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Breezeway Greenhouse Help? (self.diy)

submitted 2 weeks ago by agamemnonymous to c/[email protected]

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I've got an appx 12' x 24' space between my single story house and tall metal barn garage. The roof of the house slopes toward the space.

I want to convert it into a greenhouse so I can grow veggies without having to chase off critters. Ideally I should be able to install gutters that drain to a rain barrel.

I'm hoping some of you fine folks have resources and recommendations for this kind of project.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Very cool project! I have a couple questions:

Do you get snow in your area? If it sheds from the house roof that could be an issue.

What is the siding on the house? Greenhouses can get pretty humid/damp so you'll probably want to ensure it doesn't/can't rot the house. It can still be done but it's good to plan for. If your house is concrete that would be much less of an issue.

Also what's the directional orientation of the 12x24' space? You'll probably want to optimize your layout for sun exposure, so it'll help to know what parts will be shaded when (such as by the garage) and where the sunlight will track.

[–] agamemnonymous 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

No snow.

Siding is stucco, so I'm not worried about wood rot

House is on the north, garage is on the south, the 24' is along the E-W line, so the sun should track right over the breezeway

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Sounds like a great location! I'm in a very different climate zone so most of my advice would have been around keeping the temperature warm enough through winter, while it sounds like you won't have to deal with a lot of that.

I've seen some cool designs that made glass houses out of secondhand windows or slider doors - if that appeals I can share some links but it's a certain kind of look, and Povoq's suggestion of clear corrugated sheets is probably easier and more uniform. Rain collection from the house roof and greenhouse roof would be very useful.

I'll see if I have any good links for you

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I love the look of repurposed windows/doors for greenhouses, and I've even seen them advertised for that purpose at resale shops, but it's really important to be careful about lead paint if you want to do that. Lead was the primary white pigment for a long time, and since windows/doors are often trimmed white, if they are older than 1978 (in the US, EU was 2003, though many member states had their own laws previously), it could be lead. Lead testers are fairly cheap if you want to go this route.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

This is a really good point! Thanks for the dates that's quite useful

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Searching around, it seems like stucco and high humidity may not work well together. Personally, I'd be a little concerned about algae/moss growth on my walls if I had high humidity on stucco.