How to Build a PVC Green House

A simple "hoop house" greenhouse, shaped like a half-barrel, can be made of treated lumber and PVC pipe. PVC, the common name of polyvinyl chloride, is a tough plastic widely used for plumbing and electrical conduits. This design is adapted from a plan provided by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Measuring tape
Level
Shovel
Posthole digger
4 treated wood posts, 4" x 4" x 2'
Construction square
2 treated wood boards, 2" x 6" x 12'
2 treated wood boards, 2" x 6" x 14'
Hammer
20 galvanized nails, 4 inches
32 electrical metal tubing (EMT) straps, 4 inches
64 galvanized nails or wood screws, 1.25-inch
Electric drill
Screwdriver
16 PVC pipes, 3/4-inch diameter, 10 feet long, schedule 80 thickness
1 PVC pipe, 3/4-inch diameter, at least 14 feet long, schedule 80 thickness
Hand saw with miter box or power miter saw
Sandpaper
6 PVC 4-way connectors ("cross"), 3/4-inch, schedule 80
2 PVC 3-way connectors ("T"), 3/4-inch, schedule 80
1 can PVC cleaner
1 can PVC cement
1 pc. galvanized electrical metal tubing (EMT), 1/2-inch diameter, 10 feet long
4 treated wood boards, 2" x 4" x 7'
4 treated wood boards, 2" x 4" x 6'
2 treated wood boards, 2" x 4" x 3'
8 mending plates, 3.5" x 3/8"
4 T-plates, 5" x 5" x 1"
4 flat corner plates, 5" x 7/8"
116 galvanized wood screws, 1-inch
4 sheet metal straps, at least 2" x 6"
4 roofing nails, 1-inch
4 corner braces, 5 inches or longer (optional)
4 flat corner plates, 3 inches
1 set of door hinges, stainless steel
3-inch Hook and eye set
2 sheets 4-mil plastic, 12' x 6.5'
1 sheet 4-mil plastic, 24' x 20'
Construction-grade scissors
1 pack staples, 5/16-inch
Staple gun
Pea gravel or mulch
16 pieces of string or wire ties, at least 6 inches (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  
  Choose a location away from shading trees.
  
  Prepare your site. You will need at least a 12 foot by 14 foot open space, as nearly level as possible. Site your greenhouse away from the shade cast by trees or other buildings. John Biernbaum, professor of horticulture at Michigan State University, recommends orienting greenhouses east-west at latitudes greater than 40 degrees and north-south in more southern latitudes to maximize both sunshine and ventilation. If the site is not level, dig out the higher side. Lay out the foundation with stakes and string, marking a rectangle that is 12 foot by 14 foot. The 12-foot sides will be the upright end walls.
- 2
  Dig a post hole at each corner of the marked site and place the posts so that about 6 inches of the posts protrude above the top of the hole. Check for plumb and square, then remove the stakes and string.
- 3
  
  Sturdy and square construction of the base anchors the greenhouse against high winds.
  
  Attach the 14-foot boards to the posts on the longer side and the 12-foot boards on the ends, using 4-inch nails (if you prefer, use long wood screws, predrilling the holes).
- 4
  Use the 1.25-inch screws to loosely attach EMT straps at each end of the 14-foot boards and every two feet down the outside of the boards. Do not tighten them.
- 5
  
  PVC is a popular and durable material.
  
  Saw the long piece of PVC into seven pieces 22.5 inches long, sanding cut edges.
- 6
  Dry-fit the framework by putting 4-way connectors between each short piece of PVC, with T-connectors at each end. The 10-foot lengths go into the cross-pieces of the connectors. Use PVC cleaner on all connectors and ends, following package directions, then attach the PVC framework using PVC cement, following package directions.
- 7
  
  The barrel shape of a hoop house allows maximum light while shedding rain.
  
  With a partner, set the ends of the 10-foot pipes into the EMT straps along the wood, creating "ribs" that should bow to form a barrel-like structure. Tighten the screws on the EMT straps to secure the ribs.
- 8
  Slip the 10-foot EMT through the center of the central ridge pipe to add rigidity.
- 9
  
  A miter saw can cut precise angles.
  
  Lay out the end frames with a central, door-shaped rectangle, 6 feet high and 3 feet wide. Miter-cut both ends of the 7-foot boards so they rest at a diagonal between the frame rectangles and the base. The cut will be approximately 45 degrees, but check the fit.
- 10
  Assemble the end frames, using wood screws with the mending plates to attach the 3-foot boards to the top of the 6-foot boards, and to attach the top of the diagonals to the 6-foot boards.
- 11
  
  Check the end frames for plumb and square as you attach them to the base.
  
  Raise each end frame into place on the foundation frame, and, checking for plumb, attach the uprights to the base boards with T-plates and wood screws. Use the larger flat corner plates and wood screws to attach the diagonals to the base.
- 12
  Using 4-inch nails, toenail the frame together and to the base by nailing into the corners at an angle. You may wish to add extra reinforcement by screwing the corner braces into the corners of the uprights and the base. (Do not put these on the inside of the upright rectangle, as the brackets may interfere with the action of the door.)
- 13
  Attach the end frame to the PVC ribs with strips of sheet metal. Loop two strips on either side of the mid-rib and use roofing nails to secure them to the top of the 3-foot cross piece.
- 14
  
  Measure carefully to ensure your door will fit inside the end frame.
  
  Double check the door measurements. The door should fit inside one of the end-frame rectangles. Cut the 1 by 4 boards into two short pieces and two long pieces, based on your measurements; they will be approximately 3 feet and 6 feet. Cut a fifth piece and miter the ends to form a diagonal brace across the door.
- 15
  Assemble the door pieces using the shorter of the flat corner plates and screws. Attach the door to the end-frame rectangle with the hinges, and attach the hook and eye as a latch for the door.
- 16
  
  Stapling is a convenient way to attach the plastic to the frame.
  
  Cut the smaller sheets of plastic to fit the end frames, remembering to cut out the door separately. Lay the larger sheet evenly across the ribs. Attach the plastic to the frame with staples.
- 17
  Spread mulch or pea gravel inside the greenhouse to a depth of at least 1-inch.

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