The Door - And We're Done!

Even while the crew was working on installing the sides to the greenhouse, Grant and the boys were busy in the shop building a suitable door for the greenhouse.  We wanted the door to be wide enough for a wheelbarrow to pass, tough enough to last a while, and nice looking enough not to ruin the look of our project.  Here's the story of what we came up with...

William Gomez (l) and Alexander Garcia preparing scrap plywood sheathing to cover the door frame.

We started by dressing up some of the eucalyptus 2x4's to make a frame for the door, complete with diagonal bracing.  Then we found some thin plywood that we were able to salvage from some old shelving, which worked well to cover the skeleton of the door in a way that will be more durable than covering it with plastic.

Alexander Garcia trimming the thin plywood sheathing with the circular saw.

William Gomez attaching the plywood to the door structure with screws while Alexander waits his turn.

We were going to leave the door as it was after assembly, but then decided that a coat of paint would really dress up the result and help protect the wood from the weather.  So we used some leftover paint from another project and turned the door into the same green color we hope the thumbs of the people that walk through it will have in the operation of the greenhouse.

The painted door ready to install.

The diagonal bracing as well as the large size of the door made it pretty heavy, so we figured we'd need some stout hinges to support it.  Welding together some 1/8" strap and the sleeves I bought for the job we made some hinges that should do the job nicely.

The homemade door hinges after a couple coats of epoxy paint.

Once our shop work was done, it was finally time to install the door on the greenhouse on March 29th.

Henry Rairan adjusting the drill while Johan Egson tightens a lag bolt.

As usual, we had some adjustments to make during the installation, notably shaving the side of the post for the  middle hinge, since the post was bowed.  But with the help of a trusty drill and a handful of lag screws, the guys got the door hung and it looked just about perfect.

l to r, Leonardo Guzman, Henry Rairan, and Johan Egson pose proudly in front of the newly installed door.

Another bit of framing to seal the area above the door, and we could celebrate that the greenhouse was FINISHED!  After two months of construction effort, the job was finally done.  Praise the Lord!

Actually, the green thumbs at the farm (Leonardo's sisters Alejandra and Angie) had jumped the gun on us and had already begun planting vegetables inside before the door was attached.

The greenhouse was so warm and cozy inside, even without the door, that the plants came up from seed in just three days.

A view of the completed greenhouse at the end of March, 2011.  We thank the Lord for providing the materials, the wisdom, and the people to make this project possible.  May the fruit of this effort be healthy vegetables that bless and nourish his people for years to come.

Thank you, Lord!