Does anyone here know how to build a greenhouse without one of those expensive kits?

[Colorado Progressive]

I want one, I just cant afford a big kit right now. Surely there must be a way to build one yourself.

[wildhorses]

1. bookmarking for later reference ---

good question, thanks :hi:

[Colorado Progressive]

2. will you get back to me?....

I have done a lot of online searching and have come up with no blueprints or anything!

[MADem]

3. Some ideas here, perhaps

http://www.bluegrassgardens.com/how_to_build_a_greenhouse_article001.html

[Mythsaje]

4. It's not all that hard...

I've seen it done, helped once. Takes sturdy, industrial grade plastic sheeting, and fence-posts.


In fact, here's a website for you.

http://www.bluegrassgardens.com/how_to_build_a_greenhouse_article001.html

[Speck Tater]

5. Here's some info on cheap and easy greenhouses

from my own personal website: http://howto.fiziwig.com/farming/farm_buildings/

[The Vinyl Ripper]

6. My brother designed and built his own sun room..

Which is basically a greenhouse on the back of the house.

He used pressure treated lumber to frame it up, put clear lexan sheet on the side walls and corrugated translucent fiberglass panels for the roof. Several sliding glass doors provide both ventilation and access.

Greenhouses get *hot* without a great deal of ventilation..

PM me if you would like more details..

[Tesha]

15. One word (actually, one acronym): "PCSS"

Polycarbonate Structured Sheeting.

Basically, this is Lexan (or anyone else's polycarbonate)
extruded into a multi-layer sheet with two or four air-gaps
between the sheets. It's lighter than solid Lexan, stronger,
and has a much higher insulating value (owing to the two
or four air spaces). It's *GREAT* stuff to build a permanent
greenhouse out of.

You can buy it in clear, solar bronze, or white, and it has
UV blocking chemicals that give it a ten-year warranteed life.

Our greenhouse room is now roofed by five large sheets of
it after a long-term tragedy with leaky double-paned glass
and some cut-off scraps of the material form book shelves
in Mr. Tesha's office. (Did I mention that it's *STRONG*? ;) )

Tesha

[Mojorabbit]

7. Here is one from backwoods home

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/sanders67.html

[uppityperson]

8. PVC pipe, plastic. Or old windows in frames. How big?

It depends on how big, how fancy you want. You can build a small one with a few windows in a frame, or use PVC pipe and plastic/corrugated stuff.

[L. Coyote]

9. find a place that recycles glass from patio doors, a building demo for lumber, etc.

[frogcycle]

10. Sure

You interested in aesthetics, or just function?

If its just that you want to grow stuff in winter, it can be really cheap. I built one with just 2x2's, plywood, and poly film. If you want it to be attractive, like the kits shaped like little cottages, then you'll have to use a better grade of materials and work harder, possibly not beating the cost of the kit all that much.

[BrotherBuzz]

11. My brother built his glasshouse using throw away/free sashes from a window...

a replacement company. Modest/simple construction is all he used, but he did splurge on a automatic/temperature piston vent on the roof and a fan of some sort.

[fed-up]

12. my farmer bf uses greenhouse plastic (Peaceful Valley Farm Supply) and pvc-link below

http://www.groworganic.com/browse_327_Greenhouse_Supplies.html


Greenhouse Poly - Tufflite IV Clear (40' x 100' Roll)
SEG140D $349.00 roll
Qty:


Greenhouse Poly - Tufflite IV Clear (28' x 100' Roll)
SEG128 $249.00 roll
Qty:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

13. My dad built one in the backyard.

With his friend who was an old carpenter. It had wavy galvanized flashing at the bottom, and above that wavy translucent fiberglass sides ' n'roof. It had screen windows all around and shades over the windows that were hinged at the top and could be propped open. It was 14 by 14.

We had to get black cloth to put over the top cuz it got too hot in the summer. But it was fun.

Had a screen door too.

[greenman3610]

14. go to the library, and search old "Mother Earth News" issues

that type of stuff is regularly covered.

[Tesha]

16. Do you want one that's semipermanent or temporary?

If temporary (say, one season, no winter snows) will do,
build a simple frame out of wood, PVC pipe, aluminum pipe,
or what-have-you and cover the frame with inexpensive
clear polyethylene sheeting. The sheeting will fail from
ultraviolet damage, but it's cheap and can be replaced
each spring.

For a more permanent structure, use PCSS (see above) instead.
Thin PCSS can be bent into "Quonset Hut" sort of shapes;
thicker sheets can be fitted to the typical linear frames
that you might build.

Glass glazing (unless you get a bunch of very-similar units
really cheap) is too heavy and too hard to design with.

If you build with a PVC pipe frame, please know that that
will turn brittle from UV over the years; paint the PVC
for longer life. Aluminum is more durable and stronger
but costly. Wood, even pressure-treated wood, will need
some maintenance.

In the summer, you may need to cover the place with
"shade cloth"; it's polyolefin, should last a few
seasons, and comes in varying "shade densities" from
40% to 70-80%. Our attached greenhouse is covered
right now with 70% shadecloth (which we'll take down
in September or so).

Tesha