Building A Greenhouse

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  • NKBJ

    at the ark
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    Apr 21, 2010
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    Been collecting windows great and small, bay windows and a glass door in preparation for building a permanent greenhouse.
    If anyone has recommendations, how to advice, experiences to relate, innovative ideas or wild wishes on how they'd done things different, please, weigh in.
    :cool:
     

    Leadeye

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    Jan 19, 2009
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    Buy a kit.
     

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    Leadeye

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    Very true, but in the end he'll probably get a kit. I tried piecing one of these things together, couldn't make it work. That said, like Little Bill Daggett, I ain't no carpenter.;)
     

    Magyars

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    Mar 6, 2010
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    Delaware County Freehold
    We took a 16x8 shed. Removed the sides and added old sliding glass doors. Two each on north and south sides....smaller, opening windows throughout...took a total of three weekend. Not counting the baten boards.....
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
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    There's s stable building that we could convert part of. Not the best geometry and orientation but I have to do something with it. I've been leaning more towards new, designing the walls with framed openings to suit the collected parts, long east-west axis, single slope roof with high side to the south. Solid north wall...

    Windows collected so far:
    two 82x60
    three 46x60
    five 30x60
    four 48x60
    one 32x37
    one 27x30
     

    IndyDave1776

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    Avoid anything that conducts heat passing through the thickness of a wall. Refrigerated semi trailers are an easy example. One of the game changers was developing wall panels that are flat sheet of metal over insulation sandwiches that can be riveted at the ends so that interior metal never touches exterior metal. Prior to this, they were built like walls in the house with steel uprights that had metal exterior sheet fastened to them, fiberglass panels inside, and insulation between the uprights. Heat transferred through the uprights into the interior was the single biggest point of energy loss.

    Lesson here, use wood rather than metal, and avoid fittings that cross through the entire wall.
     

    Magyars

    Grandmaster
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    36   0   0
    Mar 6, 2010
    9,094
    113
    Delaware County Freehold
    We took a 16x8 shed. Removed the sides and added old sliding glass doors. Two each on north and south sides....smaller, opening windows throughout...took a total of three weekend. Not counting the baten boards.....
     

    100 bullets

    Plinker
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    Aug 6, 2010
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    Georgia
    I think you’re not supposed to put windows on north side. I have read it’s a waste because the sunlight you get from the north is such small amount. You’re better off putting those windows in different direction. I’m not an expert but have been collecting materials when I can find them and reading up & watching videos. You might want to look at that, especially since Indiana is a cooler climate area
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
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    What with the cost of lumber I'm looking at an east-west oriented cinderblock building with the windows in the south wall. But, I'm still thinking. Thinking about modular construction as well, like being able to move it. Sections made to be attached. Probably more trouble than value.
    :scratch:
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
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    Too many irons and not enough fire, too many disease bugs that had to be vanquished... we both much better so back to designing.
    Looks as though a single pitch roof (high on the south side) would be nice but perhaps not efficient (considering materials and interior mass).
    Another aspect to ponder, sun light that does reflect back off the south wall of glass will be energy that can be harvested via early starting plants in the ground at that location.
     

    Leadeye

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    If you don't mind, what's the size of that, what's the brand, and about $? That looks like it would be about perfect for what I want.

    National Greenhouse company and the size was 10X14. Height was 6.5 feet in front and 11.5 feet in back. They send you everything including instructions. I bought the best parts available and it was about 10K when done.
     

    Leadeye

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    We tried cobbling together using old glass several times.
    Eventually we went with PVC EMT and greenhouse plastic and it has been much cheaper and way more reliable.

    Shib has a better idea for the money, my greenhouse was exactly what the wife wanted.;)
     

    Timjoebillybob

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    National Greenhouse company and the size was 10X14. Height was 6.5 feet in front and 11.5 feet in back. They send you everything including instructions. I bought the best parts available and it was about 10K when done.
    Thank you much.
    Shib has a better idea for the money, my greenhouse was exactly what the wife wanted.;)
    Much better idea for the money, and probably what I'm going to do in the backyard. The greenhouse like yours is going to be on the front of the house. I know my wife wouldn't go for the PVC/plastic for that. At least for a permanent year round. And I'd prefer it to look a bit nicer from the street.

    The height would be just about right to end up a bit below the upstairs windows, I'd have to check on the width and depth. But I'm sure they have more sizes.
     
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