Shade House - to Purchase, or DIY Plans & Ideas

[HiOrcDen]

Thank you everyone!! I'll research all these possibilities, and check back in

[HiOrcDen]

Originally Posted by Roberta

For shade, I built structures out of 3/4 inch conduit ("Tinkertoy" fittings from the local swap meet, conduit from Home Depot). Really easy to build (done by this ol' lady by herself with no construction skills, just a sabre saw for the conduit), and easy to expand. Because if it starts small, it WILL need to expand soon (such is the nature of the "addiction")

Originally Posted by Roberta

One more thought with regard to that shade structure... if you want to provide overhead protection from rain, clear polycarbonate patio roofing sheets (I think they're usually about 6 feet by 3 feet) work great. That can be helpful for plants that might be a little bit marginal for winter cold (such as it is in southern California) - a dry orchid can tolerate much more cold than a wet one. If you decide to do that, plan ahead... put the polycarbonate down BEFORE your shadecloth. The shadecloth (which is quite easy to secure to the frame) does a great job of holding the polycarbonate in place. Otherwise it's very difficult to wind-proof. (in southern California you don't have to worry about snow loading, but 30- or 40-mile-per-hour wind is fairly common)

So I see that the metallic conduit pipes are way more expensive than the pvc. At this point, I think I should go with the pvc. If I use the pvc, at a 5' square, will I still be able to secure at one corner to the house?

I have one other issue... We have no grass in our backyard. Will securing the pvc structure at a corner be sufficient?

Otherwise, I'm considering bolting the base to heavy wood planks. Is this a good idea, or has anyone got a better suggestion?

Also, when searching conduits at Home Depot, I also get something called electric metal tubing. I am guessing this will not serve my purpose?

As far as Santa Ana winds, I don't recall any for several years. Instead we get torrential rain and high winds about once a year for a day and a half, way worse than the Santa Ana's lol

[Dimples]

As Roberta and others said, conduit is the better choice if you're building a large structure or if cost isn't an issue. It's stronger and much more durable. PVC is great for smaller builds (sturdy enough up to 5-6 foot lengths if the other dimensions are shorter), when you need a highly portable structure, or when you aren't sure what shape/style/size you want since the small diameter pipes/fittings are cheap. If you use 1-inch PVC, the strength and rigidity increase dramatically, but the price point may be equal to conduit at that point.

---------- Post added at 09:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 AM ----------

I always prefer to secure lightweight structures at a minimum of two points. Redundancy is your friend! If one attachment point breaks free, you still have the second tie-down point holding it in place.

A couple of bags of sand/gravel laid over the lower crossbars will keep a smaller structure in place. The total weight you'll need will depend on the size and surface area, but two 30-40 pound bags would be a good place to start. Bags of builders' sand is sold in the construction section of big box home improvement stores and bags of gravel are sold in the garden centers. Gravel is easier to clean up if the bag breaks but sand doesn't put as many holes in the plastic bags. Pick your poison.

If you're going to use zip ties outside, make sure you buy the black zip ties. The clear indoor-only ones don't have UV stabilization and get brittle and snap in a few months. Black zip ties can last many years.

[Roberta]

Electrical Metal tubing should be the same as conduit... needs to be galvanized. Never heard of the former...
The big gotcha with the conduit structure is the tinkertoy fittings... HOme Depot doesn't sell them. I get them from a swap meet (the vendor's main customers are other swap meet vendors) Or get parts for canopy shelters that people use for cars and such. Becomes somewhat expensive since they're heavy and that runs up the shipping.
5 feet unsupported for PVC is too much if you are going to put any weight on it... for 1 inch PVC I'd limit it to no more than 3 feet unsupported.

[estación seca]

PVC will blow away in a good storm.

[Dimples]

Originally Posted by Roberta

5 feet unsupported for PVC is too much if you are going to put any weight on it... for 1 inch PVC I'd limit it to no more than 3 feet unsupported.

Agreed. If the plan is to hang plants from the structure, PVC will need reinforcing built into the design and the pipe lengths should be kept short.

If it is only intended to support shade cloth you can get away with longer lengths so long as you're ok with a bit more play/wiggle in the finished structure. If you're planning a 5x5 walk-in height, I'd add in more crossbars and additional uprights and consider increasing the diameter of the pipe. Using 1-inch pipe for the frame and 3/4-inch for the cross support will give you a sturdy yet cost-effective structure.

Since your design may need larger pipe and the cost is going up, I don't know if you have a tractor supply nearby but 1-2 livestock panels (about $25 each last time I checked) and a 2x4 base frame with a couple of uprights and a crossbar on the back wall will build a very sturdy structure. We used the general design from this video to build our chicken coop and ours can easily support the hanging weight of a 200-pound person. It could be scaled down for your needs.

[HiOrcDen]

Originally Posted by Dimples

As Roberta and others said, conduit is the better choice if you're building a large structure or if cost isn't an issue. It's stronger and much more durable. PVC is great for smaller builds (sturdy enough up to 5-6 foot lengths if the other dimensions are shorter), when you need a highly portable structure, or when you aren't sure what shape/style/size you want since the small diameter pipes/fittings are cheap. If you use 1-inch PVC, the strength and rigidity increase dramatically, but the price point may be equal to conduit at that point.

---------- Post added at 09:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 AM ----------

I always prefer to secure lightweight structures at a minimum of two points. Redundancy is your friend! If one attachment point breaks free, you still have the second tie-down point holding it in place.

A couple of bags of sand/gravel laid over the lower crossbars will keep a smaller structure in place. The total weight you'll need will depend on the size and surface area, but two 30-40 pound bags would be a good place to start. Bags of builders' sand is sold in the construction section of big box home improvement stores and bags of gravel are sold in the garden centers. Gravel is easier to clean up if the bag breaks but sand doesn't put as many holes in the plastic bags. Pick your poison.

If you're going to use zip ties outside, make sure you buy the black zip ties. The clear indoor-only ones don't have UV stabilization and get brittle and snap in a few months. Black zip ties can last many years.

Originally Posted by Roberta

Electrical Metal tubing should be the same as conduit... needs to be galvanized. Never heard of the former...
The big gotcha with the conduit structure is the tinkertoy fittings... HOme Depot doesn't sell them. I get them from a swap meet (the vendor's main customers are other swap meet vendors) Or get parts for canopy shelters that people use for cars and such. Becomes somewhat expensive since they're heavy and that runs up the shipping.
5 feet unsupported for PVC is too much if you are going to put any weight on it... for 1 inch PVC I'd limit it to no more than 3 feet unsupported.

Originally Posted by estación seca

PVC will blow away in a good storm.

Originally Posted by Dimples

Agreed. If the plan is to hang plants from the structure, PVC will need reinforcing built into the design and the pipe lengths should be kept short.

If it is only intended to support shade cloth you can get away with longer lengths so long as you're ok with a bit more play/wiggle in the finished structure. If you're planning a 5x5 walk-in height, I'd add in more crossbars and additional uprights and consider increasing the diameter of the pipe. Using 1-inch pipe for the frame and 3/4-inch for the cross support will give you a sturdy yet cost-effective structure.

Since your design may need larger pipe and the cost is going up, I don't know if you have a tractor supply nearby but 1-2 livestock panels (about $25 each last time I checked) and a 2x4 base frame with a couple of uprights and a crossbar on the back wall will build a very sturdy structure. We used the general design from this video to build our chicken coop and ours can easily support the hanging weight of a 200-pound person. It could be scaled down for your needs.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by HiOrcDen

Roberta, you mentioned there are benefits to plants which are hung up. I am curious what these advantages are?..

Especially for Catts (but actually most epiphytic orchids with copious roots) they seem to benefit from the additional air circulation that they get. I know that my hanging Catts, in particular, grow a lot better than the ones on benches. Many Dendrobiums, too, do a lot better that way. Also a good way to use space... as you run out of bench space, utilizing vertical space makes room for more orchids.

[HiOrcDen]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Especially for Catts (but actually most epiphytic orchids with copious roots) they seem to benefit from the additional air circulation that they get. I know that my hanging Catts, in particular, grow a lot better than the ones on benches. Many Dendrobiums, too, do a lot better that way. Also a good way to use space... as you run out of bench space, utilizing vertical space makes room for more orchids.

Okay, I see! On this subject, what kind of pots do you like to use? You have mentioned clay pots as being effective (and by the way, I know cheap clay pots break easily, but otherwise do they function as well as higher quality, like with respiration, other qualities?). As far as plastic pots, what works well? I have seen ones which are aerated around the sides. Are these good. Have you any other suggestions? I am curious why the sellers I have bought from all send the plants in standard plastic flower pots.

As far as benches, what type/brand are good? Do folks use benches with some kind of mesh or grate, for better aeration?

Also, with hanging plants, how can you use humidity trays? What kind of other methods are good for humidity in a shade house? I have seen some chargeable misters that don't need to be plugged in...

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by HiOrcDen

Okay, I see! On this subject, what kind of pots do you like to use? You have mentioned clay pots as being effective (and by the way, I know cheap clay pots break easily, but otherwise do they function as well as higher quality, like with respiration, other qualities?). As far as plastic pots, what works well? I have seen ones which are aerated around the sides. Are these good. Have you any other suggestions? I am curious why the sellers I have bought from all send the plants in standard plastic flower pots.

As far as benches, what type/brand are good? Do folks use benches with some kind of mesh or grate, for better aeration?

Also, with hanging plants, how can you use humidity trays? What kind of other methods are good for humidity in a shade house? I have seen some chargeable misters that don't need to be plugged in...

I use generic terracotta pots - typically have a good drainage hole at the bottom, you can also get them with slots on the side (Home Depot carries some of those or at least did) You can get hangers that grab onto the rim. I also use fairly generic plastic pots - the more holes the better. I buy some, but most (especially smaller sizes) came to me with plants, that outgrew them. Why do sellers use the pots they do? Price and weight. Some are better than others. Those soft plastic pots with one hole that Phals often come in are total garbage. But some vendor pots are decent. I like the ones that have sort a mesh on the bottom. So... it's all about drainage and air flow. I also use "net pots" - plastic baskets, and my Catts also love wood baskets (harder to find) The medium also figures into the decision - bark drains well in the solid pots. Sphagnum can be good in net pots for some types of orchids - moisture plus air. So... for any particular plant, you need to determine your goal... does it want to dry out between waterings or stay damp? How often can you water? Once you have the objective, you can select the pot and medium to accomplish that. There's not one "right answer" .

I have a really big collection, and I use automatic sprinklers to handle most of the watering (so I can take a vacation) I position the plants based on their needs mostly for light... high light, shade lovers, etc. There are 'way too many plants to give each individual attention for watering frequency so I select the pot and medium and location (bench, hanging, etc) to get different results for the same watering schedule. For instance, Cymbidiums and Laelia anceps both want high light. But the Cyms want to stay damp and the Laelias need to dry out. The sprinklers run every other day most of the year, every day in summer. How to manage? The Cyms are in small bark in plastic pots - stay damp. The Laelias are mounted or in baskets, hanging. Dry in a couple of hours. So, same watering different result - but I make the decision every couple of years when I repot, not every day when I water. Much easier.