Cattle Panel Hoophouse

Sorry if I sound like a broken record, here, but absorbed solar energy is re-emitted as thermal infrared radiation. So if you don't block thermal IR, you won't prevent radiative heat loss at night, only conductive heat loss. Polycarbonate and glass are opaque to thermal IR, but plain polyethylene film is nearly transparent. (This is the essence of how a greenhouse works!) To reduce radiative heat loss with a poly film, you have to get one with the IR additive... reduces energy savings substantially: http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Spec%20Training/fruits%20vegetables%2005/Greenhouse%20EC%20-%20Master%20Gardener-%20April%202005.ppt#273,1,Slide 1

Water, BTW, is opaque to thermal IR. So you can get away with plain poly films if you have a nice even, uniform layer of condensation which forms just after dark on the inside of the GH. The problem is that the condensate reduces the absorbed solar energy the next morning by up to 15% due to scatter. A film with anticondensate and IR addresses both problems.

SB

Jnette, yep, several others on the site are using bubble wrap for insulation and they are pretty satisfied with it. They say they notice a big difference and it was worth the price (and I don't believe it was an overwhelming price either!).

SB, thanks for the link and the info! Much obliged!

Shoe.

If mine weren't a portable I would probably try the BW. But, I really do not have an area that is suited for a gh so I decided to go with the hoophouse which also is a seasonal thing.

I am thinking of replacing my furnace with maybe an outdoor furnace that I have read so much about and that would also heat a greenhouse easily. Just in the thinking stage right now. I had some logging done and thqt opened things up a lot so I get more light. Have to think of all of these things.

Jeanette

Jeanette, what furnace are you looking at? I"m always reading and looking for new ideas. ;)

Gosh, I don't have any specifics, just have seen them in magazines. Oh, BTW, If you look in the forum on stoves in Dave's, think it is wood stoves, can't remember how it is worded, they talk about them in a thread on it. One person said theirs is 40 feet from their house. I really think these sound interesting. I just haven't looked into them. If you are interested in their thread, you might ask them to post a picture. I don't recall seeing any.

If you do, would be interested in what you think of them.

Jeanette

Picked up the cattle panels on Tueday night. Easier job than I had expected. We simply loaded them into our pickup (bed is 8ft long) in a u shape standing on sides. I bought 4. We used bungee cords to make sure nothing tipped over or left the truck on the drive home. The two of us had no trouble loading or unloading them. They aren't that heavy, just bulky because they're 52" wide x 16 ft long.
The film and tape have arrived. I'm heading out to get some of the wood I'll be needing.

Has anyone installed a solar panel to power their lights or heaters?

MollyD

Molly, did you pay attention to which side was up when you bent them into the pickup truck?

SB, I don't know that it matters which side as long as you know you cannot bend them the other way once you have bent them.

If she read the original thread she would have known that.

Jeanette

I was able to bend mine both ways. When I first put it up, I didn't pay too much attention but then realized the pieces running in one direction would act like barbs if they were on the outside. I disconnected the one or two I had done the other way and put them back. They were fine. Of course mine spanned 9' and were not bent or kinked. Wonder if one of those hit me on the head. LOL

I sure wish some of you guys lived near me. We could have a "hoop house" raising ............ I'll help you, if you help me, kind of thing ............ with a team like that we could "raise" enough hoop houses for all of us in a day.

Michele .... my husband was a little more interested when I told him that you had made your's with pallets. I think it sounded like a quicker construction job to him. ;)

It really was not bad at all Kathy. I was able to use the pallets for sales displays afterward. :)

I just lined up the pallets and used decking boards to screw the ends of the cattle panels into the skids. That puppy did not move in the heaviest of storms! The plastic blew off a few times but the hoophouse did not move. LOL I just lined up two rows of pallets and left room to walk down the middle.

Yes I did remember about the panels. I wanted them with the crosspieces facing out. Funny thing is when we got them home and laid them on the ground they had no problem lying flat again so I don't think that you can't change directions. Maybe it depends on how tightly they are packed into the truck? Ours weren't packed in tightly at all.
I just got back with the lumber. Found some plumbing metal that has holes pre-punched. I want those to hold the panels to the foundation. We get strong winds here that will last for several days at a time. That's not counting blizzards. So I want to be sure the panels don't take off in the first strong winds.
I was trying to find bender boards to put on the inside. I wanted to staple the pool cover to this. Could not find any today. I'll keep looking. I'm always amazed when I shop HD or Lowes and their sales people have never heard of a product! One day I was looking for joist hangers. The sweet young thing I asked wanted to know if those were anything like clothes hangers!!! I miss the good old days when sales people new their merchandize.

MollyD

Jnette, it apparently does matter which way is up, because if the up side is the shorter span (up and down as you would normally look at it) it tends to puncture the film.

I hope that Molly did read the whole thing...but I know how it is when threads get long...you tend to skip parts of it!

It is great if they really do bend both ways. Prob depends upon how far they were bent to get them into the truck. All I know is that when I spoke to the guy who created the site in the first post, he said that the way you load them is important. Even if Molly didn't check, at least she can use extra care if bending them back the other way.

SB

Cross posted, sorry Molly!

I can't believe someone at HD or Lowe's had never heard of joint hangers!

No problem SB.
I'm starting to think that neither store educates it's employees as to their products.


Molly

They will bend either way. Some of mine have been used and reused for different projects.

The way most people transport them ( if you only have 2 or 3 ) is in the bed of a pickup just slide them in them as far as they go , push up so it bows/arches upward and you can close the tailgate to hold them in place.

As chelle said , be very carefull when unloading. Have a helper hold the panels while you open the tail gate.

lol .............. looks like a covered wagon minus the cover going down the road.

Will they fit in a pickup that has a cap on it?

arched at I would guess about 8 ft tall ? ... haaah, how tall is your cap ?





i is an arteest ....... lol

Tree Climber,

I don't think they would.

Just came in from digging the drainage ditch. All 30 ft of it . I hurt all over. Time for a hot shower to help my sore muscles. Perfect day for this though. Sunshine, mild breeze and cool so it was work but not impossible work.
Tomorrow the first posthole gets dug. Maybe even the second!

MollyD

Here's picture of today's work.

MollyD

Why did you need that Molly?

Those will not be 8 feet tall. If your truck bed is 8 feet and you arch them end to end they will be 6 feet tall or an inch or 2 over. Probably look 8 feet tall.

Jeanette

Thanks guys, I didn't think they would fit, but worth asking. We have 2 Pick Ups, but they both have a cap. We do have a trailer that will work, but I don't pull trailers, so I will have to wait for a time when my husband can go with me. With his work schedule lately, that may not happen this year. Oh well, still a great idea to save for another time. I'm enjoying reading all of the great ideas and tips.

Girlfiend! You don't pull trailers? You and I are going to have to talk! LOL I was a complete and total *sally* before I got married! LOL If you can drive the truck, you can pull the trailer! ;)


I just got a second Rion greenhouse FREE. I'm still in shock!

I didn't know you had one Rion Greenhouse ............. now you have a second one for free!

The rest of the story please........... ;)

Now, about that trailer pulling ............... it's not the pulling that worries me, but the manuvering. (probably spelt that wrong ... another thing I'm not too good at)

TC, you don't know until you try and you do know it takes a little bit of practice.. What is a cap on your trucks anyway? Don't you have a neighbor or someone who can do it? Would be a shame to lose the next couple of months.

Maybe one of those places would deliver????

Comeone 'chelle, tell us about the freebie!!

Jeanette

LOL I wrote to let them know parts broke (for the second or third time) and they told me they would replace it! It took a few weeks of grumbling but it showed up today. I've had the other one since February of last year. I posted about it on ecrane3's thread.

I ordered my cattle panels from a local barn lot (farm supply store) and they did deliver, cheap too!

There you go TC.

That is not a very good story to be telling on a place like DG. No wonder they replaced it.

Jeanette

Going to try and find the thread where you posted a photo of your greenhouse.

I have been eyeing the Rion one's too.

Delivery huh ............ may have to check on that.

LOL Jeanette! They said they would replace it before I said anything here. I did buy mine direct from the importer though and not from another seller. That may make a difference.

I'll see if I can find my thread for you Kathy.

Okay, here was the first time: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/487043/

Here is the second time: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/565972/

Jnette,

I had to install drain pipes because the ground there collects water. Without the pipes the GH would be a mess in standing water.

Got the gravel and fabric installed today. Paul used the tractor to push the dirt around some and level it off. Tomorrow I'll start on the post holes.

MollyD

I am so jealous! You have all the best toys! LOL

Yeah must be nice. I'm with you Badseed. Jeanette

Ladies,
I have been watching this thread because I'd like to put one of these up next spring. I don't have much shade, and I'd like to grow shade plants to sell.

My thoughts are to put one up and put shade cloth on it instead of plastic, and put the plants right in the ground.

I have used a cattle panel to make an arbor, just put 4 wooden posts in the ground and attached it at the correct height and planted hops and wild clematis on it. Makes a great arbor.

Does anyone have any reason to think this wouldn't work for growing shade plants??
Thanks, Legit

Legit, it wouldn't really be a greenhouse, it would be more like a shadehouse, but as a shadehouse it ought to work just fine. SB

I've been lurking waiting to show this to DH. Legit where is Porterfield,Wi?

That's what I want to do is use it for arbors. How hard would it be to cut it length wise to make 2 out of it? I like to grow my vegies up as much as possible and I need a couple of new arbors for flowers.

I don't see why the shade cloth wouldn't work if you just wanted to make a shade area for growing.

For winter you could always cover it with plastic.

You can cut them with a bolt cutter or hacksaw. The bolt cutter is faster! LOL

If you just want a shade house cheaper to do it with pvc pipe. Ernie

Here it is at the end of day 3. I put in 3 of the post. Dug up some small boulders in the process!

MollyD

vess, I looked you up on a map and it looks like we might be almost across from each other on the opposite sides of the state. I am about 50 miles north of Green Bay.

eweed,
Do you think it would be alot cheaper?? Give me a brief idea of how that would work.
I liked the idea of large "easy to handle" (????) sections, that would be fairly permanent, but yet could be taken down and reused for another purpose if need be. If it works well, I would probably leave it up indefinately, and it would be quite large. I wouldn't plan to put plastic on it ever at this time, just trying to create a shade location in full sun to grow shade plants.

You will all laugh, I'm a master of frugal, and previously I have been growing shade plants in full sun under two black screen type "satellite dishes". It works quite well, actually, but looks sort of like a junk place, even though it's in my nursery area and doesn't get seen by many people. Also, when the plants get taller, I need to elevate them with concrete blocks.

Hey, I ran across this quote the other day, and it fits me to a "T"

Do what you can, right now, with what you have, from where you are!