As much as I admire the thoroughness and quality of work in your projects, I can't help but feel that those retaining walls for this greenhouse are WAY overkill (almost discouraging). I could and would have done retaining walls with CMU block far easier than this anchor system! After all, it is a greenhouse, not a freeway overpass.
I have only seen this kind of set up twice in my life time. During the construction of the Hoover Dam and massive governmental bunkers. I can say with total confidence that this is the first Greenhouse Bunker I know of. Kudos.
I am all about over engineering, but if you have to drill into the wall to install anchors, what are the chances that the walls would ever be subject to collapse in the first place? it looks like the ground the greenhouse is sitting on is plenty stable to hold the entire structure without any retaining wall or reinforcement. Looking at your project, I am wondering why you didn't excavate a hole a little bigger than your greenhouse, build a block foundation all the way around and then build the greenhouse on top of the block? Rebar and concrete inside of the block would have been more than enough to provide a stable wall to build on. You went to the trouble to put the greenhouse under ground, but only dug out a walkway through the middle?
+Robert Morrison Yep, it's not the best way to do things. I've kinda been figuring as I go...lol:) And yes, the retaining wall probably wasn't absolutely crucial, as this rock is pretty darn stable. But it's something that I wanted to try, to make for a little nicer inside. In reality, I hope it inspires ideas for folks on their own projects versus a 'how to' or 'the way it should be done' kinda thing. It could certainly be more efficient, deeper, cheaper, etc,...lol. But it's an experiment in my mind still;) And to your question of depth... that is actually something I purposely didn't do, was to make it more than 4ft deep. If it was, I'd invite all sorts of engineering/permit things from the 'department of whatever"...lol. Anyways, I know its not perfect but overall it's been a fun project and hopefully it'll provide a little payback in the winter:) Thanks for watching Robert:) Joe
+jumpleadsx2 Yep, it's more things that I wanted to try versus what actually is needed. I could've made do without stairs or even the retaining wall. But it's part of my experimental process and I hope it inspires ideas in others more than anything:) thanks for watching! Joe
@@homesteadonomics buddy i was thinking the same as guys above, but i was also thinking about the amount of things I've done which weren't needed ha. Takes a man to admit it and accept the time wasted, but if you enjoyed it and the outcome is as amazing as it is 'who cares'. HI from the uk.
haha... I love it! I could call it the 'sauna' and charge extra for the cleansing powers..lol! But seriously, I've actually thought about sleeping a night in there as it is really comfortable in there at night!
That's quite the project. I like the build quality. I tend to spend a lot of time and money on my projects as well. It's worth it if you get 10 to 20 years out of it. Your structure will probably last much longer than that. Great work!
+High Desert Garden (Phillip) Thanks Phillip! Yes, it has been a bigger project than I originally planned on, but it's been so fun to figure out and create it... ..but, now I can't wait to get some stuff growing in there this fall! :) Joe
you could use the center support post,as a tool hanger,like you could put small question mark thingies and you could hang for example these small shovels for gardening,scissors and all your gardening stuff.I really like all of your projects,there awesome!!
Thanks so much Teo! Yes, I'm hoping to put the support to good use with shelving or some sort of other thing... the little hooks sound like great idea, might have to try to incorporate them :) ... and thanks for the kind words and checking out the vids Teo! I always enjoy reading your comments:) Joe
Thanks for sharing, and greetings from Denmark. What do you think about not using the H-posts, digging the whole greenhouse area out and let the concrete walls go all the way down. And after that make some beds filled with soil. Could that work? I think I would prefer that.
Thats and awesome job Joe.Ive got mine framed up fixing to begin the installation of the Poly carbonite panels.Now is when the real fun begins trying to video this process and make it look professional.Hope mine turns out as nice as yours good luck with yours.
Thanks so much! I'll be looking forward to checking out your greenhouse as well! The polycarbonate is some pretty tough stuff... I actually bent some completely in half and it popped back with out leaving any bend marks at all! Thanks for watching:) Joe
Hey Mr Handyman, that greenhouse is sooo way cool. Truly a labor of love. Something like that here in S AL would turn out to be a nice enclosed swimming pool lol.
+Scratch Made Homestead Thanks Danny and Les! Yes, it would certainly be a pool in most areas... BUT, if that happened, then I'd finally get a pond that I could stock with fish! So I'd totally be okay with it! :D Joe
+jmklamm Thanks JMK! Should be at least one or two more parts and then the videos will be focused on whats 'growing on' in it (lol...John Kohler reference:) Joe
Yeah, it'll be a perfect place for seed-starting in February! Unlike, John, who buys all his plant starts from a nursery. You have the perfect setup for protected seedlings. Do you watch +Praxxus55712 channel? Great seed-starting advice there. Next big purchase: soil cube maker!
The system is still working very well! What you saw me have to do would be the extreme as most other soil types would be able to use a simple electric jack hammer and no drilling. I think it is a great system👍😀
It looks beautiful. The wood along the steps and the inside walls are so simple and cool looking, though I know it wasn't simple to put in. I love it!! Perhaps it could be used as a guest suite when I come visit instead of a dog house. :)
That wall looked like an absolute bear to put up! Considering how solid the ground is, how will the water drain once you start planting in there? Or will the stones catch it all? Stairs came out great
+Robin Lewis haha... yes, it was...lol. I'm guessing the water will percolate through the gravel and eventually soak into the rock. It's pretty solid stuff but doesn't hold some water. But honestly, I'm just going to have to wait and see to really know for sure:) Joe
Very nice end result! Appreciate the showing of how much effort you went to, to get it this far. (Great father-in-law and neighbor, too) Loved the "intro" assist by your cute little assistant!!!! :) Awesome job!
Thanks for all your videos. I have been thinking about doing this a lot for a while now so I thought I'd start looking up on TH-cam to see. if anyone else has done it. your plan is close to what I had in mind. everybody else I looked up. They didn't come close to what what I wanted. I'm curious how much money 💰 you had wrapped up in it.. You know just like the shell of the house. The base of the interior you know the stairs the retaining wall etc. what is the dimensions of this greenhouse to. Thank you for showing and sharing. Build on bro!!
6:39 I hope those concrete blocks are rebar reinforced and concrete filled where you connected that angle iron... Otherwise if you have any wet ground freezing and pushing those sleepers in, they're just going to take that block wall with them.
Did I miss where you ended up using those PVC pipes you had embedded horizontally into the sides? Also, why such a robust retaining wall if the dirt (caliche) is like rock anyway?
You must live in a desert! Where are you in the USA? My problem will be keeping water OUT! During winter, the water table rises to about 3-4 feet from the surface, so any holes deeper than that will fill with water. Wood will rot in 2-3 three years. What I'll have to do, is treat it like a pond, and line it with a waterproof membrane. Then build a reinforced block wall inside it to retain the ground, which is mainly clay, with a good helping of rocks. [It's terminal Moraine, left over from the last glacial period, 10k years ago.] I'm surprised that you put 'glass' front and back. I would have thought that using the excavated material on the north side would have acted as a good heat sink. Otherwise, I found the construction process interesting, and gave me some ideas. Thanks.
+Permaculture Homestead Thanks Tory! This project has taken on a life of its own...lol... I'm loving it and tired of it at the same time...lol! But I hope more than anything it inspires ideas in folks for there own versions:) Joe
OOOOOKAY, I have a question. Retaining walls help retain things. That ground seems like basically stone. What kind of growing are you doing, to the point you are destroying the rock ground? This greenhouse is pretty sexy, but what about the cost? Seems a bit excess in a lot of the areas....
Beautiful work! I am a ummmm plant and construction professional, honest. That first tier should be just for potted plants. I am assuming you've another tier to finish? To put soil (should be sterilized potting soil btw) on top of your pea gravel would be to make a perched water table. Not good. I would keep that interior as artificial as possible. You are on top of the ventilation! Most do not know how critical air flow is for the greenhouse environment. Those pvc pipes...were they for air flow INTO the grow house or for drainage away from the grow house? Do you have perf pipe below those wood slats for drainage outside? This is beautiful if you are planning on using pots (and potting soil)...absolutely beautiful. I don't think without a lot of work you'll be able to make beds out of those tiers. Gravel, pea gravel, sand....below the soil of the bed (minimum 1') will make a perched water table; the small pore spaces in the soil will have to become saturated before any movement of water can happen into the large pore spaces of the pea gravel. Way too long for roots that need air...root rot and unhappiness. Those old 2X 's are to die for wood. You should put plastic between soil/gravel/rock and wood. The old PT wood has very suspect chemistry. Or did you coat the wood yourself! This would make a wonderful tiny home! Will you have water lines to this building? Do you have a well or do you have city water with sicko fluoride? Fluoride is pure industrial waste that you and your family should not be drinking and you do not want to water your plants that you eat with fluoride either. Looking forward to the finished product! btw, make sure you've some electricity out there for artificial lights and heating if you want to grow a bit during the winter. Maybe a hammock? Definitely FANS. Plant leaves should be in motion, oxygen taken out of the room and away from the plant leaves so that CO2 is allowed by the epidermis for use in photosynthesis. No smoking...tobacco mosaic virus will easily infect tomatoes and other plants. A sink would be wonderful. Mason bee housing and mason bees. No friend's pots and soil and funky plants to be allowed without a contamination period. No smoker friends without washing hands first. Shelves for fertilizer and notebooks. Music...definitely. What a wonderful space you are making!
This is insane. You have done a ridiculous over-engineered product that doesn't fit the supposed purpose. Plants grow up, and your planting space starts at waist level and above. How are you going to harvest anything--a ladder? You have extremely little space inside the concrete Fort Knox you've created. There's almost no grow room vertically. You could easily have built a simple foundation and a sturdy roomy greenhouse on top of it. It's obvious that this isn't a greenhouse; it's a vanity construction project where you get to show off all you know about building stuff. Nothing wrong with that in a way, I guess, but what a colossal waste of time and expense. You should have built a normal greenhouse if that's what you wanted, and put all that other effort to building something worthwhile.
+RetroWeld thanks Douglas! It was not easy... but I'm glad it's progressing! btw... hope your trip was awesome! I'm guessing a few pints were tasted at a local pub:) Joe
I have loved your series on your greenhouse. I will be utilizing many ideas you have here, thank you. I am looking into the Sutter retaining system, but I'm not sure yet. My terraced backyard is significantly sandy and easy to dig up. Would the anchoring system utilized by Sutter be better, or doing concrete H/I beam posts with the sleepers? As my terraces will be inside the greenhouse, this is an optimal system to maximize my space.
Nice aesthetics and awesome project but... Once you get down to a point where you need a jackhammer, you can start the top of your retaining wall. Looks like you didn't really need one at all here, but se-la-vi. For a cheaper, long lasting version where you actually need a retaining wall, you need drainage behind the wall such as landscapers fabric filled with gravel/sand/rubble and a place for it to get out. Instead of the expensive H beams, you could use standard metal studs anchor bolted into the footer (in this case the bedrock) put some plastic on the inside of your form before the pour and the forms will come right off - no need for wood that will rot anyhow. Don't forget to put the drainage tubes before the pour to save some work. Alternatively, if you happen to have a lot of nice looking stone available for free, a slip form wall looks great and the amount of concrete needed is reduced. Dry stacked or mortared stone works too, but there is a bit of a learning curve to it.
What a lot of unnecessary work for inside retaining walls looks like you are drilling for oil why did you not just wack up a few blocks.? must of cost a fortune,i recently made a greenhouse from double double glazed windows my local window glazed company was happy to get rid of them made the roof and the sides cost me nothing,mind you my finished project is only 1sq meter still beggars cant be choosy.
This series pulled me to subscribe, very well done. I expect that it will outlive us all in terms of placement, geography and the structure build. I am betting you will eventually extend it in the future, so all the work in this building is like a keystone to that end. Now to go digging into the rest of your work.
Thanks STWT! Much appreciated! I've got plans for another sister structure... kind of a smaller, moveable, cold frame style... but with tracks! ... but I gotta get this one done first...lol Joe
Hi I noticed your childs play house outside next to the greenhouse, I wanted to warned you that many snakes like to hide in structures like that so look for places inside were there can roost the heat and teach your child to look before entering, greenhouse also will attract quick fix is moth balls the smell drives then away, my Grandfather had a hole obaut the size of a car and 6 ft deep cover with zinc planks to kind of creating a perfect Habitat for reptiles near the house He'll check in the morning and if he found any Dangerous snakes hell kerosene them, but it was by the Venezuelan rain forest so you might not have to deal with vipers and so many other as he had to to protect his many, many, many youngs like me. By the way beutifull greenhouse God bless.
Do you ship the hardware & posts to NY? I need to redo an aging pressure treated wall and block walls are too pricey and labor intensive for me to want to take on myself. This seems to be right in my comfort zone....
How would you go about making the retaining walls flush with perimeter of the greenhouse? Would you have just built the block walls straight down, had a foundation at the bottom and used that as a retaining wall?
For the concrete steps, usually you'd have to put in an underlay of aggregate but I'm guessing all that decomposed granite makes this unnecessary for you?
+weetreebonsai Thanks WTB! Yes, I hoping the QA will answer many of the more common questions that I get regarding it. I'm also hoping to have some good data soon regarding the temperatures with and without ventillation... kinda seeing the difference:) joe
good job buddy well done and don't worry about the airfoil question because to make an airfoil air needs to be passing both above and below the "wing" no air below the wing in your greenhouse
+DW Marschall Thanks DW! It really is a cool system... and if you aren't in rock, a super quick system to use as well! The guys are Sutter were extremely helpful with all of my questions too! Joe
I'm just discovering your channel and am really enjoying this series of videos. I'm kind of surprised at the lengths you went to build the retaining walls on the inside, considering how stable/hard the surfaces are. No harm in having them be extra secure but it looks like you could have saved yourself quite a bit of work. Oddly enough, my brother was just telling me how he wants to build a walipini sometime soon. I'm hoping to work with him on his project and potentially document it as well for my channel. Either way, thanks for sharing this! It's quite fun to watch and also learn some cool stuff.
Do you have water access in the greenhouse? This project is amazing. You might when it is all over talk about costs and planning and how you went about it and what you would do differently.
+Dolly Perry Hi Dolly... nope, no water access at this point, except for dragging a hose in there. And yes, I'll definitely have to touch on the changes I would make. So far there aren't too many changes... but there certainly are some...lol:) Joe
+C. D. M. haha... thanks CDM... this project has really taken on a life of its own but I'm happy it's nearing completion. then I can just worry about videos of me growing things, instead of digging and hammering, and drilling, and dust, et,c.... lol! Joe
Support pole pad looks wet. You should jack that beam up and put some rubber/tarpaper or a metal plate between the concrete and the wood to help prevent the bottom rotting.
Your daughter is a little cutie! I found your series as youtube was randomly playing various videos....looked around I decided to sub your channel. Nice job on that Greenhouse.
Thanks so much DJ! I think so for sure.. she's my little angel:) And I appreciate you checking out some of my vids... I hope I've got some more that will be of interest to youl:) Thanks for watching and let me know if you have any questions:) joe
+JRC Homestead Texas Thanks Donna! I saw you guys are tractor shopping... you ought to just come over to the Tucson area and shop and then you can see the greenhouse in person;) Joe
Wow, great job. Those pneumatic Rock Drills are no joke... I have used them and rivit busters on ocasion. I couldn't imagine using them horizontally like you did.... That's some tuff stuff. Good on ya fella, looks great.
Yes, if I had to do it over I would take steps to make the interior a bit more space friendly... but it's what I got for now. thanks for checking it out:)
Good observation. In fact I was thinking, with all of the work put into constructing those retaining walls, you might as well have jackhammered out the entire area under the roof, and created a much larger usable space .
Thanks Dave! You are too kind.. but if I was a bit smarter I wouldn't have to work so hard...lol.. I like trying all sorts of things.. but unfortunately I try them my way and that often isn't the easiest way;)
Hello Jay. I have watched all 5 of your Sunken Greenhouse Videos with mounting respect.Well done. Here in Victoria Australia summer is the real problem and winter can be a pest too.However I am building a greenhouse as well. You can be sure thatI will borrow(steal) some of your ideas. Kind regards David el Drako
Thanks David! Steal all you want:) That's why I put it out here... to give others ideas on their own projects :D If you are interested I have part6 up now and will have part 7 up in a week or two. Thanks for checking it out! And very cool to hear from Australia... definitely one of the countries I'd love to visit!! Joe
Hey Brother, my 28-year-old daughter is going to Hawaii for her birthday, but last week she flew in to do a DWD (Date With Daddy) before her trip. Watching your Pretty Little Philly do the intro on your lap brought me to tears. Keep her close, continue to teach her how a real man is supposed to treat her. Tell her she is beautiful every day and ask her this question after reading her bedtime story; "Did anyone tell you they love you today, because you deserve to be loved." I read bedtime stories and sang lullabies to my sons as well. Pro tip: Your wife may tease your out-of-tune singing, but to your children, your voice is the best sound in the world. Mornings began with my extended version of the "Sesame Street" song I would start humming on the edge of my bed and integrate two knocks on the hallway wall between stanzas. Then one day the most amazing thing happened, my crew, curled up covering their heads with blankets, and pretended to be asleep to ensure I finished the whole song. Then hugs and kisses all around. Let them see you cry, it will help your boys become stronger, nurturing men like yourself. last month an amazing thing happened, on their group text, I sent out the clarion call; "Did anyone tell you they love you today?" The two married men responded before the two single ladies.
You might've already said this, but ball park about how much did this cost? My wife and i are looking to build something almost identical to this. Looks perfect!
Using aircrete (concrete with foam mixed in it) will cut the weight in half and you can make a foam generator for around $40. This will make really good pavers.
I was waiting for you to make mention of rainwater harvesting... I watched your video where you display and explain your rain water harvesting system. I first learned of this for horticulture uses. Your system is more than RW collection for irrigation and really has me at a stage of brainstorm ideas...Something else came on my facebook. I will post a link for it. This item had me at a thought of what your reaction maybe...
Hi Richard... I do plan on harvesting RW for the greenhouse but just haven't finalized where/how I want to incorporate it. Should be soon though as our monsoons are just around the corner:) Joe
Your greenhouse is ridiculous! Ridiculously awesome. It looks great. When are you building another one? LOL I bet you are beat. That's alot of hard work. It should last you the rest of your life
Hey, since I am learning so much from your project I have something small to teach you as well :) QA = Quality Assurance. Q&A = Questions and answers. Thank you for all the work you put in for both explanations, quality videos and actually building the stuff yourself.
Your project is awesome. But if I may , temperature controlled spring triggered top vent . No electricity needed . It only takes one failure or forget to open vent Windows to kill your crop. Especially if they are a little dry. Just speaking from my own experience.
Over 20 years ago when I first moved to Alabama, I wanted to build an in ground greenhouse. the ground is very sandy here, so I knew I was going to have to at least put some 6 inch block along the walls. In your case, I wasn't saying to go any deeper, just make the whole interior the same depth as the center aisle. Though it is a shame that you live far enough from town that you are off the grid, but not far enough to escape their code enforcement bureaucrats.
haha... yes code enforcement has long arms. I try to work within the constraints as much as possible but in the end the bureaucrats will never be satisfied...lol! ... and yes, the walk way probably should have been a little wider...but it's gonna have to work for now...lol
Joe, that's a great structure! You'll have to replace the glass and framing multiple times before you have problems with the retaining walls beyond replacing some wood in them that may rot over the years. It's so well built, it makes most of the greenhouses the rest of us own look like bushcraft leanto's. Are you going to add any growing medium on top of the pea gravel or are you planning on leaving everything potted and only having your plants inside over the cold months and then back outside when it warms up? If momma ever does request that you to relocate to the dog house, all you'll need is to extend your wifi signal and you'll be good to go. haha Remember to put in the weather station and a remote temperature / humidity sensor inside the greenhouse to save you a lot of steps checking on your plants over time. Lastly, as you dream, are you thinking of several solar panels and the related power distribution system to power the pumps and lights for your hydroponics? Hey, guys can dream can't they?
+Lee Drew Oh man Lee! You're just putting more ideas into my head...lol! You get me thinking of new things all the time! As for growing medium, I'll probably do most in containers and just move em' out in the hottest 2-3 months. And the temp/humidity sensor is something I'm going to have to look into. haha... you got my mind going and google is going to get searched here pretty soon:) Joe
As much as I admire the thoroughness and quality of work in your projects, I can't help but feel that those retaining walls for this greenhouse are WAY overkill (almost discouraging). I could and would have done retaining walls with CMU block far easier than this anchor system! After all, it is a greenhouse, not a freeway overpass.
I think if I did it like that I'd turn it into both a greenhouse and a storm shelter
WORD! It's amazing work. Definitely a habitual overworker! Thanks for the ideas. I'll SIMPLIFY EVERYTHING. 🎉
Greenhouse doubles as bomb shelter haha :)
I hope I don't see that day...lol... but it will double as Daddy's little hangout!
Same thought!! LOL
Most over-engineered greenhouse I have ever seen...and the coolest!
xD
I have only seen this kind of set up twice in my life time. During the construction of the Hoover Dam and massive governmental bunkers. I can say with total confidence that this is the first Greenhouse Bunker I know of. Kudos.
I am all about over engineering, but if you have to drill into the wall to install anchors, what are the chances that the walls would ever be subject to collapse in the first place? it looks like the ground the greenhouse is sitting on is plenty stable to hold the entire structure without any retaining wall or reinforcement. Looking at your project, I am wondering why you didn't excavate a hole a little bigger than your greenhouse, build a block foundation all the way around and then build the greenhouse on top of the block? Rebar and concrete inside of the block would have been more than enough to provide a stable wall to build on. You went to the trouble to put the greenhouse under ground, but only dug out a walkway through the middle?
have to agree with all of this comment. a lot of work for what benefit? still nice work anyhoo
+Robert Morrison Yep, it's not the best way to do things. I've kinda been figuring as I go...lol:) And yes, the retaining wall probably wasn't absolutely crucial, as this rock is pretty darn stable. But it's something that I wanted to try, to make for a little nicer inside. In reality, I hope it inspires ideas for folks on their own projects versus a 'how to' or 'the way it should be done' kinda thing. It could certainly be more efficient, deeper, cheaper, etc,...lol. But it's an experiment in my mind still;)
And to your question of depth... that is actually something I purposely didn't do, was to make it more than 4ft deep. If it was, I'd invite all sorts of engineering/permit things from the 'department of whatever"...lol. Anyways, I know its not perfect but overall it's been a fun project and hopefully it'll provide a little payback in the winter:)
Thanks for watching Robert:)
Joe
+jumpleadsx2 Yep, it's more things that I wanted to try versus what actually is needed. I could've made do without stairs or even the retaining wall. But it's part of my experimental process and I hope it inspires ideas in others more than anything:) thanks for watching!
Joe
It sure looks pretty.
@@homesteadonomics buddy i was thinking the same as guys above, but i was also thinking about the amount of things I've done which weren't needed ha. Takes a man to admit it and accept the time wasted, but if you enjoyed it and the outcome is as amazing as it is 'who cares'.
HI from the uk.
Totally awesome man! just post it on Airbnb and it will pay off in 2 months before you start using it as a greenhouse ;) nonsense apart, really good!
haha... I love it! I could call it the 'sauna' and charge extra for the cleansing powers..lol! But seriously, I've actually thought about sleeping a night in there as it is really comfortable in there at night!
That's quite the project. I like the build quality. I tend to spend a lot of time and money on my projects as well. It's worth it if you get 10 to 20 years out of it. Your structure will probably last much longer than that. Great work!
+High Desert Garden (Phillip) Thanks Phillip! Yes, it has been a bigger project than I originally planned on, but it's been so fun to figure out and create it... ..but, now I can't wait to get some stuff growing in there this fall! :)
Joe
you could use the center support post,as a tool hanger,like you could put small question mark thingies and you could hang for example these small shovels for gardening,scissors and all your gardening stuff.I really like all of your projects,there awesome!!
Thanks so much Teo! Yes, I'm hoping to put the support to good use with shelving or some sort of other thing... the little hooks sound like great idea, might have to try to incorporate them :) ... and thanks for the kind words and checking out the vids Teo! I always enjoy reading your comments:)
Joe
Thanks for sharing, and greetings from Denmark.
What do you think about not using the H-posts, digging the whole greenhouse area out and let the concrete walls go all the way down. And after that make some beds filled with soil. Could that work?
I think I would prefer that.
You take quality to a whole new level. If you were a contractor, you'd never be out if work.
Thats and awesome job Joe.Ive got mine framed up fixing to begin the installation of the Poly carbonite panels.Now is when the real fun begins trying to video this process and make it look professional.Hope mine turns out as nice as yours good luck with yours.
Thanks so much! I'll be looking forward to checking out your greenhouse as well! The polycarbonate is some pretty tough stuff... I actually bent some completely in half and it popped back with out leaving any bend marks at all!
Thanks for watching:)
Joe
Hey Mr Handyman, that greenhouse is sooo way cool. Truly a labor of love. Something like that here in S AL would turn out to be a nice enclosed swimming pool lol.
+Scratch Made Homestead Thanks Danny and Les! Yes, it would certainly be a pool in most areas... BUT, if that happened, then I'd finally get a pond that I could stock with fish! So I'd totally be okay with it! :D
Joe
Love the series. Keep it coming- I'm excited to see some plants growing in there!
+jmklamm Thanks JMK! Should be at least one or two more parts and then the videos will be focused on whats 'growing on' in it (lol...John Kohler reference:)
Joe
Yeah, it'll be a perfect place for seed-starting in February!
Unlike, John, who buys all his plant starts from a nursery. You have the perfect setup for protected seedlings. Do you watch +Praxxus55712 channel? Great seed-starting advice there.
Next big purchase: soil cube maker!
That's no greenhouse. That's a nuclear bunker! Impressive!
How is this wall holding up? Are the posts still plumb? I'm thinking about purchasing this wall system for my home in upstate NY.
The system is still working very well! What you saw me have to do would be the extreme as most other soil types would be able to use a simple electric jack hammer and no drilling. I think it is a great system👍😀
Looks really great Joe!
+Darbin Orvar Thanks so much for checking it out Linn! Stay tuned for the pallet canoe project...lol... well maybe not all pallet wood;)
Joe
+homesteadonomics
Rain water catchment is a great idea. When it's all done and has some groceries growing in it then it will be super cool.
It looks beautiful. The wood along the steps and the inside walls are so simple and cool looking, though I know it wasn't simple to put in. I love it!! Perhaps it could be used as a guest suite when I come visit instead of a dog house. :)
+Blackberry Hideout yes... it's time for cocktails and converstions..greenhouse style!
top job, that retaining wall looks great, I hate those jack hammer's, used them them a lot, trying to open your hands after a day on those is sore.
Thanks Mackey! Yes, those jackhammers destroyed my grip, arms, etc,. for the rest of the day...lol!
That wall looked like an absolute bear to put up! Considering how solid the ground is, how will the water drain once you start planting in there? Or will the stones catch it all? Stairs came out great
+Robin Lewis haha... yes, it was...lol. I'm guessing the water will percolate through the gravel and eventually soak into the rock. It's pretty solid stuff but doesn't hold some water. But honestly, I'm just going to have to wait and see to really know for sure:)
Joe
Very nice end result! Appreciate the showing of how much effort you went to, to get it this far. (Great father-in-law and neighbor, too) Loved the "intro" assist by your cute little assistant!!!! :) Awesome job!
+MM X3 haha... I'm not sure you haven't just been watching to intro over and over and over...lol!
I scanned comments and didn't see anyone mention "If you get a down pour, will the greenhouse flood?"
Not sure if you just looked in this video but the previous 3 parts it was mentioned quite a bit;) thanks for watching:)
Thanks for all your videos. I have been thinking about doing this a lot for a while now so I thought I'd start looking up on TH-cam to see. if anyone else has done it. your plan is close to what I had in mind. everybody else I looked up. They didn't come close to what what I wanted. I'm curious how much money 💰 you had wrapped up in it.. You know just like the shell of the house. The base of the interior you know the stairs the retaining wall etc. what is the dimensions of this greenhouse to. Thank you for showing and sharing. Build on bro!!
6:39 I hope those concrete blocks are rebar reinforced and concrete filled where you connected that angle iron... Otherwise if you have any wet ground freezing and pushing those sleepers in, they're just going to take that block wall with them.
Awesome job, you do quality work
That is one structure that is not going anywhere Good job mate
Love seeing this project coming together. Great work. :)
Did I miss where you ended up using those PVC pipes you had embedded horizontally into the sides? Also, why such a robust retaining wall if the dirt (caliche) is like rock anyway?
You must live in a desert!
Where are you in the USA?
My problem will be keeping water OUT!
During winter, the water table rises to about 3-4 feet from the surface, so any holes deeper than that will fill with water. Wood will rot in 2-3 three years. What I'll have to do, is treat it like a pond, and line it with a waterproof membrane.
Then build a reinforced block wall inside it to retain the ground, which is mainly clay, with a good helping of rocks. [It's terminal Moraine, left over from the last glacial period, 10k years ago.]
I'm surprised that you put 'glass' front and back.
I would have thought that using the excavated material on the north side would have acted as a good heat sink.
Otherwise, I found the construction process interesting, and gave me some ideas.
Thanks.
dang joe, really nice, im starting to 'get it' as you make these finishing touches. thx for the share.
+Permaculture Homestead Thanks Tory! This project has taken on a life of its own...lol... I'm loving it and tired of it at the same time...lol! But I hope more than anything it inspires ideas in folks for there own versions:)
Joe
OOOOOKAY, I have a question. Retaining walls help retain things. That ground seems like basically stone. What kind of growing are you doing, to the point you are destroying the rock ground? This greenhouse is pretty sexy, but what about the cost? Seems a bit excess in a lot of the areas....
Beautiful work! I am a ummmm plant and construction professional, honest. That first tier should be just for potted plants. I am assuming you've another tier to finish? To put soil (should be sterilized potting soil btw) on top of your pea gravel would be to make a perched water table. Not good. I would keep that interior as artificial as possible. You are on top of the ventilation! Most do not know how critical air flow is for the greenhouse environment. Those pvc pipes...were they for air flow INTO the grow house or for drainage away from the grow house? Do you have perf pipe below those wood slats for drainage outside? This is beautiful if you are planning on using pots (and potting soil)...absolutely beautiful. I don't think without a lot of work you'll be able to make beds out of those tiers. Gravel, pea gravel, sand....below the soil of the bed (minimum 1') will make a perched water table; the small pore spaces in the soil will have to become saturated before any movement of water can happen into the large pore spaces of the pea gravel. Way too long for roots that need air...root rot and unhappiness. Those old 2X 's are to die for wood. You should put plastic between soil/gravel/rock and wood. The old PT wood has very suspect chemistry. Or did you coat the wood yourself! This would make a wonderful tiny home! Will you have water lines to this building? Do you have a well or do you have city water with sicko fluoride? Fluoride is pure industrial waste that you and your family should not be drinking and you do not want to water your plants that you eat with fluoride either. Looking forward to the finished product! btw, make sure you've some electricity out there for artificial lights and heating if you want to grow a bit during the winter. Maybe a hammock? Definitely FANS. Plant leaves should be in motion, oxygen taken out of the room and away from the plant leaves so that CO2 is allowed by the epidermis for use in photosynthesis. No smoking...tobacco mosaic virus will easily infect tomatoes and other plants. A sink would be wonderful. Mason bee housing and mason bees. No friend's pots and soil and funky plants to be allowed without a contamination period. No smoker friends without washing hands first. Shelves for fertilizer and notebooks. Music...definitely. What a wonderful space you are making!
This is insane. You have done a ridiculous over-engineered product that doesn't fit the supposed purpose. Plants grow up, and your planting space starts at waist level and above. How are you going to harvest anything--a ladder? You have extremely little space inside the concrete Fort Knox you've created. There's almost no grow room vertically. You could easily have built a simple foundation and a sturdy roomy greenhouse on top of it. It's obvious that this isn't a greenhouse; it's a vanity construction project where you get to show off all you know about building stuff. Nothing wrong with that in a way, I guess, but what a colossal waste of time and expense. You should have built a normal greenhouse if that's what you wanted, and put all that other effort to building something worthwhile.
Very cool system. You were working hard! Nice job.
+RetroWeld thanks Douglas! It was not easy... but I'm glad it's progressing! btw... hope your trip was awesome! I'm guessing a few pints were tasted at a local pub:)
Joe
I have loved your series on your greenhouse. I will be utilizing many ideas you have here, thank you. I am looking into the Sutter retaining system, but I'm not sure yet. My terraced backyard is significantly sandy and easy to dig up. Would the anchoring system utilized by Sutter be better, or doing concrete H/I beam posts with the sleepers? As my terraces will be inside the greenhouse, this is an optimal system to maximize my space.
Very cool. I was wondering how you were going to retain the walls in there.
Chuck
Thanks Chuck!
Joe
Nice aesthetics and awesome project but...
Once you get down to a point where you need a jackhammer, you can start the top of your retaining wall. Looks like you didn't really need one at all here, but se-la-vi.
For a cheaper, long lasting version where you actually need a retaining wall, you need drainage behind the wall such as landscapers fabric filled with gravel/sand/rubble and a place for it to get out. Instead of the expensive H beams, you could use standard metal studs anchor bolted into the footer (in this case the bedrock) put some plastic on the inside of your form before the pour and the forms will come right off - no need for wood that will rot anyhow. Don't forget to put the drainage tubes before the pour to save some work.
Alternatively, if you happen to have a lot of nice looking stone available for free, a slip form wall looks great and the amount of concrete needed is reduced. Dry stacked or mortared stone works too, but there is a bit of a learning curve to it.
What a lot of unnecessary work for inside retaining walls looks like you are drilling for oil why did you not just wack up a few blocks.? must of cost a fortune,i recently made a greenhouse from double double glazed windows my local window glazed company was happy to get rid of them made the roof and the sides cost me nothing,mind you my finished project is only 1sq meter still beggars cant be choosy.
Great for having vertical gardening options and a warm/tropical permaculture food forest.
+John Lord yes, I can't wait to get this things full of veggies!
Joe
This series pulled me to subscribe, very well done. I expect that it will outlive us all in terms of placement, geography and the structure build. I am betting you will eventually extend it in the future, so all the work in this building is like a keystone to that end. Now to go digging into the rest of your work.
Thanks STWT! Much appreciated! I've got plans for another sister structure... kind of a smaller, moveable, cold frame style... but with tracks! ... but I gotta get this one done first...lol
Joe
Hi I noticed your childs play house outside next to the greenhouse, I wanted to warned you that many snakes like to hide in structures like that so look for places inside were there can roost the heat and teach your child to look before entering, greenhouse also will attract quick fix is moth balls the smell drives then away, my Grandfather had a hole obaut the size of a car and 6 ft deep cover with zinc planks to kind of creating a perfect Habitat for reptiles near the house He'll check in the morning and if he found any Dangerous snakes hell kerosene them, but it was by the Venezuelan rain forest so you might not have to deal with vipers and so many other as he had to to protect his many, many, many youngs like me. By the way beutifull greenhouse God bless.
Explain The Purpose Of A Riving Knife On A Circular Saw?
Do you ship the hardware & posts to NY? I need to redo an aging pressure treated wall and block walls are too pricey and labor intensive for me to want to take on myself. This seems to be right in my comfort zone....
Too job
But if over engineering but it’s exactly what I’d do👌 if your gonna do it over do it👌
How would you go about making the retaining walls flush with perimeter of the greenhouse? Would you have just built the block walls straight down, had a foundation at the bottom and used that as a retaining wall?
For the concrete steps, usually you'd have to put in an underlay of aggregate but I'm guessing all that decomposed granite makes this unnecessary for you?
I hope you live in a weed legal state , cuz this structure is to fancy for plain *not weed* plants
Looks awesome and looking forward to all the Q's that will be coming up!
+weetreebonsai Thanks WTB! Yes, I hoping the QA will answer many of the more common questions that I get regarding it. I'm also hoping to have some good data soon regarding the temperatures with and without ventillation... kinda seeing the difference:)
joe
good job buddy well done and don't worry about the airfoil question because to make an airfoil air needs to be passing both above and below the "wing" no air below the wing in your greenhouse
Talk about over kill, ground that hard you could lay cinder blocks and be fine. There are little lateral forces to move a wall in your application.
Solid build. REALLY solid. Love that retaining wall system.
+DW Marschall Thanks DW! It really is a cool system... and if you aren't in rock, a super quick system to use as well! The guys are Sutter were extremely helpful with all of my questions too!
Joe
I'm just discovering your channel and am really enjoying this series of videos. I'm kind of surprised at the lengths you went to build the retaining walls on the inside, considering how stable/hard the surfaces are. No harm in having them be extra secure but it looks like you could have saved yourself quite a bit of work. Oddly enough, my brother was just telling me how he wants to build a walipini sometime soon. I'm hoping to work with him on his project and potentially document it as well for my channel. Either way, thanks for sharing this! It's quite fun to watch and also learn some cool stuff.
Do you have water access in the greenhouse? This project is amazing. You might when it is all over talk about costs and planning and how you went about it and what you would do differently.
+Dolly Perry Hi Dolly... nope, no water access at this point, except for dragging a hose in there. And yes, I'll definitely have to touch on the changes I would make. So far there aren't too many changes... but there certainly are some...lol:)
Joe
Do you brother don't worry about nobody else, A lot of people complain about everything, You cant satisfy everybody don't worry what they say bro :)
Little breeze LOL I guess you don't want the tourism board after you!
Great looking green house
+C. D. M. haha... thanks CDM... this project has really taken on a life of its own but I'm happy it's nearing completion. then I can just worry about videos of me growing things, instead of digging and hammering, and drilling, and dust, et,c.... lol!
Joe
Did you have to rent a special adapter to hammer in the H posts from somewhere or did you have to buy it out right from Sutter equipment?
How many years will it take you to grow the amount of vegetables equal to what it cost to build the greenhouse?
In a thousand years archaeologists will unearth this greenhouse, look at each other and say "I wonder who this guy was?"
Support pole pad looks wet. You should jack that beam up and put some rubber/tarpaper or a metal plate between the concrete and the wood to help prevent the bottom rotting.
Your daughter is a little cutie! I found your series as youtube was randomly playing various videos....looked around I decided to sub your channel. Nice job on that Greenhouse.
Thanks so much DJ! I think so for sure.. she's my little angel:) And I appreciate you checking out some of my vids... I hope I've got some more that will be of interest to youl:)
Thanks for watching and let me know if you have any questions:)
joe
the question is that do u have time and money to spend another bullshit like that ? just a few sqm greenhouse , really
This is great... very educational, thanks for the tips and showing how you handle your problems.
Great idea... But what happens when it rains ???
Is there a water drainage system underneath ???
lol, while good to watch, I think this your effort is a prime example of what people should be shown as the definition of OVERKILL.
If it rains hard.
That is going to turn in to a pond. The door is probably were the water will enter from.
Thanks Joe - I'm enjoying this series. It is giving some ideas for our greenhouse which is still a couple of years down the road.
+JRC Homestead Texas Thanks Donna! I saw you guys are tractor shopping... you ought to just come over to the Tucson area and shop and then you can see the greenhouse in person;)
Joe
+homesteadonomics we might just do that one day - I'd love to see your projects. thanks.
does the underground part make it cool in the summer? Or only warm inthe winter
Nice work man, look forward to seeing it's guts(plants).
Thanks DuFung! Me too!
Joe
What did you use to remove the largest park of the rock ground??
5000 bucks plus later and barelly enough space starters let alone a garden
You must have a very very understanding wife... Lol they always seem to think projects get done at the snap of a finger lol
+Travis Meering haha... she is a saint! and yes, you are right... "why isn't that greenhouse done already... it's been a whole week" LOL!!!!
A beam calculation could have totally replaced that support
Great job on the greenhouse! Bet you were a bit tender after working those jack hammers! (= Cheers!
oh hell yeah! Weak hands, arms... and just felt like a weakling for the rest of the day! lol
Wow, great job. Those pneumatic Rock Drills are no joke... I have used them and rivit busters on ocasion. I couldn't imagine using them horizontally like you did.... That's some tuff stuff. Good on ya fella, looks great.
Thanks Eric! Yes, they are a handful and made me feel like a weak man when I was holding them..lol!
Joe
great engineering but the internal space would be far too small for me ( and given the investment of time, energy and money.
Yes, if I had to do it over I would take steps to make the interior a bit more space friendly... but it's what I got for now. thanks for checking it out:)
Good observation. In fact I was thinking, with all of the work put into constructing those retaining walls, you might as well have jackhammered out the entire area under the roof, and created a much larger usable space .
Wow....I think you must be the hardest working guy on TH-cam....Seriously!!
Thanks Dave! You are too kind.. but if I was a bit smarter I wouldn't have to work so hard...lol.. I like trying all sorts of things.. but unfortunately I try them my way and that often isn't the easiest way;)
Too much work and expense for such a small greenhouse.
What is the solution if it rains!? Please someone explain it. Thx
Hello Jay. I have watched all 5 of your Sunken Greenhouse Videos with mounting respect.Well done. Here in Victoria Australia summer is the real problem and winter can be a pest too.However I am building a greenhouse as well. You can be sure thatI will borrow(steal) some of your ideas. Kind regards David el Drako
Thanks David! Steal all you want:) That's why I put it out here... to give others ideas on their own projects :D
If you are interested I have part6 up now and will have part 7 up in a week or two.
Thanks for checking it out! And very cool to hear from Australia... definitely one of the countries I'd love to visit!!
Joe
Je n'est pas tout conprie
Je tien à vous dire magnifiques serre
Magnifiques travail 👌👍
J'adore 😉
Bien le bonjour de Paris 🗼
looks like it will last a hundred years, thats one tough greenhouse.
Hey Brother, my 28-year-old daughter is going to Hawaii for her birthday, but last week she flew in to do a DWD (Date With Daddy) before her trip. Watching your Pretty Little Philly do the intro on your lap brought me to tears. Keep her close, continue to teach her how a real man is supposed to treat her. Tell her she is beautiful every day and ask her this question after reading her bedtime story; "Did anyone tell you they love you today, because you deserve to be loved." I read bedtime stories and sang lullabies to my sons as well.
Pro tip: Your wife may tease your out-of-tune singing, but to your children, your voice is the best sound in the world.
Mornings began with my extended version of the "Sesame Street" song I would start humming on the edge of my bed and integrate two knocks on the hallway wall between stanzas. Then one day the most amazing thing happened, my crew, curled up covering their heads with blankets, and pretended to be asleep to ensure I finished the whole song. Then hugs and kisses all around.
Let them see you cry, it will help your boys become stronger, nurturing men like yourself.
last month an amazing thing happened, on their group text, I sent out the clarion call; "Did anyone tell you they love you today?" The two married men responded before the two single ladies.
great job those stairs turned out great..tfs
Thanks Mark:)
Joe
I believe it was Overkill good job but Overkill
thats mint, with a bit of tweaking an you could live in that lol
what a persistence man. thank you sharing your experiences bravely with us...BUT
set a thief to catch a thief...
You might've already said this, but ball park about how much did this cost? My wife and i are looking to build something almost identical to this. Looks perfect!
You lost me dude - these aren't supposed to require a $100,000 budget.
Ha, you said the concrete cured, not dried. Way to go.
Using aircrete (concrete with foam mixed in it) will cut the weight in half and you can make a foam generator for around $40. This will make really good pavers.
I was waiting for you to make mention of rainwater harvesting... I watched your video where you display and explain your rain water harvesting system. I first learned of this for horticulture uses. Your system is more than RW collection for irrigation and really has me at a stage of brainstorm ideas...Something else came on my facebook. I will post a link for it. This item had me at a thought of what your reaction maybe...
Hi Richard... I do plan on harvesting RW for the greenhouse but just haven't finalized where/how I want to incorporate it. Should be soon though as our monsoons are just around the corner:)
Joe
Great job. But I did the dusty works before I covered my greenhouse with polycarbonat.
Your greenhouse is ridiculous! Ridiculously awesome. It looks great. When are you building another one? LOL I bet you are beat. That's alot of hard work. It should last you the rest of your life
Thanks HD! I hope it lasts a good while for sure! because I don't want to have to redo it...lol!
Joe
lol i dont think those walls were ever going to collapse..
Wow, awesome! It's coming together, and your "crew" chicks are very cute.
Those walls came out beautifully! I want to do this!
+handrew311 Thanks Handrew!
joe
Hey, since I am learning so much from your project I have something small to teach you as well :) QA = Quality Assurance. Q&A = Questions and answers. Thank you for all the work you put in for both explanations, quality videos and actually building the stuff yourself.
Your project is awesome. But if I may , temperature controlled spring triggered top vent .
No electricity needed .
It only takes one failure or forget to open vent Windows to kill your crop. Especially if they are a little dry.
Just speaking from my own experience.
Over 20 years ago when I first moved to Alabama, I wanted to build an in ground greenhouse. the ground is very sandy here, so I knew I was going to have to at least put some 6 inch block along the walls. In your case, I wasn't saying to go any deeper, just make the whole interior the same depth as the center aisle. Though it is a shame that you live far enough from town that you are off the grid, but not far enough to escape their code enforcement bureaucrats.
haha... yes code enforcement has long arms. I try to work within the constraints as much as possible but in the end the bureaucrats will never be satisfied...lol! ... and yes, the walk way probably should have been a little wider...but it's gonna have to work for now...lol
Joe, that's a great structure! You'll have to replace the glass and framing multiple times before you have problems with the retaining walls beyond replacing some wood in them that may rot over the years. It's so well built, it makes most of the greenhouses the rest of us own look like bushcraft leanto's. Are you going to add any growing medium on top of the pea gravel or are you planning on leaving everything potted and only having your plants inside over the cold months and then back outside when it warms up? If momma ever does request that you to relocate to the dog house, all you'll need is to extend your wifi signal and you'll be good to go. haha Remember to put in the weather station and a remote temperature / humidity sensor inside the greenhouse to save you a lot of steps checking on your plants over time. Lastly, as you dream, are you thinking of several solar panels and the related power distribution system to power the pumps and lights for your hydroponics? Hey, guys can dream can't they?
+Lee Drew Oh man Lee! You're just putting more ideas into my head...lol! You get me thinking of new things all the time! As for growing medium, I'll probably do most in containers and just move em' out in the hottest 2-3 months. And the temp/humidity sensor is something I'm going to have to look into. haha... you got my mind going and google is going to get searched here pretty soon:)
Joe
Great Video! Thank-you