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Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:30 pm
by fanaticactus
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:25 pm
by iann
I put up my own greenhouse, but it is a pre-built aluminium frame that bolts together, just a giant Meccano set really. Not as pretty as wood, but more practical in my climate. A good foundation like yours takes a lot of work too.
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 7:52 am
by majcka
You hope they built good foundation. Otherwise
I could fly by and take it with me.
I think it's gonna be nice.
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 3:05 pm
by CactusFanDan
Looks fantastic!
Regarding to your cement floor, did you only allow it to cure for one day? I've heard from a few people that you should allow cement to cure for at least a week, so it's nice, strong and doesn't go dusty.
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 3:25 pm
by fanaticactus
CactusFanDan wrote:Looks fantastic!
Regarding to your cement floor, did you only allow it to cure for one day? I've heard from a few people that you should allow cement to cure for at least a week, so it's nice, strong and doesn't go dusty.
It was just overnight. They finished pouring & leveling it midafternoon and were back midmorning the next day to start the wood construction. Meanwhile, we had two cloudbursts in the evening from thunderstorms that passed, but the floor was covered by a tarp. I asked the builder the next morning if the cement seemed OK, since the puddle on the tarp had caused it to sag onto the floor surface, plus it was abominably hot and humid (has been for over a week) that I was afraid it hadn't cured properly. He said it was good. I have to trust his experience in such matters; it's a one-family operation with several years of experience and GH's all over Vermont and northern NY State. As for the possible dust, again I trust he knows what he's doing. The whole deal will be expensive enough and I'm sure customer satisfaction is a primary concern. I don't think he'll want phone calls later on about a dusty or crumbling GH floor. For all I know, the cement he had trucked in may have contained something to hasten the setting and curing of the cement. I know it's not a huge GH, but I had a bit of trouble with the zoning commissioner, who at first denied permission to build it. Someone talked some sense into him and pointed out that it would be fine to build if it met the setback laws (75 feet from the road). So the space was very limited. Hey, if it's too big, I'd just have to spend more money on cacti to fill it!
I want to try my hand with the ones I have left before I expand my collection too much.
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 3:52 pm
by fanaticactus
majcka wrote:You hope they built good foundation. Otherwise
I could fly by and take it with me.
I think it's gonna be nice.
Thank you, Maja. Don't worry. It's extremely solid and anchored to the floor. At least it won't leak at the seams like the old aluminum frame one did, letting in snowdrifts in the winter!
And we haven't had very bad summer storms with excessive wind for several years, but they
can happen. Historically, there have been no tornadoes here in the islands, but they have occurred not far away on the mainland; we have had destructive "straight-line" winds, though. I don't envision the GH sailing away like Dorothy's house in "The Wizard Of Oz" !
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:09 pm
by cactushobbyman
This GH should fair much better and does look like it will last a very long time no matter how much it snows. Foam insulation under the foundation is a great idea. Too late now, but did you think of radiant heat in the foundation to heat in winter? Post more as the project continues.
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:25 pm
by majcka
cactushobbyman wrote:This GH should fair much better and does look like it will last a very long time no matter how much it snows. Foam insulation under the foundation is a great idea. Too late now, but did you think of
radiant heat in the foundation to heat in winter? Post more as the project continues.
He can still do that if he chooses to do ceramic. An electric heating under ceramic tiles.
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 12:35 am
by fanaticactus
cactushobbyman wrote:This GH should fair much better and does look like it will last a very long time no matter how much it snows. Foam insulation under the foundation is a great idea. Too late now, but did you think of radiant heat in the foundation to heat in winter? Post more as the project continues.
I've opted to use a small space heater hooked up to a programmable thermostat. I'm more concerned about the air up at the level where the cacti will rest on the benches/shelves,
cactushobbyman. The cost as is almost broke the bank. Any other add-ons I'm sure I can do as well and more cheaply. Any other professionally supplied ones would have been too much $$. Thanks for watching out for my best interests, though.
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 3:59 pm
by fanaticactus
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:09 pm
by oldcat61
Beautiful - hope you left room for a comfy chair to just sit & enjoy. Do you have enough plants to fill it or will you have the luxury of more shopping? Have you considered an exhaust fan? I had to add one to my GH, the vents just weren't enough to move the air. Keep us posted as you fill it - Sue
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 6:13 pm
by fanaticactus
Well, Sue, there actually is room for a folding chair if I have the notion to pretend I'm in the desert. As for the fan, there are several possibilities: a small fan can be mounted just about anywhere and/or I can stand a couple on the benches to move the air immediately above and around the cacti. As for "filling" it...I don't have enough now, but I don't want to go overboard buying tons more. That's when I seem to run into problems--too many too soon. I'm still nursing the wounds from having lost so many this past winter due to inadequate winter quarters for them and also this spring, when the weather was so cold they got a late start and then went into two weeks of 88+ F temperatures with high humidity that just stopped them from growing and rotted several. I want to make sure what I'm left with is healthy and then buy more online from my favorites. If I see something locally I can't live without, I may just have to make some exceptions!
Re: Fanaticactus' Greenhouse 2013
Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 3:00 am
by cactushobbyman
Very nice. Now it's time to enjoy.