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Hoop HouseConstruction
By Del Jimenez Jeff Edwards Ted Craig
Betweenthe windanda short growing season Wyomingrsquos climate is not kind to high value specialty
crops BackyardandMarket gardeners wanting to produce locally grown vegetables are looking to a
varietyof techniques to protect their crops and extend the growingseason Season extension
techniques arenot new but have really come into their ownwiththe introductionof specialty plastic products forrow covers dripirrigationandhoo house coveringsThe hoophouse coverings have
enabled growers to cost effectively protect their crops from adverseweather conditions and bringfresh
vegetables to the local market earlier and receive a more competitive pricesin the marketplace Over the lastten to fifteen years hoop houses (also known as High Tunnels)have become popular andare
springing up all over the United States Hoop houses are cold frame green houses and except for the
plastic skin can be built using inexpensive andcommonly available materials from local hardware storesThe plastic should be purchased through agreenhouse supply company All space under a hoophouse is valuable real estate so only high value cropssuch astomatoes cucumberspeppersspecialty herbsetc areconsidered worthy of such pampering More and more market gardeners view high tunnels as an essential part of their operation to jump start theseason
There are many green house kits available but the following is an inexpensivedesign developed
by Del Jimenez aUniversity of New Mexico
Cooperative ExtensionSpecialist This hoop
house was built at the Casper Community Gardensite located on the Natrona County Fairgrounds The following is adescription of the constructionprocess for this particular hoophouse design
The first task is determining the appropriate site forthe location ofthe hoophouse The groundshouldbe as level as possible withgooddrainage andsoil for planting The site should have accessto water year-round from a frostfree spigot Prevailing wind direction in Wyoming varies from west-southwest through westto northwestand is somewhatdetermined by local terrain Position thehoop houseso
thataircurrents will help ventilate the hoophouse onhot days
Beginby choosing the size of a hoophouse that meets your needs Then spread out the plasticskin to warm up in the
sun close to the location of the hoop house you are building Squaring the structure is extremely important squareoff the corners ofthe hoop house by using the PythagoreanTheorem Once you have squared the four corners of the
hoo house string a line and drive two footlong by frac12 inch
rebarone footinto the ground every four feetata 30
degree angle from the vertical pointinginward With rebar pounded in the ground you are now ready to
put upthe PVCribbing
The hoophouse ribsare made from 20 foot lengthsof two inch
schedule 40 PVC pipeThis allows for a 12 foot wide
greenhousewith a center height of about 65 feet Researchby Mr Jimenez indicates that PVC pipewith a diameter smaller than two inches is not advisable as high winds and snowloads will significantly decrease the structures lifespan One end of the PVC pipe is placed overthe previously placedrebarand
bent sothe other endcanbe fittedontorebar stake onthe
opposite side
In order to stabilize the hoop housefrac34 inch schedule 40
PVC pipebraces areused as ldquoperlinsrdquo From thebaseof one of the endPVChoops youmeasureup 72inches and make mark Repeat this at the other endof the
hoo house String alineand mark the underside ofeach hoop rib Repeat the process onthe opposite
side In addition to marking the underside of allribs 72
inches from the soil measureand mark the underneath
of the center of each hoop rib Glue two 20 foot frac34inch
schedule 40 PVC pipes together and mark it every 48inches This marking corresponds to the distance between each of the hoop ribs Starting at either end
of the hoop house the frac34 PVC pipe is attached using two-hole metal conduit straps heldinplace by
using one inchzinc plateddeck screws By using the metal conduit straps to hold the conduit ldquoperlinsrdquoin place you get the added benefit of beingable to use the PVC ldquoperlinsrdquoas amechanism for irrigation
in the hoop house
Next side boards and baseboards are installed to
stabilize the PVC hoopsand provide attachments points for the plastic skin For this unit 10foot long painted 1x4 boards were butted and
fastened togetherusing a one- footbrace piece These were then fastened to the outside of the
PVC hoop ribs with two inch-zincplated screws Make sure the screws and brace pieces are faced
toward the inside when installing them Once
the base boards areinstalled secure the hoop
house tothe groundby driving pieces of rebar thathave been bentinto a Jhook with the hook
find the centerofthe hoop span This will provide a reference point to construct the entrance From the
end over thebaseboard You can use2x4s or 2x6s for thebaseboards if you want morefeel you need more structural strength
Doors at eachendof the hoophouse provide
access and permit natural ventilation to removeexcess heat To finish the ends stretch a tape
measure betweenthe base of the first hoopto
center point measure along the string two feetin each direction Mark the spots and dig two6-inch
round holes 18 inches deep Placean eight foot 2x4in each holeand anglecut thetop so that thewood
fits undertheend hoop rib Level the 2x4 in both directions makingsure theyare 48-inches from the
center of one 2x4 to the center of the other 2x4 Fill in the holeswith dirt and tamp it down From thetop ofthe end rib drill a hole through the two inch PVC into the top of the 2x4 and secure it with two 4-inch coated decking screws Attacha 2 x 4 ldquoheaderrdquoat the highestpossible pointin from the top ofthe
door frame Repeat this process onthe opposite end
The hoop house plastic skin shouldbe at least mil and haveUltraViolet protection
incorporated to keep the sun from destroying
it If you were to purchase regular plastic sheeting at the hardware store it will become
brittle withinthe first year andfail Green
house plastic comes in rolls of100 feet and of varyingwidths The product used in this application is awoven material and is availablein several thicknesses Generally the thicker the material the longerthe lifespanFor this
12rsquox32rsquo unit weused apieceof plastic thatwas 48rsquox22rsquo Somecompanies will sell you theexact sizeyou
needor youmay have tocut it tosize This size allowed for aone footoverlap on each side and two
feeton eitherend Putting the plastic on can be the mostdifficultpart This is the time to have the
neighbors andrelatives over for dinner It is best to work in the afternoon so that the plastic can be laid
out inthe suntoallow it toheat upandstretch It is not recommended to try to do this in high winds No wind is best but in Wyoming you could be waiting a long time to finish yourstructureTake the edge
of the plastic andpull it over the hoops centering it Leave it on the hoops for about 15 minutes to
absorb moreheat
Stretch theplastic in both directions and use
inchthick by 1 frac12 inch wide by 8 foot paintedwoodstrapping lsquoslatsrsquoand attach to
the base board with the plastic sandwiched
in between using 1inchzincplated screwsRepeat withthe side board Whenyouhave
finished one side repeatiton the other For the ends stretch the plastic tightand attach
the strapping to the 2 inch PVC pipe using
1inch zincplated screwso one foot centersStretch theplastic and secureit to the2x4framed dooropening withthe 14 inchx 1 frac12 wood
strapping Trim theexcess plastic from theopening Cut the 4x8 piece of plywoodtofit the door frame
opening Using two hinges attach the plywood door to one of the 2x4 uprights Screw a latchontothe
door soit canbe secured Repeat the procedure for the opposite endof the hoophouse
After the plastic has beenattachedtothe hoophouse framedirt is piled onthe excess plastic tohelpprotect it from the wind This seals up the
bottom andadds weight
For moredetailed information on how to build this hoo house and amaterials list go to
cahenmsuedupubs_circularsCR-606pdf or contact JeffEdwards University of Wyoming Extension Educator about scheduling ahoop house
workshop in your area Jeff is located at 4516USHighway
2685 Torrington WY 82240 (307) 532-2436
For information on theWyoming Department of Agriculture
Specialty CropGrant Program go to httpwyagricstatewyus or Contact TedCraig at 307-777-6651or tcraigstatewyus
degree angle from the vertical pointinginward With rebar pounded in the ground you are now ready to
put upthe PVCribbing
The hoophouse ribsare made from 20 foot lengthsof two inch
schedule 40 PVC pipeThis allows for a 12 foot wide
greenhousewith a center height of about 65 feet Researchby Mr Jimenez indicates that PVC pipewith a diameter smaller than two inches is not advisable as high winds and snowloads will significantly decrease the structures lifespan One end of the PVC pipe is placed overthe previously placedrebarand
bent sothe other endcanbe fittedontorebar stake onthe
opposite side
In order to stabilize the hoop housefrac34 inch schedule 40
PVC pipebraces areused as ldquoperlinsrdquo From thebaseof one of the endPVChoops youmeasureup 72inches and make mark Repeat this at the other endof the
hoo house String alineand mark the underside ofeach hoop rib Repeat the process onthe opposite
side In addition to marking the underside of allribs 72
inches from the soil measureand mark the underneath
of the center of each hoop rib Glue two 20 foot frac34inch
schedule 40 PVC pipes together and mark it every 48inches This marking corresponds to the distance between each of the hoop ribs Starting at either end
of the hoop house the frac34 PVC pipe is attached using two-hole metal conduit straps heldinplace by
using one inchzinc plateddeck screws By using the metal conduit straps to hold the conduit ldquoperlinsrdquoin place you get the added benefit of beingable to use the PVC ldquoperlinsrdquoas amechanism for irrigation
in the hoop house
Next side boards and baseboards are installed to
stabilize the PVC hoopsand provide attachments points for the plastic skin For this unit 10foot long painted 1x4 boards were butted and
fastened togetherusing a one- footbrace piece These were then fastened to the outside of the
PVC hoop ribs with two inch-zincplated screws Make sure the screws and brace pieces are faced
toward the inside when installing them Once
the base boards areinstalled secure the hoop
house tothe groundby driving pieces of rebar thathave been bentinto a Jhook with the hook
find the centerofthe hoop span This will provide a reference point to construct the entrance From the
end over thebaseboard You can use2x4s or 2x6s for thebaseboards if you want morefeel you need more structural strength
Doors at eachendof the hoophouse provide
access and permit natural ventilation to removeexcess heat To finish the ends stretch a tape
measure betweenthe base of the first hoopto
center point measure along the string two feetin each direction Mark the spots and dig two6-inch
round holes 18 inches deep Placean eight foot 2x4in each holeand anglecut thetop so that thewood
fits undertheend hoop rib Level the 2x4 in both directions makingsure theyare 48-inches from the
center of one 2x4 to the center of the other 2x4 Fill in the holeswith dirt and tamp it down From thetop ofthe end rib drill a hole through the two inch PVC into the top of the 2x4 and secure it with two 4-inch coated decking screws Attacha 2 x 4 ldquoheaderrdquoat the highestpossible pointin from the top ofthe
door frame Repeat this process onthe opposite end
The hoop house plastic skin shouldbe at least mil and haveUltraViolet protection
incorporated to keep the sun from destroying
it If you were to purchase regular plastic sheeting at the hardware store it will become
brittle withinthe first year andfail Green
house plastic comes in rolls of100 feet and of varyingwidths The product used in this application is awoven material and is availablein several thicknesses Generally the thicker the material the longerthe lifespanFor this
12rsquox32rsquo unit weused apieceof plastic thatwas 48rsquox22rsquo Somecompanies will sell you theexact sizeyou
needor youmay have tocut it tosize This size allowed for aone footoverlap on each side and two
feeton eitherend Putting the plastic on can be the mostdifficultpart This is the time to have the
neighbors andrelatives over for dinner It is best to work in the afternoon so that the plastic can be laid
out inthe suntoallow it toheat upandstretch It is not recommended to try to do this in high winds No wind is best but in Wyoming you could be waiting a long time to finish yourstructureTake the edge
of the plastic andpull it over the hoops centering it Leave it on the hoops for about 15 minutes to
absorb moreheat
Stretch theplastic in both directions and use
inchthick by 1 frac12 inch wide by 8 foot paintedwoodstrapping lsquoslatsrsquoand attach to
the base board with the plastic sandwiched
in between using 1inchzincplated screwsRepeat withthe side board Whenyouhave
finished one side repeatiton the other For the ends stretch the plastic tightand attach
the strapping to the 2 inch PVC pipe using
1inch zincplated screwso one foot centersStretch theplastic and secureit to the2x4framed dooropening withthe 14 inchx 1 frac12 wood
strapping Trim theexcess plastic from theopening Cut the 4x8 piece of plywoodtofit the door frame
opening Using two hinges attach the plywood door to one of the 2x4 uprights Screw a latchontothe
door soit canbe secured Repeat the procedure for the opposite endof the hoophouse
After the plastic has beenattachedtothe hoophouse framedirt is piled onthe excess plastic tohelpprotect it from the wind This seals up the
bottom andadds weight
For moredetailed information on how to build this hoo house and amaterials list go to
cahenmsuedupubs_circularsCR-606pdf or contact JeffEdwards University of Wyoming Extension Educator about scheduling ahoop house
workshop in your area Jeff is located at 4516USHighway
2685 Torrington WY 82240 (307) 532-2436
For information on theWyoming Department of Agriculture
Specialty CropGrant Program go to httpwyagricstatewyus or Contact TedCraig at 307-777-6651or tcraigstatewyus
find the centerofthe hoop span This will provide a reference point to construct the entrance From the
end over thebaseboard You can use2x4s or 2x6s for thebaseboards if you want morefeel you need more structural strength
Doors at eachendof the hoophouse provide
access and permit natural ventilation to removeexcess heat To finish the ends stretch a tape
measure betweenthe base of the first hoopto
center point measure along the string two feetin each direction Mark the spots and dig two6-inch
round holes 18 inches deep Placean eight foot 2x4in each holeand anglecut thetop so that thewood
fits undertheend hoop rib Level the 2x4 in both directions makingsure theyare 48-inches from the
center of one 2x4 to the center of the other 2x4 Fill in the holeswith dirt and tamp it down From thetop ofthe end rib drill a hole through the two inch PVC into the top of the 2x4 and secure it with two 4-inch coated decking screws Attacha 2 x 4 ldquoheaderrdquoat the highestpossible pointin from the top ofthe
door frame Repeat this process onthe opposite end
The hoop house plastic skin shouldbe at least mil and haveUltraViolet protection
incorporated to keep the sun from destroying
it If you were to purchase regular plastic sheeting at the hardware store it will become
brittle withinthe first year andfail Green
house plastic comes in rolls of100 feet and of varyingwidths The product used in this application is awoven material and is availablein several thicknesses Generally the thicker the material the longerthe lifespanFor this
12rsquox32rsquo unit weused apieceof plastic thatwas 48rsquox22rsquo Somecompanies will sell you theexact sizeyou
needor youmay have tocut it tosize This size allowed for aone footoverlap on each side and two
feeton eitherend Putting the plastic on can be the mostdifficultpart This is the time to have the
neighbors andrelatives over for dinner It is best to work in the afternoon so that the plastic can be laid
out inthe suntoallow it toheat upandstretch It is not recommended to try to do this in high winds No wind is best but in Wyoming you could be waiting a long time to finish yourstructureTake the edge
of the plastic andpull it over the hoops centering it Leave it on the hoops for about 15 minutes to
absorb moreheat
Stretch theplastic in both directions and use
inchthick by 1 frac12 inch wide by 8 foot paintedwoodstrapping lsquoslatsrsquoand attach to
the base board with the plastic sandwiched
in between using 1inchzincplated screwsRepeat withthe side board Whenyouhave
finished one side repeatiton the other For the ends stretch the plastic tightand attach
the strapping to the 2 inch PVC pipe using
1inch zincplated screwso one foot centersStretch theplastic and secureit to the2x4framed dooropening withthe 14 inchx 1 frac12 wood
strapping Trim theexcess plastic from theopening Cut the 4x8 piece of plywoodtofit the door frame
opening Using two hinges attach the plywood door to one of the 2x4 uprights Screw a latchontothe
door soit canbe secured Repeat the procedure for the opposite endof the hoophouse
After the plastic has beenattachedtothe hoophouse framedirt is piled onthe excess plastic tohelpprotect it from the wind This seals up the
bottom andadds weight
For moredetailed information on how to build this hoo house and amaterials list go to
cahenmsuedupubs_circularsCR-606pdf or contact JeffEdwards University of Wyoming Extension Educator about scheduling ahoop house
workshop in your area Jeff is located at 4516USHighway
2685 Torrington WY 82240 (307) 532-2436
For information on theWyoming Department of Agriculture
Specialty CropGrant Program go to httpwyagricstatewyus or Contact TedCraig at 307-777-6651or tcraigstatewyus
Stretch theplastic in both directions and use
inchthick by 1 frac12 inch wide by 8 foot paintedwoodstrapping lsquoslatsrsquoand attach to
the base board with the plastic sandwiched
in between using 1inchzincplated screwsRepeat withthe side board Whenyouhave
finished one side repeatiton the other For the ends stretch the plastic tightand attach
the strapping to the 2 inch PVC pipe using
1inch zincplated screwso one foot centersStretch theplastic and secureit to the2x4framed dooropening withthe 14 inchx 1 frac12 wood
strapping Trim theexcess plastic from theopening Cut the 4x8 piece of plywoodtofit the door frame
opening Using two hinges attach the plywood door to one of the 2x4 uprights Screw a latchontothe
door soit canbe secured Repeat the procedure for the opposite endof the hoophouse
After the plastic has beenattachedtothe hoophouse framedirt is piled onthe excess plastic tohelpprotect it from the wind This seals up the
bottom andadds weight
For moredetailed information on how to build this hoo house and amaterials list go to
cahenmsuedupubs_circularsCR-606pdf or contact JeffEdwards University of Wyoming Extension Educator about scheduling ahoop house
workshop in your area Jeff is located at 4516USHighway
2685 Torrington WY 82240 (307) 532-2436
For information on theWyoming Department of Agriculture
Specialty CropGrant Program go to httpwyagricstatewyus or Contact TedCraig at 307-777-6651or tcraigstatewyus
