Plastic is cheap I bought a 10 by 100 .8 mill clear plastic a Wal Mart today for $6'50. I plan on making frames for my cold frame beds using 8 foot 2by 4 and wrapping a layer on each side to have a double layer of plasic on a 4 by 8 frame! Thin film will work for 60 days! This frame method works great for a greenhouse also except use 4 mill or more for your plastic!
+++ A 10 by 25- 4mil clear plastic at Wal mart is around $7 and will do three 4by 8 greenhouse pannel. 2 by 4 8 foot are a $1.50 each 3 per pannel! That would be $4.50per pannel. Three pannels would cost $13.50 plus $7plastic or about $20 for three pannels or one 12 foot side of the greenhouse. You can build a 12 foot long A frame greenhouse for $40 plus plastic or a door for the ends of the greenhouse!
+++Depending how you angle the A frame you can make the inside 5 to 8 feet wide and about 6 to 7 feet high! A 60 degree angle would makeit about 8 feet wide and 6-1/2 feet high at the center.. Fasten it down with a few pipe!! A 24 foot 8 foot wide greenhouse for less than $100!
+++There is no reason to be wiithout one! Assembly tiime a few hours with nails and staples. Get a few five gallon buckets filled with water and you now have a 2 wall solar greenhouse! Two people can move this 12 foot green house easily once the ends are connected! You may need a few extra 2 by 4s for the ends!
+++One last point is that a A frame is a triangle one of the strongest structures you can make! Also new plastic from a 20 by 25 foot roll every 2 years will cover the outside of the greenhouse in one piece! If panels are screwed together they can be taken appart easily! Adding pannels is easy make it longer every year!
The quick cheap solar greenhouse!
Last edited by Bobberman on Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 31067
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I must say, it would really help if you would differentiate the use of !, ?, and .
So is this a new idea? Are you asking IF this is a good idea?
It sounds like an INTERESTING idea.... You've listed the "pros" -- Are there any "cons"?
Also, could you please divide your text into paragraphs and add some line spaces to separate them. It's hard to read when there are no visual breaks in the text. Thanks.
So is this a new idea? Are you asking IF this is a good idea?
It sounds like an INTERESTING idea.... You've listed the "pros" -- Are there any "cons"?
Also, could you please divide your text into paragraphs and add some line spaces to separate them. It's hard to read when there are no visual breaks in the text. Thanks.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
If you build it, post pictures, please. And tell us how it actually works out in practice.
I'm not clear on the part about the 5 gallon barrels. If you are building an A frame, there's no vertical walls except at the ends. Where do the barrels go? Only in the middle would be tall enough for them, but that's your walk space as well as your main planting space. The trouble with the A frame is that while simple to build, it seems like for the footprint it takes up, there's actually pretty limited grow space, just at ground level. You can't really put shelf systems in there.
I'm not clear on the part about the 5 gallon barrels. If you are building an A frame, there's no vertical walls except at the ends. Where do the barrels go? Only in the middle would be tall enough for them, but that's your walk space as well as your main planting space. The trouble with the A frame is that while simple to build, it seems like for the footprint it takes up, there's actually pretty limited grow space, just at ground level. You can't really put shelf systems in there.
Its a five gallon bucket not a big barrel. You could use a 50 gallon barrel and lay it down against the wall! I built one of these before but only one side. The side away from the sun should be insulated inside with any type of insulation and painted white to make it a true solar greenhouse!
+++
Having the pannls 4 by 8 wrapped seperate stops most of the air sucking effect of the looser one piece plastic covering! I will take some pictures when I build my new one this summer! Mine will be higher with 10 foot by 4 pannels. The A frame 60 degree angle allows the snow to slide down to the ground quicker than the hoop type!
+++Post any questions?
+++
Having the pannls 4 by 8 wrapped seperate stops most of the air sucking effect of the looser one piece plastic covering! I will take some pictures when I build my new one this summer! Mine will be higher with 10 foot by 4 pannels. The A frame 60 degree angle allows the snow to slide down to the ground quicker than the hoop type!
+++Post any questions?