Set Up A PVC Greenhouse the Easy Way
The road to making your own greenhouse is as smooth as silk. There couldn’t be anything easier than being environmentally conscious and growing your own produce with these quick and easy steps to building your own greenhouse using simple PVC greenhouse plans.
PVC greenhouses –also known as hoop houses, for their hoop shape– are simple in composition and require a limited amount of time. All you have to do is make sure that you have the right tools, a little patience, and perhaps a little help from your friends to get the job done properly.
PVC greenhouse design is fairly simple once you’ve got the essential elements together. You’ll have to acquire all the necessary materials, all of which can be purchased at any home supply store. Obviously your PVC greenhouse is going to need an ample amount of PVC pipes and fittings. You’ll also need screws, a hacksaw –for cutting the PVC piping to the proper length for each section of your house. You’ll need a tape measure, a utility knife, and a rubber mallet –to secure the PVC pipes snugly into their respective fittings. Lest we forget, you’ll need a covering for your greenhouse.
Ideally you’ll want to use a Visqueen-esque plastic covering. Greenhouse plastic, aptly named for its use in protecting greenhouse plants, easily tear when put to the test by the elements. So, for the sake of not having to replace your covering every season, use something other than greenhouse plastic. There are a number of PVC greenhouse products on the market, so be sure that the materials you get are the right ones for the size house you intend to build.
The build a PVC greenhouse you’ll need to be sure you know where you want your greenhouse situated and what size you want your house to be. Once you’ve figured out those dimensions, you’ll want to place stakes in the ground every 36 inches on both sides. Building the ridge way is, quite frankly, the most taxing job of the entire project; however, if you enlist the help of a couple friends, it’s nothing to be afraid of. Once you’ve gotten the proper lengths for your PVC piping, you’ll want to connect 10-foot lengths of ¾-inch PVC pipes to a PVC tee (named such because of its T-shape).
Once all your PVC pieces are connected, you’ll need to install the ridge way. This is where putting 2 ft. sections of rebar in the ground comes in. Place your ridge way on the stakes and your frame is complete. Once the frame is up, it’s time to add your plastic covering. To connect the plastic to the PVC you can buy yourself some large binder clips, enough to surround the entire house. For an added precaution to guard against inclement weather, place two 2X4s on either side of your hoop house. Before you can complain of arm cramps, you’ve built your house. Hoop houses take about an hour to construct, and with companions helping you out it should take no time at all.
Remember, the biggest part of this job is building your ridge way. Once you’ve succeeded in that task, you’ve basically built your greenhouse. To get a great set of PVC greenhouse plans for FREE you should check out the “Build A Greenhouse” mini-course that is offered on this site. Beyond that, congratulations! You’ve officially become your own contractor while keeping the planet green one vegetable at a time.
