It’s been a couple of weeks since I put up the hoop house, so I wanted to give a quick update on how it’s holding up (and how it isn’t).
Duct Tape Dreams, Melted
First, the duct tape repair? Didn’t survive. 😅 The modest heat inside the hoop house was enough to warp the fix pretty quickly. Turns out, the issue wasn’t just the tape — the real problem was the lack of support from the 3D-printed piece that broke. It was actually the horizontal T-joint (not the vertical post) that gave out and warped into more of a wye than a T.
So… back to the printer I went. I made a fresh Tee, popped it into place, and thankfully everything’s been holding up since! The plants are growing, and I’m seeing more tomatoes. Will they ever ripen? TBD. But we have hope.
Lessons Learned (So Far)
The 3D print failed and nearly took the whole hoop house with it.
As much as I love making things myself — and doing it frugally — I’d definitely do a few things differently if I build another one next year (which feels likely).
For starters:
I’d skip the PEX and go with PVC next time. The ½” PEX does work, but it’s a little too floppy. I’m sure the fact that none of my cuts were actually measured doesn’t help. 😄 Still, it’s functional and sturdy enough for my purposes, even with my classic guesstimating. To relieve some of the pressure on the connectors, I shortened the bottom support pieces a bit and flipped the warped cross-connector so it’s curving in the “right” direction. It’s not perfect, but it’s holding. Function over flawless, right?!
The plastic sheeting I ordered from Amazon feels nice and sturdy, but time will tell if it can survive more than one season.
On 3D printing:
Even though I used PETG, there’s still been some warping in the connectors from the heat and tension. If you’re going the DIY route, I’d recommend ABS instead. But honestly? I’d probably just make life easier next time and stick with simple PVC connectors.
Final Verdict (for now)
The plants seem way happier and have had a few growth spurts since being inside the hoop house. Given most of our days barely hit the 70s and nights drop into the 50s, they need all the help they can get. Fingers crossed for a tomato… and if the stars align, maybe even a cucumber.
