I'm planning on building a small green house this spring, probably around 10x20. I was thinking of building it similar to a solar kiln with a solid insulated north wall. The other walls would be solid up to around waist level with glass from there up including the roof. Roof would be 5/12 min. for snow load. I'd appreciate feedback from the greenhouse owners on here, pro and con. Thanks!
this is what i did this year :)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38145/IMG_20160229_155130.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/38145/IMG_20160229_155150_28129.jpg)
it will hold about 30 flats i had a 10 x 30 greenhaouse we used a couple of years and sold plants but it was to big to heat and maintain for personal use so i turned it in to a chicken house to raise my broiler chickens in every spring ;D
you could raise plants in a solar kiln i guess but it wouldnt work as well as a greenhouse as it wouldnt let as much light in and that much water would be hard on the structure i would think. just my opinion though maybe someone has tried it and will speak up in a little while :)
Give some thought to your snowload (as in, how deep it gets) and where the snow is going to pile up when it slides off the roof.
I built a greenhouse with 2x6 arches every two feet, a ridge beam, and 6 mil plastic sheeting over it. The roof sloped at 45° so I was sure the snow was going to slide. And slide it did -- until it built up higher than the sides of the greenhouse. After that I spent a lot of time shoveling.
Now I remove the plastic at the beginning of every winter and put it back on in early Spring. Even if there's still 2' of snow inside, putting the plastic on then will cause the snow to melt about 3 times faster than if I just left it.
Did I mention that our average annual snowfall is 3.5 metres -- 11 feet?
brucer i would guess that 11' of snowfall is about our average to :o per lifetime!!! :o :D :D :D
I am going to be re-purposing a lean-to into a green house.
taking the metal roof off and replace with clear panels, with 25 year UV protection, making sure the roof overhangs the wall by 12 to 18 inches.
replace the wooden walls with plastic sheeting
remove the wood floors and have just dirt floors.
Hog panel green houses work good and strong.
I use a hog panel greenhouse and pull the plastic in the fall. Almost time to put it back on !
Do you have a picture of your hog panel frame?
i would like to see some pics too. i have some chicken pens built out of the 52" cattle panels bent into an arch that work good and wonder if his greenhouse is done the same way ???