Help! need vents

My husband accidentally threw away the vents for my greenhouse. They were with a 6x8 poly plastic, aluminum frame greenhouse. They were plastic and looked like a grapfruit from the top. They opened manually. The vents would snap on to the plastic like a tupperware lid and then we were to cut away the plastic. Does that make sense?

My problem is, what do I use as a substitute? I can't find anything like them on the web. I don't know the manufacturer because the hubby through away the paperwork. (GRRRR) I would appreciate help as moisture builds up quickly. We are going down to freezing tonight and plan on putting a propane heater in there. I have slipped little hoses through the floor of the house to help air get in. There is also a 1x1/2 in gap at the door latch. Is there something I can do tonight to vent it somehow?

Oh wow, what a major pain. Sounds like DH is going to regret that move!

Your hoses sound like a grand idea, but I really can't think of much else, short of loosening an edge here or there ... geez, that doesn't sound so good, either.

Send DH out to the hardware store and get some of those vents that they use in the attic walls?

I thought about that but the plastic may not be strong enough to hold them. Then how do I attach them without ripping the plastic? I have been ideating all day and just can't find a solution. I have an e-mail into the seller from e-bay where I bought it. I asked who the manufacturer was. Maybe I can call them and get replacements.

I have a fan going in there hoping to at least move the air and maybe dry the leaves if they get dripped on. I'll put the propane on tonight and I guess as long as it stays above 33 the leaves and flowers won't get freezer burn.

I will keep trying. Yep, the hubby screwed up royally this time.

Best of luck!

Did you try the MFG of the greenhouse kit? They probably sell it as a replacement part. There is always a chance that your kit was missing it. I would contact them & perhaps they will send it (them). Probably 2 for your greenhouse.

I don't now who the MFG is. My hubby threw away everything that had a name on it. I read it on the box when I got it back before Gustav hit. I don't even remember the name. I have e-mailed the seller but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. What a predicament. Have you ever tried googling vents? What a joke. Like my little house mad of aluminum and plastic could hold a hydraulic vent. It's huge. Somehow, someway I will find a substitute until I can find the real thing.

I'm just hoping some greenhouse maven will know what to do.

Did you try looking at the things that Ebay seller is offering now? Maybe they have that same greenhouse, or at least the same brand so then at least you'll know what brand to search for.

I did and they have no listings right now. But I do have an e-mail in to them asking that very question. Who knows when they will answer since they don't have anything listed.

Has anyone ever heard of tube vents?

Could anything here help?
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/products.asp?dept=1070

or http://www.growerssupply.com enter vent

This message was edited Nov 16, 2008 6:48 AM

For cooling during the day-with such a small grhouse, I would think that you could open the door and put a fan at the back of the grhouse that would push the hot air thru the door and run that until sometime in the late afternoon.
At night, you really don't want much open or you will lose all the warm air from the heater. I use vented propane heaters, but from what I understand, you don't need much air in there while it is running. Either prop the door open just a little bit, or if the grhouse sits on the ground and is not sealed on the bottom to the sides, dig some tunnels under the sides and that will allow some air to come in.

Is that essentially what your question is-how to allow some air in at night while the heater is running?

Wren, I did try those sites and they don't have the vents I need. Thanks to you and Karen for trying though.

Tiger, I ran my propane heater last night and it worked like a champ. It kept the temp at 52 the whole night in 30 degree weather. There is a small space between under the door and the foundation that air can get in to feed oxygen to the heater. I do keep the door open in the day and a fan running but my real problem is condensation. I'd like to have the vents so I can get cross ventilation so there won't be that buildup of moisture. I don't want to leave the door open all the time because of varmints that may decide to come in and scare me when I'm in there. Especially copperheads and scorpions. If I have my vents and the fan going I can keep the door closed and hopefully cut down on condensation.

I don't think that there is much chance of an animal coming in there when you are in there-you would probably scare them as much as the opposite! But what you could do is take some deer netting (really cheap-HD or Lowes carries it) and scrunch it up on the ground across the walkway into the doorway when you aren't there (or even when you are) and they will get caught up in the deer netting. Just a short term solution until you figure out the vents. I can't tell you how many snakes I have caught in it around the property line that I have to keep rabbits out.

One thing that you could do is build two frames out of 2x4's for either side of the door and attach the smallest reg vent /shutters to that and attach it to the grhouse somehow. Getting it airtight might be kind of tricky (where you cut the plastic) but maybe doable.

I'm not concerned anyone coming in while I'm in there. It's the ones alrady in there that I worry about. The netting sounds doable across the bottom half of door. I am going to a mobile home supply place in Tyler to look at their vents per Karen's suggestion. I may just super glue the vent to the plastic if it's light enough.

Mmm - I'd set DH's penance at constructing a small frame out of cheap lumber and attach it to your frame - or set it all the way to the floor, like he's framing out a wall. The plastic can seem so strong and then "poof" the wind catches it just the right way.

It would only make your walls stronger, anyway.

well that would work if DH was a handy man, which he is not. I don't trust him to attach anything to the house. He's likey to rip a hole in it. I will try the netting and then go to the mobile home supply store and see what they have. Then if anything needs constructing my s-i-l can do it. Now there is a handy man. He put up my greenhouse for me.

LOL - he's just not making high points anywhere, today!

Nope, but I'm getting over it. I did find the manufacturer but can't get the contact us page. It says, "URL not found. So I e-mailed greenhouse mega store since they sell the same product and asked if they could help me. I can buy the 17in smart vent but they want $95 for them. The kit came with 8in simple smart vents. Much cheaper I know. I hope the mega store can help.

I left the door open all day today and it stayed nice and dry. I may just have to use deernetting forever. Yeesh!

Man, mine (all of 4 days old) is just *soaking* wet inside. And I haven't even gotten any plants in there yet.

Looks like I might have to get those vents, too. Shoot. I was hoping the roll-up sides were going to be enough, but it's just too darn cold now to use 'em. The high tomorrow is 41. Brr.

If I leave my door closed the inside is very wet. I have to set the fan inside a box so the dripping water won't drip on the fan causing a short. Someone suggested putting a bucket of water in the greenhouse in the morning and letting it heat up during the day. Then it would release that warmth back into the house to help keep plants warm. If I did that, it would be a rain forest in there.

We have warmed up so all my plants are outside the greenhouse waiting for the next freeze. I just hope the deer don't like any of them.

DH always complains about how much "work" I give him. I often wonder if he actually keeps a tally and one day I will be presented with a bill for the amount of hours he spent "working" for me. At the moment my attitude is "What Ever! & at least try to keep up". Every weekend means new jobs. (for those of you that feel sorry for DH, his perfect weekend is watching tv and/or riding his motorcycle. EVERYTHING else is WORK, including must do's for any residence upkeep. I have assigned him an indoor job when we where 1st married - laundry (we both work full time). I do the rest of the inside stuff. Outside, he is assigned to project stuff. Some big, like laying paving stones, new cement side walk, putting together a new greenhouse for me ect. But I help will all of it. I do all gardening, mowing the lawn and regular stuff. I guess there are some that are special and truly get weekends off. Not in our house. Complaining just irritates everyone else.

Your DH sounds like mine right down to the bike. He does do indoor chores well, sometimes without me having to ask. He mows, but I do everything else. He is a jock, likes to read, play golf and fish. That is his fun. He's retired which for me means never being alone, accept when he plays golf or does his parttime job at a local winery.

I try to do must construction because he just doesn't like it. Like I said, he is no handyman. But he is my man and I love him. So, from here on out he's not allowed near my greenhouse. He asked me today if I needed help bringing plants out of it. I said no thanks. He'd probably poke a hole in it.

I just realized you are in Canada. I know it gets cold there. I never knew anyone who lived in zone 3. I couldn't take the cold.