Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Casey -
I have the design for my new greenhouse...The walls will be 6 feet of styrofoam and concrete (there is a version of the styrofoam that is treated for mold, etc) that is below grade. I am adding a water storage tank that will run the length of the greenhouse - below the benches and be light tight. I will pump the water thru solar thermal piping during the day in the winter to add heat to the greenhouse. In the summer, the 16 foot inflated double poly hoop house will be open all the way to the top. In the winter, I will add a third layer of plastic 3 feet about ground that will keep the warm air in the lower part of the green house. I will be able to vent the air in the winter thru that layer to control moisture and temperature. In the summer the 22 feet to the top, will allow the hottest air to rise and be vented. The water tank should be able to stabilize the overall temp. If you want to talk more, let me know. I have been working with a couple of long time greenhouse people to modify the design that my mentor, used successfully for over 50 years. This is the result. Doug In article tkzjd.2521$bH2.1505@trnddc09, "Casey Wilson" wrote: Hello, Up front, I'm an orchid admirer but not a grower. I've tried a couple of times, but up here in the north end of California's share of the Mojave Desert, it ain't an easy task. Mostly I end up driving over to the left coast every year or so and buying a few plants from the commercial growers. What I am searching for are knowledgeable folks about greenhouses. I searched through the newsgroups available on my GTE/Verizon ISP server and can't find any reference. I figure that more than one or two of you folks must have greenhouses attached to the house or over in the back yard. My back yard is 2 1/2 acres of excellent drainage. I'm doodling around with various sketches for a covered sun-pit. My rationale for digging the greenhouse in has to do with the climate extremes AND the ferocious winds we occasionally experience. Our record low temperature was +5F in December, 1993; high was 121F but I don't recall the year; every spring we have spells of winds in excess of 40MPH with gusts over 50, sometimes lasting for days. I figure having the bottom five or six feet of the greehouse below grade level shields me from the wind to some degree and the natural insulation of the ground helps keep the inside atmosphere stable. I've lots of other details about evaporative cooling, humidity control, passive solar heating (and cooling), yadda, yadda. The greenhouse will be multi-purpose; including flowers, edibles, and bonsai. I've found great resources for materials and ideas over the span of the internet, inlcuding materials and reading material. But sometimes it helps to dialog with live people. I promise not to be offended if you tell me to go away. Regards, Casey Wilson Freelance Writer and Photographer |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 21:26:51 -0500, doug houseman
wrote: Casey - I have the design for my new greenhouse...The walls will be 6 feet of styrofoam and concrete (there is a version of the styrofoam that is treated for mold, etc) that is below grade. I am adding a water storage tank that will run the length of the greenhouse - below the benches and be light tight. I will pump the water thru solar thermal piping during the day in the winter to add heat to the greenhouse. In the summer, the 16 foot inflated double poly hoop house will be open all the way to the top. In the winter, I will add a third layer of plastic 3 feet about ground that will keep the warm air in the lower part of the green house. I will be able to vent the air in the winter thru that layer to control moisture and temperature. In the summer the 22 feet to the top, will allow the hottest air to rise and be vented. The water tank should be able to stabilize the overall temp. If you want to talk more, let me know. I have been working with a couple of long time greenhouse people to modify the design that my mentor, used successfully for over 50 years. This is the result. Doug Our gh is a lean-to on west side of the house. It runs north and south. But this is only because there was not enough clearance to put it anywhere else. The benches are just about ground level outside. Which gives me a lot of head room over the plants. The foundation goes as deep as the house foundation. That space was filled with cobbles and provides a lovely heat sink in the winter and a cooling bed in the summer. We have never over watered to get water up out of the rock. We did have a thermostat failure that burst the water pipes. But that was mid winter with poor alarms. Not true now. We have a power vent in one upper panel so we can exhaust the hot air. We have not used it in years. We allow the roof vent to open, let the misters run and it is cool enough in the gh. Some times in the winter it will get to 80 on a clear sunny day and open the vent. We heat minimally in the winter and grow a wide variety of things. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 21:26:51 -0500, doug houseman
wrote: Casey - I have the design for my new greenhouse...The walls will be 6 feet of styrofoam and concrete (there is a version of the styrofoam that is treated for mold, etc) that is below grade. I am adding a water storage tank that will run the length of the greenhouse - below the benches and be light tight. I will pump the water thru solar thermal piping during the day in the winter to add heat to the greenhouse. In the summer, the 16 foot inflated double poly hoop house will be open all the way to the top. In the winter, I will add a third layer of plastic 3 feet about ground that will keep the warm air in the lower part of the green house. I will be able to vent the air in the winter thru that layer to control moisture and temperature. In the summer the 22 feet to the top, will allow the hottest air to rise and be vented. The water tank should be able to stabilize the overall temp. If you want to talk more, let me know. I have been working with a couple of long time greenhouse people to modify the design that my mentor, used successfully for over 50 years. This is the result. Doug Our gh is a lean-to on west side of the house. It runs north and south. But this is only because there was not enough clearance to put it anywhere else. The benches are just about ground level outside. Which gives me a lot of head room over the plants. The foundation goes as deep as the house foundation. That space was filled with cobbles and provides a lovely heat sink in the winter and a cooling bed in the summer. We have never over watered to get water up out of the rock. We did have a thermostat failure that burst the water pipes. But that was mid winter with poor alarms. Not true now. We have a power vent in one upper panel so we can exhaust the hot air. We have not used it in years. We allow the roof vent to open, let the misters run and it is cool enough in the gh. Some times in the winter it will get to 80 on a clear sunny day and open the vent. We heat minimally in the winter and grow a wide variety of things. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 21:26:51 -0500, doug houseman
wrote: Casey - I have the design for my new greenhouse...The walls will be 6 feet of styrofoam and concrete (there is a version of the styrofoam that is treated for mold, etc) that is below grade. I am adding a water storage tank that will run the length of the greenhouse - below the benches and be light tight. I will pump the water thru solar thermal piping during the day in the winter to add heat to the greenhouse. In the summer, the 16 foot inflated double poly hoop house will be open all the way to the top. In the winter, I will add a third layer of plastic 3 feet about ground that will keep the warm air in the lower part of the green house. I will be able to vent the air in the winter thru that layer to control moisture and temperature. In the summer the 22 feet to the top, will allow the hottest air to rise and be vented. The water tank should be able to stabilize the overall temp. If you want to talk more, let me know. I have been working with a couple of long time greenhouse people to modify the design that my mentor, used successfully for over 50 years. This is the result. Doug Our gh is a lean-to on west side of the house. It runs north and south. But this is only because there was not enough clearance to put it anywhere else. The benches are just about ground level outside. Which gives me a lot of head room over the plants. The foundation goes as deep as the house foundation. That space was filled with cobbles and provides a lovely heat sink in the winter and a cooling bed in the summer. We have never over watered to get water up out of the rock. We did have a thermostat failure that burst the water pipes. But that was mid winter with poor alarms. Not true now. We have a power vent in one upper panel so we can exhaust the hot air. We have not used it in years. We allow the roof vent to open, let the misters run and it is cool enough in the gh. Some times in the winter it will get to 80 on a clear sunny day and open the vent. We heat minimally in the winter and grow a wide variety of things. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Potatoes - slightly off topic | United Kingdom | |||
Slightly off-topic -- Greenhouses | Orchids | |||
Slightly off-topic -- Greenhouses | Orchids | |||
[IBC] Slightly Off-Topic: Request for BCI Magazine Specific Issue Number Help Please | Bonsai | |||
Oh. My. Lord. (slightly off topic) | United Kingdom |