My adventure into hoop house building...

After 4 long hours, I finally have a completed hoop house. It should have been a simple project but you will soon find out that things at my house are not always simple.


Supply list:

7 pieces of 1/2" pvc pipe 10 ft long
1 piece of 3/4" pvc pipe 10 ft long
5-1/4" machine bolts with nuts and washers 2 1/2" long
10 pipe clamps (holders) to secure to wood frame
tape measure
marking pen
10 ft wide by desired length clear plastic
saw to cut pvc pipe to 8 ft (if desired)
duct tape
a couple clamps borrowed from the husband
20 1" or 1 1/2" deck screws



Now this is one item on the supply list that can either help or hinder any well thought out project. Sorry guys but I am sure you ladies know what I am talking about. The hoop house was supposed to be a simple project. Take a 3/4" pvc pipe, measure out where to drill holes and drill holes to make a spine. Take the 1/2" pvc pipe, mark the center and drill some holes. Now take the 1/2" pvc and bolt it to the 3/4" piece to look like ribs. Now screw the clamps to the raised bed frame, place the pvc ribs into place and tighten down....yeah it should have been that simple.

Enter the husband. It started out with something like "No, no, no, you don't just drill a bunch of holes and start bolting things together. Where is your measured drawing?" It was precisely then I knew I was in for a very long day. Now don't get me wrong, I love the man but simple is just not in his vocabulary! "Well dear," I say, "I was watching this utube and I know what to do. Would you like to see it?" Of course I knew exactly what he was going to say, "I don't need no stupid tube thing to show me how to make this thing". So I quietly explained what I wanted and where, pulled up a chair and grabbed a book and told him to let me know when he needed me to hold things or hand things to him.


A couple jigs, lots off cuss words, and a few hours later, my hoop house (and most of my book) was done. The only thing left to do is to place the plastic over the top. But then, someone insisted that he was positive he had enough so there was no need to buy another roll....

If you need a measured drawing just let me know and I'll see if my husband will share. Also don't forget, the little clamps need to be precisely down 2 1/2" from the top of the board and the bottom of the pvc pipe needs to be precisely down 4" from the bottom of the clamp and the center of the pvc pipe needs to be precisely 28" apart and...well lets just say I'm glad it was a nice sunny day outside.

I did get him to also agree to let me have another 10 ft of lawn to add 4 more raised beds so I am sure I will have another story to tell in My Little Corner of the World. Kim