I'm finally ready for winter!

[abqjoe]

I'm finally ready for winter! I just have to put on a few final touches on my winter structure and build the benches and I'm done I did manage to tear off the tip of my thumb yesterday building this beast lol, but it was worth it! As you all can see, I kinda sandwiched this structure in-between the wall and my house and it's on the north side of my yard. Behind the wall is 12' of dirt fill and then of course my house is insulated so temps should be pretty darn consistent. I will put DOW blue board in the door and on the roof too. I didn't build a floor because I figured I'd be watering here and there throughout winter so the floor is the existing gravel.

For security measures the door hinges are bolted on with 5/16" bolts, washers through the back, and red loctite. The locking mechanism is attached with 1/4" carriage bolts and also has washers on the back side with loctite as well. This structure is 12' long X 5' wide and 8' tall.

For the roof I went with tar paper, tar, and shingles and then sealed the sides with Dow Corning 795

I also need to build a greenhouse for my tropicals.

Everything sealed with Dow Corning silicone of course!

Gravel for the floor in the greenhouse too. Makes no sense to build a floor if you're going to be watering! I put down poisonous pellets that activate with water for the pests living beneath the gravel. Temperature is set at 58F which is warm enough for the Tropicals to be comfortable and cool enough for my Oak to have some kind of a winter

 

[GrimLore]

Very nice work! Grimmy is grinning!

Grimmy

 

[Cadillactaste]

Nice...assuming you have alarm thermometers to let you know if you get to cold or to hot. Which will set off an alarm in your house if it gets to a dangerous temp either direction. Mine go off in winter when we had that arctic spell a few years back, thanks to Judy I added a second heater and kept them In a safe zone for the trees to not die...and on our warm days to allow me to vent and get the heat out. Which also can be dangerous... Good luck...wintering and the variables of unknown is somewhat stressful at times. But, come spring when your trees all wake up. It's a good feeling and you breath a sigh of relief...and winters come and go much easier after that.

 

[abqjoe]

Nice...assuming you have alarm thermometers to let you know if you get to cold or to hot. Which will set off an alarm in your house if it gets to a dangerous temp either direction. Mine go off in winter when we had that arctic spell a few years back, thanks to Judy I added a second heater and kept them In a safe zone for the trees to not die...and on our warm days to allow me to vent and get the heat out. Which also can be dangerous... Good luck...wintering and the variables of unknown is somewhat stressful at times. But, come spring when your trees all wake up. It's a good feeling and you breath a sigh of relief...and winters come and go much easier after that.

Yes I am actually using bluetooth thermometers that are linked to my phone via app that will alert me. For my cold storage I also picked up a climate control power outlet that will allow me to run both a cooling unit and a heater at the same time if I so desire and I can program each individually I plan on setting the temp on the cold storage at 35F and only allow it to drop to 32F before engaging the heater. I think that temperature would be optimal.

Here is the bluetooth thermometer that I'm running in my greenhouse right now.

Here's the climate control power outlet that I will be running in my cold storage.

 

[JudyB]

Good job Joe. If you are going to own trees like you have, it's important to put the work into winter protection. Nice to see...

 

[ml_work]

Joe, I see the Green House, ( and it is Really Nice) but what is behind the Pad Lock Door and shingled roof?

 

[abqjoe]

Joe, I see the Green House, ( and it is Really Nice) but what is behind the Pad Lock Door and shingled roof?

All hardware is attached to a 4x4 with 1/8" aluminum plate. Back of the structure is a cinder block wall.

 

[aml1014]

Lookin good bro! Let's see the inside!

Aaron

 

[abqjoe]

Lookin good bro! Let's see the inside!

Aaron

I'll post some pics once the benches are finished.

 

[JudyB]

Do you have any plans for ventilation? That is the only thing that I can see might be an issue with such a closed system. Not only for heat buildup (which can be the worst thing) but also for fresh air exchange. As you are on the north side and looks like you'll be shaded, maybe warmth won't be a problem, but I'd do something to get some air moment in there.

 

[abqjoe]

Do you have any plans for ventilation? That is the only thing that I can see might be an issue with such a closed system. Not only for heat buildup (which can be the worst thing) but also for fresh air exchange. As you are on the north side and looks like you'll be shaded, maybe warmth won't be a problem, but I'd do something to get some air moment in there.

Yea heat won't be a problem in this structure but I am playing around with a couple of idea's for ventilation right now. Over the next couple of days I'll have my thoughts worked out. As it stands now though this structure consistently stayed 10 degrees cooler in the day time and 10 degrees warmer at night time compared to outdoor temps. Temps never went outside the 40's yesterday and the daytime got up to 59 and 32F at night There is an opening towards the rear of the structure that's 5' wide and 12" tall that I haven't even closed up yet and still the temps were very consistent. I really don't think that I'll need heat in there even in the single digits but I'll have the option if need be. I don't think this structure is anymore closed up than an unheated garage, just waaaay better insulated because it sits directly between my house and a cinder block wall that is back-filled with 12' of dirt on the other side.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Yea heat won't be a problem in this structure but I am playing around with a couple of idea's for ventilation right now. Over the next couple of days I'll have my thoughts worked out. As it stands now though this structure consistently stayed 10 degrees cooler in the day time and 10 degrees warmer at night time compared to outdoor temps. Temps never went outside the 40's yesterday and the daytime got up to 59 and 32F at night There is an opening towards the rear of the structure that's 5' wide and 12" tall that I haven't even closed up yet and still the temps were very consistent. I really don't think that I'll need heat in there even in the single digits but I'll have the option if need be. I don't think this structure is anymore closed up than an unheated garage, just waaaay better insulated because it sits directly between my house and a cinder block wall that is back-filled with 12' of dirt on the other side.

Can we see a photo of the area...with the bolted gate open? I just can't get a visual on your description. So your intentions are to have this area left open? See it wasn't mentioned on the description of the area in your first description. Just trying to visualize an open door so to speak on a very cold day...32 outside is far from cold I'm thinking of.

You may not get that arctic temps we occasionally get though. That...is an entirely different ball field one is playing on then. My heater can't even keep up...and secondary is brought in. Can't imagine an open area to that degree. But, you may not see my winters.

 

[abqjoe]

Can we see a photo of the area...with the bolted gate open? I just can't get a visual on your description. So your intentions are to have this area left open? See it wasn't mentioned on the description of the area in your first description. Just trying to visualize an open door so to speak on a very cold day...32 outside is far from cold I'm thinking of.

You may not get that arctic temps we occasionally get though. That...is an entirely different ball field one is playing on then. My heater can't even keep up...and secondary is brought in. Can't imagine an open area to that degree. But, you may not see my winters.

No, tree's will be locked behind closed doors......

 

[Cadillactaste]

No, tree's will be locked behind closed doors......

I meant the 5' by 12" opening you mentioned. It sounded you were locking them up...which you just admitted to now...my question wasn't clear...it was the opening you mentioned. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[abqjoe]

I meant the 5' by 12" opening you mentioned. It sounded you were locking them up...which you just admitted to now...my question wasn't clear...it was the opening you mentioned. Sorry for the confusion.

The opening is at the back of the structure between the block wall and the roof. I actually closed it up today.

 

[Cadillactaste]

The opening is at the back of the structure between the block wall and the roof. I actually closed it up today.

But, I thought that was your solution to ventilation...you closed it up? I'm clueless...wishing you well this winter. Even with a garage...on a hot day...your opening windows or doors to vent. Just keep that in mind.

 

[abqjoe]

Almost finished Just have to plywood the ceiling, hang a couple of lights, and run my outlet. This cold frame stays in the 40's consistently, went down to 39f when it was 18f outside which is perfect! It's been as hot as 53f outside and this cold frame stayed around 44f inside. The humidity amazes me though as it's always 70%-90% which I can't understand for the life of me lol. My greenhouse isn't even that high on average.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Looks sealed up tight...

Is that duct tape on the Ume's pot?

 

[abqjoe]

Looks sealed up tight...

Is that duct tape on the Ume's pot?

Yea it got blown off the bench in August. No damage to the tree and it was wired to the pot and rather than repot during the wrong time of year I chose to just tape the pot back together to not further disturb the tree. Here is the new pot that it will be going in come Spring time

 

[Cadillactaste]

Better the pot than the tree! Might be apt to bungee the tree down next time it's out on the bench. Some tend to be more top heavy with a good wind.