New Greenhouse Sunroom Addition

2 years ago , We built onto our Mobile Home. We Built a Sunroom that was used for germinating seeds , and I built in floor to ground Planters with concrete blocks capped with red bricks to make it look nice inside, Plus the Sunroom is used for a Dinning Room. The Sunroom is 12x24. Then we added more additions that run the length of the whole Mobile Home which makes me now " Queen of my Home Made Double Wide" . Anyway. The Sunroom was not enough. I did grow some tomatoes in the floor planters this year and have had many vine ripe tomatoes. I decided to build a Greenhouse onto my Sunroom.
And oh yeh-------before you are shocked-------I painted my mobile home and the additions Rubber Ducky Yellow.
We have not completed underpinning to the additions so it looks a wreck.

We took out the center windows in the Sunroom to add a Used Glass Sliding Door to enter into the Greenhouse ARea.

STarted Framing up the Greenhouse a few days ago. Dont know what hubby was doin there, maybe squatting. And Grandfather is watching us work.( more like Supervising).

I hope to afford fiberglass panels or whatever they are now days for the greenhouse in the future. For now it is Greenhouse Poly. We put the trusses 2 feet apart on the roof.
The walls are studded with 4x4 s. The 4x4 studs were put in ground then we put 4x4s on the ground from stud to stud so everything is Flush. Hope I worded that in a manner you could understand.

We used Wire Lock to secure poly to the framing wood. This is the top edge next to sunroom with wire lock in place. We had to manually screw them down because there was not enough room to get the cordless drill in that area.

Looking Down at roof top (view)

Almost done

Not Almost done. When we got through with the front wall and the roof. We felt like we were half way done. There wasn't enough day light hours to frame up the ends and we were So anxious that we went ahead and put the poly on the roof.( Yesterday) The Poly is used----and dirty. But in great shape.
Today we started working on the Ends---Doors and Windows. I put down some commercial ground cover hoping I can do concrete floor in future. It took all day to frame up two doors--one for each end, and frame up two windows. I am so tired. The doors and windows were framed with 4x4s.

The Greenhouse is 12ft X 24ft. There will be Four 4ftx8ft heat tables in the greenhouse . That is enough space to grow 64 flats of seedlings. Plus some.

We are not finished yet. WE still have to add two more windows to the highest point . The windows are installed upside down and backwards.
Upside down so the windows let down --open at top to let heat out.
Backward cause I cannot reach them over the tables to let down. Will go out side to let them down.

Cool, Cricket! That will give you lots of extra room!

I've got DH talked into a 16'x20' sunroom on our south side for a bedroom addition and a 12' x12' sunroom on the southside deck. Now if I can just convince him to fill in the gap of 18' in between the two....

LOL, That would be awesome!
Grandfather said if i keep adding on, I'll be out in the pasture pretty soon. Move over horses.
I did not build today. I was lazy.
Hubby will help me tomorrow.

I wanted to add this greenhouse to my sunroom so I can of course start many seed early. But most of all so I can grow veggie plants late with protection. Like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cukes, carrots, lettuce, radish, spinach, etc...................................
I can start my plants about Mid summer and have them producing by first frost and bring them into the greenhouse room for fresh veggies til way after New Years. And I don't have to heat the whole greenhouse room either. It can be sectioned off with poly to heat only the area needed to grow a few plants.(a greenhouse within a greenhouse)
It takes about 17 to 18 weeks for a pepper and a tomato plant to reach maturity if you want fresh home grown veggies by Spring.
It takes about 14 to 16 weeks for a pepper and a tomato plant to reach maturity if you want fresh home grown by first Frost in the Fall.

I am anxious to start seed this spring, but I think I am more excited about 2009 Fall.
Possibilities are endless.

Good idea about sealing off the GH.

I want the sunroom/greenhouse space for starting seeds and bringing in fall veggie plants, too. But I also want the free heat from the winter sun.

Our trailer sets up a little higher (36") so we were going to extend the porch deck the length of the trailer and build on it. After seeing your pictures, I'm thinking going ground level would be so much cheaper, especially since it will be mainly growing space and we would still get lots of heat. We could use the deck space for a dining area, with steps going down to the gardening space....thanks, Cricket...got the wheels turning here! We're building a 20' x 24' family room addition on the north side this coming summer (I hope) with access from the both the hallway door and by replacing a livingroom window with a door. The current livingroom would then become a diningroom.

You sound like me. Been there done that.
On my North side, I have an 8x64 foot deck. One end of the deck is actually 12x16 with a pergola (lattice roof) on the outer part of the deck. The other end has metal roof closed in with lattice.
Next summer I want to build a second level deck above my deck between the pergola and the trailer.
The steps would be on the deck.

I will show some pictures.

Looking inside the pergola area.

Looking inside the roofed area.

Back to the Greenhouse addition.
WE finished it New Years Eve.
The poly is still dirty. It needs a shower.

Inside

mini greenhouse inside the greenhouse= less heating for now.

Great work, Cricket!

Wow, quite impressive. Any time you have some extra energy....

Hold on Sheryl, sounds like we may have to start a reservation list for Cricket's time 7 energy.

Me first! I called!!!!

Alright...put me down for 2nd on the list! LOL!

I'm really impressed with everything that's been done above and it was really nice to be able to show DH pictures of what I was talking about doing here. Our place is small at 14' x 50', but with the additions like Cricket's doing, it will be more than enough room for the two of us.

If you were near by, I would share my energy, but first---i would have to find it.
Have you ever heard of someone having a Job that was their Hobby?
Sigh.
My hobby is my job and my job is my hobby.
I built this small greenhouse onto my home to make it more convenient (lazier) for me to tend to my
seeds and seedlings during winter and early spring instead of walking 100 to 200 feet away to the big greenhouses.
IT started out as a hobby.
My hobby now is growing lots and lots of vine ripe tomatoes.(greenhouse and garden)

Isn't being able to do what you love and love what you do considered the "good life'? Congrats and keep up the good work!

Hear, hear, on the "Good Life"!

I'm starting to do much the same thing, Cricket.... any advice for a newbie grower/seller?

Oh, great minds think alike! What are you planning on doing? I'm starting a CSA come spring. Cricket, do you just do tomatoes?

I grow and sell bedding plants, hanging baskets, planters, perennials, and veggie plants.
Just as the Spring Rush is just about over, I start selling whatever fresh produce I have ready from the gardens and greenhouse.

For newbies------I advise you to grow only the most popular items for the first few years before you venture out on odd new items. All your investment should be spent wisely cause a new business has no luck for any failure. It will take a few years to figure out what sells the best in your own area. EAch area is different in many ways. What is popular here, may not be popular there. Watch the other stores. Watch their sales tables to see what is selling and what isn't.
Start out small. IT is best to sell out than to have a lot of unsold items.
The biggest uncontrollable disappointment is: What sold good last year May not sell good this year but you don't know that until this year is over.

Robin, what is a CSA?

Here's a description.
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Hey Cricket---non topical, but related...some pretty nice framing work shown in your pics. Don't know who your contractor was, but he did it right...hard to find nowadays...

Thanks for the tips, Cricket!

Contractor is me and hubby, I design and calculate, he builds and I help. He used a nail gun and I do not like those things. And I am the Goffer

Wahtever it takes...y'all are doing great!

I use the nail gun when hubby does not want to do something. But truthfully----the last time I used the nail gun I shot my finger with it. I was holding a board in place and the nail hit a knot in the board and curled outward hitting the knuckle on my index finger. bruised it really bad, left a star shaped cut in my knuckle. NOT NICE. It was sore for about 6 months. I think it has arthritis for life. I did not go to the doctor. Too minor.
So now days, I rather hubby used the nail gun. I am a little gun shy.
I did go to the doctor when I rammed a rusty reinforcement wire into the ligament on the back side of my leg just above the ankle area. I had to get a tech shot. That was really stupid accident too.
I made a tomato cage for a 6 gallon pot. I cut the wires off at the bottom so I could push the other vertical wires into the soil in pot. I was caring the cage up the steps with it behind me ( arm over shoulder backwards holding cage) As I came up the steps my foot came up and rammed into the rusty wires facing down. OUCHHHH, that really hurt. Hit the ligament. Hurt to walk forever. That happened back in September. That area above my ankle is still sensitive today.