How to Build a High-Tunnel Greenhouse | Ask This Old House
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- čas přidán 19. 08. 2016
- Roger Cook helps a homeowner build a simple, affordable backyard greenhouse. (See the shopping list and tools below.)
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Roger visits Biloxi, Mississippi where he builds a high tunnel greenhouse with a homeowner.
Shopping List for How to Build a High-Tunnel Greenhouse:
- 1-inch-diameter PVC pipe [amzn.to/31pKO4k], to create frame of high tunnel
- 1 1/4-inch-diameter PVC pipe and reducer coupling [amzn.to/2IBbsyn], to make sleeve that fits over galvanized pipe
- Pressure-treated 2x4s [amzn.to/2WynL3s], for building end walls and base
- Pressure-treated 2x2s [amzn.to/2WvmZEf], for framing two doors
- 4-mil clear plastic sheeting [amzn.to/2X5QnFy], to cover the PVC frame
- 3-inch screws [amzn.to/2WvnX3l], for attaching 2x4s
- Galvanized pipe [amzn.to/2F4we8N], to secure the PVC pipe to the ground
- PVC primer and cement [amzn.to/2X6MeBh], for gluing together PVC pipe and fittings
- Metal pipe brackets [amzn.to/2WZqLKD] with 1 1/4-inch screws and washers [amzn.to/2Wz567y], used to secure PVC pipe to 2x4 base
- Six 3-inch butt hinges [amzn.to/31rKemj], for hanging two doors
- 1/4-inch staples [amzn.to/2WZrDyT], to secure the plastic sheeting
Tools List for How to Build a High-Tunnel Greenhouse:
- Cordless drill [amzn.to/2KaQUQt], to drill holes
- Impact driver [amzn.to/31tcEwj], for driving screws
- Circular saw [amzn.to/2Ka2paZ], to cut 2x4s
- Auger [amzn.to/2KduJt5], to drill holes in soil
- Small sledgehammer [amzn.to/2XE1x1t], for pounding in galvanized pipe
- PVC saw [amzn.to/2Kd59V4], to cut plastic pipe
- Staple gun [amzn.to/2wLBYzt], for attaching the plastic sheeting
- Utility knife [amzn.to/31tkuX4], to cut plastic sheeting
All of the materials for this project, including 20-foot lengths of 1" PVC pipe, Pressure-treated 2x4s, and 4 mil plastic sheeting, are available at home centers.
Expert assistance with this project was provided by the Mississippi State University Coastal Research & Extension Center [coastal.msstate.edu/].
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How to Build a High-Tunnel Greenhouse | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse - Jak na to + styl
Used this approach for many years. suggestions. 1) The plastic will need to be removed in advance of the summer heat. Tie the plastic down instead of stapling it so that the plastic can be reused in fall or spring. 2) Critters are persistent. Use the same frame for bird netting. After draping the bird net, wrap the perimeter with wire fence. (bird net keeps birds out, but critters such as rabbits and chipmunks chew through.)
I haven't wrapped my netting with wire fence yet, you are so very right.
As an amateur with woodworker, i typically feel overpowered with the entire arrangement czcams.com/users/postUgkxrYREG3-7f1Aqk9ams3ZESRNzGnfdUtyQ . Be that as it may, this arrangements drove me through with much clarity and effortlessness woodplans. Works i now work like a genius. That is great!
Why didn’t they show them driving back from Home Depot with the 20 ft pvc strapped to the roof of his Honda Accord? He and Roger with their hands out the window holding it steady.
Was thinking the same thing
😂 lol
😆😆😆
did they have a red flag at the end of the pcv pipe? its the law
Seriously though. I have a Honda Accord and that would have been really helpful. Now I've gotta brainstorm.
Nice looking lumber at HD - they must have known the cameras were on the way.
🤣😂🤣😂 100% agree👍👍
Oh my 😂
Lols
🤣🤣😂🤣well stated mate
@@martinflores4345 ههههه
You can put pieces of lath over the staple rows to help hold it down, the staples alone don't hold it for very long. Trust me on this one
FISH ON i
Thats all thats needed.
Thank you!
was shocked they didnt do or show that
Why bother putting in tack strips with cheap plastic that won't last 1 winter?
Love the way the wood had pre-drilled holes where it was going to be screwed together! Kudos to HD for knowing ahead of time what it was to be used for.
Another Dave
... Camera crew... take two, we didn't catch the details on that corner because your head was in the way of the shot! (takes screw out to do over)
Additional materials must have magically appeared after they left the box store. Beams, anchors, more PVC, PVC cement, doors, hinges, screws and staples... plus the tools. Awesome.
Totally agree. Needs to include a parts list in the discription.
I give that plastic sheeting a year and it will fall apart in the sun
best part is during the summer when they'll have to remove the stapled tarp lol@@rudy_2299
@@rudy_2299less than a year if it's windy, the staples will tear right out of the plastic...
True. This channel seems to think it knows everything but gives you a guide without the whole list, to make something that'll be destroyed in the first storm.
When stapling the plastic to 2x4 you should have support for the staples or it will tear and blow. Use 1/8 or 1/4 inch strips of wood and staple through it.
Your better off using wiggle wire.
Yard sticks or shim work great too break them off onton1 or 2 inch sections
@@mikebolton3816then you would need the aluminium channels to fit it into...
@@roythompson6137 yup. I did my 40ft long greenhouse with them, in 2 layers. Top rail stays on all the time, lower, I remove during summer, to roll up bottom 3ft for venting. Later, it makes replacing entire plastic very easy.
My elderly neighbor built this and it blew away when we got strong winds. She asked me to help her rebuild it and showed me this video. 🤦🏻♂️ We rebuilt the darn thing like a shed and anchored it down. She ordered greenhouse grade plastic and has worked great.
I was going to ask about storm proofing/resistance. This may not be for me unless i shore up the design.
When they framed it in I thought they should have just expanded the framing out, cover IT with the plastic, and just not even bother with the pvc.
I guess the metal poles they hammered in didn't work as an anchor.
I would...
1. Drive rebar stakes into the ground
2. Slip the PVC pipe over the stakes
3. Place edge-wise 2x4s on the inside and outside of the PVC.
4. Use bolts to clamp the PVC between the 2x4s.
5. Weight the edge down with bricks every few feet.
😀
A little shopping advice: always load your cart with the longest items-last. This way you don't have to navigate the isles, turns and other shoppers with long pipes/boards, etc sticking out and hitting merchandise and people.
PVC pipe and plastic next to each other cause a chemical reaction that will create weak points in the plastic. The plastic will then tear and even disintegrate where it is touching the PVC. To avoid this, the PVC pipes must be wrapped with strips of cloth or foam insulation for pipes. I found that a better solution is to use 5’ x 16’ or 20’ cattle panels, 2, 3, or 4 of those with 6 ml plastic or even a reinforced clear tarp. It’s more expensive but lasts year after year. The cattle panels last what seems like forever and the plastic lasts 3 or 4 years. And the structure doesn’t budge in the wind. PVC will sway in the wind, especially if the hoops aren’t fastened together with crossbar pipes, and this will add to the breakdown of the plastic.
This was my thought exactly when I saw that the PVC was directly touching the plastic.
Yeah... I saw the 4mm plastic. Nope. 6mm minimum to get at least a few years use.
Would applying a coating like paint stop the chemical reaction between the PVC and plastic?
@@PeskyCitizenTX Maybe but you would likely end up with paint getting into the soil at some point.
Plastic is cheap...replace it every season anyways
This Old House is now charging via their website if you want to watch the full episodes.
Thumbs up if you think this is a horrible change and want the full episodes back here on CZcams!
Considering they used the wrong pipe in the ground and wrong wood in contact with the ground as well, if I was you I'd look elsewhere for advice
That monthly subscription greed
@@goldenages7089 What pipe should have been used? What wood? Chemicalized pressure treated? How about bamboo or would that swell too much? Thank you from a non-tech viewer preparing ideas for the GRAND SOLAR MINIMUM challenges coming full speed ahead.
Sunny SeaCat id use this advice ngl
@@sunnyseacat9232 should use pressure treated wood if it's on the ground or getting wet.can use rebar in place of galvanized pipe it will fit inside the pvc no adaptor needed or just use the brackets they used also maybe 2x6 for the base but 2x4 works
Awesome! I could do this easily myself, It would be a great temporary cover to grow in the summer.
Joe since I wasn't paying attention at Lowe's we have added end pieces so the PVC will fit over the galvanized pipe that we bought that is too big.
He used a thinner pipe so it would bend. A larger diameter pipe would not bend as easily.
"Tom Silva eat your heart out." LOL.
I bet tom silva is laughin his arse off, night and day.
What ever happened to that guy?
I can across an awesome collection of videos that may help on Fast track grower
Haha
What size is the 4 ml plastic use for 10x12 ?? Thanks
Never ever pull the plastic tight ..... In the winter time it will shrink and split ... Just get the wrinkles out .... I learned the hard way.
how tight works best then?
I heard painter's plastic will last at the most 2 seasons and that greenhouse cover is the way to go.
This looks to be in Biloxi,MS... this won't last 2 years with the hurricanes anyways. Good input on the tensioning though.
It's been 2 years, is your plastic in little pieces now? The UV will harden it. You need clear or diffuse canvas.
I have never had the plastic last more than one season before it splits along the seam. I have tried different ways of anchoring it but at some point I realized it is not worth buying new plastic every year just to have some kale, chard and radishes over the winter. I don't live in a super windy area but even where I live that staple job would not cut it.
That was cool. It can be very windy here. If I built that I would use at least twice the amount of PVC supports.
Great video! Just what I need for my daughter's garden.
Thank you for including the shopping list. It makes life so much easier.
I've made a few of these before, but your addition of the doors and the beams up top make it so much nicer. I can't wait to make a few of your version this spring. Thanks for the easy to follow video.
As one who used this video a few years ago, there is a lot of other things that should be (common sense) included. FOR INSTANCE: 1) With not much wind-blow those staples are not going to hold and pull loose (leaving holes in the plastic), one should consider using ferring strips to better secure the plastic to the skeleton. 2) When cutting the plastic for any doors/windows/etc. don't cut it even with the edges , instead cut so that the plastic covers the door/window/etc at least the with of the lumber used to frame the door/window/etc. so that the excess plastic can be (better) secured to the framing lumber (this will help to keep the edges of plastic from giving under wind forces.). and MOST IMPORTANTLY 3) make sure your hoophouse is positioned to collect the most WINTER SUN, as the winter will be the time you'll need the most solar heat.
How do you connect the ferring strips to the skeleton
@@dakotaavila2439I've used upholstery tacks and roofing nails. 1 5/8" deck screws work great if you intend to replace the plastic 3-5 years down the line.
Fantastic craftsmanship, a fantastic idea, thank you, would love to make one like that!
May be wise to find a mesh screen to install on the lower 2/3 of the hoop house they get hot in the summer even with a fan inside and the sides rolled up 2/3 of the way !
@4:03 I'm glad they didn't show that screw go right into the other guy's knee. Good edit!
And the best part, you're going to be an expert at erecting this greenhouse design, because you get to do it again every year, maybe two. Also, if plan to hang pots on a 12 ft span of 2x4, put a brace in the middle.
"Tom Silva Eat your heart out" Hope those were galvanized staples :D
I work at home depot. Glad they had all the bays stocked nice
Growing up I used to watch these guys on cable with my dad every night. Now I’m 23 with a wife, kid and house and now it’s come full circle. I watch these guys on youtube except now I’m the one doing the projects haha
Homeowner: "I just planted it! What do you think?"
Roger: "Well, I lahv da raze gahden. Habba de bamma den dah bah? Wenna can in da ma simma tahn."
Lol. I can see the accent flowing with every word
🤣🤣🤣
Homeowner: "That's great!"
(seriously, he says it like 10X)
@@ryancurtis4692 🤣
LOL that’s what I heard too
I like this. It's a simple but practical polytunnel.
Hi Roger, What an elegant solution, thanks for the ideas...Frank
Great video! The best I've seen on how to build a high tunnel. Thank you!
Let's get this done in the back yaaad!
De vários vídeos que assisti , este realmente me deu coragem de por em prática!
Parabéns!
Roger said "Tom Sylva eat your heart out" lol. I love the guys. nice job Roger I will do one like this.
Helpful information, thank you for sharing !!
I love this, better than watching a novela.
You could find an old AMC Pacer, gut the interior, put it up on blocks, shoot a few holes in the floor for drainage and vola, instant greenhouse...
Scott Jones ...Nice idea but wouldn't the rust kill the soil in a couple of years??
Or fish tank.
The iron would make the plants dark green.😄
Scott Jones awesome idea
That's how the Magliozzi brothers would have done it!
I'm enjoying your channel so much! Thank you for sharing all this.
Thanks a lot! Very simple instructions!
I liked this video because the comments are hilarious.
Man i believed in u man , but the moment u stapled that plastic wrap i died & so did most of plant's.
Michael Michael. What do u recommend doing?
Ronnie Chandler the sturdiest way to secure plastic is with a C-channel and wiggle wire but if using board you need some kind of stripping.
But that plastic isn’t going to hold up very long, the sun and/or wind will destroy it in no time :(
@@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123 absolutely right.. Maybe pinch the plastic with another board.. But staples?
I threw-up a little when he said “staple the plastic”
@@bucsboy78 when I used to build green houses we would roll the end of the plastic around lathe strips and drive pole barn screws threw the lathe and plastic into the bottom frame.
Grade school set-up.!! Now thats what we call DIY.!! 😍😍😍🖒😁🔥
thanks for sharing this simple but great idea.
Don't use this method....waste of time, money and materials....based on 45 years in the construction trades.
One wind and that's toast. It's held by staples only. Lol
They should have used tape batting for greenhouses. That way you are stapling in the tape, not the plastic which will rip around the staple in high wind.
I don’t think it’s windy in south east US, the tornados only happen north of there they avoid Mississippi
Eric Moulton we have hurricanes.
Ross Treloar r/woooosh
Eric Moulton I’m from Florida, we don’t really get tornados 🤷🏼♂️
To secure the plastic from heavy winds and rain simply Gorilla Tape plastic where you place staples so plastic won't rip right off
you guys are the best! thanks for sharing your knowledge!
It looks like the plants are already wilting from the heat. Great job on the project. Maybe he will get some real greenhouse plastic in the future but a great way to start.
I'm a plumber and would recommend painting the pvc or using some other material, because it degrades in the sunlight
Modern PVC or as it's now called, UPVC, doesn't degrade in the sun (retired plumber :) )
Make a frame on each end to fit a box fan for ventilation
This would be great for shade cloth in hot climate summers, too.
Could you use ferring strips and screw to 2x4 to hold plastic in place? Also pin or screw pvc to pipe in ground to keep wind from blowing away. The brackets may do the same.
I bret I could adapt this to make a solar kiln to dry lumber that I milled with an Alaskan Mill..
Very informative, thank you!
Tip: Never use pressure treated wood for a food garden, it's toxic.
This was true up until 2003 when CCA was banned as a wood preservative. Today's pressure treated lumber uses ACQ which is non-toxic and safe to use for raised bed gardens, according to the EPA. But I get it if you (or anyone) would prefer to use untreated lumber - they just have to recognize that eventually the wood will rot and will need to be replaced.
For framing it should be fine. It is not touching the garden soil.
Super!!!Thank you🌞🌞Have a nice day 🖒
I like this because it is a manageable size for a small garden and it could be a good place for starter plants in a larger set up. Just add a fan, you're good to go.
Anyone ever see those videos of Porta John's flying through the air?
Once the wind gets in there that plastic will rip away from those staples and be useless.
Jackie Lewis so then what's a better alternative
Exactly, I have been searching high and low of ways for DIY small(big enough to fit 2 of my metal shelves...about 3ft by 5ft) greenhouse that will connect to the back porch of my house BUT the trick is in TX we get a very strong wind coming thru and will blow just about anything in it's sight...so back to the drawing board. Any idea is greatly appreciated.
@@mandiegarrett1706 bigger staples with hold
Wrap the plastic around a 1x2 a couple times and then nail or screw it to the base.
Dig a small trench and bury the plastic
I'm excited. Thanks!
That's a great job.... thanks for sharing.👍
Question, why did you not center the frame over the bed? He has to have really long arms to reach 4 ft into the garden especially when they grow.
andrew Free -he’s just going to climb right in and sit inside it like a sandbox
2:09 Drills crooked and uses his thumb to press the trigger. Great skills Roger.
Love it! So simple
Wow. Awesome work, i was looking for to make something like this so gourd can growth like in there trellis
Should have used Greenhouse grade plastic . At least 6mil. Plus the plastic coming in contact with the PVC will make it degrade over time.
Ok
Neither the 4 mil plastic nor the PVC pipe that they used in this video are UV resistant. I'll be amazed if that greenhouse lasts more than two years.
Woohoo! I said the same thing!
thanks for the tip, another good one!
Didn't use PT wood either, and the galvanised conduit they drove for stakes will rust.
This was a piss poor 'how to' video
No warning saying call before you drill/dig?
great stuff well worth doing congrats for idea
GREAT VIDEO! FINALLY an easy and cheap greenhouse I can build quickly! Can you tell me what the temp is, inside of it, during cold nights? I have succulents and I want to build one for the more hardy plants. THanks so much!
Always love seeing Roger Cook!! This is a great size for a high tunnel/greenhouse. I wonder how much one this size with the materials cost in total?
The trip to Home Depot was quick. They bought PVC pipe, some 2x4 and some plastic. But then literally the first thing needed to start building the greenhouse was a galvanized pipe (cut to size), brackets to keep PVC in place, an augur, and corners for framing......geez. There is a bunch of stuff that was used to build the greenhouse that was not purchased at Home Depot LMAO
Excellent idea superb job.
This is great! I think I would make some holes all around on the plastic for ventilation and cooler temps.
A way to roll up the sides would be better, in my opinion then poking holes for venting. Not sure how to do that without compromising the structure tho.
Love the dialog, so spontaneous
I've seen lots of greenhouses built this way. In every one a chemical reaction between the sheet and pvc dissolved the sheet where the two meet.
So what's the solution to this? Does this happen with UV rated plastic? Appears they did NOT use UV rated plastic in the video.
@@loufarrocco7023 if u want a greenhouse that will last, buy some chain link fence top rail and have them bent at a muffler shop. Cover with uv rated plastic.
Roger is my hero!
I love anything with Rawjuh. Thanks.
...and then one of his busy-body neighbors files a complaint with the HOA for violating the CC&Rs.
Jay Nielsen I was thinking the same
I usually just ignore the neighbors and the HoA has work great for me
If you live in an HOA you get what you deserve my friends.
Imagine paying actual money for your neighbors to spy on you!?
@@businessgoose6057 SAME! For me a house loses all the value if it has an HOA....
I have a couple of friends that can’t even put the fence they want or park their boats or rv’s...
Much easier if you were to use rebar instead of steel pipe for the support base.
Never heard of a string trimmer?
rebar rusts
Cv
@@albertleppo8139 it will outlast the wood that's sitting on the ground.
I use the rebar also, I've had some in the ground for 2 decades, haven't had an issue yet. Also, the doors seemed like an awful lot of time , effort and cash, when just using plastic over the whole thing works just as well. I attach a 1x3 to the edge of the plastic, and then pull it up or down when it gets to hot in the summer. In Massachusetts or Maine (I have places in both) even the summer gets to hot for permanent hoop house. better to be able to use it spring and fall, then take off for July and August.
I bought a car port from harbor freight. I've been thinking of using it as a frame for a green house. Using the brackets and 2x4 at the bottom. And the ends for the doors. Thanks for the bracket idea.
Nice store bought veggie starter seedlings and basil plants....
Best part was: “Tom Silva, eat ya haht out!”
Richard Cabrera - HAHAHA! Tom Silva’s home cryin in his beeya!
I liked "what if i told you"
With the accent of course. Lol
in Russian it is called teplitsa. search in google it 'пвх теплица'
This is a very popular thing in Russian villages. Our summer can be cold
И да. Интересный канал, иногда смотрю)))
Thanks…I did look it up. Very good instructions. Thanks from Maine, USA
This was awesome!
Should've bought some pressure treated lattice strips and rolled the plastic ends over them, them nailed through the lattice strips with roofing nails. That would've held the sheeting all across its surface on a 1.5" strip instead of just at the points where you stapled. It makes a big difference in wind conditions, especially the kind Mississippi gets.
The pvc pipe will react with the plastic film, to solve this you simply need to paint your pvc with a base coat.
Any concern about the pressure treated wood chemicals seeping into the ground and then into the vegetables?
Depends on which chemical your wood is treated with. The wood you buy today at the store is perfectly safe for your raised garden even touching the soil but old wood is best kept away from the soil touching your plants but for the greenhouse frame is okay. That is because of the chemical they used to treat wood with called copper arsenic.
Thanks for the vid man, can’t wait to make mine
Gostei da ideia, vou copiar!
Bare wood in constant contact with moist ground. I wonder how long it will hold against rot, even if impregnated.
Just elevate the wood an inch or so from the ground.
+Anders Spælling and defeat the entire purpose of the greenhouse which is to keep the air inside and hot.
Chris Searle a few milimeters Will not make a difference
Chris Searle its pressure treated wood. It'll hold up for quite sometime
Like the guy said, elevate an inch on some bricks. If you want to do the extra work, put some concrete block all around the perimeter, then screw the 2x4 base into that. Or screw some 2 foot lengths of 2x4 under the 2x4 base every few feet. Then replace those every 3-5 years. The plastic will be torn by then anyway, and you'll give up on the whole thing.
But how well does it fly when the tornados hit?
Charles Damery Funny! :-)
perfectly
Charles Damery last spotted flying over Kansas
Very good Video, was very clear in the construction......... thank you.
iF YOU BUILD IT U WILL REGRET IT.
That's great!
Let's do it!
All winter wong?!
augers into buried gas line... OOOPS!
Always call before you dig. You can call 811 anywhere in the US or use their website Call811.com.
@@dlb41880 Don't think they would mark for a backyard, out front yard, I believe.
Thx, building one on the cheap myself with reclaimed wood
So cool..cant wait to try this...must save!!!
DON'T DO IT. YOU WILL REGRET IT....I PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEST VIDEO EVER. I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THIS VIDEO. THANKS DONT WORRY ABOUT THE COMMENTS THEY ARE STILL LEARNING. YOU SIR ARE A PROFESSIONAL. REALLY ENJOYED THE STAPLES NICE TOUCH. THANKS AGAIN. IM READY TO BULID MY FIRST HOUSE NOW. WELL ACTUALLY ONCE I PUT MY STUFF IN IT ILL BE HOME. SO STRONG AND STURDY. WHATS THE HURRICAN RATING CAT 4 OR 5. WELL EITHER WAY I FEEL CONFIDENT YOU GAVE ME THE RIGHT TOOLS THANKS
I pray this is sarcasm.......
I think if a hurricane hits, losing your greenhouse would be the least of your problems.
What???? I can't hear you cap lock clown.
“That’s great”
“Okay”
Very very simple, but nice and practical.
There is also a product that looks like a strip of channeled plastic with another strip that clips inside it that is designed to clamp your poly down at the ends, another good what is to leave enough plastic to wrap around a strip of lathe and simply screw it down, that prevents it from being torn as in the case of staples. Just remember when ordering your plastic that 12 feet wide will not finish 12' wide after termination on the ends.