Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

[saysfaa]

You might consider lime mortar instead of concrete. It is why ancient/medieval masonry walls don't get the cracks that modern masonry walls do so often.

I don't know the cons to using it, though. Or whether there are climates in which it is not a good fit.

 

[Sally PB]

CMUs (contrete masorny units, or "cinder blocks" colloquially)

Never heard the term CMU, except for Central Michigan University.

 

[fuzzi]

Working on that greenhouse.

Cutting 4x4s to lock together to use as my footer now. Getting a good sense of my elevation changes (Significant). Looks like I'm goign to have to teach myself how to mix mortar and set CMUs (contrete masorny units, or "cinder blocks" colloquially), then fill with concrete. After first digging a trench to serve as a footer, of course. In better news, it will keep the shallower grasses and blackberries from sending roots under the walls and into the greenhouse. May have to lay a french drain around the outside, as well.

Oh, and my wife wants to run water into it now, a sink, and a gardening shelf - so she can pot/repot plants inside w/o needing to run back and forth. So I'll also need to plumb a drain. Not bad ideas, but definitely setting back the timeline some.

I'll be watching this thread with interest!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Put in a small order for CMUs, rebar, and mortar. No concrete yet - we are expecting damp this week, and I have no place to store 1.5 tons of concrete. I would if I had forks for my tractor... As is, will be moving 480# of mortar mix into the barn one 80# bag at a time.

Guess I'm teaching myself how to set and mortar a cinderblock wall. looks like 1 row (8" depth) across the front. Transitioning from 1 row to three rows depth along the side, and a full 3 row depth (2') along the back. Have 2/3 of my trenching left to do, easy.

Then do it again for my Tractor - but that may go to 5 rows deep by the time it reaches the back wall.

3 projects at a time - tractor storage is project 4.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

WIll try to grab a picture tommorow. Put the roof panels on (not permanent) just to check sag and see what else I still need to buy, as well as to let them warm up a few times in the sun and settle down int their final sizes. Tossed some 2x4x10s on top to hold them down.

Still working out the door - doing a modular build, engineering as I go...

 

[Sally PB]

What kind of panels are you using for the roof/walls?

The polycarbonate panels we have on the green house are starting to yellow and I think they seem more brittle. The ones for the roof on the chicken run are definitely getting brittle. Falling acorns have put several holes in them. I patched them with some silicone caulk. It's left over from the bathroom remodel. The chickens don't mind.

This has been quite the year for acorns! They sound like rocks when they hit our roof.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Using these. 90% light, 20 yr warranty.

A lot of people use these. They become brittle much faster. Warranted 5 years, yellow quickly.

and this is attached to the side of my barn (or will be), in the middle of the pasture. No worries about acorns (or hickory nuts, which are like golf balls raining down)!

Still thinking about the walls. May pay the money, put these up. In a lot of ways, they are easier to work with, don't require closure strips, which helps with cost, but only rated for 10 years. Almost twice the price (not counting closure strips).

 

[Sally PB]

We spent the money and put up #3. Which is why I'm not happy about how brittle the run roof seems to be. This was their 3rd summer.

It's the 5th year for the green house walls. At least there aren't any acorns flying around out there.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We spent the money and put up #3. Which is why I'm not happy about how brittle the run roof seems to be. This was their 3rd summer.

It's the 5th year for the green house walls. At least there aren't any acorns flying around out there.

Sad to hear that, but good to know. Maybe I'll use #1 on the walls as well. That had been my first plan, in spite of how thin they are.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Compound roof angle. Green house will tie into the existing rafters, under the existing roof line.

The "opening" at right will be the door, under the overhang for the barn. That hole in the barn wall goes to the protected grow out pen inside the barn.

For reference - 12' of existing framing for greenhouse. Will build one more of these, tie the two together. Space at left will cover the tractor. Then hen house at the end (tied into the barn back wall). The short vertical brace in the middle is being replaced w/ several more, cut to the correct length this time...

4x4 at right pointing at you is at correct elevation and level. The ones laying across the front of the picture mark where the pony wall is going. Then will T off - on end making a short wall towards the front, the other a stub to start the tractor wall.