HOOP HOUSE--Anyone know how?

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Permalink Reply by Michael and Lylah Ledner on December 19, 2009 at 3:04pm

very interested too.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Byers on December 19, 2009 at 9:47pm

Hoop houses are very easy to build. All you need it some PVC pipe or steel rebar, I like the PVC better and some clear plastic sheeting, 6 mil being one of the more commonly use thickness.

Decide how wide you want the house; get enough pipes to make an arc that wide. Using the formula for the circumference of a circle will get you close enough most of the time for the length. It would be approximately half of a circle's circumference with the diameter you decide, even though it is a parabolic arc, but this math is easier.

Take one end place it in the ground or in some way block it from moving and then place the other end at the distance you want the house to be wide. Cover with the plastic and you are done, one hoop house. If you need added security go around the bottom with chicken wire, hardware cloth etc… or one can make an open-air one by using the wire to cover the frame instead of plastic or a sunscreen. Once you build the framework, anything can be used to cover it. The cover can even be changed to address the seasons.

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Permalink Reply by Michael and Lylah Ledner on January 4, 2010 at 10:20pm

if we were to use a side of our house for such a beast, which side would you think best? n,s,e,w.

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Permalink Reply by Rachel on December 20, 2009 at 9:52am

I built 4' X 8' borders around the beds out of untreated 2 by 6's. Then just arched two concrete reinforcement panels (basically cattle panels) into that, I did not secure them as the tension of the arc holds them in place. Here's an image of one a couple of months ago, since I can tell my explaining here isn't top notch. ;)
(The bricks were securing the bird netting)

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