Has anyone built a garage shelter, out of PVC pipe and covered it with a tarp..

[greaseyfingers]

After looking at the website links posted below..

I was wondering if any of you guys have ever made a garage shelter out of arching PVC pipe for making a frame and covered it with a waterproof, heavy duty 12 millimeter thick polyethylene, 24'x24' tarp, for making a garage shelter, instead of a greenhouse..

Looking at the website links posted below, gave me this idea, as mentioned, and I was wondering if anyone reading this, has ever done this, before..


http://www.pvcplans.com/

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-PVC-Hoophouse

 

[PanamaExpat]

I knocked up a temporary paint booth using pvc pipe and plastic sheeting. Worked fine for the two days I needed it.

 

[tmcalavy]

Yup works good, too. If you're in a high wind or high snow load area, ditch the hoops/quonset design and go with a four-square with pitched roof frame instead using heavier PVC...anchor it down real good, use good line to secure it...not the cheap nylon crap...double skin it and Bob's yer uncle.

 

[greaseyfingers]

Yup works good, too. If you're in a high wind or high snow load area, ditch the hoops/quonset design and go with a four-square with pitched roof frame instead using heavier PVC...anchor it down real good, use good line to secure it...not the cheap nylon crap...double skin it and Bob's yer uncle.

If you have any pics, it would be interesting to see the one you made..

What size is it, and what size pvc tubing did you use for making it..

Did you find the plans online, somewhere, or make your own..

Did you use a polyethylene tarp, found online, and what mil thickness was used..

Information on making a good strong, inexpensive, and easy to make garage shelter, I would think, will be of interest to many other forum members, also, besides the interest I have in doing so..

 

[hank857]

pvc wont last, I used the top chain link fence rail type of tubing and covered with corrugated tin. Has held up in winds OK, we dont get snow! I tied it down with dog chain hooked to steel stakes driven in at an angle with the heavy door type springs one the ends. I hooked the springs to the stakes via turn buckles to keep it under tension.

10ft eves, peaked at top. pretty much like what you want but stronger. it is covered on 2 sides. Was going to keep the travel trailer under it but it got preempted by other stuff!

 

[shane96ranger]

pvc wont last

Agreed. I don't trust it in wind either. I almost bought a PVC and tarp kit from Costco last year - but decided if I was going to sink money into something, I'd better make it last.

I used the top chain link fence rail type of tubing and covered with corrugated tin. Has held up in winds OK, we dont get snow!

This sounds like a great idea.

Last year when I negated on the Costco kit, I found this in the local classifieds for 500 dollars:

 

[straycat]

After looking at the website links posted below..

I was wondering if any of you guys have ever made a garage shelter out of arching PVC pipe for making a frame and covered it with a waterproof, heavy duty 12 millimeter thick polyethylene, 24'x24' tarp, for making a garage shelter, instead of a greenhouse..

Looking at the website links posted below, gave me this idea, as mentioned, and I was wondering if anyone reading this, has ever done this, before..


http://www.pvcplans.com/

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-PVC-Hoophouse

I know a few people who have done it. You can't lock it up against theives. Very heavy winds could bring it down as I have seen happen a few times here in Florida. It is ok for a temp shelter/workshop.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I know a few people who have done it. You can't lock it up against theives. Very heavy winds could bring it down as I have seen happen a few times here in Florida. It is ok for a temp shelter/workshop.

We have a carport for display (we sell them) here at work. The included hold down is four 2' hunks of rebar driven into the ground and bent over. Mobile home anchors are also available.

One storm pulled the rebar out a couple inches... so they turned up a big hunk of C channel that spans the whole width of the carport and with the shops 4020 loader tractor parked on it it hasn't budged the rebar again. If it can blow away the 10k+ lb tractor the shed doesn't have a chance anyway.

 

[tmcalavy]

I like that square tubing design...you could do the same with heavy PVC, put two of them together side-by-side, locked together, and have a nice 2-bay storage port. If I did it I would use corrugated metal for the roof.
Decades ago we did a four-square out of heavy PVC at my uncles...he needed a place to store tools after a fire and winter was coming on. We built a rectangle-box frame...each end connected with a long ridge-pole and we used smaller PVC drilled and bolted to the frame to make the rafters/roof supports...then we used good braided cotton line to secure two big, thick canvas tarps to the frame. Wasn't warm but would stop the wind, shed the snow and dried out easily...plus it kept the mass of tools dry. A box of soda straws works good to help you conceptualize and build a model of what you really want to do. Go for it. I think my uncle spent about $350 on his back in the '80's.

 

[greaseyfingers]

Yup works good, too. If you're in a high wind or high snow load area, ditch the hoops/quonset design and go with a four-square with pitched roof frame instead using heavier PVC...anchor it down real good, use good line to secure it...not the cheap nylon crap...double skin it and Bob's yer uncle.

Which size diameter (1 1/2" or 2") and which schedule (40 or 80) PVC Pipe size would work best for making a hoops/quonset design?

Should a person use a Solid Core PVC Pipe, or Cellular Core PVC DWV Pipe, and is there any difference in strength and flexibility..

Is it better to use white PVC Pipe, or grey PVC Conuit Pipe?

Which one would bend easier for making the arches, on a hoops/quonset design?

Where is the best place to buy a tarp to cover the top?

What's the best way to close in the ends?

 

[gwaii]

mine's 2x4 frame with 6mil poly,28'x14'...14' high.

when i built it i was hoping for a year or so out of it.that was 6 years ago.i live on an island in the north pacific that's known for it's storms.....one after another after another.i'm actually quite surprised how well it's held up.

 

[shane96ranger]

mine's 2x4 frame with 6mil poly

That would work out pretty good in a non-snow environment. I am actually adding about 4 feet (50 inches) on to mine and using 2.75" fence pipe I had laying around. Then I am using 1.5" square tube as the roof brace.

Sent from a Commodore 64 using a 300 baud modem

 

[gwaii]

That would work out pretty good in a non-snow environment. I am actually adding about 4 feet (50 inches) on to mine and using 2.75" fence pipe I had laying around. Then I am using 1.5" square tube as the roof brace.

Sent from a Commodore 64 using a 300 baud modem

we get some pretty good snow here too(remember-i can see alaska from my living room).when it gets more than a few inches deep it slides off,that's the beauty of the smooth plastic,tarps are too rough.they also catch the wind more.
having said that,i did use tarp under the plastic to give it a bit more strength,though on later sheds i found that it as not needed.

here's an interior view.i don't have any exterior shots on file,and it's a bit dark right now to get any.

 

[shane96ranger]

Wow, I'm surprised the 6 mil takes a beating like that. Must not be Chinese junk. I guess the shape of your roof helps though.

My shed (12X8 because 100 square feet requires a permit) is a lean style roof and the support is only 2X4's, then it has press board, and a metal roof.

Sent from a Commodore 64 using a 300 baud modem

 

[gwaii]

Wow, I'm surprised the 6 mil takes a beating like that. Must not be Chinese junk. I guess the shape of your roof helps though.

My shed (12X8 because 100 square feet requires a permit) is a lean style roof and the support is only 2X4's, then it has press board, and a metal roof.

Sent from a Commodore 64 using a 300 baud modem

like i said earlier,i'm quite surprised too.the shape of the roof is a factor,and keeping seams to a minimum,as well as making sure the edges are secure.my first couple of attempts blew over,so it was a matter of using lessons learned from failure to get something useable.

in the photo above you can see some of the interior lining coming off the walls...this was done in a lighter poly.the secure areas(upper right)are 6mil and hold up well to storm force winds blowing through when the doors are open.the poly is from a manufacturer in bc(canada)and seems to be pretty good quality.
to keep seams to a minimum i buy the 20' wide rolls.