Wednesday, March 18, 2009

New doors on the greenhouse

"That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more!"
After wrestling with the terrible sliding doors for the last year, I've and enough! The other day there was enough ice buildup in the track where it just forced the entire door off...Trying to put it back on in the freezing temps, I managed to pop off the little WHITE wheels into the WHITE snow. Needless to say, that was the end of the door.

I built a frame around the opening with treated 2x3's and built a nice new set or doors....on hinges!!! I was able to salvage the existing glazing and cut each panel down just a little (since my new doors are slightly smaller than the old ones because of the door jamb. The existing door opening was slightly skewed so I loosened all the bolts on that wall and gave the structure a little push with my tractor bucket. Squared it right up! ;-) round the entire perimeter of the doors, I installed foam weather stripping and it sealed it up quite nicely.

This is what harbor freight should have done with their original design!

5 comments:

Steveh said...

Great Idea! Those doors really do suck. I did something different, I built a garden shed and added a south facing door, I then built the greenhouse right next to the garage and connected it around the door frame. It's not an exact fit, but it works well.
I love your vent opener! I'd like to CAD that up! Care to share the dimensions?

Steveh said...

BTW: Here is my Harbor Freight 10x12 Greenhouse project.

http://www.barplan.com/blog/home/2008/07/01/greenhouse-construction/

Web4Deb said...

Thanks for the comments. Please send me an email to moc.mehclaw@bor (type it all backwards!) and I'll draw up a sketch in a few days.

Country Mouse said...

Thanks for your info about this greenhouse. We are trying to plan a greenhouse and your info was most helpful.

Anonymous said...

I also have harbor frt gh. I poured a 4" slab & built it on a 3 ft cinder block knee wall. Later I decided to incorporate radiant heat since my propane bill last winter was over $500. I put doun 1 " foam 4 x10 & poured non shrink grout over it & the pec tubing. I tapered it to the center floor drain . I just finished tiling it with tili I bought at lowes For 99cents for ,13x13"tile. when constructing th gh I went to a surplus overstocked bldg supply co & purchased a 8' Anderson thermo door with the the integral latches installed. I paid $100.for it no key. Took the lock to a locksmith rekeyed to match our Baldwin house locks . Less than $20.ii framed the opening with pt 2x6 to match the jamb on the Anderson then trimmed it out with azek PVC 1x6's. During the night of "SANDY" I had 7 window panels blow out but did not break.i replaced them the next day with a higher mil and clearer visibility. In the last year we had many storms & it stood up like a rock. I am now trying to figure out auto vents I went thru 8 of them from harbor frt only 1 works well. Thinking of using their cylinder & operating it pneumatic ally. I think I can get it yo oprn but close. Anyone with any ideas? There are co's dealing in micro fittings itc just not sure how it would work. Joe z.