HOOP-GREENHOUSE BUILD

[300wtby]

Well my wife wanted a greenhouse,and after looking at prices for "real" greenhouses we decided to go with the hoophouse style,

There are a couple of dealers in our area that sell the hoophouse kits we went to a few of them and liked the houses,and we were just about to purchase a kit from one of the dealers,when i found this web sight that sells the bender needed to bend the hoops yourself.well after doing the math I found i could bend the hoops myself and save money at the same time,because the kits are basicaly just the bent tubes and the poly covering and a few bolts...You still have to buy the lumber,tek screws,purlins(emt. coduit) hinges...ect.

All in all i was really suprised at how easy they are to build,and how sturdy they seem to be,it will take a pretty good blow to bring the structure down,dont know about the poly covering yet,should be able to let you know after this winter because we get some good winds here...

I have about 500 into this build,I had some of the materials,but i can bet you wont be out much more than 600 or so .....with the bender

Harbor Freight wants 800 for a 10x12, I built a 12x30 for 500 and have a 100 dollar bender to make more if i so desire,.....Maybe not as pretty as Harbor freights,But when theirs blows over your out 800 bucks when mine blows over just put another 150 dollar sheet of plastic on and your good to go...:thumbsup:

 

[Mousefield]

Nice job. :thumbsup: Thanks for posting the nice pics.
How high is it in the middle?

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

hmmm, i like that...

eventually.......it's on my list....

 

[300wtby]

Nice job. :thumbsup: Thanks for posting the nice pics.
How high is it in the middle?

It is a hair shy of 8',I debated making it higher,then lower,and decided on 8' I think you can go from 6'6" to 10' high,or higher,but I think it becomes an issue with the wind once you get over 10', I am 6'2" and wanted the extra headroom an to be able to hang planters off the purlins.

They say to keep them low to the ground so they are cheaper to heat in the winter.

Also that is a 7 foot step ladder in one of those photos..

 

[RonMar]

What website did you find the bender on?

 

[AlanB]

More details and pictures please The roller is in the basement where I bought it last year to do this project and have not got a round tuit yet plenty of square tuits in my toolbox though.

Anyway, it would really help me, if you would be willing to provide more details on how you did it, the joints you did, and why. Did you use the wiggle wire and track to secure the plastic? Wood over the bottom band board and screwed together? How did you join the EMT? or top rail pipe?

Tons of questions from my end (just my nature I guess) but would like to work out as many kinks as possible from others experience rather than my usual style of doing things wrong, and then having someone walk up and say, "why did you do it that way, it would be easier, cheaper, quicker, better to do this"

VERY nice by the way.

 

[300wtby]

thanks Alan,
This is going to be real short because I am sitting at the airport,heading down to houston for a job,dont know how good the internet will be where I am goeing last time I was there it was spotty at best,so dont think I am ignoring you if I dont reply in a timely manner its because I cant...

the poles are chain link top rails as you know,what bender do you have?I have the c bender ..one thing to remember is keep rolling your pipe towards you with your wrists, and make the pylwood jig as he says i messed up a couple poles by not keeping the end on the slats as i was bending it...oh...have to get on the plane will try to get more info to you tonight..........

 

[jinman]

I'm torn between a hoophouse and a traditional framed greenhouse with staight sides. I know that once you place tables along the walls with a center walkway, that you don't really need vertical walls. I probably will not build until this fall, so I have some time to continue to waffle between the two.

I'm really impressed with your design and build 300wtby. Your job and description sure makes a hoophouse sound like the way to go. Impressive!:thumbsup:

 

[mmurphy]

Looks nice. I am interested in where you got your bender and what it looks like.

 

[Egon]

One could laminate some wooden hoops.

For the covering does anyone use two sheets of plastic and then pump air between them to keep them expanded?