February 5, 2023

Greenhouse: Starting on the Roof

My last dedicated greenhouse blog post was something like six weeks ago ("Greenhouse Project: Weather Permitting"), with a couple of progress pictures in other posts since then. 

From "2022 Year in Review"

From "Around the Homestead"

It's been slow going because of the weather. Dan wants the framing dry before he puts the windows up. We finally had several rounds of dry sunny days, and he got a start on the roof.

These are more windows he found on craigslist, which are doors, actually. They are different shapes and sizes, which makes it more of a challenge.


But they all have heavy wood frames.


Not an exact fit, which meant a lot of measuring and some trimming.

First roof window in!

View from the top

A set of four smaller windows was next.

The roof windows aren't all the same, but we figure as long as they are installed in a symmetrical pattern, it will look fine. Or as my grandmother used to say, no one will notice from a galloping horse!

The roof windows will all still have to be sealed and painted, and I've just realized that they'll all have to be washed periodically too! (Duh! LOL)

More sunny days ahead, so hopefully, I'll have another progress report soon.

21 comments:

Sandi said...

Oh, wow! What a great idea to have it attached to the house.

daisy g said...

Exciting! We have been trying to put up our new shed, but between the cold and rain or both, it's been on hold. It's looking great! Can't wait to see all the veg growing in there.

Leigh said...

Sandi, I hope so! :)

Daisy, winter is always a slow-go for outdoor projects. I hope you make progress on your shed soon!

Jenn Jilks said...

Well done. I am fascinated.
A galloping horse! :-)

Nancy In Boise said...

Looks great! We did that with our sunroom for our chicken coop using glass doors and windows. We also built cold frames like that with recycled glass materials. Lumber is so expensive at least it seems like you guys had some of your own? Traditionally I know a lot of sunrooms were built on to homes capturing heat and light especially in permaculture

Henny Penny said...

You must be so excited. A greenhouse like that would be a dream come true. I've always wanted one built from old doors and windows. I'm afraid no one around here would know how to begin building one. Yours is looking just perfect!

Leigh said...

Jenn, gotta love those old sayings. :)

Nancy, thankfully, Dan has his sawmill and we have plenty of large pine trees. So, yes, we have our own lumber! That, plus getting the windows at deep discounts is really making this affordable. But also more challenging! We're very hopeful it will help heat the house in winter as well as grow plants.

Henny, I am! Using recycled doors and windows, though, has meant a lot of think power on Dan's part, because he has to figure out how to put them all together. So, it's challenging, but he always manages to pull it off.

Cederq said...

Leigh, hate to be the bad penny in this, those windows are going to a pane (pun intended) in the brisket... what with cleaning and gunk getting caught in the individual panes and all the leakage I can see coming! You are gonna be spending more time then cleaning out blasted gutters. Had it been mine, a more traditional greenhouse roof...

Leigh said...

Kevin, we'll see!

PioneerPreppy said...

PP here. Looking very nice!!! I really wish I had a less windy spot to build an actual green house :( but I have never gotten passed the collecting window stage myself.

I bet you are excited!!!!

Leigh said...

PP, excited in the sense that I often thought it would never happen! It's a slow go, however, so there's no sense getting impatient. :)

Lady Locust said...

Looking good. Love your Gma's saying!

Leigh said...

Thanks LL!

Mama Pea said...

Given your warm climate, even in the winter on some sunny days, I'm wondering if you've made provisions for blocking out some of the sun on the roof windows. (Duh, I'm sure you and Dan have!) Even with vents, we've found that to be a little problem with the roof of our chickens' solarium. My MIL used to say, "A blind man on a galloping horse will never notice." We've used that saying many, many times and it always makes us feel (kinda) better! :o)

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Leigh, it looks great! The "used" doors for windows is a wonderful reuse of material (and a great Tetris puzzle to boot).

Thinking on Cedriq's point about cleaning the windows - I wonder if you use a spray attachment on a hose to "wash" them off from a short ladder. Likely as you will not be using it during the hot season, it could be a Fall sort of event.

Ed said...

What kind of wood were the window frames made out of? Although gunk buildup might be an issue, my concern would be rot as water will pond up on the downhill side of the panes. But given that they are priced right, they might buy you a handful of years until some better roofing materials come your way. They certainly will look nice!

Leigh said...

Mama Pea, I like that saying too! So applicable for so many things. :)

The greenhouse effect on warm winter days is on the list of things to think about. We plan to install a solar attic fan (with a switch) in one of the gable (half-gable???) ends to help vent it on warm days. I reckon how well that works will determine the next step. That warming effect is the reason I gave up on my hoop house. Even with just the poly covering and both ends wide open, it would get too warm in there so that the plants all thought it was summer and bolted!

TB, the spray attachment for window cleaning is a good idea! I'll look into that. And you're correct about seasonal usage. I'm pretty sure it will be too warm to use in summer, so I'm planning on fall and winter growing, plus spring plant starts.

Ed, yes, that's a concern. Dan has been researching options and found some sort of sealer that is used in situations like this, so that's what he's going to try. Whether or not it works as well as claimed remains to be seen!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Looking good!

Leigh said...

Thanks Kristina!

Fundy Blue said...

Haha ~ I love your grandmother's expression, Leigh. My husband would go right along with that. You'll have a great greenhouse when you finish. I enjoy watching "Homestead Rescue." I'm always curious to see what greenhouse fix Misty will come up with. Have a good one!

Leigh said...

Fundy, is that a YouTube channel? Sounds like something I'd enjoy. There are so many challenges to homesteading, it's always helpful to see how others tackle them.