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Building a greenhouse is a logical step when having a vegetable garden for a few years. Mine is a 450 m2 rented allotment, with vegetables, lots of flowers and landscaping. It is located just outside my town, in Alkmaar, the Netherlands.
In spring, seeds have to be nursed, in summer, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, grapes etc. need extra warmth.
I winter, lots of plants need protection from the cold. In my attic it is too warm and dry - survival rates are low.
During about 2 years I have been keeping an eye out and been collecting suitable wood and other materials.
Everything is recycled and re-used, except nails, brackets, paint and the plastic roof cover.
Total costs for me were about E 200.
If used wood and 2nd hand agricultural glass would have been purchased, the costs would have been ca. E 800- 1000.
If new stuff would have been bought, the costs would have been over E 4000.
Companies selling greenhouses made from disassembled commercial large greenhouse complexes charge ca. E 10.000, assembled on site for this size.
If well built and maintained, it can last over a lifetime.
The greenhouse was built with hand tools and electrical hand saw, planer, router, belt sander and (battery) drill. In front, the allotment has 220 V.
Time: more than 2 months, almost full time (built completely on my own). Update: make it 3 months. (doors, gutters, and windows which can be opened). Building time can be shortened by using standard sizes of windows etc. (I made everything custom built)
The sizes are actually 5.20 x 3.85 m, with the roof reaching 2.75 m (not the decoration). For US: about 17 x 13 feet, with a height of about 8 feet.
In spring, seeds have to be nursed, in summer, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, grapes etc. need extra warmth.
I winter, lots of plants need protection from the cold. In my attic it is too warm and dry - survival rates are low.
During about 2 years I have been keeping an eye out and been collecting suitable wood and other materials.
Everything is recycled and re-used, except nails, brackets, paint and the plastic roof cover.
Total costs for me were about E 200.
If used wood and 2nd hand agricultural glass would have been purchased, the costs would have been ca. E 800- 1000.
If new stuff would have been bought, the costs would have been over E 4000.
Companies selling greenhouses made from disassembled commercial large greenhouse complexes charge ca. E 10.000, assembled on site for this size.
If well built and maintained, it can last over a lifetime.
The greenhouse was built with hand tools and electrical hand saw, planer, router, belt sander and (battery) drill. In front, the allotment has 220 V.
Time: more than 2 months, almost full time (built completely on my own). Update: make it 3 months. (doors, gutters, and windows which can be opened). Building time can be shortened by using standard sizes of windows etc. (I made everything custom built)
The sizes are actually 5.20 x 3.85 m, with the roof reaching 2.75 m (not the decoration). For US: about 17 x 13 feet, with a height of about 8 feet.
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Everything collected on the bike, mostly with my heavy duty 4 wheel trailer.
Wood: Lots of large boards (beams), about 16x 6 cm (6+ x 2+ inches). Many about 2 m, but some over a sweet 5m!!! (learn metrics!- 6 to 16+ feet). Had to be cut (over length) in 2! Many smaller boards were found, as needed. Sometimes, it almost seemed like I ordered them: anytime I needed a certain size, a certain amount, a dumpster showed up, with just the proper wood required!
The 'glass': This part of my instructable is of course very specific to my own situation: I found beautiful, large, discarded acrylic sheets, but with nasty commercial plastic foil stuck to it. It was loads of work to remove the sheets and very sticky glue, but now I am the envy of everyone.
In the step about ' the glass', I will present some options to find transparent greenhouse covering.
Finding useful stuff in dumpsters works 2 ways: Giving nice things found, away; everyone will help finding that special bracket, the ways to stabilize the frame, or the address where to obtain the perfect roof covering material.
Wood: Lots of large boards (beams), about 16x 6 cm (6+ x 2+ inches). Many about 2 m, but some over a sweet 5m!!! (learn metrics!- 6 to 16+ feet). Had to be cut (over length) in 2! Many smaller boards were found, as needed. Sometimes, it almost seemed like I ordered them: anytime I needed a certain size, a certain amount, a dumpster showed up, with just the proper wood required!
The 'glass': This part of my instructable is of course very specific to my own situation: I found beautiful, large, discarded acrylic sheets, but with nasty commercial plastic foil stuck to it. It was loads of work to remove the sheets and very sticky glue, but now I am the envy of everyone.
In the step about ' the glass', I will present some options to find transparent greenhouse covering.
Finding useful stuff in dumpsters works 2 ways: Giving nice things found, away; everyone will help finding that special bracket, the ways to stabilize the frame, or the address where to obtain the perfect roof covering material.
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What kind of plastic do you use on the 5th picture? I'm thinking of building a small greenhouse like the one in this picture and use it as a seed starter.
I'm building some greenhouse on top of my house (lucky for me in Argentina the building policies are way too relaxed in suburban areas). My house has a straight roof, like a building one, and it has two dormer-windows on top of it. I think heat and CO2 escape throught those windows so I'm thinking of building some greenhouse in the space between the two dormer-windows, using the heat from below and the CO2 from my house.
Your greenhouse was the inspiration.
I know how hard it is to build a wall from rough stone.
I would be really, really upset, if I had to demolish it.
I wonder what possible reason they had, for non approval ?
One question. Do you have an idea about the temperature differences from the inside to the outside? (ºC) What is the average temperature in the inside during the coldest weather?
When running the heater constantly, it costs ca. E 10 / wk...
Watch out with acetone! This can disolve some plastics!!
I love this instructable thank you!!
hope you have lots of fun growing as i grow myself but in garden only we cannot get allotments here anymore as all land is under cement,
congrats
What a treasure trove of practical and wise advise. I especially like your glass plate hanging brackets. I would never have thought of that.
Thank you so much for sharing with we mortals!
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Enjoying the greenhouse is a process. Just finished the double entrance doors, planted lettuce, and put a lazy garden chair in it. Just salvaged a petroleum heater from waste disposal!