Converting a 26x40ft Canopy to a Greenhouse

I bought this storage unit to keep customers boats under when here for work. Now that I retired(?) and the 5 years of Tropical Storms did a number on the Cover I decided to convert this to a big Greenhouse.

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You can see in the pictures this Cover is Toast! Its secured to the frame by ratchet straps but the high Tropical winds for 5 years in a row too the life out of it. Hopefully before the next rain I can get the new Cover installed.

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The rear panel will be removed as I have one with a zipper door. Next Tropical Storms I will open the zipper door so the wind can blow through.

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This is a really nice 10oz woven fabric with a 7 year warranty. I also ordered enough Felt to cover every pipe that will contact the new Cover.

That’s going to be super nice when finished.

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Originally Posted by SuperDave336

That’s going to be super nice when finished.

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10-4, it will be filled with Citrus trees and Fig trees. Too big for Tomatoes, it won't have the heat needed for good taste to develop with a end open. I still got to figure out how to close it in. Thinking about 3 cheap roll-up doors hung in a framed enclosure. During the summer I will have everything outside.

Are you wanting it permanently closed? Could you just wrap the ends in plastic or tarp? Wood frame possibly? My green house is made from cow panels and has wood frame and support on the ends. One side has a window and the other a door. All covered with plastic.

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Originally Posted by SuperDave336

Are you wanting it permanently closed? Could you just wrap the ends in plastic or tarp? Wood frame possibly? My green house is made from cow panels and has wood frame and support on the ends. One side has a window and the other a door. All covered with plastic.

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Well since I use a bobcat to move the trees and our summer heat could cook anything inside I need to leave lots of room to move plants in and out. I just have Limestone on the ground inside, turning the bobcat tightly in that stuff digs holes. Also if a Hurricane is coming I need to have both ends open. I will come up with something, too much thinking being applied to other projects right now. When I pick up one of the older Citrus trees to move there is only 3ft of headroom between the top of the canopy and the top of the tree. The canopy is 11.5ft to the bottom edge of the opening, 12ft inside and the trees are 8-9ft tall in 200 gallon containers.

Retired….:Rofl. that was be one fine Greenhouse. Will you be able to roll up the sides?

Definitely will turn out nice

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

Retired….:Rofl. that was be one fine Greenhouse. Will you be able to roll up the sides?

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No, that's the problem. The sides are fixed so I need air to blow thru during warm days. I thought of setting a 8x8 center post all the way up and fabricating a set of Monster Bi-Swing doors, aluminum extrusion framing, Visqueen skin, :dono.

Quite a bit of Ratchets are installed around this Canopy frame securing the cover to the canopy. All of those had to be oiled up and freed up to allow the release of the straps. I used the Bobcat to give me a secure platform to pull the old cover up and over the frame by standing thru one of the tears in the middle. This old cover weighs close to 150#'s so pulling it up and over with it dragging on the frame was a bit hard by myself but I got it done. There was a Oak tree on the side of it that was struck by lighting killing it, one of the limbs fell out of it striking the frame high on the left side causing the bend that you see. The metal is high tensile so it won't bend back. I just have to live with it.

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Once I get the old cover loaded in my pickup to go to the dump I will take another picture to show the size of it. One of the reasons the tears started in the first place was the cover on the canopy catching Tropical force winds and moving back and forth on the frame. I had a huge 6 wheel dump truck for the longest time, a 12 yard box was on it, well I tied the frame to the truck box in a Spring Line configuration which really helped but didn't prevent completely all movement.

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This time I'm adding a 1-1/2in felt strip sold by the Mfr to try and prevent premature damage due to Tropical winds. Man the adhesive on this stuff is super strong.

Lots of hard work. Don't suppose you would need any of the old cover for the ends? Do you have power out there?

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Originally Posted by SuperDave336

Lots of hard work. Don't suppose you would need any of the old cover for the ends? Do you have power out there?

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I have another complete end with a zipper door new but green. I'm going to order a replacement for the one in the picture but made with the new material & including a zipper door also. No power, I run extension cords.

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Finished installing all the felt strips on the frame. Last night I placed the new cover in the shop and turned up the heat. This morning the new cover is not stiff like it would have been but rolled right out with a bit of effort (its very heavy).

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We used 3 ropes, one on each end and one in the middle to pull/walk the new cover right over the frame and seen here pulled the overlapping ends on the right side (outside) of the frame before tightening down.

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For now I left the back panel in place while I wait on a new panel fabricated out of the white material. I'm ordering the new End Panel with the largest zipper door they will install.

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These last pictures show 50% of the ratchets tightened enough to prevent movement be wind. Tomorrow I have to finish installing the ratchets.

Already looks nice. Heck I’m excited and it’s not even mine….lol.

Run a couple heavy duty cords to it underground. Preferably off a 30 amp breaker. (small trench) Use a pvc to run it encase the cords or just make sure they are good heavy(30 amp) cords and lay it in the trench. Mount the ends off the ground and under the cover. I did this under one of my metal carport covers for enough electricity for a couple overhead lights and also for a shop fan to move air. Also I buried a cord to supply electricity to a mo-dad. Been fine for 15 plus years. Cheapest way I found to supply electricity. Also you need a lemon ice box pie for when you take a break. haha

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Originally Posted by "D"

Run a couple heavy duty cords to it underground. Preferably off a 30 amp breaker. (small trench) Use a pvc to run it encase the cords or just make sure they are good heavy(30 amp) cords and lay it in the trench. Mount the ends off the ground and under the cover. I did this under one of my metal carport covers for enough electricity for a couple overhead lights and also for a shop fan to move air. Also I buried a cord to supply electricity to a mo-dad. Been fine for 15 plus years. Cheapest way I found to supply electricity. Also you need a lemon ice box pie for when you take a break. haha

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Thanks "D". I have underground High Voltage Primary, County Water Line, Phone Lines, and our Irrigation lines running between the Green covers on the left and the Canopy on the right. The road to the houses behind us used to run right where the flat green patch of grass is on the left. Since it is not a County Rd I moved it to the edge of our property some years ago. I couldn't get everyone to move their lines & wires. Currently the plan is to come from the tall shop metal building (400 amp service) up to the wood fence, around the corner using a LB box, along the fence again till I get to the rear of the canopy. From there I will bury and come up inside. Using #6 Tray Cable inside Conduit as a Sub Panel Feeder I plan on installing a 60 amp 220VAC service inside. It's not a terribly long run taking that route and gets me over all the Right-of-Ways. We need a good power supply out on that area of the yard anyway. I have to get a well drilled for irrigation. The county charges us 2 gallons of sewerage for every gallon of water we use, even if it gets dumped on the ground.

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Gone, gone, gone this rotten cover's new home is the County Landfill!

Well most of you have seen this picture, where the tree is laying on my new Greenhouse & Truck.

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After studying on it I realized I may be able to straighten it enough to use for dry storage while waiting to replace the other 40ft commercial canopy.

I didn't even think to take picture when I started, just how to go about straightening it up enough to use for a while.

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The hoops are spaced every 4ft and their 11 of them. The ones in the front were really damaged but after working the kinked joints with a come-a-long & floor jack so useable shape is emerging. I have a few 2x4's with on end V-Notched in the center to grab the pipe. I'm moving the floor jack around pushing up on the frame while using the come-a-long to pull the really bad kink out on the left side. In the picture you can see it's still got a bit of a teardrop shape but I can live with that. Also you can see one of the hoops Kink at the joint. I'm pressing out the bends in the joints but can't reshape the original roll back into the pipes. As I replace the bent up Purlins running lengthwise I'm using the purlins to re-align the hoops. This is two mornings work so far. By 10:30 to 11am its too hot to be under the plastic working.

Hopefully you can get it back to a usable state.

The heat really limits the time I can spend on this repair but here is a picture of where I quit today.

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Not bad. It’s usable

Nice work

The steel being structural will not bend completely back in shape. I just need this to keep a few things dry till I get the other 40ft canopy up. After it will get a full covering of shade cloth 40-50% shade. I can't order the replacement canvas for the HD Hurculean 40ft unit till the frame is up and accurate measurements are taken. Cool thing about where I'm relocating the canopy to is it will have a new fish cleaning station in it's corner. Also I will install a Chicken House Fan to blow across the work space. Thinking of screening it in too.

We have frost generating nights for the next few days so I removed the watering system from all the citrus trees and stuffed them inside the damaged Hut. I'm happy to have the Greenhouse now as the Truck is in the shop, right in the middle of the floor so I can maneuver the engine hoist all around it pulling the doors.

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The fig trees with figs ripening are in it too. Maybe we will get a few to ripen before it gets so cold zi will have to let them go dormant.

Many of my figs aren’t dormant yet. I did the fig shuffle when I came home today as well. Shoved as many in my little greenhouse as I could then put the rest up beside my house. They are tucked best I could get beside porch corner. I think and hope they do alright there.

Snow here and cold….that is one great multi-use shelter

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

Snow here and cold….that is one great multi-use shelter

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I realized yesterday while loading it up the other 40ft frame I have may not hold all the citrus trees we have. I may have to replace this one this spring as it is wider and taller.

I need something like this for tractors etc….LOL

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

I need something like this for tractors etc….LOL

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The taller tunnel allows you to park quite a bit more tall items. This was originally a Carport from Growers Supply. 26x40ft purlin every 4ft. Now the best they build is purlin every 5ft. I think 14ft in the center height. Very useful. This frame was 10 years old when the tree fell on it I just replaced the canvas in the earlier post. I'm discovering disassembling the truck that the Carport frame was holding more of the tree's weight than I first thought.

I put an 8x 16 greenhouse up for the wife a few months ago. Wind turned it into modern art yesterday. Spent today building a 7' tall wooden structure. I will re use the panels for the walls. I put tuff tek on the roof. Ironically it is fast to build it out of lumber than it was to put the original one together.

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

I put an 8x 16 greenhouse up for the wife a few months ago. Wind turned it into modern art yesterday. Spent today building a 7' tall wooden structure. I will re use the panels for the walls. I put tuff tek on the roof. Ironically it is fast to build it out of lumber than it was to put the original one together.

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Nothing is made today like yesterday. When I redo mine I plan on framing in both ends and installing very large but cheap roll up doors. That way I can use it for freezes too.