Design and Build on a Deck
Printer-friendly versionI've got a second story deck - 16'x20' that I'd liek to enclose as a greenhouse.
If left to my own devices I'd board up the slats (it's a well constructed deck that sits on top of the kitchen - hot free standing). And then build a PVC or Steel structure with poly walls and vents.
I need no doors as there is one from the house.
Does anyone have any starter advice or should I just start measuring?
koaxfrax
Are you going to allow for drainage? In most greenhouses the floor receives water every time the plants do. Not sure what you mean by "board up the slats" - but you should allow for some drainage (hopefully not into the kitchen).
The only other thing you might consider is the wind loading. Most greenhouses are fairly low but I've seen some loose panels due to wind. With one stuck up in the air on a second story that might become more of a problem. If you are looking at a kit I'd ask about what type of wind it will stand. If you are going to build your own - then I'd be generous with nailing and/or screws.
Thanks for the feedback. We've got a leak in the kitchen so I'm trying to decide between doing the CORRECT thing - which is fix that either way, or the easier/cheaper thing which is to seal up the deck so access to the leak is less ... I can also pull up the deck and fix the ceiling; potentially leaving me to decide how much of it is poly (the WHOLE thing) or if I build a knee wall or put the deck railing back up. At that point I could also decide what kind of floor to put in. If I leave the decking down I'd cover it with plywood and perhaps seal it or cover it - then I could build a drain out into the gutter outside ... if I pay attention to the grade of the roof - already designed to drain into the gutters.
The structure is 18X12 and if it were floor to ceiling I could get a kit -- if I make a sealed wall out of the railings then I think a kit is out of the question.
My question is if I build the structure out of wood, pvc or steel ... and get the poly to cover it (plus vents and such) ... what is the material I need to plan to glaze the poly? If I'm very careful about all my dimensions is there an optimal span or height or angle I should be aware of? What kind of distance can I get on a learning curve if I'm very careful about planning?
If you will be putting this over your kitchen or other wise on your home, I would probably use a wood frame. PVC is great for cold frames in the backyard, but I don't know that I would put it on my house.
If that's the case look at polycarbonate. It's a little expensive to ship but it looks and performs great. Keep in mind you will need some aluminum hardware to join adjacent panels and such. Polycarbonate is a great covering.
I second psiler's caution on the water. Might want to think about a drain for it, since I assume you don't want standing water on your roof for an indefinite period of time.
I've evolved my thinking - thanks in advance for your help. I will build out the walls. I'd thought to use a steel frame with the connectors here: http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/Meta ... ucts/1183/ -- would you recommend wood instead?
I'll lay down plywood on the decking, line the whole room with a roofing bladder and put a drain out to the gutters. I'd planned on getting everything I needed for the frame and then getting poly for the covering - figured I'd be safer getting that after I'd managed to mess up and rectify any poor decisions on the framing. Figured also I'd put in vents and possibly half darker poly and half clear poly.
One concrete question is how wide my spans should safely be - is a span of 3'X4' ok if the poly is 50" (overlapping to 48")? or do I need to put braces more frequently?
thanks again for the wisdom.
These fittings will suit you just fine, but I would recommend a spacing of about 2' for maximum stability.
I think that could be a good idea of building on a deck... what is a the best material to use on frames? is the pvc or wood? or some other materials? I'm planning to do greenhouse on our deck...
I might consider simply building the wood frame and glazing it with polycarbonate panels. It may also be possible to purchase a kit to roughly the dimensions you are dealing with so you would simply mount it to the existing patio floor. There are a number of things you can do, but as far as specific plans go, unless you purchase a kit, it will fall on your shoulders to plan and build the greenhouse.
Don't be intimidated though, a greenhouse really is just like any other structure. The one difference is that the covering is designed to allow in a large amount of light. So you can approach the project as if you were building any other building.