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Greenhouse
Madness Continued Before I started my construction I established a "magic number" that I did not want to exceed. In other words, I had a budget. Redwood and cedar wood were not part of the budget. In addition my growing method in the past did not use an abundance of water. I figured regular 2 by 4 fir studs would suffice and I'd use a good quality paint before I covered the greenhouse. The greenhouse plans called for making the best use of 10 foot 2 by 4's. There'd be no wasted materials. Here's where I got a rude awakening -- trying to find quality, somewhat dry wood. That never happened. Some of the 2 by 4's were so full of sap they oozed. By the time I used them they had dried out but had taken on a new shape which wasn't straight. The experience made me wonder where builders get their wood and what kind of quality they use in home construction.
I also opted to use metal joiners and screws so that anything I put together I could take apart. That means I could replace parts and, if need be, move the greenhouse to a new location. I worked in a covered carport where I had access to tools and power. Once the 14 rafters and 14 side legs were cut to specifications (As close as I could get to specifications without a table saw, anyhow) I assembled the parts. Green wood makes for heavy wood. This was the one time I asked for assistance -- to carry the assembled framing material to the greenhouse site. There were numerous times I could have used an extra hand or two to make the job easier. So if you decide to build a greenhouse make sure you have help readily available when you need it. I happened to watch one of those funniest video shows a couple of nights before I started to put up my greenhouse frame. It was well worth it. One of the videos showed this "carpenter" temporarily nailing several 2 by 4 frames together. When he was all done, he stepped back and the whole thing fell over. I wouldn't want that to happen to my structure even if it wasn't being video taped. I managed to get the legs and rafters up and on what was supposed to be 2 foot centers. I screwed into place the first of several 12 foot perlins which would support the covering. I then stepped back and looked at my handiwork. Yikes! Something was no longer plumb and square. Where had I gone wrong? It seems a couple of those legs and rafters had reshaped themselves as the wood dried out. By loosening some screws and a little manipulation the framing got back to some resemblance of squareness. For the first time in my life I could sympathize with shoddy construction. It seems like no matter how careful you are, mistakes happen. Do you leave it the way it is or do you redo it? I had come this far, there was no going back and I continued to measure, square and level as I went along. I'd also abandoned the greenhouse plans. I added an inexpensive window to the back of the greenhouse. I don't think there is a single square window in my residence. Having installed an inexpensive aluminum window in the greenhouse, I think I know why. Experience is such a good teacher. The frame, the perlins, and window securely in place, it was time to think about the greenhouse covering. (1998) |
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