That’s a good point and one I hadn’t thought of- it may be more a problem in your more humid areas than it is here in Montana.
Is a cheap greenhouse worth it?
If you are in it for long term then you should probably think long term. Are you the kind of guy that buys the cheapo $10 water hose or the $50 one?
My opinion is that if you enjoy something its worth the effort and the money for the long term rewards…
If you have a section of yard that all that you do is mow it…may as well use that space for something that you enjoy.
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Currently, my wife is forcing me to keep the small remaining amount of lawn as play areas for the family. I wish I had more lawn left to turn into greenhouse… I need more land.
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If the wife allows you to use the garage…
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I don’t understand the free heat idea.
Houses lose heat slowly to the outside air. Building a greenhouse attached to your house is akin to adding another layer of insulation; some of the heat normally lost to the air gets trapped in the greenhouse before escaping.
I.e. your house is like a giant hot water bottle and you can put a greenhouse next to it to soak up some of that heat.
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I am not sure I would call this free heat.
Could call it “captured waste heat” if the word “free” is the issue.
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I have my greenhouse against my houses south wall. It is 28 feet long by 4 feet wise and 9 feet high. The heat I get from my house wall of 28 feet is significant and I only use about 60% of the glass that would be needed for a standard greenhouse. It also means that the missing 40% northside glass isn’t bleeding heat 24 hours a day
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I’ve been dreaming about a greenhouse in the snow for a long time.
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Basically, think of the north side of my house in this case as a supercharged geothermal heat source at higher than ground temperatures and also removing the side of the greenhouse which receives the least passive heat. I have chosen to abandon the idea due to the location of my electrical equipment but if others have such a setup it would be a viable option.
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Hi Ryan,
A couple of points worth thinking before you decide:
How high are the winds in your area: In my area I often get 60-70 mph gusts, one recently toppled a 20 year old sea Buckthorne tree that was fairly well rooted. The same wind was resisted well by my 20 year old Sunshine greenhouse, which has withstood similar winds for the longterm. Admitted it’s a lot more expensive, but it’s built out of redwood and has enough internal strong truss bracing that it can be anchored against such strong winds. This option would ultimately give you a more attractive appearance than the options you show which would likely not detract from your home value.
The company may be able to sell you one with a cutout for your utility units to allow access to utility managers. Hope this helps. I can say that my 8’x12’ house has been a super benefit. I eat fresh salads all winter without any additional heating.
Dennis
Kent, wa
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My small cold frame type bed… growing greens this winter.
Simply some floating row cover over a bent cattle panel frame.
8 am and already getting good sun … that wall faces due south. Ideal location to pick up heat reflected or absorbed and radiated from the brick wall.
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Really, that’s not the way the sun comes up in Texas. Just kidding, but does seem a bit strange.
@fruitnut … you caught my mistake… that wall actually faces due south.
Corrected that above.
The right end of the tunnel faces east… morning sun… the left end west evening sun.
Since the sun crosses the sky with a southern tilt… all day sun (on a south facing wall).
My fig tree is planted near that.
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You can find out from your building code dept. if they have any particular problems with the electric set up being enclosed. I can’t see why, and I’ve seen many such arrangements, but best to check since it looks like you have to provide meter access for reading.
As for a sheltered growing space, it’s more handy than you can guess.
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Really nice building job. I’m sure you’ll work out the best ways to manage it.
Yes, you have a bad case! Looks great
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I have the exact opposite problem- my greenhouse is bone dry all winter long. I need to run a humidifier 24/7.