Carport turned greenhouse - Page 3

peppero · January 1, 2013

tracy i like the comment about the minnows or goldfish to keep the larvae under control. my rainbarrels caused me to have many mosquito bites. jon

Rockporter · January 1, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Did you see my thread about the hoophouse I'm building now? It's 18 1/2 feet wide, which sounds like it would fit in your space. After you buy the bender, which is about $150 with shipping, my hoops cost $45 each in materials, ground post included. With 4' centers, you would need six for a 20' length. $20 in pipe would make your top purlin. Lumber for the side purlins and baseboards would be about $50. You'd have to make end walls and doors, but a carpentering husband can do that. Poly would cover it for about $150 for a single layer, or $250 for a double inflated 6 mil. Add that up, and I bet it's less than you'd have spent on the carport. You could get it done in less than a month, too.

It is a great plan but I am steering away from these designs because we have too high winds here all the time. I know that I would only be fighting torn poly on a continuous basis here. Although in the long run it will cost me more to build what I need, it will be less hassle also.

The local greenhouses are constantly replacing their poly because of the wind so I figure if I build it on the heavy handed side it will last far longer. Also, if I build it with removable panels I would only have to replace small sections at a time, making it easier for me to handle on my own without having to call on my husband.

I like your design though.

Rockporter · January 1, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwsacto

Is the frame assembled or in pieces? There may be a cost effective way to reduce the footprint of your structure by trimming some of the members before assembly. Especially if you still need to design the walls and covering.

If you provide more details or pictures, maybe others can make suggestions.

Rick

Rick

I had considered cutting off one rib section of 5' but decided in the long run to come up with another plan. I already posted the frame on Craigslist and sold it in less than an hour yesterday.

Keger · January 22, 2013

Hey Rock..

I use a pretty simple plan with pvc and rebar and plasting sheeting. You can bild a 21x10 for like 80 bucks. I just put it up when done, use it later. We dont get much cold either, this works pretty well. Holler if intereted.

Rockporter · January 22, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keger

Hey Rock..

I use a pretty simple plan with pvc and rebar and plasting sheeting. You can bild a 21x10 for like 80 bucks. I just put it up when done, use it later. We dont get much cold either, this works pretty well. Holler if intereted.

Sounds like a great plan but we have far too much wind here for that. We must have a permit and anchor our greenhouses. We are about 2 miles from the Gulf of Mexico here.

Cole_Robbie · January 24, 2013

I didn't know wind could tear poly. Mine has handled 80 mph winds without any damage. I'm in an open field and get 40-50mph gusts fairly regularly. It also held a few thousand pounds of snow after our recent blizzard.

I used diluted latex as shade paint last year, and thought that I would just pressure wash it off. Last month I tried it. It's the same power washer that I use to strip paint from siding and decking. They are dangerous to use, because if you spray yourself, it will split skin open like a knife. I thought for sure it would do the same thing to the poly.

But nothing happened. The paint doesn't come off, and even when I hold the washer nozzle an inch or two from the plastic, it does not do any damage at all. I would not have believed it if I had not seen it myself.

Rockporter · January 25, 2013

Cole, I think it's the combination of salt air and humidity and the hot sun along with the whipping of the wind in combination that rips the poly around here. I know it sounds crazy but we are too close to the gulf of mexico for having simple greenhouses like yours. I would still have to anchor it and have a permit and would still have the problem of large pieces of plastic to deal with in the wind. It is just not an optimal situation for this in my area. If I had homes all around me to help block the wind it would be a far different situation. I really wish I could do something like that.

Rockporter · January 25, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwsacto

Is the frame assembled or in pieces? There may be a cost effective way to reduce the footprint of your structure by trimming some of the members before assembly. Especially if you still need to design the walls and covering.

If you provide more details or pictures, maybe others can make suggestions.

Rick

Rick

I don't know how I missed this question you had here. I apologize for that and wanted to let you know this frame was 2.5" square galvanized metal framed carport with 5 separate ribs. The support frame that should be anchored to the ground was 20' long and we couldn't cut it without the correct tools. We decided it was better to figure something else out.

If I can find another carport frame that is just a tad shorter in length I will probably go the same route because we had it all planned out and it would have been something I could handle on my own with removeable side panels. I want most of all something I can handle without the help of my husband if at all possible. This desire comes with the fact I have some pretty bad arthritis and my strength isn't so good anymore either. Handling torn plastic is not something I can do on my own unless it is in reasonable sizes.

Rockporter · January 25, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by peppero

tracy i like the comment about the minnows or goldfish to keep the larvae under control. my rainbarrels caused me to have many mosquito bites. jon

I use a mosquito donut bit placed in nylons and tied off in my rain barrels and never had a problem with mosquitos. Each 55 gallon rain barrel had 1/4 of a small donut and lasted at least 45 days or more and I would just drop another one in. It was easy to get in there and remove the nylons when I was cleaning them out.

Crandrew · January 25, 2013

^ I've used those before, they also take care of Fungus Gnats, I think they were called "moskito dunks" at the store.

Redbaron · January 25, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crandrew

^ I've used those before, they also take care of Fungus Gnats, I think they were called "moskito dunks" at the store.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

January 25, 2013	#37
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	Cole, I think it's the combination of salt air and humidity and the hot sun along with the whipping of the wind in combination that rips the poly around here. I know it sounds crazy but we are too close to the gulf of mexico for having simple greenhouses like yours. I would still have to anchor it and have a permit and would still have the problem of large pieces of plastic to deal with in the wind. It is just not an optimal situation for this in my area. If I had homes all around me to help block the wind it would be a far different situation. I really wish I could do something like that. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

January 1, 2013	#31
peppero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: selmer, tn Posts: 2,944	tracy i like the comment about the minnows or goldfish to keep the larvae under control. my rainbarrels caused me to have many mosquito bites. jon

January 22, 2013	#34
Keger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Richmond, TX Posts: 327	Hey Rock.. I use a pretty simple plan with pvc and rebar and plasting sheeting. You can bild a 21x10 for like 80 bucks. I just put it up when done, use it later. We dont get much cold either, this works pretty well. Holler if intereted.

January 24, 2013	#36
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I didn't know wind could tear poly. Mine has handled 80 mph winds without any damage. I'm in an open field and get 40-50mph gusts fairly regularly. It also held a few thousand pounds of snow after our recent blizzard. I used diluted latex as shade paint last year, and thought that I would just pressure wash it off. Last month I tried it. It's the same power washer that I use to strip paint from siding and decking. They are dangerous to use, because if you spray yourself, it will split skin open like a knife. I thought for sure it would do the same thing to the poly. But nothing happened. The paint doesn't come off, and even when I hold the washer nozzle an inch or two from the plastic, it does not do any damage at all. I would not have believed it if I had not seen it myself.

January 25, 2013	#40
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	^ I've used those before, they also take care of Fungus Gnats, I think they were called "moskito dunks" at the store.