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  • From: "Kirby Fry" <peace@totalaccess.net>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re: Greenhouse Design
  • Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 06:52:12 -0600

Hi Paul,

Thanks for all the great tips. We just ordered the materials for greenhouse
number two. We decided to build a single gable with polly carbonate panels
($16 per panel for 38 panels - ouch!) on both sides of the gable.

The south, east and west walls will have 32" by 60" single pane windows ($79
each) and two clear, 36" wide storm doors ($99 each) as continuously as
framing will allow. The north wall will be buried 4' into the hill side and
be completely covered with hardy panel siding. We are installing a louvered
fan and vent at the gable ends that will be on a thermostat switch, but as
of now we haven't exactly figured out how to passively vent the ridge, and
are still flipping through catalogs looking for ceiling panels that can be
opened with a hand crank.

Are their some industry standards for greenhouse ridge / ceiling vents? Do
you think we even have a chance of growing out the micro-greens in the
summer? I wonder what the difference is between a conservatory and a
greenhouse is. I imagine a conservatory as a place where some English
botanist collects and grows tropical African violets and South American
orchids year round in London.

I imagine that there will be a shade cloth we roll out in the spring, summer
and fall that is somehow attached just below the collar ties. However,
their will probably be an overhead irrigation system that we'll have to stay
above. Maybe we should drop the collar ties to wall height and roll out the
shade cloth above them. The louvered fan and vent would then be well above
the shade cloth and I guess we would need at least four or so circulatory
fans below the shade cloth.

Are windows on three sides enough for summer ventilation? Maybe we should
put in a continuous row of 2' x 1' windows as high up as we can get them on
the north side for letting the prevailing summer breeze through.

Do you think we should insulate the north side of the green house?

Should I build some openable panels underneath our south and east facing
windows to let the prevailing breeze in as low as possible?

What would you recommend for the floor? At the moment we have one pallat of
bricks on site and some pieces of flat stone.

Finally, and I appologise for throwing so many questions out there at once,
should our walls be lower than stud height? Presently, I'm considering
running the top plate just above the door header (the finished wall topping
at approx. 86.5"). That puts the bottom of our windows at 26.5", then
considering the structure is on one row of 8" tall cinder blocks our work
bench height will be around 32" if we are to stay below the windows.

In order to fit the 24" x 24" louvered fan and vent we will need the ridge
to be about 4' above wall height giving us a 10/12 pitch. Is that too high?

Much thanks and Happy New Year,

Kirby





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