high tunnel plans - Page 5

Worth1 · March 9, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by pecker88

Update 9 March:

BUILDING PERMIT IN HAND. Yes, I'm shouting with excitement.

Going to start bending hoops this wknd, next weekend start on footers.

I have been waiting for this great news.

Are you going to use an auger for the footers?
Worth

pecker88 · March 9, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I have been waiting for this great news.

Are you going to use an auger for the footers?
Worth

Definitely. Im thinking about renting this one from HD.
Also renting a concrete mixer.

Worth1 · March 9, 2016

That is almost a yard of concrete.
With my experience with the ready mix at home depot you need more Portland cement in it even the 6,000 psi stuff.

As for the auger it looks like it will be just your weight doing the work.
Okay in soft soil a nightmare in hard soil with rocks.

Worth

Uncle Doss · March 9, 2016

Congrats!
I agree with Worth, when it comes to sackrete, you are better off if you toss a shovel full of Portland into every bag of premix

whoose · March 10, 2016

Your adventure is why I live in Montana. Someone tells you that you need a permit you just laugh and walk away. Good luck with the inspector. Might try to enlist the neighbors in the construction for vegies later, then they would have a vested interested for success.

PureHarvest · March 10, 2016

Awesome news P88!

Your produce will taste better because of this process, when you get to eat that first fruit coming from this greenhouse and pause to think about what you had to go through!

pecker88 · March 18, 2016

Update 18 March:

Drilled 22 holes today, 8" diameter by 36" deep. Rented a tow-able auger from Home Depot, highly recommended. Our soil is 110% gumbo clay, there is no way this could be done by hand! Scheduled city inspector 2 days earlier, also had the engineer on-site when the inspector was there. No issues, they signed off on the footers in minutes!!

Each hole got 3 bags of concrete, ended up going with the more expensive name brand, quikrete. Thought about the $1.99 60 lb bags from menards, but engineer said they didn't contain enough portland, so didn't want to chance it.

Also scored 5 cubic yrds of awesome black compost from the city dump for $50! You can see 3 cu yrds just beyond the trailer in the below pics. I think 5 yards will be enough for the two 30x5.5' beds. Maybe I'll buy 15 bales of peat and mix it in?

Plan on setting the bows and building the end walls tomorrow.

Cole_Robbie · March 18, 2016

That looks really nice.

Worth1 · March 18, 2016

Looks like some parts of Texas with the cedar trees.

Yes it looks good.

Worth

pecker88 · March 19, 2016

Update 19 March:

Got all the bows, cross braces, truss supports and perlins finished today. The only remaining frame element is the end braces that go from end bows--to second--to bottom of 3rd. The 3rd bow footer is 10" diameter, all the others are 8". Eng. called them anchor footers.

4" perforated drainage tile is along the right-hand side, about 1 ft. away from the structure. Since this is the up-hill side, I was concerned with it getting swampy. Good flow from front to back near the cedars; surveyor said 1.6 inches. Also laid landscape fabric along each side, 4 ft. About 6 inches of it is on the inside of the GH, we made small cuts to get it over the ground posts. Covered all landscape fabric with pea gravel.

Plan for tomorrow is everything that requires skid loader; I will be loosing it's service Sun. afternoon!

PhilaGardener · March 19, 2016

Looking great!

Cole_Robbie · March 19, 2016

It looks like the coolest jungle gym ever built. You could do all sorts of exercises and workouts on that frame.

pecker88 · March 19, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

It looks like the coolest jungle gym ever built. You could do all sorts of exercises and workouts on that frame.

I actually did! Weather today was terrible, 45 deg. and on/off blizzards with 20 mph wind. Snow would only last 20 mins then the sun would shine. I was in an award position on a 12 ft ladder trying to get a tek screw through and the ladder gave way. I lunged onto the nearest cross brace or I would have taken a spill!

The frame didn't budge with me hanging off of it, luckily, no injuries either.

pecker88 · March 20, 2016

Update 20 March:

All the pressure treated baseboards, hipboards and inside raised beds were completed today. We started on 1 end wall, but ran out of daylight.

Moved 5 cu yards of compost into the greenhouse.

What are thoughts about straight black compost as soil? Should I mix something else into it? The ground here is 110% hard packed clay; at this point, I doubt I could till into it.

Worth1 · March 20, 2016

You might think about mixing some sharp sand in with it.
Looks great.

Worth

March 9, 2016	#64
Uncle Doss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: zone 5b/6a Posts: 134	Congrats! I agree with Worth, when it comes to sackrete, you are better off if you toss a shovel full of Portland into every bag of premix __________________ Anything in life worth doing is worth over-doing. Moderation is for cowards.

March 10, 2016	#65
whoose Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Bozeman, Montana Zone 6b Posts: 333	Your Adventure Your adventure is why I live in Montana. Someone tells you that you need a permit you just laugh and walk away. Good luck with the inspector. Might try to enlist the neighbors in the construction for vegies later, then they would have a vested interested for success.

March 19, 2016	#70
pecker88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 192	Update 19 March: Got all the bows, cross braces, truss supports and perlins finished today. The only remaining frame element is the end braces that go from end bows--to second--to bottom of 3rd. The 3rd bow footer is 10" diameter, all the others are 8". Eng. called them anchor footers. 4" perforated drainage tile is along the right-hand side, about 1 ft. away from the structure. Since this is the up-hill side, I was concerned with it getting swampy. Good flow from front to back near the cedars; surveyor said 1.6 inches. Also laid landscape fabric along each side, 4 ft. About 6 inches of it is on the inside of the GH, we made small cuts to get it over the ground posts. Covered all landscape fabric with pea gravel. Plan for tomorrow is everything that requires skid loader; I will be loosing it's service Sun. afternoon! Last edited by pecker88; March 19, 2016 at 08:30 PM.

March 9, 2016	#63
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	That is almost a yard of concrete. With my experience with the ready mix at home depot you need more Portland cement in it even the 6,000 psi stuff. As for the auger it looks like it will be just your weight doing the work. Okay in soft soil a nightmare in hard soil with rocks. Worth

March 10, 2016	#66
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	Awesome news P88! Your produce will taste better because of this process, when you get to eat that first fruit coming from this greenhouse and pause to think about what you had to go through!

March 18, 2016	#67
pecker88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 192	Update 18 March: Drilled 22 holes today, 8" diameter by 36" deep. Rented a tow-able auger from Home Depot, highly recommended. Our soil is 110% gumbo clay, there is no way this could be done by hand! Scheduled city inspector 2 days earlier, also had the engineer on-site when the inspector was there. No issues, they signed off on the footers in minutes!! Each hole got 3 bags of concrete, ended up going with the more expensive name brand, quikrete. Thought about the $1.99 60 lb bags from menards, but engineer said they didn't contain enough portland, so didn't want to chance it. Also scored 5 cubic yrds of awesome black compost from the city dump for $50! You can see 3 cu yrds just beyond the trailer in the below pics. I think 5 yards will be enough for the two 30x5.5' beds. Maybe I'll buy 15 bales of peat and mix it in? Plan on setting the bows and building the end walls tomorrow.

March 18, 2016	#68
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	That looks really nice.

March 19, 2016	#71
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Looking great!

March 20, 2016	#74
pecker88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 192	Update 20 March: All the pressure treated baseboards, hipboards and inside raised beds were completed today. We started on 1 end wall, but ran out of daylight. Moved 5 cu yards of compost into the greenhouse. What are thoughts about straight black compost as soil? Should I mix something else into it? The ground here is 110% hard packed clay; at this point, I doubt I could till into it.