Geneology Detectives: I Need Your Help! (Or Somebody's!)
sylviatexas1
7 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (9)
User
7 years agoRelated Discussions
I need your help with an idea I have for a Commercial Greenhouse
Comments (16)Sorry this may ramble a bit, but so much is going through my little head right now, I'm just letting it out as I think of it. This is bringing up lots of memories of when my dad started out with a small lean-to on the side of the house to sell tomato plants 35 years ago. That business grew several times until we had a single 40 X 50 greenhouse that took up the entire back yard. We now have 5 acres and multiple greenhouses at another location that I have run since 1997 and now produce and sell over 100,000 plants per season. So this is coming from a grower/retailer perspective. Check that you can sell items that aren't grown in your greenhouse. I have to grow 75% of what I sell on site in my zoning. Buy a greenhouse with the appropriate snow load/wind rating for your area. It doesn't take much wet snow to collapse a poorly designed greenhouse. I have two from a Canadian company-Harnois (the third is from a company that I think and hope are now out of business-they were awful to deal with). They were easy to put up and have worked great for us. The last one I bought (30 x 48-which probably the minimum you should consider) was about $7,000 nearly 10 years ago. This price included one heater and three roll up motors and two layers of plastic. I had to build my own end walls to save a little money but you can buy an endwall package separately. You will need electricity for the roll up vents (side and peak) and for the ignition for gas heater(s). But that requirement would be less than for exhaust fans for a ghs with no vents. I wouldn't risk my plants in somebody else's greenhouse that couldn't keep them heated if needed. Nor would I trust my hard work to a greenhouse made from PVC. You need one large enough that people can walk around comfortably and accommodate each vendor. Hoop houses generally don't have a lot of head room along the sides unless you get a high tunnel. If you expect the business to grow get a greenhouse that may be a little larger/wider than you think you need. Otherwise you will be replacing the small one real soon-kind of a waste of money. We went from lots of small greenhouses to a couple larger greenhouses to the single large house and now several large greenhouses. Buy something that is intended to be a greenhouse-you don't want to be jerry rigging something that might not work as expected. There are plenty of professional greenhouse manufacturers (Nexus, Atlas, Jaderloon, Conley, Harnois,etc) out there that will help you. They also will have the proper materials to use and be able to provide you with some guidance. You'll be much happier and the product will probably last a lot longer. Check out Greenhouse auction This is a past auction that still has 450,000 square feet of greenhouse left from a bankrupt nursery. They will arrange shipping for a fee. My hoop houses (20 x 48 & 17 x 48) are open at one end where I can pull the plastic up or lower it to get air and cool off the house. The other end has a regular sized door. The larger one is made so I can pull up the sides about 2 feet off the ground using ropes. Even when fully open, they get 100F + by late May or about 20-30ºF warmer than outside. I use these to hold plants-no customers allowed. Trust me, nobody wants to stay in those conditions for very long-customers or vendors. I also would be leery of the pest issue. Even if everyone has 100% pest free plants (extremely unlikely IMHO) you will get pests. Who will be responsible, and what kind of controls will you use? Preventative or curative? An ornamental grower will have different requirements than an a veggie or herb grower. You may have to have separate greenhouses and spray equipment etc. This idea opens you up to additional liability. If somebody else's plants are lost in your facility you'd better have insurance! Of course you should have insurance if the public will be on your property anyway (a hidden cost and a selling point to potential vendors) $25,000 is not a lot of money. You will run into lots of unexpected costs. Will you have to make other improvements to accommodate the public and vendors-like bathroom facilities? How quickly do you expect to get a return on your money? The people who you should listen to as far as the type of structure are the people who would be using it. What are their needs and concerns? Taking the plastic off in the winter raises a few comments/questions. I assume that you would recover in the late winter/early spring. I don't know about your area but in mine that time of the year is the worst time to try to stretch a huge piece of plastic because most days are breezy. It takes only the slightest breeze to fill a greenhouse cover like a giant sail. You have to do the job when there is no breeze otherwise, you will be miserable trying. It is also a job for several people. The larger the greenhouse the harder it is to cover. Although easier to cover a small greenhouse heats up extremely quickly and has other disadvantages as well. $10 a day is a lot to pay for a vendor-farmers markets in our area cost $50 for the whole season (May thru November, one day per week). Maybe you should charge for the whole season instead of by the day. Or do both but give a discount if they pay for the whole season up front. That gives them an additional incentive to show up everyday. You have to convince your vendors that you have something to offer for their money. And it needs to be something they can't do on their own and will make them money. Find out what they expect and need and then offer that to them. What would the advantage be to have their plants in your greenhouse if they have their own already. Is this advantage worth them paying a little extra money to you? Who will take care of promoting the market? Pay for advertising? Hope this helps!...See Moreneed a fireplace detective
Comments (1)A Certified Chimney Sweep should be able to answer your questions. Sounds like your fireplace has been used to burn either coal or coke and it has a gas ignitor to start the fire. Coke is coal that has been heated in a coke oven to drive off the impurities and make a fuel that burns hotter than coal. It is primarily used in large steelmaking facilities such as the one where I work. I would make sure that all of your chimneys are inspected by a certified sweep before you light a fire....See MoreBacksplash Question-Painless I promise, but I need your help
Comments (17)But let me ask you this--which way would the cut size face? Or do we "buff" it to look like it wasn't cut? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Would the corners be mitered? Being that the field tile will be cut into the design, and the rhomboids would be full tiles, I'd think you want to keep the cut edge out toward the field. I know about the bullnose pieces for the sides, but do people use those along the top, where the backsplash hits the cabinet? Does it look more finished? You SHOULD just about have full tile under your cabinets. There should be just about 18" between countertop and bottom of the upper cabinets. In fact, I'd measure and lay some tiles out dry jut to make sure you wouldn't end up with a gap at the top. Either way, though, Just use field tile at the top. Where it goes up by the hood, you ca just continue the field. If you have other places where it'll be open on top, you can simply add a piece of bullnose to the top of the field tile, so that the bullnose extends up past the bottom of the upper cabinets, as shown in the following picture:...See MoreCan you help me find smoke detection for the elderly
Comments (27)I work with some non-profit organization who replace smoke detectors and batteries for the seniors at not cost to them. From time to time, the smoke detector companies provide the fire departments with FREE smoke detectors, which in turn get installed by one of the local charity groups! So start with your local fire department and see if they have such a program. Or, they may be able to tell you if there is a charity group that does provide that type of service to seniors. Also, check with some of the local church groups as some have a group of gentlemen who provide that service at no charge to the senior! Several yrs ago we received a pallet of smoke detectors that had the lithium batteries and was a sealed unit. When the unit stopped working i.e. 10 Yrs., you replaced the unit! Now we recently received some wireless smoke detectors for use in older homes that do not have hard wired detectors. When installed, if one unit goes off, they all will go off! And for the life of me I can't remember what type of batteries they used. Sorry! Hope this helps! AL...See Moresylviatexas1
7 years agoElmer J Fudd
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agohounds_x_two
7 years agosylviatexas1
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoOlychick
7 years agochisue
7 years ago
Related Stories
LAUNDRY ROOMS8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Laundry Room
These super-practical laundry room additions can help lighten your load
Full StoryBEDROOMSThe Right Mattress: The Secret to a Great Night’s Sleep
We spend a third of our lives asleep, so investing in a quality mattress is essential. Check out this expert advice to help you choose yours
Full StoryLIFEThe Wisdom of Kenny Rogers, for Declutterers
No need to gamble on paring-down strategies when the country music legend has already dealt out some winning advice
Full StoryFUN HOUZZ14 Things You Need to Start Doing Now for Your Spouse’s Sake
You have no idea how annoying your habits at home can be. We’re here to tell you
Full StoryLIFEHouzz Call: Where (and What) Are You Reading This Summer?
Whether you favor contemporary, classic or beach reads, do the long and lazy days of summer bring out the lit lover in you?
Full StoryTRADITIONAL ARCHITECTUREHow to Research Your Home's History
Learn what your house looked like in a previous life to make updates that fit — or just for fun
Full StoryLIFEHow to Outsmart Backyard Critters
Learn to think like a raccoon, skunk or squirrel to keep your home safe and your garden intact
Full StoryLIGHTING12 Fun Light Fixtures Made From Found Objects
Trash became treasure in these one-of-a-kind lights. See if they inspire your own DIY pendant project
Full StoryMOST POPULARHow High Should You Mount Your TV?
Today we look at an important question to consider when locating your television: How high should you set it?
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES7 Tips to Sell Your Home Faster to a Younger Buyer
Draw today's home buyers by appealing to their tastes, with these guidelines from an expert decorator
Full Story
jemdandy