Greenhouse Built from old 'Garage Tent'

[baymule]

Wow! That is really nice! Standing ovation!
Uh......maybe just ovation.....it seems the smileys don't have a leg to stand on.

 

[kathiesgarden]

Thanks for the update and the detailed description of the construction Kathy.
I'm going to show this to my husband since we've sort of tossed the idea around about re-purposing our old "shed" into a green house. Someday maybe...

Thank you for your kind comments. If you have any questions on how we put the details together, don't hesitate to ask. It was really simple and we'd be pleased to answer any questions you might have.

 

[kathiesgarden]

Can't say that people in this area fail to follow through!

(If we just take Kathie as an example .)

Hi, Kathie!

Steve

Hi everyone, I am sure sorry that it took me so long to get the plans and pics posted. There were some family matters last year that really took up a lot of time. It is nice to be back.

 

[kathiesgarden]

Thank you all for your really kind comments. If you are interested in this idea or a take-off on it and have any questions about how we worked this out, please don't hesitate to ask. It is one way to make an ugly old garage tent look better

 

[catjac1975]

I am finally getting the construction description and pictures of the greenhouse we built posted.

A description of how we built it is below, and there are some photos of the details.

We built a greenhouse from an old ‘Costco’ garage tent. We have cold winters and hot, dry summers here and wind in the spring and fall. We wanted to build something that could withstand these conditions and would be low maintenance as well as low cost.

The tent had been sitting in our yard for twelve years. It measures 12’ x 20’ The framework was good, but the siding was unusable.

We leveled a horseshoe shaped area in a sunny spot in our yard which measured 28’ x 18’. We centered the framework into the horseshoe allowing for a 4’ outside bed once the siding had been added.

We put the vertical posts of the framework into 1 gallon buckets which we leveled, squared and filled with cement.

Using landscape blocks (any kind of block could be used) we built a wall around the perimeter of the leveled space 3’ high both inside and outside where the siding would be. That created a ditch which we filled with gravel then topsoil. This helped stabilize the vertical framing posts.

We had an old door and an old window from a remodeling project to use at the ends of the greenhouse. We used 2 by 4’s to frame the door. The door framing went all the way up to the gable of the framework. The window framing was only done on one side because the corner of the framework supported the other side. We framed a spot on the window side to attach the electric wiring which would be used for lighting and heat.

The framework is reinforced with ‘hat track’ and pan head screws. Hat track is an inexpensive framing material and is available at stores which carry drywall supplies. The pan screws are self tapping and this is important so that they will penetrate the steel framework . (We used 1/2” self tapping pan head screws which are available at Home Depot). The hat track is spaced horizontally in 2’ bands around the entire framework, including the gabled roof.

Once the framing was done, we bought sheets of corrugated UV acrylic siding and attached it to the hat track with roofing screws with washers attached (also available at Home Depot). The north side and half of the roof of the greenhouse was sided with some old corrugated steel siding that we had. (That worked okay for the side, but we have decided to remove the steel from the roof and replace it with the clear acrylic)

We framed out the door and the window and installed them. We found some lights for sale on Craigslist that had come out of a retail store that was closing and hung them from the inside framework.

It works well as a three season greenhouse. This morning it was 21 degrees outside, and inside the greenhouse it was 36!

Wow! Thanks for all the photos. That looks like it will last a life time with perhaps replacing a panel now and then. That was a garage tent? Wow looks so sturdy.

 

[kathiesgarden]

Wow! Thanks for all the photos. That looks like it will last a life time with perhaps replacing a panel now and then. That was a garage tent? Wow looks so sturdy.

Yes, it was a 'garage' tent. We had used it for the food tent for two of our kids' weddings and then it just stood in the yard for years. The framework was good, so we could use it as the main framing for the greenhouse.
Thanks for your interest!

 

[bobm]

Very good job in remodeling ! One can also build a greenhouse using an all steel horse mare motel type barn. The pipe side panels come in 10' to 12 ft. long sections with pipe extensions for roof supports. Instead of steel roofing panels one can substitute with plastic or acrilic panels attached with self tapping screws. One can also add steel studs ( one can easily cut the steel studs [ or steel roofing panels] by using a plywood blade installed backwards on a skill saw ) for additional support for siding or roofing as well as framing doorways or windows. Be sure to tie the structure down by using poured concrete footings ( Not the purchased preformed type)at about 1' diameter and 18" deep every 6' at the perimeters, or that structure will be taking flying lessons when a strong wind blows. I used 2' steel foundation framing supports imbeded into the concrete then used steel screws to attach to the steel panels . This also acts as a ground to protect against lightning strikes. My 12'x 36' with steel roof and open sides mare motel flew over a 6' chain link fence and about 30 yards into a neighbor's field before I added the concrete piers ( build the outside walls first and before one adds any siding or roof then pour the footings to insure for a square building then pour the concrete footings). The roof acted like a sail in a strong thunderstorm.

 

[kathiesgarden]

We have wind here too in the Spring and Fall. That's why we built the horseshoe raised beds. The supports are in buckets filled with concrete inside the horseshoe perimeter. We then filled the horseshoe with gravel and soil. I know what you mean about seeing something go flying through the wind. When it was a 'garage tent' we saw all the clothlike siding pull off and take off during one of our windstorms. I', glad you able to restand your structure! Sounds like you're pretty handy, we're do-it-yourselfers too.

 

[bobm]

 

[mydogdory]

I love it!!!!!