The Build Of Acorn Forest Greenhouse's UPDATED 5/11/2013

Do-it-yourself projects such as greenhouse or shadehouse builds and related topics.
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GermanStar
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Post by GermanStar »

Looks great, that's a pretty elaborate deal you have going there. :thumbup:
iann
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Post by iann »

What is the plastic sheet in the roof panes? Is that built-in shading?
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*Barracuda_52*
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

Iann this GH is for my tropical plants, i surely dont need them fried by the sun and this is all we could afford to use at this time worked great for my mini GH so we went with that again. The roof however will be also coverd with clear polycarb pannels to help protect it even more from our crappy weather we get and to withstand the snow load in winter.

Here it is now, we used what we could find around the house to cut into molding strips to hold the plastic in place so its kinda flunky looking but once painted will look much better and match the color of the GH frame thats already painted. I am also gona silacone around the fan edge to seal that and also install a flap to cover the fan durring bad weather and cold nights.
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had to lift one end up to get this pic :P
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We are getting there little by little its almost done, now all we gota work on is foundations frame and floor and get it put up. Then onto building the bigger cacti and succulent GH, that one will be easy we already have the 8x12 clear view GH just have to build the foundation frame and flooring, put it together and then install support beams, then a friend of ours is installing electrical in both GHs..
Last edited by *Barracuda_52* on Sat Jun 25, 2011 5:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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fanaticactus
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Post by fanaticactus »

What a great idea! Beautiful work!
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Post by daiv »

Tracey,
I was just looking at the "inside" picture. I know you need the steep roof because of snow, but the added air volume is going to be a side bonus. The larger space will make for more controlled temps and reduce the wide swings in temp from a smaller space.

I went with 8 foot sides mostly because the "scrap" 4x4 that I had were that height already. In retrospect, the added volume really helps with temp and air circulation.
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iann
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Post by iann »

Nice. So that isn't even half of your greenhouse empire? Going to be a great amount of growing room.
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*Barracuda_52*
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

daiv wrote:Tracey,
I was just looking at the "inside" picture. I know you need the steep roof because of snow, but the added air volume is going to be a side bonus. The larger space will make for more controlled temps and reduce the wide swings in temp from a smaller space.

I went with 8 foot sides mostly because the "scrap" 4x4 that I had were that height already. In retrospect, the added volume really helps with temp and air circulation.
I got pretty good head room in this one, its 10ft tall from the floor to the peak of the roof, my side walls are 6ft.. Will have good air exchange and flow going with one fan in the back end corner and then another in the front end corner opiset side, the the stale air will be sucked out thru the dual exhuast fan. Gona have a fountain in one corner going to help with humidity for the tropicals. :D
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

8) Worked on the foundation frame today and also got everything painted that was left to paint and then poly coated it. Time to start putting it all together.. :D Will get pics in few days, once this one is up then its onto building the larger cacti & succulent GH.
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

8) Ok heres how far we have gottin today, we didnt build the foundation frame as high as i wanted but its 6 x 6 inch treated wood and anchord down, hubby pounded 2x2s 3 1/2ft into the ground and secured the frame, then we installed the walls, then the roof, which while trying to get it up there i sorta broke a corner molding over the plastic nothing big easy to paint over. :P Everything is now secured/screwed in and all thats left to do is benches, lights, fans installed, screen for the inside of the door to flip down while the door is open, polycarb pannels for the roof and a rain guard for over the door, you can see where we have extra gutter on the roof peak so that the polycarb pannels will over hang those will slide right under the gutter than be screwed in to secure. The flooring i will work on later, i think im just gona go with weed block and then several inches deep with cypress mulch, we are also gona seal all corners and frame with silicone. Will post more pics as we get it all done.. I started removing the grass and weeds around the outside where im gona do alittle landscaping.

Always click pics for better viewing.. :wink:

Looking down from the back deck to where the GHs are being built, all walls laid out and ready to go..
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Walls now up.. :P You can kinda see some plastic sticking out between the molding.
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and roof now on.. :D
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hubby has to get my fan cover made and put on.
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and hubby inside working
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and hubby standing in the door to give you a idea of size hes 6 ft tall. Sun going down hubby is quittin for the night.
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Tomarrow we work on benches and other things. More pics to come.. 8) Cant wait to get this one completed and filled and onto the 8x12 cacti GH.
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Harriet
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Post by Harriet »

Nice work Tracey! You must be a very patient person, I think the most difficult part of a project like yours (and the one I'm working on) is waiting for it to be done so it can be loaded up with the plants. Will you load this one now, or wait for the wiring? Will both houses be wired at the same time?
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daiv
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Post by daiv »

At last! Glad to see it finally up - it's going to be great to have that all filled with tropicals!

What is that piece across the very top?

The pitch of the roof is going to be good for more than just snow. It should prevent rain from pooling and stretching the plastic.

The only potential issue I see might be in the eaves or lack of eaves. The water draining own the roof and sides is going to do everything it can to get in-between the wood strips and the plastic sheeting and do whatever damage it can. :-k
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

8) Harriett both GH's will be wired once the cacti GH is up our buddy Mike is comming to wire them. But for now once i get something ontop the benches temporarly im gona load plants in till i get my wire for the benches, also will run temp electrical to it with circut breaker till Mike wires it in. The hard part is not waitting to get this all done its the moving of ALL the plants outa the grow room down stairs and from around the rooms upstairs.. :P

Daiv, the thing on the top is a gutter thats extended so that when we get the polycarb pannels up there it will have a small over hang not only on the ends but also on the downside of the roof, i have already slapped few coats poly over the roof wood and am working on the rest all the way around and down with few coats poly, once thats dry and if we know storms are comming in will cover the roof with a tarp for now till the polycarb pannels are installed, the gutter we can slide the top part of the poly pannles right under it and it will hold the top snug and then we will screw the rest of the pnnels in place, all gaps, cracks and or places where it was put together is going to be sealed with silicone inside and out, trust me water aint gettin in.. :wink: Also like you im going to have a rain guard above the door as well even though we will have a roof hangover from the polycarb pannels. I have alot of work to do today. Will post more pics as we go. :D
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Post by daiv »

Got it! That sounds like an excellent solution to me. :thumbleft:

You probably mentioned something about that already and I forgot about it. #-o
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

8) Benches getting there still alittle more work to do on them need to finish the bottom shelfs on the 2 side benches and then a 2ft x 2ft corner solid top bench for my fountain. I should have taken these pics befour putting the tarp on was much more sun comming in, but clouds were rolling in and there calling for rain for few days so we tarped it up.

Here it is ready for the rain..
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Once the poylcarb pannels are on the roof no more tarp durring storms.. :P

And these are the benches, i have alittle over 3ft wide and 6ft long space in the middle to comfortably move around, service the plants and or have some chairs to sit in inside. :D
this is looking at the door sides
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and then all the way around
i dont know why this came out crooked :oops:
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and here you can see the corner area for the solid top table for my fountain.
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and this is just to give you a idea as to how im rigging fans, i drew a little one in the corner LOL!! One is going here and then in the back oppiset corner another one will go..
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Now all i gota do is wait till i get some mola and get the weed block down and cover the floor with cypress mulch, cover the benches, run electric to the GH and get everything running. Im putting 1 4ft shop light hanging from the middle of the roof peak. Will be busy working on things for few days yet once the rain passes i need to start working more on weeds and grass cleard outside around and down to the next GH for when i landscape it.. I gota clean all that stinking sawdust out of the GH to.. :oops:
Last edited by *Barracuda_52* on Wed May 18, 2011 4:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by daiv »

I like it. And you now have the picture to go along with your explanation from my last question. :o
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