What is involved with large plastic hoop gh's?

I have the frame, for about a 30-40' X 10' hoop house. But nothing else. I can get plastic.
What sort of a base should be prepared? And how do you make a door/vents for it? I'm not going to be around all week long to keep it from cooking in there.
I have the frame but no idea what is involved. Thanks!

I've just done this,but bought everything to put it together at the same time.

You sink your side posts about 12 to 18" in the ground,making sure everything is level and your ground is pretty flat.I scraped my ground first and put about 4" of gravel inside for the floor.

Add your bows.Put your center ridge pole on...there are special clamps that hold it.

Then go around the bottom and frame it in with 1x6 boards.I used treated decking.These are bolted to the side posts with lag bolts that you have to drill holes for.

Go up to where the curve of the bows start up and put another run of lumber.Needless to say a good cordless drill and many batteries are quite helpful.

The ends are framed up by putting a board across the bottom opening of the hoop area,just like the one around the sides.It gets uprights screwed to it.Screw the uprights to the upper hoop area and fill in the curve with lumber.Frame your door and vent areas.There are greenhouse shutters and vents that you can order...I'll check the name on the box and let you know what I have..

Get a roll of GH plastic that will cover your roof twice and have enough left over for your ends.

To put plastic on,I used a product called Wire Lock.There is a channel that screws to the bottom base boards and around the top and sides of the ends.

When you stretch the plastic over.....have several good friends and a calm day.Stretch one tunnel layer over and secure in a few places with a few of the wire locks.Stretch the other length over and start working the locks into place around the bottom.Then secure the ends.

I put my plastic on the ends,using staples.After that,I went back and screwed lath to the outside,covering my staples.

Cut your holes for your fans and door and turn back the plastic and cover that with lath also.

Mine is tight,sturdy and looks good.I just don't have any electricity yet and it was 110* in there today.Ventelation is a must.

I'll take pictures and post them if you like.

Wow thanks Melody! You're a big help. If you don't mind I would really like to see your photos! Sounds like you researched this one out well. Thanks!

melody i would luv to see some pics of how the ends of your greenhouse was done......mine is a galvanized tubing, hoophouse, and my guy i hired to put up the ends cant quite seem to figure out how to do it...i bought all the wood and stuff then he just stopped, he got stumped...lol..not funny, im pretty upset since i was hoping it would be done today...if you would send me some pics of the inside of your walls and some of the outside i would really appreciate it...im bout ready to go crazy, the kit has been in my yard since january...:(

thanks in advance
cindy

Hey Melody,
...........Got any pictures Yet ?
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We have 2 plastic covered hoophouses & a frame covered with fiberglass sheets. All have furnaces on thermostates, plenty of fans also on thermostates. Some of these are self opening shutters.
We never leave our greenhouses when things are growing!

A cloudy day can cause furance to run, then sun pops out & it will soon be cooking plants. If sun is out & it turns cloudy. you may be blowing your furance heat out the vents.
Also plants can not go more than 1 day without watering.
Things dry out very fast in greenhouse.

If you install everything to run automatically, it will be very EXPENSIVE! I would still not trust it!
Just to much value to leave it in care of a mechanical contraption.
Bernie
P.S. our end walls are all built just like a regular wall; 2 X 4's with fiberglass insulation, sheeted with plywood.
You don't need the light from the endwall as much as the insulation factor.

In the picture, you see the intake vent. It is not enough on a hot day, we open that door a little to allow more in air.
This house is 25' X 60'. It has a 24" exhaust fan on thermostat & automatic vents. An auxilary fan of 36" with a 1½ HP motor can be hooked in on hot days, (most days when sun is out!)
Just as a item of interest, last summer on a 90º day, I went into an old unused hoophouse to get something. I went in about 20', & wasn't sure I was going to get out again. It was that hot in there!
Bernie

Bernie, I can't get your picture.

Maybe this will help // ............

http://users.ntplx.net/~davesas/ghouse.htm

Good Luck, Shirley

Edit ............... This one is completely made of PVC pipe. I have never seen one of these . Different, huh?

http://www.snapclamp.com/greenhouse.htm

This message was edited Apr 13, 2004 3:35 PM

For Scooterbug,
I just found your info on the greenhouse. This is just what I have been looking for. My wife will start on it tomorrow. Thanks, prcastle