Passive Solar Greenhouse Construction
Written by on February 21, 2020
I used my old Ford 9n tractor with a box blade to get the area more level and take off the grass.
Here is a photo of the area where the greenhouse will be. South is to the right:
Forms were built around the perimeter for the footings and storage slab area. The footings were 18″ wide. Our frost line is 4″ so the footings were not very deep. I ran 2 re-bars along the footings for reinforcement, and used wire mesh in the storage slab area. I also dug the center footing deeper doe to the weight of the interior block trombe wall. (The forms are not completed in this photo.)
Then the concrete work was done:
Next, work began on the center trombe wall and three block high walls along the front and half way down the sides. The trombe wall and barrels of water set alongside will retain the heat of the day, and release it during the night. Here is a photo of them going up:
A treated 2″x8″ sill was then bolted to the block to allow for framing to be attached. Here is a photo of the completed block walls:
The rear wall will be full height and insulated since it faces north.