Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Construction update: bird nests and greenhouse


Bird nesting updates:

The Black capped chickadees hatched yesterday (May 5), and this puts them just about on schedule for a typical fledging time of around June 3.

The northern flickers are still courting (and stuff I can't mention here), and the male is still doing a little bit of excavating. I think the female may have laid the first egg yesterday (May 5) and is beginning to incubate

Greenhouse construction update:
This weekend, I installed the floor (recycled 100-year old Missoula brick, see below), and framed the four walls. All the framing lumber is from Home Resource in Missoula and most is recycled lumber, the rest is sustainably and locally harvested.


All the framing members that will be exposed- either inside or outside the greenhouse were primed and painted (2 coats), on all 6 sides prior to installation (primer and paint also from Home Resource- $5/ gallon!).

In the photo below you can see the grate over the compost furnace in the floor. This is actually a temporary one, one to use while I finish construction so I don't fall in... again. The grate is slatted to allow warm air and CO2 from the compost to rise into the greenhouse.

To the south (to the right in the picture below) of the brick floor is an open area that will be a raised bed. Hopefully this weekend I will frame the gable ends and even the rafters.

3 comments:

  1. David,

    Looks like a fun project to me. Not sure I've ever seen a Black-capped Chickadee, we have Carolina Chickadees here. I'm pretty projected out being a handyman, but it pays the bills.

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  2. That is shaping up to be one very cool greenhouse! So cool too that all your materials are repurposed or recycled in some way. Very earth friendly!

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