Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My green house came in bits and had been leaning up against the side of the shed for some time before I got it. I know some bits were missing because I didn't have enough clamps to put the bits together that I had and it only came with 2 diagonal braces. Some of the clamps had cable tensioning bolts attached to them so in addition to the diagonal bracing pipes I think that there must have been some cable diagonal bracing as well.

Here is one of the two diagaonal braces that I have.


The way I have set the GH up is to keep it level down the slope of the site. To do this I have raised the feet that the hoops sit in as the GH goes down the hill. This means that one end is substantially higher than was origanally intended in the design of the GH. For this reason I think that I may need to have more diagonal bracing than the origanal design.

So my question is how much diagonal bracing would this GH have had orginally and how much more do I need to add to be reasonably sure it will stand the test of time?

If you can shake the whole thing, then it needs more bracing. It should be rock solid, or the wind will knock it down in the end - its a big surface area for the wind to push on.

So I just keep adding bracing until it dosn't move?

The one that Synapto is putting up dosn't seem to have any diagonal bracing.

Oh well its just as well that I've found some where where I can get the clamps and pipe cheap.

I was thinking that if I made the end and middle pair of hoops really strong then the seven hoops left over between them would be allright.

Maybe the cables were for hanging stuff up, maybe irrigation lines and that sort of thing?

Stuart, many/most greenhouses only have a diagonal bracing on each end section...



Some don't have any...



Your greenhouse is braced longitunally between each hoop section toward the top... and further braced horizontally across each hoop.... also used for support for irrigation lines, lights/fans, tomato hooks etc....

I suspect that it probably wont actually need any further bracing...

Thin piping but agree with Rupe, ends need the diagonals because of the flat surfaces. Wind would create lift over the sides but not the horizontal push you would get on a flat surface.
Problems will occur because of the pipes in relation to the covering (heat/movement) but there are a number of firms providing products to reduce friction/heat.

I just dont like wobbly buildings.....if your happy it wont fall over, its all good

I've thought further about this and I think that the GH film itself would work as diagonal bracing if it were installed correctly, ie evenly and tighly but without over stretching.

Having said that I'm going to go with the KP principle that "over engineering is good" one because over engineering is good and I'd allready bought the clamps for the diagonal bracing.

I thought I got them at a cheap price from the last place (and I did @ $4.2/clamp) but I found some today that were the last of a contractors stock that they were getting rid of them and I got them for about half cost. New form the distributor they are around $5/clamp I got them for $2. So feeling good about that. High point of my day.

Low point is that my son is in hospital again. Currently in Bendigo base almost got transferred to Royal Childrens. So I'm glad I had win today, it cheering as I forum and enjoy my home brew.

Wish your child a speedy recovery Stuart, keep him on top of your priority list and give him our best wishes

Sorry to hear your child is unwell, I hope they recover soon

Mum and son home again, much more cheerful now.

Here is some of the bracing I've added.

Much stronger now but is it enough Outbackozzie?

Can you move/shake it a lot by hand?

Any movement that you have in the final structure will cause weakness over time, as it flexes and stretches.

Looks like there is plenty of support though