Red is the new Green

Progress continues on the green house. We now have glass and storm doors on the East

and West ends.

Today we will start working on the puzzle of the South side. How to structure the wall so that it can handle the snow load and still allow the maximum amount of light in. I still have to brainiac a method of covering the windows when it gets really cold and dark. I will put plastic over all the windows on the inside - but when it gets 20 below they will need some additional protection. The non glass walls and ceiling will be insulated with a foot of pink fibreglass. Thermal mass will come from a dozen, flat black painted, 45 gallon drums of water - and tires filled with soil.

Fortunately I still have at least a couple of months before that part of the project needs to be completed.

At five this morning the snow was really coming down. Or so Jo-Ann tells me. When I got up at a more civilized hour all the grass was covered with snow. Now it has changed to a cold rainy drizzle. Perfect weather for working inside on the green house.

We have a resident crow that is tormenting the dogs. Flying lazy, taunting, circles overhead just out of reach, which get's Xena and sidekick, Cleo frantically running around in the same circles. I swear that crow is having the most fun. "Hah, you dogs, I fly in your general direction! You cannot touch me!"


Hope your having a great day!

Comments

Rich said…
I'm not a structural engineer, but with a lean-to type structure, I think most of the load of roof is carried by (or transferred to) the back wall. Beefing up the connection between the rafter and the back wall (a gusset of plywood and angled 2x6s similar to a timberframe structure, etc.) might be a good place to start.

Why not build a system of posts (or 2x6's and plywood) in between the windows on the front wall? After adding the posts, you could box in the 'knee wall' at the top of the south wall with a couple layers of plywood and bunch of adhesive and screws to create a home-built version of a laminated beam.

You might get a better discription about the gusset I was talking about at:

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mwps_dis/mwps_web/plans/74148.pdf
Not a crow. More likely its a Raven Lunatic
Art Blomquist said…
were framing the South windows in fairly conventionally - that is with 2X6+1/2ply glued and screwed together. Plenty strong. The back wall is rough 2X4 which I will be adding 2X8's to so I can get R40 insulation in.

Interesting point about the bearing on a shed being on the back wall. It will be pretty strong when I get through with it.

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