How to build a cheap, effective hoop-house or light depravation....house

DeliciousBuds · Jun 15, 2012

Here's a cool hoophouse design that I've been using, and perfecting for years. Some of the features that make this one stand out are: It is made using cheap, readily available materials; It can be built by one person; It can double as a light deprivation chamber. The materials listed in this tutorial will build a hoophouse 20' long x 7'H x 10'Wide (or up to 8'Hieght x 8'W hoophouse depending on your preferences). This design can be made to any length. The hh in these first pictures is 24'long x 7'H x 10'W. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures while building it, so some of the steps are not illustrated. I did include pics of a prototype hoophouse I photoed while building. It's a very different design than the one we're building here, but should help as a visual aide.

Materials

16 - 20' sticks of 3/4" schedule 40 pvc PLUS an additional 10' stick
4 - 20' sticks of 1/2" rebar
4 - 6' T-posts
6 - 8' cedar fence boards or a total of 40 board feet of whatever you have available: 1"x4" slats, plywood cut into 4"-6" strips, ect.)
16 - wood stakes, about a foot long
50 - 8" zip ties
8 - rolls black electrical tape
20'x20'plus an additional 10'x20' Clear greenhouse plastic (or 6mm clear polyethylene Plastic, but beware, it'll only last a year at most)
OR
6 mm Black Polyethylene plastic for light depo (sold at all hardware stores)
- some T-50 staples, 1 1/2" nails, and 1 1/2" screws

Tools

- Lg. grinder (or some way to cut the 1/2" rebar. Some hardware stores will do it for you too.)
- Hacksaw, sawzall, ect to cut pvc
- T-post pounder (optional)
- Large maul
- Drill/Driver, preferrably cordless
- Hammer
- 25' measuring tape, preferrably two or three
- 60'+ Mason's line or thin cord
- Line level (optional)
- T-50 stapler

DeliciousBuds · Jun 15, 2012

Directions

Directions

Determine the location - Pick a sunny location, away from trees, but close to a water and power source (power's optional).

In the Northern Hemisphere the long side of the greenhouse should orient East to West to maximize solar access. Don't worry about the ground being perfectly level. These instructions allow for dips or bumps up to 5 inches +/- .

Square off the location - In order to build the hoop house correctly, stakes will have to be placed at the four corners of the location with a mason's line run around them to form a rectangle. I simply measure off 20' for the first wall, stake it, then measure 10' at a 90 degree angle from those two stakes to form the four corners. Just make sure to keep the line level and low to the ground. To verify that the rectangle is "square", measure diagonally between the stakes. When perfectly square, or rectangle in this case, both measurements will be equal, although I've found you can be off by up to an inch without a huge impact.

Install rebar - Cut the rebar into 4 foot sticks using the large grinder, or a chop saw with a cut off wheel, if you didn't/couldn't already have it done at the hardware store. Pound the rebar to a depth of 18" at two foot increments down each 20 ft side (the line we installed earlier comes in handy for making sure they get installed in a straight line.

Don't get confused by the line in this picture being so high off the ground. The hoop house I was building here was a prototype/variation of the design in this tutorial.

DeliciousBuds · Jun 15, 2012

*** Note: Along with spacing the rebar accurately, try to make sure each one is installed plumb, and close to the same hieght to acheive a professional look. Be aware that pounding in the rebar may cause it to flatten slightly on the top. But, too much of this effect and you won't be able to slide the pvc over it!

Install PVC - Now, we'll slide the pvc hoops onto the rebar. But first, take measurements of any uneven area's on the terrain by measuring from the ground up to the masons line. Cut little pieces of pvc and slide them down the rebar so that the top of the pieces are level with the mason's line.

This will ensure that the top of the hoop house has a niceeven, professional look.

*** Note: I cut the pieces about 1" longer than my measurements and then pound them flush with the line by using a 3 foot long metal pipe. I slide it down the rebar and pound down the pvc pieces until flush.

DeliciousBuds · Jun 15, 2012

The hard part is done. Pound T-posts into the ground at the four corners, then tape the top of the posts to the hoop house.

Next, take 20' sticks of pvc and tape them down the INSIDE length of the hoop house. This will stablize the structure.

DeliciousBuds · Jun 15, 2012

Install Plastic cover: Take the wood slats and run them down the OUTSIDE lengths of each 20' side. Pound little wood stakes into the ground in order to keep the slats butted up firmly against the base of the hoops.

Pull the plastic over the hoop house and staple one side to the slats. Then pull the plastic tight, and staple it to the other side.

*** Note: It's important to do this step during a hot day so that the plastic stretches. Otherwise, the cover will sag and wrinkle when it gets warm.

And that's it. You'll have to get creative in order to put walls up on either small side. As you can see I screwed custom slats to the pvc and even framed in a door.

You'll probably want to install a fan at either side to maintain adequate airflow.

DeliciousBuds · Jun 15, 2012

Light dep -- This structure can easily become a light depo structure by installing 6 mm black plastic instead of clear plastic. Just secure the plastic on one side so that it can be pulled over the hoop house with a rope secured to the plastic. Use 2x4's or other heavy objects to keep the plastic pulled closed. Again, you'll have to be creative on how you install the black plastic on either small side to block out all light. Either frame in a square and mount to that and the pvc, or mount slats to the pvc and then staple the plastic to the slats.

I hope you've enjoyed the tutorial. If you have any questions, let me know. : )

mendo420 · Jun 15, 2012

AWESOME!!!!

shmalphy · Jun 15, 2012

Very nice! I have plastic that I got free, and I have been trying to design a frame for it, this looks PERFECT.

ROOTWISE · Jun 15, 2012

Love it, well done! Nice to see such an informative and well thought post....

:tiphat:

RW

exploziv · Jun 15, 2012

great ideea, build and pics! thank you for sharing! :wave:

skullznroses · Jun 15, 2012

ONly problem I would have is getting my plants to fill that size frame in with plants. Good looking work, and easy to follow. Props

Dr.Dank · Jun 15, 2012

lucky! hah awesome my man i wish i could grow outdoors like this! one day! all the best happy growing.

heady blunts · Jun 15, 2012

DB what a great tutorial, thank you!!!!

i will save this thread for the day when i have a beautiful property like that full of trees like those

Red Fang · Jun 15, 2012

wow awesome plants! I imagine you have to be in California to pull off that scale but great job!

edit: s oregon, just saw that. must be medical is what I meant!

supermanlives · Jun 15, 2012

hell ya sweet setup. i love that glowing greenhouse . i miss all mine.

DeliciousBuds · Jun 19, 2012

Thanks for the compliments guys! It takes a lot of work to make a good, detailed post, so your thanks are very appreciated.

shmalphy- Part of the reason I came up with this design is because my dad had given me two rolls of 100'x20' clear 6 mm. polyethelene plastic, lol. But I'm glad I didn't have to pay for them, because they didn't even last the full season! The UV from the sun, literally, cooks the plastic, making it weak and brittle. It blew me away to see chunks of that stuff blow away in a wind storm I had that Autumn!

Skullnroses - Do you mean your plants would grow too large for that hoop house? Because if that's the case, you can always remove the plastic cover and use the frame to support the girls. Of course, you'd probably have to harvest once the rain started...
On the other hand, if you don't think they'd get big enough to require that large of a structure, then I'd counter by saying that 1) you could plant two or three rows wide and 2) space between the top of your plants and the greenhouse plastic is a valuable asset. Often times there is not enough space between the two, creating the ideal conditions for gray mold / bud rot!

Red Fang - Yes, I am an OMMP grower. How long will it last? I'm pretty sure that sooner, rather than later, the Feds will take the regulation of MMJ out of the States hands, and pass it to the business sector. They'll make out like bandits on the taxes, while corporations grow and sell various strains of cannabis. First, enforce prohibition(which they stopped doing several years ago): individuals will face stiff Federal penalties if caught growing MMJ. Then regulation, similar to that which followed alcohol's prohibition. Beside bottles of hard liquor labeled: Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, and Bacardi there'll be bags of pot labeled: Jack Herrer, White Widow, and Blockhead : ) Of course, this rant is pure speculation, and probably best suited for the 'politics' forum. : )

Peace everyone,
-DB

Red Fang · Jun 19, 2012

exactly man! I want legalization since it is better than jailing people for a plant, but don't want the greedy corporations getting their greedy mitts on it. I want others and I to be able to grow it freely, maybe up to a few acres or a few dozen, not agribusiness crap. I don't want those who benefitted by jailing people for a plant (govt, corps) to now reap the financial rewards at the expense of the little guy. And you bring up a good point, I stopped seeing those annoying anti-pot commercials a few years ago (stopped enforcing prohibition as you say).. although I think they are still enforcing but just going after the biggest fish and worst offenders of those abusing the MMJ system. anyway, good luck man!

Yes4Prop215 · Jun 19, 2012

yea there's a bunch of debate about that in the wholesale prices thread if you want to speculate about a legalized economy...any grower who hasnt put some thought into that possibility is delusional about their futures.

then again romney might do what the GOP wants and keep it illegal for the next term....big business is calculating that possibility they just need more time to figure out how to implement their market monopolization..

niceeven · Jun 19, 2012

Holly s...... thats great stuff. I wish I could grow like that but I just would not have the nerves. But amazing pictures bro, great stuff! Good on you and thanks for sharing.

Anti · Jan 23, 2013

this thread deserves a bump.

How to build a cheap, effective hoop-house or light depravation....house

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