very good idea, but instead of running a blower all the time, i think i'd blow it up good and tight, and then put styrofoam spacers at the joints, to keep it that way
I love what you did there. And for the past few weeks I have been searching for simillar solution. And for heating: there is a way in my country. It is cheap and usefull. Here I need to be excused for my bad english. But you need to burry cow's exrements under the greenhouse. Because of chemical processes it is going to generate heat. And next year you can use it for the plants.
Когда я собирала свою теплицу на каркасе размером 5мх5м, сверху полиэтиленовой пленки закрепила синтетическую сетку, которая прижала пленку к каркасу. Благодаря этому ветер не может сорвать пленку с теплицы.
Thanks for all your research and sharing of great information. With a slight alteration of build (for climate and my OCD nature) my dome will look and function very similar.
Interesting and I appreciate the hard work that went into this. It's not for me, because a big part of my enjoyment of a greenhouse is the peace and quiet I enjoy working inside of it, and that blower would definately be a deal-breaker.
I would suggest covering the plastic with a lightweight net (even fishing net) as this will reinforce the plastic which is of course the weakest part of this build. Personally, I would partially sink this in the ground for the geothermal effect, not a lot of help but some.
Our challenges are a little different in the south. We get plenty of sun, and moisture, and little wind most of the year, but we also get very high pest pressure from animals, fungi and the like. We rely on shadecloth or netting for grow houses, and chemicals, but there isn't much discussion of the different materials for cultural control practices, much less chatter of adapting earthship lessons to our climate.
Good work, but I can't tell how the blower is oriented and install. It looks like it is by the door frame... is it pulling air from the outside? Are you blowing air between the sheets or just into the cavity of the dome?
Just found... neat. Reminds me the use in Canada with foam beads blown in at night or whenever temp drops... then blowing out when suns up enough or something.
I was also thinking instead of tape using old plastic bottles that can handle UV... not sure what would be best outdoors since maybe would be something else plastic UV treated and using a heat gun to shape around. Guess on the plastic recycling kick.
thank you for the instructional video. i am exploring various greenhouse models and i really like the use of the geodesic dome. however, i am looking into digging down into the ground instead of building up the sides before i place my dome on top:)
@@SimpleTek If it's too cool outside and the greenhouse is warming, blowing in cold outside air will of course lower the temp in the green house. Especially at night. The whole advantage of a green house (aside from keeping in moisture/humidity so it requires less water) is developing warmer air and keeping it. When and if it's too hot, then venting is needed. So the blown air would be good in that situation, but not when the actual green house makes an advantage, which is the purpose for a green house to begin with. That's pretty simple green house tech.
Great Scott, Have you collected thermal data on this yet? Compared temperatures inside and outside? In a different comment you mention you get 60 mph winds a few times a year. Is it worth the investment to put up a cheap wind break? Something like a straw/hay bale wall or maybe even a plywood structure? A wind break wall will add to the cost of the project, but could extend the wear and tear on the greenhouse plastic. Something worth considering after some observation time. And in another comment you said the blower pulls air from inside the greenhouse. Does it also exhaust into the greenhouse? Cheers, Bill
the pillow effect of the air inflated poly doesn't need a wind break - it handles the high winds great! the air slowly leaks out cracks inside and outside.
@@SimpleTek Ideally, the only place the cover should leak is back through the blower when the wind hits it. If you have airleaks in the cover you dont have still air in the cavity. It would be worth hooking up a manometer (easy to diy) to check what air pressure you have, generally double skin tunnels run 0.25" -- 0.5" wc. You can adjust the cavity pressure by restricting the blower inlet. Using too much pressure will stress the poly, especially in hot weather. I use a differential pressure switch to maintain the cavity pressure in mine, air is only added to the cavity when the pressure drops below the setpoint.
@@SimpleTek I dug out this old vid of an early pillow test i thought you might like. The air in this small pillow will support a UDL of 186lb (84kg). Scaled for a 32ft dome (not made of conduit) it would be around 1200lb (544kg) ua-cam.com/video/8uwJjIqzfBg/v-deo.html
@@SimpleTek Aye, a small amount of air pressure can lift decent weights without any trouble. Here`s another test i did on that pillow involving a 25kg concrete block ua-cam.com/video/zzj5qT988jU/v-deo.html
you know, I thought about that. there's pluses and minuses on that idea. it would look better but I'd be concerned about the UV coatings and the anti moisture coatings on the plastic, I doubt they'd handle the heat. plus when shrunk the plastic might not transmit light as well... personally I'm ok with the folds but you put forward a VERY good question and one I had been thinking about. Thank you!
I invested in the heat gun and I am using 8 to 12 mill shrink wrap on my domes. Generally speaking it depends on where you build the dome. In Michigan the plastic can last as long as 13 years, so far longer than most greenhouse plastic anyway. I’m using 12 mill, extremely thick, white plastic on the base of the domes and then welding that to clear plastic on the top. The white plastic is flame retardant, the clear plastic is not.
Are you sure its 6mil gh poly? it looks thinner and is way more flexible than it should be. It even sounds different ;) I was expecting a more tailored cover (no bulge), but it`ll do the job. The upcoming 32ft dome deserves a better finish ;)
Approximately where are you located. I'm in north central Montana and it gets pretty windy here at times too, 60+. Wondering if this would work for me too. Just thinking.
I live about 60 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, the coldest major city in North America. I live n the shores of Lake Manitoba, looking out on 30 miles of open water. The winds are huge here with that, we had a 130 kph wind here this summer and the greenhouse didn't budge, regular 50-70 kph winds
@@magapefarmshomestead6453 air inflated coverings are hugely wind resistant. single layer not so much. the air inflation acts like a pillow in the wind.if the inflation goes down, the wind will tear it apart. it's smart to have a battery backup device on the blower like a computer can have.
Thank you for the comment! I am filming tons actually!! I will be posting lots soon. I own/run a campground and summertime is crazy busy here. it's slowing down now.
I assume Frosty was not just "in your garage" but in your freezer in your garage for all those years? If not I will have to report you, sorry I don't make the rules. :-) Great vids cheers watched them all.
@@davidfuller764 Assuming its installed correctly and you run at the correct pressure which varies with season. If you run too much pressure in summer the poly will stretch and vecome thinner near the attachment points. It wont fully recover when it cools down so it starts out fractionally thinner in the same locations the following day. The thinner it gets, the more it will stretch.
Thks & I assume clear shrink is available: Shrink Wrapping a Geodesic Dome - 18 ft 3v Frequency ua-cam.com/video/5eOQxjZUj_A/v-deo.html Since the dome frame requires so little effort/resources, may I also suggest a concentric double/triple/quad/etc dome frame.
200 micron marine shrink wrap for an 18ft dome would cost about $130 here, lifespan 1-3 years. Double poly costs about the same and will give you at least 5 years.
Hello, we are a manufacturer in China. We do household greenhouse. After watching your video, can we cooperate? You can help us buy in your country。 请问怎么联系你
pro tip. You need the outside air to fill the bubble. Otherwise, you'll have condensation (mold) before long, inside. I used this for solar. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O8D0IC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1
Let me know what you think about how I covered this metal conduit dome in the comments below. I'd love to hear your comments and ideas.
;)
still alive?
@@BxBxProductions yep
very good idea, but instead of running a blower all the time, i think i'd blow it up good and tight, and then put styrofoam spacers at the joints, to keep it that way
@@brucekurkowski3340 they always lose air over time
I love what you did there. And for the past few weeks I have been searching for simillar solution. And for heating: there is a way in my country. It is cheap and usefull. Here I need to be excused for my bad english. But you need to burry cow's exrements under the greenhouse. Because of chemical processes it is going to generate heat. And next year you can use it for the plants.
Thank you for the kind words! I have a video on my channel about compost heating - you should check it out!
Really enjoying looking through your videos. Thinking about building some of these here in Georgia to keep out pests and fungus. Cheers!
Cheers!
Когда я собирала свою теплицу на каркасе размером 5мх5м, сверху полиэтиленовой пленки закрепила синтетическую сетку, которая прижала пленку к каркасу. Благодаря этому ветер не может сорвать пленку с теплицы.
Ok
Thanks for all your research and sharing of great information. With a slight alteration of build (for climate and my OCD nature) my dome will look and function very similar.
Thank you for the kind words! Looking forward to seeing your Dome!
Interesting and I appreciate the hard work that went into this. It's not for me, because a big part of my enjoyment of a greenhouse is the peace and quiet I enjoy working inside of it, and that blower would definately be a deal-breaker.
My inflated cover doesnt use a 24/7 blower but when it rains its like being inside a big bass drum
I would suggest covering the plastic with a lightweight net (even fishing net) as this will reinforce the plastic which is of course the weakest part of this build. Personally, I would partially sink this in the ground for the geothermal effect, not a lot of help but some.
Thanks for the tips
Thank you. It looks nice.
Glad you like it!
Great job! Merci from Montreal.
Thank you for the kind words! Cheers from 100km north of Winnipeg
Our challenges are a little different in the south. We get plenty of sun, and moisture, and little wind most of the year, but we also get very high pest pressure from animals, fungi and the like. We rely on shadecloth or netting for grow houses, and chemicals, but there isn't much discussion of the different materials for cultural control practices, much less chatter of adapting earthship lessons to our climate.
thank you for the info!!!!
Thanks for the time 😊 taken to make the video
Hope you enjoyed it!
Good work, but I can't tell how the blower is oriented and install. It looks like it is by the door frame... is it pulling air from the outside? Are you blowing air between the sheets or just into the cavity of the dome?
the blower pulls air from the inside. in-between the two sheets.
Ok! I’m only 1/2 way in and I can see this is VERY interesting for me or any frugal-zealot gardenerds.
And with a snowman inflator from Christmas time. You are genius, thank you.
Thank you for the kind words!
Just found... neat. Reminds me the use in Canada with foam beads blown in at night or whenever temp drops... then blowing out when suns up enough or something.
I was also thinking instead of tape using old plastic bottles that can handle UV... not sure what would be best outdoors since maybe would be something else plastic UV treated and using a heat gun to shape around. Guess on the plastic recycling kick.
interesting idea
thank you for the instructional video. i am exploring various greenhouse models and i really like the use of the geodesic dome. however, i am looking into digging down into the ground instead of building up the sides before i place my dome on top:)
You are welcome!
Me too!! Bought a geodome climber for kids im transforming.
I don't think controlling temps in a green house while blowing air in to inflate it would work out very well?
seems to work for me....
@@SimpleTek If it's too cool outside and the greenhouse is warming, blowing in cold outside air will of course lower the temp in the green house. Especially at night. The whole advantage of a green house (aside from keeping in moisture/humidity so it requires less water) is developing warmer air and keeping it. When and if it's too hot, then venting is needed. So the blown air would be good in that situation, but not when the actual green house makes an advantage, which is the purpose for a green house to begin with. That's pretty simple green house tech.
Face was not necessary 😂🐱
I'm sorry my handsomeness distracted you. Try not to dream about me too much.
So why have a dome frame at all if youre going to blow it up with air? Makes no sense.
cause domes are way stronger than other structures and that matters in a high wind area like mine
Dual cover with air as insulation , that how all the northern climate greenhouse keep warm.
I wonder how that poly covering stands up to animal attack - raccoons, rats, squirrels, etc.
I haven't had an issue with mine yet but I have wood 2 feet up before poly
for me it would be birds. they peck holes in the roof of my polytunnel trying to get the insects they see inside.
Looks great!
Thanks!
I CAN DO THIS!!!!
yes you can!
Studying domes now, covering is where I'm hung up right now. Seems like blowing freezing outside air into a greenhouse might defeat the purpose a bit.
I blow the air from the inside, it's much warmer and wraps the greenhouse in a warm air blanket
Excellent! Subscribed!
Awesome, thank you!
in case you'd like to keep it local next time: Northern Greenhouse sells an excellent woven poly for greenhouses.... and it's not from China ;)
Good tip! - how much are they?
@@SimpleTek Depends on your choice of thickness and dimensions, the website is full of options
Something tells me china plastic is MUCH cheaper
What about shrink wrap, like for boats?
Might work
@@SimpleTek The serious drawbacks I can see is that your materials need to withstand a light toasting with a propane torch
How’s your plastic tarp now
Need to replace it this year
Great Scott,
Have you collected thermal data on this yet? Compared temperatures inside and outside? In a different comment you mention you get 60 mph winds a few times a year. Is it worth the investment to put up a cheap wind break? Something like a straw/hay bale wall or maybe even a plywood structure? A wind break wall will add to the cost of the project, but could extend the wear and tear on the greenhouse plastic. Something worth considering after some observation time. And in another comment you said the blower pulls air from inside the greenhouse. Does it also exhaust into the greenhouse? Cheers,
Bill
the pillow effect of the air inflated poly doesn't need a wind break - it handles the high winds great! the air slowly leaks out cracks inside and outside.
@@SimpleTek
Ideally, the only place the cover should leak is back through the blower when the wind hits it. If you have airleaks in the cover you dont have still air in the cavity. It would be worth hooking up a manometer (easy to diy) to check what air pressure you have, generally double skin tunnels run 0.25" -- 0.5" wc. You can adjust the cavity pressure by restricting the blower inlet. Using too much pressure will stress the poly, especially in hot weather. I use a differential pressure switch to maintain the cavity pressure in mine, air is only added to the cavity when the pressure drops below the setpoint.
@@SimpleTek then you are getting some air from the outside because this isn't going to be airtight!
@@rogerjensen5277 some, not much
this is amazing, I was just thinking about doing this
thank you!
@@SimpleTek
I dug out this old vid of an early pillow test i thought you might like. The air in this small pillow will support a UDL of 186lb (84kg). Scaled for a 32ft dome (not made of conduit) it would be around 1200lb (544kg)
ua-cam.com/video/8uwJjIqzfBg/v-deo.html
@@JohnGuest45 cool video! Thank you fro posting. it's amazing what one can do with air pressure and plastic!
@@SimpleTek
Aye, a small amount of air pressure can lift decent weights without any trouble. Here`s another test i did on that pillow involving a 25kg concrete block ua-cam.com/video/zzj5qT988jU/v-deo.html
Can this plastic be melted like they do when they put boats away for winter?
you know, I thought about that. there's pluses and minuses on that idea. it would look better but I'd be concerned about the UV coatings and the anti moisture coatings on the plastic, I doubt they'd handle the heat. plus when shrunk the plastic might not transmit light as well... personally I'm ok with the folds but you put forward a VERY good question and one I had been thinking about. Thank you!
If you put a heatgun on gh poly it will expand and melt, it defintely wont shrink.
I invested in the heat gun and I am using 8 to 12 mill shrink wrap on my domes. Generally speaking it depends on where you build the dome. In Michigan the plastic can last as long as 13 years, so far longer than most greenhouse plastic anyway. I’m using 12 mill, extremely thick, white plastic on the base of the domes and then welding that to clear plastic on the top. The white plastic is flame retardant, the clear plastic is not.
So you just leave the blower on forever to achieve this effect?
yep
Are you sure its 6mil gh poly? it looks thinner and is way more flexible than it should be. It even sounds different ;) I was expecting a more tailored cover (no bulge), but it`ll do the job. The upcoming 32ft dome deserves a better finish ;)
All I know is 6 mill is what I bought fro the Chinese company... whether it is or not in reality I have no idea
@@SimpleTek Where did you order this from and how much did this cost?
@@anilgargsfo I got y plastic from alibaba, a Chinese company. it was about $250
Approximately where are you located. I'm in north central Montana and it gets pretty windy here at times too, 60+. Wondering if this would work for me too. Just thinking.
I live about 60 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, the coldest major city in North America. I live n the shores of Lake Manitoba, looking out on 30 miles of open water. The winds are huge here with that, we had a 130 kph wind here this summer and the greenhouse didn't budge, regular 50-70 kph winds
@@SimpleTek ty for that info. That gives me more confidence regarding the winds here.
@@magapefarmshomestead6453 air inflated coverings are hugely wind resistant. single layer not so much. the air inflation acts like a pillow in the wind.if the inflation goes down, the wind will tear it apart. it's smart to have a battery backup device on the blower like a computer can have.
Hi Simple Tek,
I hope your too busy building, filming, and growing to edit and post videos. Cheers,
Bill
Thank you for the comment! I am filming tons actually!! I will be posting lots soon. I own/run a campground and summertime is crazy busy here. it's slowing down now.
I assume Frosty was not just "in your garage" but in your freezer in your garage for all those years? If not I will have to report you, sorry I don't make the rules. :-) Great vids cheers watched them all.
lol
Too bad someone wouldn't invent shrink wrap greenhouse plastic it would be too easy
no kidding!
How long do you expect that 6 mil poly to last in the sun?
6 year warranty. people have told me double inflated they last about 10 years - but we'll see. we get -40C here and 2X a year 60 mph winds
Simple Tek I Believe at least six years especially with it inflated in the wind, but who asked me, haha
@@davidfuller764
Assuming its installed correctly and you run at the correct pressure which varies with season. If you run too much pressure in summer the poly will stretch and vecome thinner near the attachment points. It wont fully recover when it cools down so it starts out fractionally thinner in the same locations the following day. The thinner it gets, the more it will stretch.
Thks & I assume clear shrink is available:
Shrink Wrapping a Geodesic Dome - 18 ft 3v Frequency ua-cam.com/video/5eOQxjZUj_A/v-deo.html
Since the dome frame requires so little effort/resources, may I also suggest a concentric double/triple/quad/etc dome frame.
sweet
200 micron marine shrink wrap for an 18ft dome would cost about $130 here, lifespan 1-3 years. Double poly costs about the same and will give you at least 5 years.
i wanne see youre electric bill..........
I'm using a wood boiler
Hello, we are a manufacturer in China. We do household greenhouse. After watching your video, can we cooperate? You can help us buy in your country。 请问怎么联系你
I'd love to make a video with your product!!!!! email me at hjor@mts.net
@@SimpleTek 你好，我已经发过邮件给你了。Hello, I've already sent you an email.
Running a blower, 24/7 that's not realistic or sustainable..
Mine has been running for 2 years straight
pro tip. You need the outside air to fill the bubble. Otherwise, you'll have condensation (mold) before long, inside. I used this for solar. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O8D0IC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1
Thank you sooooo much for the link!!!!! I've been debating using outside air and using air from an earth tube....
Looks great!
Thanks!