How I Built A Greenhouse With My House — Earl Brooks,™ 



IN PLANNING my new home, I was de- 

 termined to have a small glass addition 

 to the house, in which I could spend a 

 few pleasant hours each winter day 

 with the flowers. Likewise I planned a 10 

 x 12 ft. room on the south of the library 

 with the 12 foot side next to the 

 library. Inasmuch as this was my 

 only chance for light in the library 

 I planned two sliding glass doors 

 as an opening between the two 

 rooms. After considerable figur- 

 ing and planning I decided to 

 build my own greenhouse but I 

 have no doubt that a house put 

 up by a specialist in that business 

 would be well worth the extra 

 money for one who can afford it. 

 The walls are built up of brick 

 similar to the brick in the founda- 

 tion of the house and are finished 

 on the inside with facing brick the 

 same as on the outside, to a height 

 of thirty inches above the floor. 

 On this foundation rests a cypress 

 sill and on the sill rests the frame 

 which holds the side sash. A 

 contract was let to a local planing 

 mill to construct these frames, one for each 

 of the three sides, the sash, glass, sill 

 and the finish above the frames to the 

 roof plate. Then came the roof, which 

 was the really difficult part as there were 

 no local men who had any experience in 

 this line and none who cared to take a 

 contract for it. I hired a general mechanic 

 to build it at the mill and with the assis- 

 tance of the blacksmith, the wood worker 

 and myself, succeeded in getting the 

 roof frame ready for the glass. It was 

 then taken apart and brought in sections 

 and placed on the side frames already con- 

 structed. As the sides and the roof frame 

 was left .in sections it only required one 

 day's labor for two men to erect it from the 

 foundation ready for the roof glass. For 

 the roof glass we used ribbed wire glass and 



obtained it in pieces long enough so that a 

 single pane is used from the eave to the top, 

 thus avoiding overlapping joints. 



There are two ventilating sash in the 

 roof which I wanted to control from below, 

 but owing to the two doors being directly 



Part of the practical conveniences — ■ water supply and the cupboard 

 under the bench for tools, pots and sundries 



RESIDENCE 

 ■SLTDOIG GLASS BOORS 



Fommnm 



i-FOSSl SFCTION 

 SILL 



cross secnon 



OF RAFTER. 



2 fC 



CVPRFSS GU> 



Si STRIP 



XAFTERr 

 xoor SILL 



underneath, I could not use any of the 

 machines on the market without an alter- 

 ation. I used a Little Giant machine 

 having a machinist remove the sprockets 

 and turn a cylindrical wheel with flanges 

 on the side, substituting it in place of the 

 sprocket around which a cable is 

 wrapped. This new piece secured 

 in the centre by a pin to prevent 

 slipping, wraps on one side as it 

 unwraps on the other. By this 

 cable and a series of pullies we 

 are able to raise both sash at 

 once or close them. A small turn- 

 buckle in the cable keeps it taut. 

 The heat is supplied by three 

 hot water radiators connected to 

 the house plant. The floor is 

 covered with green encaustic tile. 

 The rafters are one and one- 

 half inch T-iron. All woodwork 

 is of Southern cypress. Both iron 

 and wood work have three coats 

 of white lead paint. The roof 

 glass, of ribbed wire glass, is one 

 fourth inch thick and practically 

 indestructible. The ribbing gives 

 it a frosted appearance. 



51.00 



CROSS SECTIO- 



OF GXJTTER. I GLASS 



COST OF CONSTRUCTION 



Contract for sides to the roof plate 

 Labor and material on roof frame and ten 



screens 



Labor for construction (two men, one day) 

 Roof Glass, cutting, and glazing . 

 Tinning, old style redipped charcoal iron 



tin 



Painting, three coats white lead 

 Ventilating apparatus (installed myself) 

 Tile floor (not including timber supports) 



Plumbing for water 



Two benches and cupboard for accessories 



Total $224.70 



This greenhouse is stocked with a gen- 

 eral collection of plants including begonias, 

 palms, ferns, geraniums, lilies and spring 

 blooming bulbs etc. Last winter we also 

 raised 150 pots of hyacinths and narcissus. 



31 



60 



6 



5° 



33 



00 



12 



50 



12 



25 



5 



75 



59 



35 



5 



50 



7 



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As the conservatory looks from the outside 



Looking into it from the library 



185 



