Wednesday 13 July 2011

Then came the greenhouse

When the warmer temperatures of spring came in 2010, we realized the huge heat sink that we had in the concrete and wanted to utilize some of that energy in a greenhouse. Before some of our summer visitors came up from Oregon, we purchased an 8'x10' greenhouse from Golden Acres for about $500 that came in several boxes, with hopes that our friends would help us put it together.

It took us far longer than we thought it would to put it together. Of the 4 adults working on the projects, all with University educations and 3 with advanced degrees, it took us 4 days in the July sun to get it near completion. With a few more choice words and mistakes made, Tim and I finished the construction.

The next challenge was to figure out how to anchor the structure to the concrete. Our very handy neighbour, Tom, was happy to help with the project in exchange for homemade berry muffins. He custom made some brackets out of scrap metal that bent over the corners of the greenhouse and then used a hammer drill to drill holes in the concrete to insert expanding bolts. Bring on the tornados--that greenhouse is here to stay!


Our backyard is starting to feel more green all the time!


Our friends called us up late in the summer to tell us that they bought the same greenhouse and wondered if we would help them put it together. I thought it was a great joke and laughed.... but they were not kidding. With the promise of food and drinks all day, we came over with our tools, extra hardware from our project, and determination to take less than 4 days. After breakfast at Cora's, we got to work setting out the pieces in numerical order. While I read the directions, now knowing to look ahead a few pages for the places to add more bolts down in channels that would later be needed, the other 5 friends put up the pieces. In 4 hours (not days) the greenhouse was completed! Our services can be bought for good food and laughter.

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