DIY Greenhouse

LaDiva_2

I do hope I'm posting this is the right area of the forums :rolleyes:

I've got three veggie beds and would like a small-ish greenhouse to get things going in the colder weather.

When I was a kid I can remember one of our neighbours had a greenhouse that's frame was made of wood (possibly somekind of timber treated) and instead of glass it was covered in a very very strong plastic-a true DIY job.

I've seen a project made of empty pop bottles but it took at least 1,000 bottles (if I remember correctly) so would take a few years to get the materials together :rotfl:

Has anyone on here made one or knows where I could get hold of some very strong plastic to make such a greenhouse?

Budget is tight, plus we don't have that much space in the garden for a larger greenhouse so I'm struggling to find something suitable.

Thanks folks.

Vibrant

I would think that your best option, would be to try and find a secondhand greenhouse, in the local papers etc.
I have been looking at building one myself, which has to be a specific size and shape to fit in the spot I want. But the cost of the timber and rigid plastic, makes it too expensive for me. Horticultural Polythene is a possibility, as a cheap cover, but I have doubts about its durability and being rather poor (or tight), I like things I build to last for fifty years or so..........
I'm currently looking at whether I could adapt a secondhand aluminum greenhouse, to fit my spot.

roosterpotatoes

I made one from the cheap timber you get from B&Q when i made it it was only 98p a piece, measuring about 6ft long and 2 inches thick and treated it with the stuff i treat the fence with.
I bought a mattress earlier on in the year and used the thick see through plastic covering and got smaller pieces of wood to sandwich the plastic to the frame before nailing and glueing it.
Its been great, i started growing chillies late last year and they have survived really well in my make shift cold frame.
I also asked in Carpet Right if they had any of the plastic wrapping left from when they unpack the rolls and they gave me loads as i didnt know if i had enough at the time.
Its had two periods of heavy snow and really high winds as we are next to big fields
Good Luck

angelavdavis

I built a polytunnel this year from a structure made from lengths of timber with flexible pipe curved across the structure as an arched roof, covered in plastic (also from a mattress delivery as it happens). It lasted well and I got far more tomatoes than previously. Also, for me, I was able to make a smaller than usual sized greenhouse for my limited space.

asharon

a couploe of years ago I built a wood greenhouse and I ordered some uv plastic on the internet that was sold as replacement covering for a polytunnel but it worked perfectly. You can buy some rigid twin layered plastic from bandq and such like but it worked out a lot more expensive. Mine lasted really well until we had some high winds when it blew into the neighbours garden. I had to dismantle it as there was no damage to it at all, it was just too heavy to get back over the wall, but the plastic stood up to the winds.

Davesnave

I made a 30' cold frame using tanalised wood and polytunnel plastic. It was tall enough to crouch inside, but building a shorter one large enough to stand in would be just as easy. I secured the plastic to the (removable)side and top frames with galvanised felt nails, wrapping it around the wood first to spread the strains on it evenly.

Now, 7 years later, I've moved, but some of the frames are at this moment holding the snow off my plants on another temporary shelter I've knocked-together. They do need re-covering, but they will last this winter. A polytunnel I inherited here was given planning permission in 2003 and it is still functioning too, so this gives a good indication of the service life of Visiqueen, or similar.

As for the main framework, although that was concreted in, (with good reason as asharon's post proves!) I was able to dig the posts out, knock the concrete off them and they have moved with me, ready to be used again.:D

Two things about using UVI stabilised polythene:

• make sure it is well supported; a huge sheet needs fixing every few feet and the frame must be strong enough to cope with the load
• think about where and how you will ventilate it in summer

Zazen999

Wickes do a huge polythene sheet; in the section with their rubble bags. We used it to protect a new wooden garden room when they were finishing off a demolition project right next to it. That and some blue pipe would sort you out for the time being.

Davesnave

Zazen999 wrote: »

Wickes do a huge polythene sheet; in the section with their rubble bags. We used it to protect a new wooden garden room when they were finishing off a demolition project right next to it. That and some blue pipe would sort you out for the time being.

The blue pipe (which should be black, but hardly anyone stocks the UV protected version) will make cold frames, but it won't do a stand-in-it greenhouse alone, because it lacks rigidity. It's exactly what my polytunnel here uses for the upper roof, but there's a large supporting structure of wood inside, which I bang my head on constantly.

A sloping top of some kind is good to shed snow etc, but for simplicity, I'd go for pent roof, rather than apex or curved. However I'm useless with material like plastic, so I'd choose the easiest shape! No doubt curved is best.

peter_the_piper

Zazen999 wrote: »

Wickes do a huge polythene sheet; in the section with their rubble bags. We used it to protect a new wooden garden room when they were finishing off a demolition project right next to it. That and some blue pipe would sort you out for the time being.

Be aware that sheet for underneath concrete floors do not have to be uv resistant, longer life can be had from a horticultural plastic. Coloured sheets are an improvement on clear in the summer providing you can put up with a blue or green tunnel.

Zazen999

Davesnave wrote: »

The blue pipe (which should be black, but hardly anyone stocks the UV protected version) will make cold frames, but it won't do a stand-in-it greenhouse alone, because it lacks rigidity. It's exactly what my polytunnel here uses for the upper roof, but there's a large supporting structure of wood inside, which I bang my head on constantly.

A sloping top of some kind is good to shed snow etc, but for simplicity, I'd go for pent roof, rather than apex or curved. However I'm useless with material like plastic, so I'd choose the easiest shape! No doubt curved is best.

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Be aware that sheet for underneath concrete floors do not have to be uv resistant, longer life can be had from a horticultural plastic. Coloured sheets are an improvement on clear in the summer providing you can put up with a blue or green tunnel.

I know - I was going for the 'small-ish' and 'cheap' option

choille

Recycled windows & some bricks - plenty of 2nd hand windows are chucked out.