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Post by leatherneckpa on Oct 31, 2010 10:19:58 GMT -4
the porch is open on 3 sides and the largest side faces WSW with no obstructions limiting the sun. There is a rail waist high all around and 4x4's in the corners and at the steps. No door for the 4' wide stairway - the floor space is 6'x12'. , I've built two greenhouses so far. You've got a nice start to work with. Ive got a couple of questions, and of course photos would really help here because visualizing can be a challenge for some folk. First of all, what is the floor material? It needs stairs to get on the porch so are we talking about a concrete or wood floor? Can you get under the floor if you need to? One of the things you really need for an efficient greenhouse is a "heat sink". And a wood floor is going to require some sort of insulation. Second, where are the stairs? On one of the ends would be best. That way they aren't taking growing space away from your long side. If they aren't at an ed, is moving them to an end an option? ..... windows which are 40x46; with a 3/4 inch aluminum frame having only 1/3 inch; beyond the glass edge to work with. They are in perfect condition, but they are a little heavy. Can I turn my backporch into a greenhouse of sorts without it costing me too much money, preferably none? I have all kinds of questions about this and no experienced buddies to help me out locally - in fact I'll be the designer, builder and farmer  Can you turn it into a greenhouse, most likely yes. For free, NO! Unless you are exceptionally lucky in your scrounging. Those windows are all going to require some sort of framing because those measurements don't work with my penciled sketch of what you described. The good news is, it's not that hard. Because you are going to have large expanses of glass I would plan on a treated 4x4 (or cedar if you can get it). You will space them according to how you align your windows; long sides vertical or horizontal. I'm not positive, but from what you described I believe if you lay them on their sides that 46 inch dimension will allow you to install just two 4x4's on 4 foot centers and they will fit nicely. Then you stack another course on top of that with a 2x4 sill between them. Make it a nice slip-in fit. Use cedar or treated lumber to make 1x1 strips to nail in and hold the windows in place. If you insist on being fancy about it (as I would do) you can bevel the top edge of the bottom strip to cause rain to flow away from the glass. Use silicone caulk to keep the wind out. Hopefully I will be getting a new camera phone pretty soon so I can get some pics. Why wait. I have noticed in the paper each of the last two weeks that the local drugstores (CVS and Rite-Aid) have each had a digital pocket sized camera on sale for $29. The quality on those is sufficient for most people's snapshots nowadays. You don't need a $500 Nikon. 1 - How to attach the windows to the existing porch frame? The easiest way would be to put 4x4's in where needed and then use nailer strips to hold the glass in place, as described above. 2 - How to attach the windows to each other if no frame is where it needs to be? You don't attach them to each other. You build frames where you need them. Not as tough you imagine. Remember, as recently as 100 years ago most of the buildings on any farm were built by the farmer. Then industry got government on their side and created codes. 3 - Does it need ventilation screening? Absolutely! And adjustable is better than non-adjustable. You are not going to believe how hot it will get inside that greenhouse on a cloudy day, much less a clear sunny one. Done right, this greenhouse can supplement the heat in your house. My first greenhouse was a simple 2x4 frame with a plastic cover. There was a 2 foot square window high in the back and the front door was completely screened. I recorded a high temperature in that greenhouse of 128 degrees. I routinely had highs over 70 through Christmas and grew salad crops all winter long with no supplemental heat. I had six 55 gallons drums of water for heat sinks and I don't think they ever froze solid. Depends on what you are trying to grow. Like I said, here in north-central PA I was able to grow greens, radishes, and peas all winter long without any supplemental heat. But I did have to use grow lights to extend the daylight hours. 5 - Extra lighting? If so, what type? I was fairly successful with 4 foot florescent shop lights, even more so when I spent the extra money for Gro-Lite bulbs. The buzzing takes a little getting used to while you're working under them. This book would be a great help to you and Amazon has it from as low as 89 cents. Personally, I buy one for around 6-10 dollars. I had it in my library and made the mistake of loaning it to someone. Then I had to buy it again when they misplaced it. This stuff is not that difficult to do. Pretty much anyone can do it. You just need to take your time, go slowly, and use alittle brain power to think around problems. I built a 360 sq ft split-level deck 5 feet off the ground single-handed so I know what of I speak. Work slow, work steady, and work smart. YOU can do THIS! |
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Post by ☼ ЯÏĊk ☺ on Nov 1, 2010 7:26:23 GMT -4
Wow, i love ambition!
Yep, here in Maine we have ( I think) 40 gallon plastic barrels painted black for heat sinks. They hold up some benches.
I'd look up eliot coleman- four season greenhouses. The man is a pioneer on the subject. Your app. Is different, but the principles are the same. And i know some people that get free heat for their homes on most days with an attached greenhouse and sufficient thermal mass. The rain water collection is easy and there are tons of articles on it.
Good luck and have fun, lady.
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Post by rAcErRicK on Nov 3, 2010 19:08:20 GMT -4
Best of luck on your project Bonny, a very worthwhile one too.
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Post by leatherneckpa on Nov 4, 2010 18:28:23 GMT -4
bonnie, I'm a firm believer in "a picture is worth a thousand words". It is a rainy, cold, and generally miserable day here in NCPA so when I got home from school I decided to play with SketchUp and your greenhouse idea. This first image is a generic front view of what I'm talking about you doing. The green is for PT 4x4's. The dark brown pieces are just 2x2's (actually measure 1.5x1.5). The light brown pieces are 2x2's cut in half diagonally to help water run off the face of your windows.  The second image is just a perspective view at about 45°. One click in SketchUp changes it to this.  This image shows a close up of one of the lower corners, just so you can see the individual parts. As you can see there is a 2x2 frame all the way around the inside/back of the window. The top and sides of the front are 2x2's cut to length. And then you fit the triangle lip into the bottom of the front face of each space.  If you seal them front and back with a non-hardening silicone caulk that should do the trick for you. I was thinking about your wood floor and the open air under it. If you built 12-18" deep boxes of PT plywood/lumber and lined them with 6 mil plastic I believe that would be enough of a heat sink for what you describe. Let me know if you want any more info. ETA: If anybody likes what they saw in the sketches you can download SketchUp from Google. It's not an industrial CAD program, but it's sufficient for homeowner use. And it's FREE!
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