalo Region and I believe we get about the same snowfall amounts. What's the cost of a few extra ribs? Are you doing double layer gh plastic? Tip ..Channel and wiggle wire for greenhouse plastic if it's that windy. Great project, we enjoy your videos. Happy New Year. Blessings!
Is it possible for you to get some free windows and free pallets in your area? For pvc conduit, i whould leave it at 20, not on 16 (more room for growing), but i whould build some support (classical USA wall) and place it in middle of conduit, and run it trought middle of your greenhouse. You will have wall to mount all what you need to it, and you will get support for conduit. I'm planning to build with old windows, so, i hope i get my run in spring as well. Best luck on this.
A greenhouse of your size orientation should not be that much of an issue. Focus more on heating/cooling/ventilation and irrigation. Thanks for sharing! Keep up the hard work!
Just a suggestion which I am guessing Everyone will be making because we are all experts - anyway - check out Eric at GardenFork on UA-cam - he has probably 10 videos on hoop houses - many of them are much smaller than your plan but I think his findings and some fails may help in the planning of Your green house. Snow load has been his largest challenge and he has an interesting way to use cheap thermatic vents - if you check him out tell him will sent you - will be watching because we will build one this summer and taking notes from everyone’s else’s plans
I am hoping that with the wind mainly blowing at the end of the structure it will not put too much stress on the supports. As opposed to the wind blowing directly at the long sides.
Galvanized cold frames that are very small start at $500 and that does not usually include plastic. generally a metal pipe frame hoop house this size would cost about $5000.
I'm excited to watch this playlist after work. Thank you!
good luck you are an inspiration ,
awesome video!
Excited to see how it turns out!
Can't wait to see it done... in South western part of Maine here and want put a greenhouse on the back of my barn
By the grace of God you WILL be successful! I was excited for you with the first hoop forward and could already smell the plant material. It's a fragrance all it's own and once you smell it...you will never forget it. I'm truly rooting for you and you will be amazed at how quickly you will build a nice business for you and your family. I'll certainly be along for the ride!!!:):):)
+Vicki Ulrich that is encouraging!! I can't wait to smell the humid air and the soil in there!
I just found your channel,
Thank you, first of all, for giving God praise:)...
we're building a hoop house tunnel and were looking for how-to's. We are big veggie eaters and figured we spend around $50/month off season on lettuce and spinach alone. So if we invest in a hoop house and lengthened our growing season, it will pay for itself very quickly!!
We're going to build our greenhouse this week, during the feast of Tabernacles, we dedicate our lives, home and garden to the Lord :)
You videos are so informative and helpful, thank you, love that sun mapping app! Be blessed, Angela Karing
His guy is a boss
One idea, add a line of conduit that acts as a rdgebeam that arches to the ground at the front and rear ends of the greenhouse. This should give rigidity to the front and back ends that will likely rock without rigid support. Also saw your video about your new start church. May the Lord bless you as you step out in faith and expand His body the church. Blessings.
Your channel is very entertaining. I love what you do, wished I had the room you do to do what you are doing. I am trying to play around on less that a 1/3 acre doing square foot gardening, all I have the room for. Wished I had more room to experiment with greenhouse's and the like. Wish you all the luck!
Great video! I am hoping to see the progress and and how it all works. I too am in Michigan and I would say your greenhouse positioning is spot on. I am in the planning stage for my greenhouse and my thoughts for positioning were the same. Stay warm!
I would plan for a ridge beam to absorb the snow load, a simple 2x4 with 4 evenly spaced support post. Once you get it tied together, it should be ok, but definitely plan in a ridge beam and some wood structure to add some solid rigidity to it so in the winter when the wind blows it doesn't flex and break. My parents lost two green houses in one night because of the snow came down faster than they could clear, the new ones have ridge beams.
great point, I will have wooden walls on each end for support there and then maybe run a 2X4 laminate beam down the center with a few supports spaced evenly will do the trick.
Just some thoughts. I like the orientation for the prevailing westerly winds for ventilation. I think you should consider some posts, beams and framing. I see that HD has 2 in. x 4 in. x 16 ft. #2 Prime Ground Contact Pressure-Treated Lumber for $11 each or get some more free pallets and build what you need from them. I'm guessing you're thinking rain water collection for irrigation. Looking forward to the rest of this build!
I am just across the river from Detroit and am at at similar stage with mine. I am re-purposing a car port to make green house.
Will be following your progress...
I missed a great deal on a used carport frame last year and man am I kicking myself, that is a great idea!
Go for it dude! Go with the higher arch too. I like the orientation but why not move it slightly farther away from the trees giving you more hours of sunlight so you are better able to grow some winter veg too.
This idea is AWESOME! We live in UT, so our sun is on a crazy pattern. Btw, if you are trying for xtra income, I was talking to my real estate agent and found out that they are short on notary public services. 165 bucks for a signature on a contract. Just register with the banks after a notary test, and it is a way to bring in the extra for the farm. My husband and I will be going LLC after we test for NP. I thought it would be a good idea for our place too, since we need to improve our home.
We build a S40 hoop house 16 years ago (still standing) and down the center at the top i used a S40 pipe with T's glued at every hoop and down the center of the pipe i ran conduit that fits snugly inside the S40 and made the whole hoops more ridged kinda like a backbone, and with snow and ice load it will pile up on top but one good hit or shale and it all falls off, I;m guessing the heat melts the part touching the plastic and when its bumped it just slides off.
The north end of the green house we didn't use plastic we used blue Styrofoam insulation and painted it white inside and out this would protect it from the sun and reflect light back in and help block the cold north wind
Also if your not going with the two layer of plastic with dead air space between it you can buy bubble wrap it comes 4' wide and place it between the hoops and the plastic for a thermal barrier some years just the lower part and some years all over, it would last about two years more if i removed
I would look at mabey getting a couple of t cuppelers and putting in 2 or 3 upright supports made out of the pipe down from the center ridge support, also look at making a rubble layer of plastic with a blower. It ads something like R5 insulation and will allow the heat to stay in better.
I know making videos of the progress is a lot of extra work and slows you down when you have a time crunch for completion but it is very insightful to watch.
+Alex Propst good to know, thanks alex!
Add a length of conduit to increase the arch and add stretch without sacrificing width.
In my opinion you will have much more strength with say a 16 ft base and you will also have more height at the outside edges of the green house allowing you to have more vertical growing space. My cousin built a similar green house in Colorado that was only 12x20 but he had a lot of success with starting plants early in the season. Excited to see how yours turns out!
That's gonna work great
I've been working on getting everything together material wise I finally have everything I need and it is -2 F outside and a foot of snow.
You could put a piece of 20' rebar inside the PVC to make it more rigid
Love my greenhouse and so will you. One very important factor to consider is snow load. The greenhouse hoops need to be able to support it without crushing. You might consider a run of 4x4 posts down the middle with a 2x6 ridge beam.
+Mac B from Tennessee I am thinking. A beam down the center might be the best option in the end, I will see how sturdy it us once all things are connected but at least I have that option
Other episodes to follow ?
We used to start seedlings on Washington's Birthday.
High latitude, low Sun..the Moon is opposite..high in Winter, low in Summer! My Sun goes beyond overhead! Then back..Alohaa
Try taller stakes so they can stick out of the ground more. Also, agree with others that you shouldn't need to drill through the PVC to attach the runners.
I think the orientation is perfect, but I think if you go taller with your arch it would become less stable. Just my thoughts, leave it 20 ft., more planting space, good luck. Looking forward to watching the build & the planting! ✌
Love that App. My initial thoughts: 1. Concerned about structural strength in regards to weight of snow-load 2. Instead of using lag bolts which will severely weaken the conduit's strength due to drilling, look for a "cross fitting" that will clamp over the intersection of the conduits. I do however, like the design of the structure. and it's definitely the cheapest and fastest way to go. Best wishes.
+Charlie Zellner I had thought about that with the brackets. I may look around and see what the cost would be. If all fails I can throw up a few posts down the center and make a 2x4 beam to add support as well.
6 degrees F, wow its going to be 110 degrees F (43 c) where I am in Australia today.
Hoop houses work great, KY university has free plans for one. Make sure you do good cross bracing, remember it's wind and snow load you have to worry about. Curious what type of cover, I know plastic but where are you buying it from. There are a difference in grades, cheap stuff will give you ONE season, the better grades are more expensive but you won't have to replace it as often.
+lechatboote they have some great resources! I read through the guides they have online while I was planning this out
I just bought a greenhouse from Harbor Freight. I'm going to try to build an aquaponics garden in it this spring. I started watching your videos a long time ago when you were doing your aquaponics. Are you going to be doing another one?
Have you thought of Cattle panels? Very quick and easy and strong. Mine is small--- only two panels lashed together-- So it is ~7X9 and about 6 ft tall at max. If you wanted taller then could mount on a two foot high base.
+Terry I have considered them, I love the idea, just not sure of cost for this size hoop house. I may use cattle panels on some smaller ones later on though
Location looks fine but to sturdy it up some you may want to put more ribs in.
Now THIS is modern homesteading, unlike others who just produce clickbait and play with wood every day. This is why I really enjoy this channel. You get things honestly done.
Funny. I was tginking same thing this week. Build gh in jan. I would over build so it can be multi purpose
Double layer 6 mil greenhouse film blow air in between.east west is what I was told
Hoop houses I see often use 1.5" for the ribs. But even with 1" I think you'll find it's pretty strong once you attach the cross supports.
I am trying to use your link for your Facebook page and it’s not working I am also in Michigan and I am adopting a lot in the city and also don’t have a lot of money so I like your idea on the green house products you used
Hi. Great video, and and interesting challenge. My 5 cents: 1 I would consider opening up the gap between the greenhouse and the fence to the south so that you can get your mower through easily. 2 I would go 90 degrees round, cooling will likely be you biggest summer problem 3 you may wish to plan diagonal cross bracing at the ends. It will need to be rigid to stop the gable ends collapsing inwards 4 you may wish to rough out your beds under your arch - to see how wide they will be and whether you can get and reach everywhere easily. 5 the hoop house is huge. Buying and manhandling the cover into place, 9 feet high, could be a major challenge. Plastic can come pre folded to make assembly easier. In my experience this means end to end running rather than over the hoop. Good luck - we look forward to you next vid.
Great video. I love that you aren't afraid to try new and different ways of accomplishing things. Can't wait to see what happens next.
What about using T fittings instead of carriage bolts. Wouldn't that solve the strength problem.
+Submanca t fittings would be fine but I was trying to design this without any fittings. Hoping the small hole and bolt will not cause any structural issues. We will soon see!
Have you thought about reinforcing bar or is that cost prohibitive?
Great app. Just bought. Thanks for sharing.
Good luck with it, looks crazy cold and love seeing the steps on building that green house!
5' apart seems like a long way considering how much snow you have. You might want to build a ridge line out of wood to push up the middle (for better slope) and to hold some of the weight.
After the comments I think I agree with everyone. I will do 4' spacing, will only add 2 extra supports so minimal expense.
I think that will still be a bit much. 2-3' seems to be what most people use but you can try it and see. Snow and wind will definitely be an issue where you are.
You could save the expense by just making it smaller. Get the first one up and running and see how profitable it is before diving into another one.
Make an entrance wide enough for your tractor. Can save you some manual labor.
for added strength use less conduit and make it shorter, i dont see why you would need a 9 foot greenhouse
What are you planning to grow in the greenhouse? Will you be selling the stuff you are growing or is it just for your family?
Question have you checked out Curtis Stone on his UA-cam channel yet?
sure have, been watching him off and on for years
I am having trouble finding the Sun Locator Pro app for my ios phone. Is it still available?
I think your orientation is perfect. The 1" should work well for you. I built a hoop house out of 3/8" rebar, welded together, and live in Monroe county MI and it is holding up well, plastic and all. And I only used cheap 4mil crap from a big box store. Just keep the snow off it and you should be fine.
The steeper the walls the more usable the space. Snow load is your biggest potential for damage so build accordingly. THanks for sharing.
I am thinking about just doing 2 feet shorter, so an 18' wide hoop. If I heat the structure in the winter hopefully that will help with snow
Another thing to consider is that when it's significant'y warmer inside your ghouse than outside, you can literally have a rain storm going on inside. It will be interesting to see what happens with all that moisture boiling sap. Can't wait to see what you do.
I used to live in Kalamazoo. My family lost 37 greenhouses in one night due to snow. Snow load will get you.
I would recommend building with two rows of purlins using 2x4s with 4x 4 supports. You then could use pipe straps to anchor ribs. This would also allow trellising your veggies. 1 1/2 pipe would be much better. A minimum of 4 foot spacing on your ribs with 1 1/2 pvc. I know your short of money so I would build it strong and that would dictate how how much area I would cover.
It will definitely work as long as it is sturdy.Might have to use more ribs though and double 2x4's on the ends. Covering that green house will be fun to watch. Right now you have to move fast because you have a lot of inside work on your green house too. It's gonna be close. Good luck.
I think it will work but I was wondering if you have checked to see if Michigan offers any kind of homestead grant to help pay for a professional greenhouse? Watch Daniel at Arms Family Homestead. He did a series on his and talked about the program that he went through in Oklahoma. He got a great deal on his. Just a thought.
+Brad Vaughan great point! There are some programs in Michigan for grants and other projects we are looking into. The program is only open for application certain times of the year so we are looking into that for next year
This is EXACTLY the plan I have for converting my inground pool into a greenhouse. :)
+Punky Rooster that will be a cool greenhouse!
Punky Rooster that is an awesome idea 💡
Denny Nason Thank you! I'm really excited and will be starting in the spring (will be documenting it on my channel). Huge pools are such a waste of time, money, water, and energy. I'm looking forward to making it productive. :)
SSLFamilyDad I hope so! There are some challenges to overcome, but I think I can do it. :)
Punky Rooster looking forward to seeing the progress. Just subbed your channel.
Consider a North/South direction of the greenhouse. Why? Because at sunrise you want the sun to penetrate the long side of the greenhouse to quickly heat the air in the winter. And, in the summer, you don't want the greenhouse overheating at high noon with the sun beating on the long side of the greenhouse. Winter sunrise and sunset heat is most important. Therefore, North/Side orientation is best. Also, look at Gothic style greenhouses vs the PVC. I'm in WI, how about that Global Warming??? LOL
Have you seen where the sun rises and sets in the spring? That's more south-south-east/west than east/west. The moment the sunrise/set position is south of 45° an east-west orientation is better than a north-south one.
Sweet!! Check out some of Curtis stone video on caterpillar tunnels and greenhouses might give you some ideas. Looks good..
I built one similar to yours but I made mine with 1.5" and only 18'wide. I think you will find a lot more strength in the arch.
I also put a doubled up 2x4 beam the full length with 3 vertical post. So it could take a Maine snow load.
Hmm, drill a hole in frigid (a.k.a. brittle) PVC. Yikes! Have you considered lashing with wire? Higher is good for snow loads, but bad for wind load. Is there an app for THAT? I've seen some greenhouses (a.k.a. poly tunnels) on you tube that have "cow fence" panels for re-enforcement. You may also benefit from looking up COLD FRAME construction.
+Ron Yerke i like the cattle panel idea also, if I need the extra strength I may even have the option to add a couple supports with cattle panel also
I would like to add that it isn't really a greenhouse unless it is heated. This would be a cold frame. I have a small cattle panel greenhouse/cold frame and love it! My husband put in a support beam from one end to the other. But yours is much larger than mine. But maybe a couple support piers to hold up a support beam?
+SSLFamilyDad With one this large I would definetly recommend a support beam running the whole length of the structure supporting the top of the arch. Probably out of PT 2x4 for the horizontal support, and PT 4x4 for the vertical supports. 3 should be plenty, one on either end, and one in the middle. It's not really going to be supporting much it'll mainly give you shear strength for wind racking. Once you have it up there secure every arch with a 1" conduit strap.
+Dolly Perry technically this would be considered a poly tunnel or hoop house I suppose. I am planning to heat it though with the barrel stove
That is a lovely idea!
failure? not a chance, nor is it an option, you'll do it and it will be fine, you may have to modify it a bit on the way but it will be fine, and on a budget you got to do what you can, I wish you all the best
Great app, very helpful. That greenhouse will do the trick, my concern is the distance between the hoops . I would space them no more than 4 ft apart. I think at 5 ft apart the snow load on the sides near the ground may cause issues on the gh plastic. I saw how much stress mine took at 4ft. My GH was 21 x 36 commercial steel ribs. I'm in Niagara / Buffalo Region and I believe we get about the same snowfall amounts. What's the cost of a few extra ribs? Are you doing double layer gh plastic? Tip ..Channel and wiggle wire for greenhouse plastic if it's that windy. Great project, we enjoy your videos. Happy New Year. Blessings!
Is it possible for you to get some free windows and free pallets in your area?
For pvc conduit, i whould leave it at 20, not on 16 (more room for growing), but i whould build some support (classical USA wall) and place it in middle of conduit, and run it trought middle of your greenhouse.
You will have wall to mount all what you need to it, and you will get support for conduit.
I'm planning to build with old windows, so, i hope i get my run in spring as well.
Best luck on this.
A greenhouse of your size orientation should not be that much of an issue. Focus more on heating/cooling/ventilation and irrigation. Thanks for sharing! Keep up the hard work!
Just a suggestion which I am guessing Everyone will be making because we are all experts - anyway - check out Eric at GardenFork on UA-cam - he has probably 10 videos on hoop houses - many of them are much smaller than your plan but I think his findings and some fails may help in the planning of Your green house. Snow load has been his largest challenge and he has an interesting way to use cheap thermatic vents - if you check him out tell him will sent you - will be watching because we will build one this summer and taking notes from everyone’s else’s plans
+The Weekend Homestead will Do! I like garden fork, have seen quite a few of their other vids but not sure I have seen his hoophouses. Thanks!
SSLFamilyDad if you listen to his podcast also, back in the 300s Rick talked about owning a high tunnel hoop house
+The Weekend Homestead btw, loved your sap evaporator! I may copy a few points of your design for this year!
SSLFamilyDad email me or call if you have questions - will @ theweekendhomestead com
I didn't think that pvc is strong enauf for the flow of the wind (sorry for my bad english i am from Belgium😅)
I am hoping that with the wind mainly blowing at the end of the structure it will not put too much stress on the supports. As opposed to the wind blowing directly at the long sides.
galvanized cold frames start at $500, wouldn't that last a lot longer for just a little more money?
Galvanized cold frames that are very small start at $500 and that does not usually include plastic. generally a metal pipe frame hoop house this size would cost about $5000.