The Little Greenhouse That Would

I've definitely mentioned Matt's DIY, upcycled greenhouse.  It also has appeared here in the background of photos from the garden.  Yet I never got around to creating a proper greenhouse post. 

Matt in our 2020 garden. 10/6/2020

This spring one of Matt's colleagues asked him for building tips or advice as her family embarked on a DIY greenhouse project of their own.  Matt assumed he could just direct her to my blog for the write-up and was surprised to learn that there actually wasn't a detailed greenhouse post.  I had intended to write one...but the project was completed over the course of a few months and I never got around to it in the end, I guess.  I downloaded all the photos I could find from the construction phase and put them on a flashdrive for Matt to take to work.  Then, since I had them all collected in one place, I figured no time like the present, better late than never, blah, blah, blah.

And here we are, the greenhouse post.  At last.  Almost exactly three years later. 

All put together except the door.  9/9/2018

I can't remember if the greenhouse started with my in-laws getting new windows or with our friends gutting a building to start a new business.  It was destiny though.  In rapid succession we got free windows and free lumber and Matt started dreaming up this greenhouse project.  

Ryan and Matt framing out the east wall for the big picture window.  5/27/2018

Many, many years ago--maybe 2013ish--Matt's parents gave their house a bit of a facelift.  This is the house that Matt grew up in and that my in-laws have called home since 1980.  We salvaged all the windows that would have been trashed as part of the upgrade.  

Construction is fun.  Mostly.  5/27/2018

Around the same time we rescued a dumpster full of lumber that had been gutted as part of Chelsey and Dan turning an old church/daycare into a Pickle Barrel sandwich shop.  The lumber had holes drilled in it for wiring from its life in the old building--as well as some marks and a few cosmetic issues, but they were dry, straight, and in perfectly usable condition.  

Matt attaching the metal window frames to the framed out lumber structure.  5/27/2018

Matt made some mock ups of the windows out of carboard and tried various configurations and arrangements as wee little 3D models.  He made sketches on graph paper.  He read books about greenhouses and looked at plans online.  He continued to dream.

The pea gravel path is framed out in 2x4s.  This is looking into the greenhouse from the doorway. 9/9/2018

[This is the part where I have to mention that Matt stashed these (rather bulky) supplies in the shed and garage for almost five years until I started making noise about hauling the windows to the dump and using the scrap wood for campfires.  A greenhouse would have been cool and all, but I just wanted the space back at this point.  I had essentially given up hope that the project was actually going to ever happen.  

But, with Matt, I should really have known better.  He doesn't rush into anything.  He's resourceful.  And he preservers.]

Matt attaching the metal window frames to the framed out lumber structure. 5/27/2018

So then, in May 2018, he declared it was time.  We rallied some friends with basic construction and tool skills--Josh, Ryan, and Derek--and Matt got the ball rolling at last.  

Ryan, Matt, and Derek.  5/27/2018

The tricky part was that, despite literally years of planning, there was no final blueprint except the one in Matt's head.  So, there was a lot of waiting for him to tell us what to do next or what went where and why.  Nevertheless, the team offered good advice during the sticky or puzzling moments where the blueprint in Matt's head needed an assist.  The many skilled hands certainly made for lighter, better work.

Matt, Ryan, and Josh.  5/27/2018

The foundation--pressure treated cedar 4x4s on top of leveled pea gravel--and the walls/windows went up in one day.  There was some temporary bracing across the top for structural security until the roof beams went on.  Matt specifically mentioned that the foundation lumber was the only pressure treated wood in the whole project.  I'm not really sure what the significance of that is, but since he mentioned it I will, too.  

Yours truly painting the exterior white, as seen from inside the greenhouse.  8/28/2018

The back (north) wall of the greenhouse is solid plywood rather than windows.  This was largely driven by the fact that we didn't have enough windows to go all the way around all four sides.  Matt chose the north wall to be the solid one since it wouldn't get much direct light anyways.  The solid wall also added a bit of structural support for the building as a whole.  We had to buy the plywood and foundation beams, but I think that was the only "new" lumber in the job.

In this photo, the walls are up, the windows are in, and now it is time to put on the roof.  The rafters have been installed in this photo, but not the plastic roofing material.  7/9/2018

The permanent roof beams were attached the next week and then the gravel path was laid.  The growing space is a sort of U-shape with  the path in the center of the greenhouse.  We prefer growing directly in the ground so we didn't create any raised beds or anything like that.  There is a shelf on the south end of the structure for trays of seedlings in the spring.

An alternate view of the path, looking towards the door (south) of the greenhouse.  8/25/2018

The roof itself came next.  The roof (plus the door and a bit of the upper walls) was made of a kind of double-walled, corrugated greenhouse plastic.  We used a brand called Solexx which Matt was able to buy locally from a garden supply place called Harvest Tech. 

The greenhouse with the Solexx plastic installed.  8/25/2018

The door was the last bit of construction.  Matt opted for a Dutch-style door where the top and bottom open independently so that we had more ways to dial in the temperature control/ventilation.  

Beer--in a fancy goblet even--is a critical part of construction with this crew.  They're lined up on the window sill.  5/27/2018

Then we painted all the lumber a nice, bright, reflective white. In retrospect it would have been easier to paint the boards before we installed the plastic, but hindsight is 20/20.  It still worked out fine.  We just had to paint more carefully.  Painting seemed like a natural "final step" but actually should have been about second to last it turns out.

Matt painting the interior white.  8/26/2018

The door has never fully met with Matt's satisfaction.  It is an exceedingly tight fit.  As a result, over three years of wrenching it open and closed, the hinges have been damaged.  We now need to replace it.  Matt has a plan (in his head) for how to improve on the original design this year.  Fingers crossed for take two.

The greenhouse is pretty much done at this point, except the door.  The door has been framed out, but not finished with a plastic front yet.  9/9/2018

If we had it to do over again we would probably put all the windows in "backwards" so that we open and close them from the outside of the greenhouse instead of the inside.  They'd be easier to open that way.  We went on autopilot and just installed them facing the way we would in a normal house.  That is, except one,  which was put on backwards by accident.  It turned out to be a happy accident though.  When the plants get all big and bushy inside the greenhouse they can be an obstruction to regulating the temperature by closing or opening the window.  Oh well, live and learn.  It still totally functions the way it is.  Sometimes we just have to elbow tomatoes plants out of the way to get at the windows.

The very first window mounted into place.  5/27/2018

We love everything about having our own little greenhouse.  It extends the growing season on both ends which has been quite a boon, especially for greens.  It allows us to start even more of our own seedlings which saves us money and permits us to try more unusual plant varieties.  It serves as a seasonal clubhouse, complete with hammock hooks, and is a wonderful place to read on a sunny winter day.  Plus, I think it looks charming at the back of our lot. 

Matt in our 2020 garden. 10/6/2020

I'm glad Matt's such a dreamer and a do-er.  I'm super impressed, even if I did grumble about how long it took.  ;)