How to Build a Greenhouse

You are sitting in the doctors office thumbing though a three-year-old issue of Better Homes and Gardens when you notice this ad for a hobby greenhouse. You decide to write the number down and give them a call when you get home. The thought of vine ripe tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers right out of your very own greenhouse really makes sense to you. With tomatoes at two dollars a pound and peppers one dollar each, you are sure the greenhouse will pay for itself the first year.

You hang up the telephone and realize that your greenhouse wouldn't pay for itself in the first year or second or may even the third. Don't give up! The remainder of this article will be used to describe how you can construct a greenhouse for far less than the two to three thousand dollars that you were quoted for that seventy-two square foot greenhouse.

First step in the construction of your own place to grow produce is to decide how much produce you want to grow. Will production only be used by your family, do you plan to share some with others, or are you thinking about the farmer's market. Hey, you may be able to pay your greenhouse off a little faster! I use the following formula for determining how large a structure I want to build. Tomatoes and peppers are given five square feet per plant. This may seem like a lot of space, but when you begin picking tomatoes you'll be glad for the space. Cucumbers only get one square foot. I'll explain all of this later.

When figuring space remember to leave room for one or two growing plants. These will replace those that have reached the end of there production. Now on to how to build your greenhouse.

You will need the following materials to construct a house approximately twenty-eight feet wide by twenty feet long or five hundred and sixty square feet.:

11- pieces 20 foot long of 2" PVC
5-2" PVC couplings
2-2x4x10
3 - 4" square post 10' long
2-2" PVC T's
3-2" crosses
1-box round head screws ¾"
10 T-post 5' length or short
40' of 2x4
10- 2" c clamps.
20 -1/4 x 2 ½ '' carriage bolts
20- Nuts and washers
1 can PVC cleaner
1 Can (large) PVC glue
3 bags quick crete

Tools needed:

Post hole digger
Hammer
Hand Saw
Drill
Sledge Hammer (drive T Post)
Wrench for nuts
Screwdriver Bit

The first step is to select as flat a location as you have available. Be sure to consider anything that may block the sun for long periods of the day. Once you have selected the location drive in one of the T post. This is your working corner to square your building.

You do know how to square your building right? Well just in case you don't take a look at this website. www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=WW/BillJun04.html

Once you have your four corners run a string down each long side for a straight line. Than measure a distance of five feet and drive you next T post, I would recommend driving them at least a foot into the ground and more if you are able, than the next post until all have been placed in the ground.

Select one of the 2" PVC pipes and cut into four equal sections of approximately five feet in length. These will become the eave of your greenhouse. Next take the twenty foot pieces and lay one beside each T post. Now it is time to begin building the frame work. Start by gluing the twenty foot end pieces to the 2" PVC T. Always place the glue joints on a board to make sure they are as flat as possible. Than work your way down the length of the greenhouse making your glue joints in the crosses. It is especially important to make sure that these are glued with joint flat. Once you have glued all of the longer pieces of PVC to the fittings it is time to glue the five foot sections together to make the eave of the greenhouse.

Once all the gluing has been completed there is one final step to be taken before you set the greenhouse. To strength each glue join drill a small hole on each side of the PVC fitting into the pipe. Than use the round head screws to stabilize the glue joint. Do not put a screw on the top of any fitting as it will serve as a stress point for the plastic covering. After you have finished gluing and adding the screws take short break and let everything setup.

Now would be a good time to enlist friends, family, and neighbors to assist you in raising your greenhouse frame. In a perfect world you will have nine people to assist you, however I usually do this with the assistance of my wife, kids usually hid for some reason! The process is really simple. You want to slip the 2 " PVC over each of the T post you have driven in the ground. As you complete this your arch will be created. And you are ready for the hard work.

Remember those 3 ten foot post? Okay you need to place one of them in the center of each end of the greenhouse. The third one is place near the center of the greenhouse directly under the eave. You than will take the 2 x 4's and make a support for the PVC. While you will be tempted to lay the 2 x 4 flat on the post, instead of on edge, do not do it as they will warp.

Next secure the PVC pipe to the T post. To do this take the 2 X 4's and lay them on the outside of the greenhouse along its length. They will need to stick past each end by about 1". Take your 2" clamp and from inside place over pipe and drill holes thought the 2 x 4's using round head carriage bolts tighten each clamp to the board. Nuts should be located on the inside of the greenhouse. These board will also serve to secure the plastic covering on the greenhouse.

One item that is not listed in the materials list is the covering for your greenhouse. Decisions will need to be made about the amount of money you wish to spend and the quality of the material that chose to use. Many of those constructed by this writer were covered with plastic purchased at Lowe's of Home Depot. This material has worked satisfactory for two to three years. I usually by the 6 mil plastic and always buy a roll that is both longer and wider than I need. If you decide to purchase from one of the many greenhouse suppliers they will be happy to assist you in the amount of materials you need.

For each end of the greenhouse construct a frame that adds support and allows air flow. Keep in mind that even in late fall greenhouse can get very hot and some type of fan is a necessity.

Now get those plants going!