The basic parts of its construction is:
-Base of crusher run (I already had on-hand) to level the 4x4s
-2 layers of 4x4s, mainly to get some extra height inside. I’m getting into woodworking, so I practiced making half-lap joints. 16 of them. Those joints are glued and I ran lag screws the middle of the courses to hold the top to the bottom 4×4.
-Because I have problems with drainage, I used an auger to dig a 12×24” hole in the lowest corner of the inside of the greenhouse and backfilled it with 57 stone.
I come from an area with a decent amount of hurricanes, so I anchored it accordingly.
I bought these anchors. Highly recommend it; I only wish I had gotten longer ones. Quality materials and supplies. Getting drill-driven anchors makes it so much easier.
[https://a.co/d/3Na5r4w](https://a.co/d/3Na5r4w)
So that holds the 4×4 base down, but then I had to hold the greenhouse down to the base. I used Simpson Strong-Tie HRS 8 in. 12-Gauge Galvanized Heavy Strap Tie. They make beefier tie plates, but I already had them in the garage, and these are thin enough to easily drill the holes bigger, since they were made for nails and not screws. I used existing screws in the greenhouse frame to attach these, because drilling new holes in the aluminum could… who knows.
I have the base of everything secured, but what about the top? After all, some of the ribs of the greenhouse are held only solely by one screw at each end.
I used this kit to run a cable over the top.
[https://a.co/d/27c4uqD](https://a.co/d/27c4uqD)
This seems like a quality set as well. And the ground anchors I got have D rings specifically for this purpose. I ran the cable through a hole just under the highest peak. I spent a couple of hours trying to find some type of grommet to go into the aluminum to prevent the cable from getting abraded, but I couldn’t find anything that worked for this greenhouse. So I just filed the hole to take out any aluminum burrs.
Finally, I added a grommet + bracket to the corner of the roof. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it is called, and I couldn’t find it online. It’s in the electrical section. This helps hold the cable in place and also keeps the cable pressing down on the roof and/or roof panels. I’m sure the rubber will rot, but they are cheap and easy to replace.
This write up makes me seem like I know my shit, but when I wasn’t spending hours thinking or researching about it, I was winging it.
Since I built this in December, it has withstood some decent storms and 8 inches of snow.
1 Comment
This is a followup to my post, and also a request by @[**SpecialistFall4172**](https://www.reddit.com/user/SpecialistFall4172/) for an update.
The basic parts of its construction is:
-Base of crusher run (I already had on-hand) to level the 4x4s
-2 layers of 4x4s, mainly to get some extra height inside. I’m getting into woodworking, so I practiced making half-lap joints. 16 of them. Those joints are glued and I ran lag screws the middle of the courses to hold the top to the bottom 4×4.
-Because I have problems with drainage, I used an auger to dig a 12×24” hole in the lowest corner of the inside of the greenhouse and backfilled it with 57 stone.
I come from an area with a decent amount of hurricanes, so I anchored it accordingly.
I bought these anchors. Highly recommend it; I only wish I had gotten longer ones. Quality materials and supplies. Getting drill-driven anchors makes it so much easier.
[https://a.co/d/3Na5r4w](https://a.co/d/3Na5r4w)
So that holds the 4×4 base down, but then I had to hold the greenhouse down to the base. I used Simpson Strong-Tie HRS 8 in. 12-Gauge Galvanized Heavy Strap Tie. They make beefier tie plates, but I already had them in the garage, and these are thin enough to easily drill the holes bigger, since they were made for nails and not screws. I used existing screws in the greenhouse frame to attach these, because drilling new holes in the aluminum could… who knows.
I have the base of everything secured, but what about the top? After all, some of the ribs of the greenhouse are held only solely by one screw at each end.
I used this kit to run a cable over the top.
[https://a.co/d/27c4uqD](https://a.co/d/27c4uqD)
This seems like a quality set as well. And the ground anchors I got have D rings specifically for this purpose. I ran the cable through a hole just under the highest peak. I spent a couple of hours trying to find some type of grommet to go into the aluminum to prevent the cable from getting abraded, but I couldn’t find anything that worked for this greenhouse. So I just filed the hole to take out any aluminum burrs.
Finally, I added a grommet + bracket to the corner of the roof. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it is called, and I couldn’t find it online. It’s in the electrical section. This helps hold the cable in place and also keeps the cable pressing down on the roof and/or roof panels. I’m sure the rubber will rot, but they are cheap and easy to replace.
This write up makes me seem like I know my shit, but when I wasn’t spending hours thinking or researching about it, I was winging it.
Since I built this in December, it has withstood some decent storms and 8 inches of snow.