Too large greenhouse frame damaged cover
 

I received a very nice early birthday gift of a greenhouse from my mom.
It was ordered from Amazon, and after over 2 weeks of back and forth
with the seller to get all the parts, we finally set it up. It seemed a little
tight, but I didn't think anything of it. We snugged the velcro straps to
attach the cover to the frame. We have some really high winds at times, so we
secured(somewhat, using twist ties) the frame to tposts driven into the ground
inside the frame. I will say here, my husband and I are both disabled, and there
are a lot of things that we are not able to do. We wrapped the plastic around the
bottom of the frame, taping it to the inside of the greenhouse plastic, securing
it with duct tape, intending it to be permanently affixed. By this time, it was
well past dark, we were all very tired(hubby, our 10 yo daughter and myself),
so we called it a night. The next day, I noticed the zipper wouldn't zip closed,
there was a strong horizontal pull, like when you try to zip jeans that are too
small. I thought to start with that maybe my husband had driven the tposts
too far apart, and so they spread the frame apart, but he made the marks for
where to place the tposts by using a paint can and spraying right inside each pole
we wanted to be supported. When I measured the frame, the measurements were
smaller than the measurements given in the greenhouse advertisement. I would
guess the cover is about 3-4 inches
short in height, and maybe 1 or 2 inches short across each the width and the length. I don't expect it will look very nice at all,
but I just want to get whatever use I can out of this thing. I have plants that I
need to get out of my house, and into the sunlight! Any suggestions would be
greatly appreciated, the less expensive the better. We are on a very low income,
but I do have very little bit of money to spend, I just want to make sure it covers
all that I need it to in the best way possible.
Any ideas???
Thanks!

I'm looking at your pictures, and trying to visualize the problem from your narrative and I cannot see how the cover is too short. It looks from the pictures that you have excess cover for the height. As for the shortness on the width and length, perhaps you can stretch it when it is nice and hot. I know doing that kind of work in the heat is a killer, but maybe that's what needs to be done.

Maybe add a treated 2x6 baseboard?

Just fyi, and I don't mean to be critical, but tape will not last very long in the sun.

You probably want some snap clamps to secure the covering to the pipe, if you don't put in a baseboard. You can make your own or buy them. It is a piece of plastic pipe cut long-ways that snaps on your emt from the outside. Some people go a step further and screw the clamp down with a tek screw. Here is an example of the clamp I am talking about:
[url]http://www.buildmyowngreenhouse.com/8pack1teeconnectorhooptobaserail-2-1.aspx[/url]

I'm not saying to order that specific product. Make sure if you buy any that they match your conduit size.

[QUOTE=Salsacharley;711657]I'm looking at your pictures, and trying to visualize the problem from your narrative and I cannot see how the cover is too short. It looks from the pictures that you have excess cover for the height. As for the shortness on the width and length, perhaps you can stretch it when it is nice and hot. I know doing that kind of work in the heat is a killer, but maybe that's what needs to be done.[/QUOTE]

Thanks so much for responding. I know what you mean about it looking too long, but the cover is supposed to be able to be able to drape down along the ground on the side, ideally to be buried for extra wind protection. I will try to add some more pictures further down in this post from the ad to show what I mean. I thought also that the heat might help to stretch the plastic, but when I tried, the seams started tearing. It was as hot as I can medically tolerate that day.

Thanks, ColeRobbie; I will definitely find or make some snap clamps, and use duct tape as the back up. I know it won't last forever, but I don't expect the plastic cover to make it through an entire Texas summer anyway. I imagine if I haven't totally replaced it by then, I will be patching it up by this time next year. I have seen duct tape out in the sun last years, but it wasn't under any tension. That is probably the key to making it last any length of time, no tension. I definitely had it on tight. What exactly is a tek screw?



Best thing I have figured to do is to split the cover into three parts: front, top and sides, and back. I would separate the sections, leaving the sides on the frame, and lengthen each side(front to back) the required amount using duct tape as the material. Then use the snap clamps to hold the top and side section securely to the frame. Then I will zip the front zipper door, and enlarge the front section, also using "duct tape fabric", attaching the section to the frame with snap clips, alternating positions with the snap clips securing the side sections to the frame, and reinforcing and smoothing out with duct tape. I will do the back section in the same manner as the front section. Then I will evaluate the overall length to see if anything else needs to be done. Does this seem reasonable? Likely to be successful? Any other tips would really be appreciated! I really like the idea of a tall baseboard, I will be thinking on that, trying to figure out how to work that in. Thanks again!

I realise this doesn't help you in the short term but I bought a 12' X 12' greenhouse with a similar build to this around 10 years ago. Over the next two growing seasons I found the cover deteriorated with the small squares of clear plastic falling out. As well as that the zips had got very troublesome before they broke altogether. The following season I built simple wooden ends with removable wooden panels for lots of ventilation, covered the metal frame with some hot spot tape and covered it with good quality tunnel plastic which i trenched in along the sides and used strips of wood to secure the plastic at the ends. It's survived a good few violent Atlantic storms over the years and I'm still growing in it to this day!


Best of luck with it and happy growing!

[QUOTE=King Carrot;711717]I realise this doesn't help you in the short term but I bought a 12' X 12' greenhouse with a similar build to this around 10 years ago. Over the next two growing seasons I found the cover deteriorated with the small squares of clear plastic falling out. As well as that the zips had got very troublesome before they broke altogether. The following season I built simple wooden ends with removable wooden panels for lots of ventilation, covered the metal frame with some hot spot tape and covered it with good quality tunnel plastic which i trenched in along the sides and used strips of wood to secure the plastic at the ends. It's survived a good few violent Atlantic storms over the years and I'm still growing in it to this day!


Best of luck with it and happy growing![/QUOTE]

Thanks a lot, this gives me a LOT! of great ideas. I really like your setup, we will probably do something similar long-term.

King Carrot... what a great conversion of your little wimpy frame... clkingtx... that reinforcement with the wood would make your frame last many more years than the little steel frame you have now. good luck on getting it to work like it is supposed to, can you call the manufacturer and ask what to do as it isn't fitting properly?

Too large greenhouse frame damaged cover
 

Just a thought, instead of using duct tape for repairs you might get a longer lasting fix making your own tape by cutting strips of poly and gluing it with an outdoor silicone.


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[QUOTE=clkeiper;712314]King Carrot... what a great conversion of your little wimpy frame... clkingtx... that reinforcement with the wood would make your frame last many more years than the little steel frame you have now. good luck on getting it to work like it is supposed to, can you call the manufacturer and ask what to do as it isn't fitting properly?[/QUOTE]

I really like the wooden framing, and I agree, King Carrot did an amazing job on their conversion! I would love to do mine something like that. I will have to think about doing something similar with wood reinforcement. I can't actually find out who the actual manufacturer is. The ad said VINGLI, but that isn't turning up anything online except ads for selling greenhouses.

nbardo-by poly, do you mean regular greenhouse plastic?

Thanks!

I think I have the same green house or real close to it, still in the boxes after several years. Never put it up, and may never get to it, especially after this thread, LOL!!

[QUOTE=imp;712461]I think I have the same green house or real close to it, still in the boxes after several years. Never put it up, and may never get to it, especially after this thread, LOL!![/QUOTE]

LOL, if you never try, you never know the heartbreak of failure...wait, that's not quite how the quote goes, is it?:?!?::P I understand your hesitation, believe me. I am just really pretty crushed about it. Maybe yours wouldn't be as bad though?

I went ahead and took the cover off, as it was only ripping more at the seams, so I will leave it off until I am ready to repair it.

I have a plan now for what I will do, combining many of your suggestions:

First, I will do a temporary repair of the stitching of the seams that have torn. Then we will put the cover back on the frame. Next we will stretch the cover all the way down to the bottom, at the ground level of the greenhouse, and attach it there with snap clamps; which will be secured with screws. To finish the repairs, I will cut sections of 4mil greenhouse plastic and adhere with 100% silicone adhesive-and use to cover any areas where the seams stretch or tear.

Thank you all so much again for all your suggestions, and keep them coming, if you have any more!

If you choose to do the wood frame make sure you use metal clamps like pipe clamps or electrical screw in conduit clamps. Zipties break down pretty fast even under greenhouse plastic. I seem to be replacing my zipties (even the UV resistant ones) every year or two.

[QUOTE=clkeiper;712503]If you choose to do the wood frame make sure you use metal clamps like pipe clamps or electrical screw in conduit clamps. Zipties break down pretty fast even under greenhouse plastic. I seem to be replacing my zipties (even the UV resistant ones) every year or two.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I will keep that in mind.

Maybe next year will give it a try, maybe do the wood ends for structural support. Good ideas here.