How to Attach a Ridgeline on a PVC Hoop House

Workability makes PVC a popular greenhouse framing material.

A PVC hoop house is a lightweight structure with hoops of PVC pipe as an infrastructure. The rib sections of a hoop house are flat on the bottom to create stability. Once you have assembled the "half hoops" for your hoop house, you must add a ridgeline to connect the pieces before you cover the frame with plastic to protect its contents. The ridgeline of a hoop house is actually small lengths of PVC attached to connectors at the ends of each hoop.

Things You'll Need

• PVC pipe (3/4 inch by 20 feet)
• Tape measure
• Dollar bill
• Permanent marker
• Hacksaw
• Sandpaper
• Clean, dry rags
• Assembled PVC hoop pieces
• PVC primer
• PVC glue
• Work gloves
• Safety glasses
• Rubber gloves
• Dust mask

Instructions

1. Lay the piece of PVC pipe on a flat surface. Stretch your tape measure along the length of a piece of PVC pipe. Make a spot every 34 inches along the pipe with your marker.

2. Pick up the piece of pipe. Wrap a dollar bill around the pipe. Move the dollar so that the edge of the bill is aligned with the first dot on the pipe. Trace along the edge of the dollar to make a circle around the outer circumference of the pipe. Repeat this process at each dot to make your cut lines.

3. Lay the pipe onto a flat, elevated surface. Move the pipe so that the first cut line is just beyond the edge of the work surface. Cut through the pipe with your hacksaw. Take your time and follow the cut line with the blade of your saw. Repeat the process at each cut line to cut the pipe into 34 inch lengths.

4. Rub the outer edge of each end of every piece of pipe with sandpaper. Wipe away the debris with a clean, dry rag. Sand the inside of each open connector of the assembled PVC hoop pieces. Wipe the connectors clean.

5. Apply PVC primer onto the sanded surfaces of the pipes and inside of the connectors. Apply glue over the primer on the pipes. Slide the end of a piece of pipe into an open connector of the assembled hoop pieces to form the ridge line and complete the frame of your hoop house.

Tips & Warnings

• Work gloves and safety glasses are required when working with hand tools.

• Rubber gloves and a dust mask are required in addition to your safety glasses when sanding, priming and gluing PVC.

References

• The Westside Gardener: How to Build a PVC Hoophouse for Your Garden