New Hoop House
 

I've been wanting a hoophouse or greenhouse for quite a while, and now I will be getting one. Not very big, but better than nothing.
I bought the supplies last night to buils about a 12 by 20.
Building it out of electrical conduit. This one is planned to last for a year or so until I can put up a bigger one.

I found one on craigslist recently, 18 foot by 96 foot gothic style. comes with vents, fans, shade cloth, etc., but needs new plastic, they want $2500 for it. Probably well worth it, iffin I only had that much extra cash laying around.

I dont have enough flat ground to put anything big on.:(

Worth

you will love your little hoop house... iffn ya don't grow out of it too fast.

I want I want I want that 18x96... I really need it, too, but I will have to make do with what I have for the time being. With all the equipment that is an excellent price as long as it works.

Well, I got it started tonight. Ground stakes driven in and first three hoops up. After testing the size, I settled on 11 foot wide. that makes the center of the hoop about 7 foot high.
so, I will say it is 11 by 20 by 7 foot.
I am getting excited, cant wait to get it under cover and get to gardening in it

Great size. I've got 1 that's 12 x 24 (12x20 usable)with the north end holding 650 gallons of water storage.(drip irrigation on top) Keeps nights +8-12 degrees above outside, be sure to vent good on sunny days, can build +40 degrees quickly! I got 33 2' tomatoes in mine now, noticed yesterday that 1 Glacier has small fruit :) . Still a month out here before recommended plant out dates, Good luck

If you paint the conduit with a flat white latex paint, it will last longer in the sun.

Make sure you account for a way to vent it. 50+ degrees gain over the outside is great when it's 40, but not so great when it's 80 outside. Most people underestimate the ventilation required. I build big doors on each end, and make sides that will either roll or pull up. Even with that, at the very end of my greenhouse season in June, when the weather hits the 90's, the only way I can keep using the greenhouse is to throw mud on it to use as shade paint.

Oh yes, ventilation will be covered. I scored some nice, big, storm windows with screens. One will be in the door I build, two will be in the opposite end wall.
Right now all the hoops are in place, and have 3 purlins running from end to end, all bolted together. I was just starting to attach the 2 by 6 skirt boards when my cordless drill died, so I am on here while battery is on charger.
Im using cheap 3mil plastic from Menards on it, it's what I have available for now. I honestly don't expect it to last for more than a year or so, by then I will order new greenhouse plastic.
Some reaction takes place between the plastic sheeting and the PVC, it causes the plastic to deteriorate, so, to avoid that, I bought several rolls of 3.5 inch Sill Seal foam. I will attach that to the hoops with zip ties before pulling plastic.
I wish I could take pictures of it to post on here, I am just a little too excited to be finally getting my hoop house

[QUOTE=Uncle Doss;536116]
Im using cheap 3mil plastic from Menards on it, it's what I have available for now. I honestly don't expect it to last for more than a year or so, by then I will order new greenhouse plastic.
[/QUOTE]

Don't expect it to last even a season. That is what I used the first time I tried a homemade structure. So, don't be too distressed if by August/Sept it is already breaking up. It just isn't designed to be used in sunlight.

You'll want the plastic off by June, anyway. It should hopefully last until then, if the wind doesn't beat it up too badly. When you attach it, don't staple the plastic directly. Sandwich it between two boards, or strips of something. That keeps it from tearing around the staples.

My greenhouse is 14x48. It is oriented with the prevailing wind, and there is a 4' x 7' door on each end that I can prop fully open. That is *not* enough ventilation by itself, once the temps hit the 80's. I have to pull up the sides, too.

[QUOTE=Uncle Doss;536116]Oh yes, ventilation will be covered. I scored some nice, big, storm windows with screens. One will be in the door I build, two will be in the opposite end wall.
Right now all the hoops are in place, and have 3 purlins running from end to end, all bolted together. I was just starting to attach the 2 by 6 skirt boards when my cordless drill died, so I am on here while battery is on charger.
Im using cheap 3mil plastic from Menards on it, it's what I have available for now. I honestly don't expect it to last for more than a year or so, by then I will order new greenhouse plastic.
Some reaction takes place between the plastic sheeting and the PVC, it causes the plastic to deteriorate, so, to avoid that, I bought several rolls of 3.5 inch Sill Seal foam. I will attach that to the hoops with zip ties before pulling plastic.
I wish I could take pictures of it to post on here, I am just a little too excited to be finally getting my hoop house[/QUOTE]

Sounds like you have a full-on project going on (PICTURES PLEASE). I am wanting to put something like that up but a lot of trees would have to lose their battle with man-nature to do that. Best of luck with this!:D

[QUOTE=rhines81;536181]Sounds like you have a full-on project going on (PICTURES PLEASE). I am wanting to put something like that up but a lot of trees would have to lose their battle with man-nature to do that. Best of luck with this!:D[/QUOTE]

I don't have a smart phone any more, and haven't had a digital camera in many years. Actually, I do still have my old one, somewhere, but have no idea where it might be, probably locked away in the attic.

I actually thought about it while building this thing. My son is a big Youtubian, I should have had him take some pictures and video clips while at each phase of construction so that I could put together a video of the entire process.

I am also sad there are no pictures!

this evening, after work, I will try to get my wife or son to come out and snap a few pics for now, then a few more once it is finished

[QUOTE=Uncle Doss;536252]this evening, after work, I will try to get my wife or son to come out and snap a few pics for now, then a few more once it is finished[/QUOTE]
Hi Uncle Doss,
Thank you for posting your hoop house project here at Tomatoville. I too agree posting pictures may help others, who are interest in building their own hoop houses. Thanks again, for sharing your construction of this project.
Dutch

Ok, here are a few quick pictures my wife went out and snapped while I was tending to the rabbits and chickens.
Please excuse the mess around the place, it is still in progress, and please excuse the picture quality, these are cell phone pics.

details:
I used 1 inch PVC conduit. each bow is two pieces of conduit, with 4 inches (the flare) cut off of one piece. I used 3/4 metal conduit to stake to the ground. I cut pieces 30 inches long, drove them 24 inches into the ground, then slipped the pvc over the metal. I used pvc clamps to attach the 2 by 6 skirt boards to the hoops, except at the corners. at each corner, there are 2, 3.5 inch long carriage bolts through the 2by6, the pvc, and the metal stakes.

I used 1.25 inch conduit to make purlins running the length of the hoop house, all bolted to the hoops with carriage bolts. the purlins are at the center, and at shoulder height. (about 5 foot or so)

the hoop house is 20 foot long (bows are 4 foot on center), and at the base, it is 11 foot wide, it makes the height right at 7 foot.