Ash Greenhouse

Mark Dougovito

Project Description
I milled 5 of the 60 or so dead, standing ash trees on my 115 acres that died as the result of the emerald ash borer. The timber was milled into true 4"x6" ash timber beams of varying lengths ranging from 8 to 14 foot along with sufficient 2"x3" purlins for the roof. Using 17 reclaimed double hung vinyl windows and a 6 foot reclaimed vinyl sliding door that were destined for the trash heap, I designed this 12 x 19 6" greenhouse. The roof and gables will be covered with clear plexiglass roofing and ? inch clear flat plexiglass in the gables, all to highlight the dark, wooden ash structure underneath. After milling, the ash was treated using a Japanese process called Shou Sugi Ban, which is a process of burning the wood and then treating it with linseed oil (I used boiled linseed oil to speed up the curing process, but be careful because the curing process of boiled linseed oil creates heat). This treatment offers protection from insect, rot, and fire damage. The ground contact areas were treated using Postsaver Sleeves by Fence Armor.

Finished Dimensions
12'x19.5'

Money Saved
6 to 10,000 dollars