Author Topic: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY Solar Panel - Construction Photos  (Read 12337 times)

Kevin Jones

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Re: Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #75 on: November 23, 2019, 08:32:55 AM »
Waterproofing the wall panels:


Door Hardware details:

Stainless:

Galvanized:

« Last Edit: November 23, 2019, 08:35:05 AM by Kevin Jones »

Mark in Texas

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Re: Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #76 on: November 24, 2019, 10:24:36 AM »
Nice!  I've linked a Facebook gardening forum here - Central Texas Backyard Gardeners. 

Kevin Jones

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Re: UPDATED PHOTOS! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #77 on: December 01, 2019, 11:27:19 AM »
Mostly finished...Plants installed:















« Last Edit: December 01, 2019, 11:29:53 AM by Kevin Jones »

spaugh

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #78 on: December 01, 2019, 12:18:20 PM »
Fast progress Kevin.  Great job. 
Brad Spaugh

Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #79 on: December 01, 2019, 12:25:53 PM »
Thank you!
It was fun to work on... plus now I have space for more plants!

Kevin

spaugh

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #80 on: December 01, 2019, 12:34:57 PM »
It filled up fast.  Now you need another one.
Brad Spaugh

Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #81 on: December 01, 2019, 02:07:00 PM »
Brad,
I live in an inner city neighborhood... and I have about .5 acres to work with.
I would certainly love to be set up in your situation with plenty of room to stretch out.

Kevin




brian

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #82 on: December 01, 2019, 02:48:18 PM »
Great work! 

As soon as I finished my greenhouse I was already thinking about where I could build another one.  There is never enough space

Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #83 on: December 01, 2019, 04:16:25 PM »
Thank you... I know what you mean.

Kevin


SeaWalnut

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #84 on: December 01, 2019, 04:54:02 PM »
Looks great.
To stop condensation and keep the heat in you can insulate it by adding a second layer on the interior ,of verry thi polycarbonate of foil.
You can even make it remouvable .

W.

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #85 on: December 01, 2019, 07:13:34 PM »
Brad,
I live in an inner city neighborhood... and I have about .5 acres to work with.
I would certainly love to be set up in your situation with plenty of room to stretch out.

Kevin

The thing about old neighborhoods in Alabama, with some exceptions, is that our lots are considered enormous compared to houses of similar age in the Midwest and Northeast. More room for gardens and greenhouses (though most people just fill their yards with Bermudagrass).

spaugh

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #86 on: December 01, 2019, 07:31:19 PM »
Brad,
I live in an inner city neighborhood... and I have about .5 acres to work with.
I would certainly love to be set up in your situation with plenty of room to stretch out.

Kevin

I wish I could afford another GH, mines full.  Hard to justify the cost even for a cheap one without power or any fans, still costs a lot.  Then I would have to fence it all off to keep the wildlife out.  All this space requires a lot of extra BS because of the animals and sloped land. 
Brad Spaugh

brian

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #87 on: December 01, 2019, 08:18:12 PM »

... All this space requires a lot of extra BS because of the animals and sloped land.


Get yourself a pickaxe and shovel, and become a terrace farmer!


Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #88 on: December 03, 2019, 11:45:07 AM »
Both doors open for better ventilation on sunny days:



« Last Edit: December 03, 2019, 11:52:48 AM by Kevin Jones »

brian

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #89 on: December 03, 2019, 01:16:54 PM »
Really nice, simple design.  Makes me feel like my greenhouse is over-engineered :)

Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #90 on: December 03, 2019, 06:41:18 PM »
Thank you...
You are too kind!

Kevin


Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #91 on: December 03, 2019, 10:29:00 PM »
Batten details:






I spent an hour ripping PT 2X6s on the table saw and fastened them with outdoor rated pocket screws... minus the pockets of course.

When warm weather returns I'll be able to easily remove the battens on the south facing side and roll up the plastic for excellent ventilation.

That's the plan anyway.

Kevin


Daintree

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #92 on: December 04, 2019, 12:39:25 PM »
Clever!!!
That is going to work like a charm come springtime!

I have never had good luck with opening my greenhouse to the outdoors, since my plants seem to attract an abnormal number of aphids if set out in the open for more than 30 seconds.  I guess our "desert aphids" are starving for something green...

Carolyn

Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #93 on: December 06, 2019, 08:57:55 AM »
In the past I would bring my plants into one of my 2 smaller greenhouses for the winter and then bring them back out for warmer weather... which here is about 8-9 months out of the year.
My plan now is to leave them in place year-round.
It gets old dragging 20 gallon containers in and out twice a year.

Kevin

Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #94 on: December 06, 2019, 09:02:39 AM »
I've got 2 MC4 cables for my solar panel system I need to run underground into the greenhouse.
I've been looking at PVC conduit.
The plan is to run them under the GH wall without compromising its air tightness.
Any ideas how best to accomplish this?
Here's the chain...

Grape 100w Panel


Pair of MC4 Cables:


SUAOKI Portable Power Station:


Bonnio Infinity Zero Gravity Chair:






Thanks.

Kevin



« Last Edit: December 06, 2019, 09:18:35 AM by Kevin Jones »

brian

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #95 on: December 06, 2019, 09:44:14 AM »
Fastest way is to use an edging tool to cut a slit into ground and stuff the bare cable into the dirt a couple inches down.  At risk to damage

Safer way is dig a 6in or so trench with a narrow trenching shovel and/or pickaxe.  Then put gray pvc conduit and the cable in as you go

Code complaint way is 18in trench, bedded with gravel, fishing the cable through the conduit after it is fuly assembled.  Or 24in trench with direct bury rated cable like UF-B and no conduit. 

I dont know anything about MC4 cables nor solar power.

If you arent pulling a permit just bury it in a way you feel is safe


Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY Solar Panel - Construction Photos
« Reply #96 on: December 06, 2019, 11:13:00 AM »
The foundation... if you want to call it that... consists of PT 2X4s of various lengths.
I frequently think of this type of GH as a Walk-In-Cloche.
I currently have poked a hole underneath it to run my extension cords for my heaters... and backfilled it with the soil.
I suppose I could do the same with the MC4 cables.
I was looking to step it up a bit to something more elegant... if you can call it that.
PVC conduit was something I was considering. Inexpensive, flexible and waterproof.

Kevin




Mark in Texas

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY - Construction Photos
« Reply #97 on: December 08, 2019, 06:10:43 AM »
Way to go!  Nice job and you'll get a lot of fun and good eats out of it.  I spent hours yesterday blasting soot off my citrus trees.  About 75% of the leaves were coated black but a blast of a mix of Ivory liquid dish soap, blast of well water and then a rinse of rain water did the trick.  Having a greenhouses creates more work with more disease and insect pressures than not.  I've had a terrible time with mealybugs and scale this year.  It's always something.

Batten details:





I spent an hour ripping PT 2X6s on the table saw and fastened them with outdoor rated pocket screws... minus the pockets of course.

When warm weather returns I'll be able to easily remove the battens on the south facing side and roll up the plastic for excellent ventilation.

That's the plan anyway.

Kevin

That's what folks do here to beat the heat - poly for winter, shade cloth for summer.

Enjoy...

Mark in Texas

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY Solar Panel - Construction Photos
« Reply #98 on: December 08, 2019, 06:18:50 AM »
The foundation... if you want to call it that... consists of PT 2X4s of various lengths.
I frequently think of this type of GH as a Walk-In-Cloche.
I currently have poked a hole underneath it to run my extension cords for my heaters... and backfilled it with the soil.
I suppose I could do the same with the MC4 cables.
I was looking to step it up a bit to something more elegant... if you can call it that.
PVC conduit was something I was considering. Inexpensive, flexible and waterproof.

Kevin

It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. The more I can keep government out of my personal life the better.  Screw 'em.  Luckily our county/city is very conservative and stays out of the biz of its citizens. 
 
I ran electricity and a gas line for heating and cooling a greenhouse years ago in a hand dug trench.  A grubbing hoe with a heavy blade on one end and pick on the other makes short work of 20' runs.

20' X 9' lean to facing due south.



Kevin Jones

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Re: Updated Photos! - Greenhouse Ideas - DIY Solar Panel - Construction Photos
« Reply #99 on: December 08, 2019, 07:07:25 AM »
I have found that most zoning issues with our city/municipality come from neighbor complaints. The city tends to be reactive... not proactive. Fortunately I live in a predominantly student neighborhood... being less than a mile from the states largest university.
Students are renters. They have no interest in what I do... and they wouldn't complain about anything.
Too busy being students. On the other hand there are certain quality of life issues which we have learned to adapt to... noise, traffic, litter, on street parking, parties etc. But on the upside... we are practically invisible to the typical college student.
Although I did check with the city before I built... just to be sure there would be no nasty surprises after the fact.
Height. Square footage. Setback from the property line. Stuff like that.
I am in compliance.