R Scott

That is really awesome. I have done some googling because I want inflated roll up side vents on a high tunnel, but have only done inflated hinged doors so far.

They make a ready made bottom pipe for this. It is extruded aluminum, about the same diameter as 2” pvc, and has a greenhouse wiggle wire channel built in. Pricey to ship (12 foot sticks) but if you can find it, it solves a lot of issues.

Most greenhouse doors/vent have huge overlaps on the sides to prevent drafts, some with pockets built to catch the side leaks.  If you made the door a couple feet wider it makes sealing the sides simpler

The stick on zippers available for making temporary doors to keep drywall dust out of the rest of the house during renovation allegedly seal well enough to make a deflation vent.

Greenhouse repair tape is cheap on Amazon. I put it on brand new in places I know will wear. Saves lots of frustration.

Some of the commercial doors have a Roman shade style mid bar reinforcement. Helps with wind, hurts your pillow sealing. Maybe it could be installed only on the inside plastic?

Hindsight and all that….

Ground mount with bifacial panels. They will create enough heat from the backside to melt the snow, usually.

Working with what you have….

I have seen powered sweeps for the panels, I’m sure you could come up with a rope powered version, but you would need nice conditions to get it installed.

What about one of those super long snow rakes like they use on roofs?  

Wow, Paul hit his convenience limit, lol!

Considering how little junk mail we get these days compared to a decade ago, that is pretty impressive to make it this long.

I second the build a shed/garage and live in it.

In the US you can buy ready made sheds that are delivered on a trailer and dropped in place. Or garage kits that can go together in a day.

Yurts look cool, but are not the greatest outside their original climate. No direct personal experience with a true yurt, but have used canvas tents long term. They are okay in dry climates, but are miserable in a rainy season. Better in a cold rain when you can use a wood stove to dry things out but not by much.

Cotton holds moisture and will chill you quickly if you get caught in the wind, but it’s not the life-threatening danger if you just doing chores and have a warm house to retreat to, not like camping or hunting when you can’t just add external heat to solve the problem.

Hillary topped Everest wearing cotton base layers, the weave of the fabric matters more than the material when it comes to warmth and moisture management.

There are different grades of poly just like wool. Finer gauge fibers are more expensive and fragile, but feel better.  

That was awesomely helpful, THANK YOU

Jarrett Hadorn wrote:

Thomas Tipton wrote:You might want to bring in air that has been cooled via the Earth by running the air through buried corrugated drainage tile, like this guy.

Ask a Prepper

I've read where those type of cooling tubes are not a good idea & are susceptible to mold issues from the condensation that builds up inside them??

Lots of differing opinions on that one. I will agree that corrugated solid pipe is bad, but I think the corrugated slit pipe is good from mold as it drains and exchanges air with the surrounding soil. It might be bad for radon, however.   You WANT the air in those pipes to condense, that greatly improves the cooling ability.  You just need to avoid the mold.

I think you could use a rocket to supercharge natural ventilation, using the stack effect to effectively be an exhaust fan. Is it worth it compared to a solar fan? Dunno.

“Not far enough” is always the answer about buying the small container of paint or finishes.

I remember my grandparent’s chickens from the seventies.

One set was in northern Nebraska, lots of tree cover around the homestead (coop next to the firewood lot), and they sold eggs and cream commercially to the local creamery.  They fed enough grain at night to get them back into the coop and stay warm during the winter. Grandpa also would cut sod or sprout grain in the winter when there was snow so they got extra greens. And the bad pumpkins and squash from the root cellar.  It seemed like a lot of feed to carry for a five year old, but not really a lot of feed for a couple hundred birds.

The other set was in southern Nebraska, no tree cover and huge hawk and fox pressure. They had a HUGE run with netting right next to the garden. All the weeds and scraps would get tossed in from the garden, and they would be let out into the garden in the off season. They probably used twice as much feed per bird, but considered it cheaper than replacing predation losses.  

A full bag mix is enough to make a 2-3 inch thick 4x8 sheet of insulation. Pink insulation board is currently $60 for a 2” slab.

So aircrete might not be cheap, but it is cheaper than other options right now.