HowtoBuildaFold-Down

Greenhouse

Thissimple,inexpensivegreenhousefoldsdowntoprotectyourplantsduringearlyfrostsandcoldsnaps,thencanberaiseduponwarmerdays.MadewithPVCpipeandplastic,it’slight,yetsturdyenoughtowithstandwindswhenplacedinasomewhatshelteredlocation.Cutthepipesyourself,ormakeiteasybyhavingthempre-cutatyourlocalhomeimprovementstore.Chooseaspotthatgetsatleast6hoursofsunperday,thenbuilditinasingleafternoontoprotectyourplantsallseasonlong.

DETAILSEstimatedTime:2hours**lessifyouhavepipespre-cutDifficulty:Easy(withahelper)tomoderateApproximateCost(notincludingplants):$100ListofMaterials:• 8–1-inchx10-foot-longPVCpipes• 8–1-inchelbowfittings• 2–1-inchteefittings• 4–1¼-inchteefittings• 2–¾-inchx5footpiecesmetalconduit• 2–¾-inchx5-foot-longpiecesmetalconduit• 1box#8x¾-inchlathwasherheadscrews• 2–¼-inchx3-inchbolts• 25feetof12-footwide4mmplasticsheeting(UV-ratedwilllastlonger)• 3–2-to3-footlengthsofcoatedlight-dutyutilitychain• 3springlinks• 2to4–1¼-inchpipestraps• 2to3plastic-bodyspringclamps• severalbricksorpaverpiecesListofTools:• hacksaw,jigsaw,ormitersaw*• rubbermalletorsledgehammer• drill/driver• springclamps• ¾-inchsoil/gardenaugerdrillattachment(optional)*orcanhavepipespre-cutathomeimprovementstoreperlengthsinPartsListPartsList:Part Quantity SizeBackframestiles 2 1x72 Backframerail 1 1x96Bottomframebackrail 1 1x94Bottomframestiles 2 1x60Bottomframefrontrail 1 1x92Middleframerail 1 1x89¼Middleframestiles 2 1x44

HOW-TOINSTRUCTIONSDesignbyChrisHill

ChoosingandPreparingYourLocationPickaflat,well-drainedareaalongawallofyourhome,garage,orout-buildingwithatleast10feetofuninterruptedlengthand6ormorehoursofsunexposure.Makesurethatnowiringorpipesrunwithinafootofthewall.You'llneedclearancetoabout8feetawayfromthewallforgreenhouseassembly.Usingarubbermalletorsmallsledgehammer,drivetwo5-footsectionsofconduitpipeatleast12inchesintothegroundadjacenttothewall,about8feetapart.Placethemasclosetothewallasyoucan.Ifyouhavetroubledrivingthepipeintotheground,youcanusea3/4-or1-inchsoilaugertocreateahole.CuttingthePipeCuteachPVCpipepartasneededusingahacksaw,jigsaw,ormitersaw.Doublecheckmeasurementsateachstep.(Alternatively,youcanhavethisdoneatyourlocalhome-improvementstore.)BuildingtheFrame

Figure1

Tocreatethebackframestiles,inserta72-inchlengthofPVCpipeovereachpieceofconduit.Slidea1¼-inchPVCteeovereachstile.Presseachoneintothegroundasfarasyoucan,makingsuretheremainingteeopeningsarefacingeachother,paralleltothewall.Placea1-inch90-degreeelbowonthetopendofeachbackframestile,againmakingsuretheopeningsarefacingeachother,paralleltothewall.Insertthe96-inchlengthofPVCpipe(thebackframerail)intotheelbowsatthetopsofthebackframestiles,asshowninFigure1.

Figure2

Placea1-inchteeoneachendofthe94-inchlengthofPVCpipe(bottomframebackrail),sothatonepointofeachteeisperpendiculartotherail,asshowninFigure2.Makesuretheteesareparalleltoeachother.

Figure3

Inserttheendsoftherail/teeassemblyintothe1¼-inchteesonthebackframestiles,asshowninFigure3.

Figure4

Placea1-inch90-degreeelbowononeendofeachofthetwo60-inchlengthsofPVCpipe(bottomframestiles).Ontheoppositeends,placea1¼-inchteeoneachstile,45½inchesfromtheend.Attachteestothestilesusing#8x¾-inchlathscrews,asshowninFigure4.Inserta1-inch90-degreeelbowinsidetheopenpointofeachofthe1¼-inchtees,makingsuretheyarepositionedperpendiculartothestile;drilla¼-inchholethrougheachtee-and-elbowpair.(Markasymboloneachoftheelbowsandteessotheycanbematchedlater.)Theseholeswillbeusedforinsertingaboltatalaterstep.

Figure5

Inserttheendsofthestileswithouttheelbowsintothe1-inchteesonthebottomframebackrail.Makesuretheelbowsarefacingeachother.Laythepartsflatontheground.Insertthe92-inchlengthofPVCpipe(bottomframefrontrail)intotheelbowsontheendofthestiles,asshowninFigure5.

Figure6

Placeoneofthe1-inch90-degreeelbowswitha¼-inchholeononeendofeachofthetwo44-inchlengthsofPVCpipe(middleframestiles).Theendswithouttheholesshouldgooverthestiles.Inserttheendsoftheelbowsintotheirmatchingteesonthebottomframestiles,andinserta¼-inchx3-inchboltintotheholes.Thisshouldallowthemiddleframestilestoremainupright,asshowninFigure6.

Figure7

Placea1-inch90-degreeelbowontheoppositeendsofeachofthemiddleframestiles,makingsuretheelbowsfaceeachother.Insertthe89¼-inchlengthofPVCpipe(middleframerail)insidetheelbows,asshowninFigure7.

AttachingthePlastic

Figure8

Drapetheplasticovertheentireassemblysothatafewinchesofplasticextendsbeyondtheframeinalldirections,asshowninFigure8.

Figure9

Holdtheplasticinplaceagainstthebackframerailandbackframestilesusingspringclamps.Startingatthecenterofthebackframerail,begindriving#8x¾-inchlathscrewsthroughtheplasticandintothepipe,asshowninFigure9.Thewasherheadsofthescrewswillholdtheplasticinplace.Workoutfromthecenteroftherailtoonebackframestile,tuckingandattachingtheplasticasyougo,addingascreweveryfewinches.Workallthewaydowntothebottomframestile.

Figure10

Foraddedstability,attachthe1¼-inchgalvanizedpipestrapsoverthebackframestilesand/orthebackframerail,screwingthemintothewallwith#8x¾-inchlathscrews,asshowninFigure10.

Figure11

Atthebottomframestile,startpullingtheplasticunderneathandinsidetheentirebottomframe,asshowninFigure11,workingfrombacktofront..(Donotattachtheplastictothebottomframeyet.)

Figure12

Returntothecenterofthebackframerailandattachtheplastictothisrail,workingintheoppositedirectionfromwhereyoustarteduntilyoureachthebackframestile.Gobacktothefirstbottomframestileandbeginattachingtheplastic,asshowninFigure12,continuingtopullandtucktheplastictobringittaut.(Asyouwillbeworkingfromtheinsideoftheassemblyatthispoint,it’susefultohaveanassistantontheoutsidewhocanguidetheprocessandhelpspotandsmoothwrinkles.)Workyourwayaroundtheframeuntilyoucomewithin24inchesofthebackframestileoppositefromwhereyoubegan.Donotattachtheplasticwithinthis24-inchspace,ortotheadjacentbackframestile,asyouwanttoleaveagapthatwillallowyoutoenterandexitthegreenhouse.Youwillkeepthisflapclosedusingacoupleofplastic-bodyspringclamps.Toholdtheframeinplacewhenit’sdown,weightthebottomedgeswithbricksorpaverpieces.

FoldingUptheFrame

Attachonespringlinktotheendofeachlengthofchain.Frominsidetheassembly,removetheboltsholdingthemiddleframeupright(toreleasetension,liftupthebottomframeafewinches)andlowerthemiddleframetowardthebackframe,makingsuretheelbowsstayinthe1¼-inchteesonthebottomframestiles.Liftuptheentireassembly,rotatingthe1-inchteesofthebottomframeinsidethe1¼-inchteesofthebackframestiles.Pushtheassemblyagainstthewall,loopthechainaroundthebackframerail,bottomframefrontrail(whichisnowupright)andtheplastic,andconnecttheendsofthechainusingthespringlink.Positiononechainneareachendoftheassembly,andoneinthecenter,asshownabove.FinishedDimensionsHeight:73inches(attheback)Width:99inchesDepth:61inches