Our first 10x12 HFGH glitch

18 years ago

We started building our 10x12 HFGH yesterday and quickly got to our first glitch. Part #7 (corner posts) are supposed to be two 7a's and two 7b's. All our #7s are all the same, and none of them have holes drilled like the picture, plus they are missing a set of holes. Does anyone have this problem and how are you dealing with it?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

gardenerwantabe
18 years ago
When I built mine I had the same problem others have found the same glitch. Since I bought one of the first ones I posted about the problems with assembling to help those who bought this model GH. Below is a link to the thread about the corner posts. I also posted about several other problems and how I cured them. You are at the first of many things that need to be fixed. I don't remember how many different post I made but their were several. Look at the other pages for post that I started about the 10x12 HFGH I posted detailed description of the modifications and even posted pictures of them. You can search these out and find a lot of info.

Here is a link that might be useful: HFGH
greginshasta
18 years ago
ok, to get the #7 pieces to fit, we had to re-drill the holes at the bottom. Then, once we attached 5/6 on each side to the #7 corner pieces, the 5/6 strips were 1/2" short of the other end. That meant that when we used the #47 tie-down brackets, they didn't rise from the rear base frames at a 90 degree angle - they had to come up at an angle.

Nevertheless, moving on...

Now I'm at pieces 24/25/27 which are mounted at the door end. The detail of the provided instructions, or the PDF which appears to be an updated (however incomplete) version, leave me at a loss.

The PDF says:
Assemble both Right- and Left-handed Side Ceiling Plates (12, 13) to one another. Also, assemble the Front-left and -right Ceiling Plates (24, 25) to the two holes in
yhe center of the Right Door Rail (27). Attach both ends of the Right Door Rail (27) to the holes in the Ceiling Plates (24, 25).

However, the Right Door Rail (27) ONLY HAS ONE HOLE, and that's at the end. Worse, the drawing of this aspect of the assembly shows NO DETAIL so one must guess what direction stuff goes in.

Could someone give me a nudge in the right direction here please?

I have to tell ya - anyone that is considering buying one of these should be very wary. If you don't have strong assembly skills and the necessary tools (at this point, I'm using 2 drills for a pilot and larger hole), I'd skip it and get something else!

Thanks!
Related Discussions
Freezing Rain and 10x12 HFGH!
Q
Comments (23)
Hi Nancy! Although I grew up in Sonoma Co, I haven't lived there since '95. The last place was out off of Bodega Hwy, west of Sebastopol. I still have relatives in the area and my brother lives in Penngrove. I still live by vinyards as well. There is one across the street and several down the road. Sonoma Co has been sort of home base since '68. Whenever we moved , we always still had a house there. We sold completely out of the area in '95. I've been up here for about five yrs and we sold out of Ca completely last March. I still love that area, even though most of what I knew and loved is gone. Even the parts of the Palm Springs area that I loved are gone! Congrats on the length of your marrage by the way! My parents have been married for 41yrs. You don't see a lot of long marrages anymore! I don't know how much you've been following or how long. Other than being far too busy, my largest issue has been trying to cover ALL of my bases in chosing a greenhouse. I'm actually glad that I delayed one more year. It's so easy to forget, during summer, exactly how much water and snow that I get. Many close potential building sites are either far too wet or stay far too cold/frozen all winter. All of the best places are taken, by the house, barns, etc. Something's gotta give up some room!! I don't know if you read some of my earier musings. It gives some ideas that I'm wanting, worrying and fussing over! I really want the effort to go into the planning and construction, not continual repairs and climate maintenance! I want some size for the climate stability.(I'm also greedy and want the space!) Scott Here is a link that might be useful: Sustainable Solar Greenhouses
...See More
10x12 HFGH photos + a drip system question
Q
Comments (7)
I posted new photos of the greenhouse (3rd box and floor are now complete) http://www.gbdg.net/g2/main.php?g2_itemId=93 as well as the completed garden http://www.gbdg.net/g2/main.php?g2_itemId=16&g2_page=3 There are photos of another HFGH that features fans. I'm quite certain you can rig a fan up there so long as the extention does not conflict with any bracing you installed (such as the 1/2" rigid conduit that I and others used to brace the walls.) The timbers that form the footing of the GH are 2x12 pressure treated fir. I did that a year ago when I started this project, but today I would have used the same rough cedar which I discovered later that summer at a local mill. I used the same PT fir for the outside steps and cedar for the interior steps. The steps make access to the GH a lot more convenient and being in snow country it allowed the base of the GH to be largely above the level of the typical snowfall here. This is our first season growing in the GH but it's mid-July and we just recently pulled out the lettuce and spinach that had gone to seed. A new lettuce crop (seeds)is in the newly built 3rd box - time will tell how that goes. It gets awfully hot in there though. As for weight, someone else might answer that. I strapped the various shelves to the sides and have seen no problem from the weight of the starting trays. However, I plan to replace the shelves (right now we are using the wire closet organizer shelves) with the style that Cactusfreak features in his HFGH photos. I want the additional space they will provide as well as to have them supported by pipes mounted above the raised bed boxes.
...See More
New 10 x 12 HFGH
Q
Comments (25)
That is a nice link you posted there. I am sory but I do belive the webpage title greenhouse.gov actually means "green"-house as in energy efficent not Greenhouse for storing/growing plants. The only place I read where they say not to insulate the floor was if I was trying to cool the house. As I said earlier I am using this greenhouse for winter protection. The R values that they use in Austraila are measured differently then here. I can only imagin that R 1.5 would be close to the same as our R 13 for exterior walls and R 30 is normal for cielings here but they call it R 2. Below is from the Department of Energy link..... Insulation Priorities It is most important to: Insulate your attic to the recommended level, including the attic door, or hatch cover. Provide the recommended level of insulation under floors above unheated spaces, around walls in a heated basement or unventilated crawl space, and on the edges of slabs-on-grade. Use the recommended levels of insulation for exterior walls for new house construction. When remodeling or re-siding your house, consider using the levels recommended for new construction in your existing walls. Next Section - How Does Insulation Work for You? Here is a link that might be useful: Department of Energy
...See More
A Guide to the Modifications of 10X12 HFGH
Q
Comments (10)
Good morning Jeymac, Iâve been happy with the solution of putting wood framing along the inside of the base channel. I do think it strengthens it somewhat (prevents the c-shaped channel from flexing as easily.) Also after years of living with the greenhouse, I think the bottom of that channel would have been a great catch place for bits of gravel, plant leaves, dust, bugs, and other greenhouse debris. Having the wood there makes it look cleaner, and it really does stay a bit cleaner too. Iâm sure my wood does not look as pristine as it did, years ago, after I slobbered water all over the benches, week in and week out. But I never notice it, back there under the benches. Neither my husband or I can recall what Gardenerwantabeâs base braces looked like, although I bet at the time we looked at those photos and considered that. We must have decided they were not critical, along with the wood we used, as we are both drawing a blank on what his braces were. I guess we are getting old? I donât really have any knowledge of anyone else using braces on their base to strengthen it, so I donât think itâs a deal breaker, but I do understand the wisdom of thinking through any options for adding strength as you go. I donât have a great source of larger photos for the details of joining two greenhouses together, although I try to watch for that on the web, since the question of joining two greenhouses comes up fairly often. There have been a few folks who have mentioned doing this on GardenWeb, but I donât think any have posted step by step close up shots. Funnylady has been super nice when we have emailed, and I hope she can give you more specific answers. If you folks do join two together, you might consider doing a thread on Gardenweb with the nitty gritty details of how you joined them....Iâll bet others would thank you, down the road! So many times, I find that everybody who builds one of these seems to find their own way for resolving some of these questions. I know we did, too; we researched everything we could ahead of time, but often ended up finding our own solution, based what seemed practical at that moment...what we could find in the garage to use...and/or what we could find in the aisles of Lowes. In other words, on most any of these modifications, youâll find there is more than one way to skin the cat...and the way you find may well be a better solution than what other folks have done. I didnât make any notes about the length of the bolts we used with the EMT, but since the EMT is Â¾â, weâre guessing maybe 1 Â¼â bolts. Just enough to slip through the drilled EMT and add a washer and nut. Best of luck with your build!
...See More
gardenerwantabe
18 years ago
That meant that when we used the #47 tie-down brackets, they didn't rise from the rear base frames at a 90 degree angle - they had to come up at an angle.

The above statement and the 5 and 6 being short tells me that you have something wrong. Since you drilled your own holes I would suspect that is the problem.
It is not all that difficult but unless you make the modifications that I spoke of it will collapse in the first high wind you get. Kinda sounds like you need to find someone to help you with this.
greginshasta
18 years ago
Nope, I don't think drilling holes in the #7 corner posts had anything to do with this. I attached parts 5 & 6 with the 3 pre-drilled holes in the center, and the result was that they were not long enough to reach the rear wall.
greginshasta
18 years ago
It is beginning to look like thread this could become the roadmap to revising the instructions for this junk GH.

Ok, so 2 part #31 pieces are to be laid next to each other. Then 2 part #48 brackets (about 4" in length) are attached perpendicular to those. The 4 pieces are then assembled with the long 66 bolts and nuts.

In the diagram, those #48 brackets would appear to be vertical. However, the holes in the #31 Rear Braces are not drilled to allow the 48's to be vertically oriented, perpindicular to the 31's. Due to the placement of the holes in the 31's, they are instead aligning diagonally.

For clarity, the #31 pieces are 5'10" in lengtt with 4 holes drilled along their length. The idea here is that it would appear that you are supposed to align them so they extend to roughly a 10'span and connect them with the #48 brackets. Bolts go through the last 2 holes where the braces are overlapped in the middle of the GH.

gardenerwantabe, or anyone else, did you find that these holes had to be redrilled, or did they line up, allowing the #48 brackets to stand vertically?

thanks (and no, I don't think I need to find someone to help. I'm very technical and this simply isn't working. the instructions are crap and holes appear to be incorrectly drilled. There are already 3 of us standing around this project scratching our heads.)
gardenerwantabe
18 years ago
The 48 bracket goes vertical use the bottom hole to bolt to the cross brace after the roof is put on then you will bolt part 18&19 to parts 48.Maybe you are in too big a rush because if you look at the illustration and read the instructions it is very clear how they go
As for part 5 and 6 the holes are drilled wrong. When you aliened the holes and bolted it together if you had took the time to look at it you would see that the holes are off for the wall studs and they will be at a angle.You need to turn them around and dill a new hole where they bolt together in the center,Yes their are many mistakes but it is not rocket science to figure out where the pieces go. Slow down take a look at the parts and it should be clear what you need to do. It is disappointing to buy something that needs so much changing but if you had paid a thousand dollars more it still would have been made in china and you probably would still have the same problems you would just be out a lot more money.
javan
18 years ago
Phew, and I thought building the 6X8 HFGH was hard! You folks are wizards. I really just want to appreciate you greginshasta for working through the problems and sharing what they are, and you gardenerwantabe for the encouragement and information about the process which you share so unstintingly. Bravo to both, and I do want to hear about how it continues to go (since my 6X8 is full and I'd love to get the 10X12.) All the best, Jim
gardenerwantabe
18 years ago
Posted by: greginshasta (My Page) on Sun, Mar 26, 06 at 19:17

Nope, I don't think drilling holes in the #7 corner posts had anything to do with this. I attached parts 5 & 6 with the 3 pre-drilled holes in the center, and the result was that they were not long enough to reach the rear wall.

Part#5 goes on the right and part#6 goes on the left this is when you are standing behind the GH facing the front. and only one of the holes line up in the center. You need to drill the other hole. If the holes in the center lined up then you probably have #6 on the right and #5 on the left. If that is what you did when it comes time to put the back wall studs in they will not line up with the holes at the top where they bolt to part #31
If your's is like mine and it probably is then the only way that the holes in the center would line up is if you had 5 and 6 reversed.
jimmydo2
18 years ago
Greetings Gardenerwantabe: ( I tried to send you an email directly, but GW would not let me :()
I think you have the patience of a saint. Being a relative newcomer to this site, and having the Fortune/Misfortune of having built one of the first 10x12's. It is great that you take the time to help out, clarify the instructions, and offer suggestions and advice to those of us who are drowning in the Chinese translated instructions that read like a home stereo instalation manual.

I think we all need to buy you a plant for your greenhouse. Personaly I am putting you on the top of my list as a recipiant for one of my hardy Duncan Grapefruit trees (Once I get them hardened ;))
gardenerwantabe
18 years ago
Jimmydo2
THANKS for the kind words.
I was thinking about you today I remember you said you would probably start on your's over the weekend.
I have never built a GH before but compared to somethings that I have built the GH was not all that bad.
A few years ago I wanted to put a D1-R Procharger on my Corvette and the company that builds it told me that it could not be done. When I ask why they said their engineers had not figured out a way to make it work and that if I got it to work I would not be able to put the hood on.
I bought the supercharger and installed it on my vette show car and have a house full of trophies that I won with it. This makes the greenhouse seem like child's play.
Getting back to the GH it did try my patience mostly because I thought that all I would have to do was assemble it and that was not the case. With all the mistakes and the modifications that needs to be done to make it survive a thunder storm it turned out to be a PITA
Jimmy i didn't set the forum up for the mail but if you need to contact me I have a account at hotmail you can reach me through it. R.E.Piper@hotmail.com don't forget to put the periods in. You can E-Mail me if you need any pictures of the mods beyond what I have already posted. I'm sure you saw those. Yesterday I laid the ground cloth then put down Styrofoam insulation covered it with sand and then laid the floor it is made from patio blocks. Took the day off today to rest and took the wife to a really big nursery today and she bought a few plants.
don_wilson
18 years ago
greginshasta
1.Had the same problem with 24/25/27&26. How did you
resolve the missing holes?
2.What's the best way to deal with the 31's in back?

Thanks for any input
greginshasta
18 years ago
don_wilson

By the time I got done screwing around with the incorrectly drilled #7 corner posts, I was so da*& angry at this PITA kit that I thought 24/25/27 were yet another problem. They are not.

Slip bolts into the slot at the back of 27, and align them with the holes in 24/25. Then bolt from the back of 24/25.

Similarly, the 31's were not a problem. My 30 & 31 braces have arrow stickers on them. Those must point toward the center. With that orientation things work out ok.

I did find, however, that to get the 31's to connect to the 49's, one of the 31's had to be pulled down a bit to the bolt location.

Find the other 10x12 HFGH thread. I have enumerated a number of thoughts as to how to overcome assembly problems.

With regard to the rear wall, now that I have it assembled, I really wish I had assembled the 2 center #14 posts, the #48 brackets, the #31 braces, and the posts that fit on top of the center #14 posts - all as one assembly on the ground. Then erect the whole dangthing at once.

It may not be for everyone, but I think it's worth trying.

Cheers,
Greg
don_wilson
18 years ago
Greg,

Thank you!!!!

Our first 10x12 HFGH glitch

Comments (13)

gardenerwantabe

greginshasta

Related Discussions

gardenerwantabe

greginshasta

greginshasta

gardenerwantabe

javan

gardenerwantabe

jimmydo2

gardenerwantabe

don_wilson

greginshasta

don_wilson

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US