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Hothouse/Hotbox designs, considerations?

RS67Man

RS67Man

I been giving the hotbox that I am wanting to build for next season some mind time. Having never used one before, what considerations or design features should I incorporate into the construction? Here is some of the things I was thinking of:

Cover size: 4'x16' for raised bed with 2x12 treated wood frame
Materials: 1/4 plywood, 1x4 cedar framing, Plexiglas top
Finish: All wood painted with outdoor latex.

Design features: 2 4'x8' doors with Plexiglas windows, hinged and kept open with a prop rod. Sides would be 18" tall on south side, 32" tall on north, makes the doors slanted toward the south. Raised bed has long sides on north and south sides. Sections held together with bolts and wing nuts so it is removable from raised bed. Largest part would be doors.

Do I need to add any venting besides being able to open the top?
Does venting need to be adjustable or closable?
Cautions on use?
Anything else I should consider?

This is all so I can bring peppers and tomato's about one month earlier or so into the garden.
 
Welcome Spanaway!

My nieces attend a high school in your neighborhood, family in Tumwater, and I'm in north central WA. Are you a "rusted instead of tanned" Washingtonian? :)

Anyway, back to your post,

I'm not an experienced grower, but I did see something really cool for a greenhouse or hotbox/coldframe set up that I always thought was really cool. It's an oil filled piston that opens the window/frame wider the hotter it gets. Google "automatic window opener" or "automatic greenhouse vent opener" for starters.

They aren't that expensive, and it seems like a good investment if a person can't be there every hour to open up the boxes so they don't get to hot.


Lots of good, knowledgable folks on this forum, I'm sure some others will chime in with their thoughts. Sometimes a post gets lost, don't be shy to Bump it.

SL
 
Cool!
hothousebyrs67man.jpg
 
I think I am going to build something similar for next year. Make it in a couple small units that can be placed on top of one of my raised beds. I am also going to install brackets on a couple of my beds so that I can install hoop houses over top of them so I can plant a little earlier and not have to worry about frost. I have a bunch of old storm windows that I am going to use for the hot house. Just build a frame and install hinges on the windows so they swing up. I like the idea of the automatic opener too. I think Harbor Freight has something that should work for not too much money.

http://www.harborfreight.com/lawn-garden/growing/greenhouse-window-vent-opener-92192.html
 
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