Advice please

[STEVEB]

Hi all
Looking at getting a 6x6   8x6 greenhouse in the new year have looked at the likes of norfolk ,and am just wondering of peoples preferences,i`m looking at around the 200 mark.
Need to be safety glass becouse of an over enthusiastic grandson.
Any ideas or websites will be helpfull
Cheers

[Amazingrotavator(Derby)]

I bought my 8x6 from B&Q polycarbonate. So pleased with it I went and bought another.

[davejg]

I bought an 8 x 6 bardman polycarbonate, really really pleased with it.

[chriscross1966]

Hi all
Looking at getting a 6x6   8x6 greenhouse in the new year have looked at the likes of norfolk ,and am just wondering of peoples preferences,i`m looking at around the 200 mark.
Need to be safety glass becouse of an over enthusiastic grandson.
Any ideas or websites will be helpfull
Cheers

TBH you won't get safety glass for 200, a cheap 8x6 in safety glass is about 600... approx half my GH is in twinwall polycarb adn it seems to be pretty robust.... I reckon you should budget about 400 to buy a new one, once you add in staging and a shelf or two it all adds up, and the basic models are at least 300. ... You could do what I did, buy a cheap secondhand one and replace some or all of the glass.... you'll probably be OK with just replacing the kickpanes and the lowest two levels... the eaves adn roof can stay glass ....  My 20x10 cost less than 200 but I then had to spend at least 300 getting it home and putting polycarb on the side that faces the neighbours with enthusiastic grandkids...

[galina]

chrisscross,

we were cautioned against replacing only the lower panes with polycarbonate and leaving the upper ones in glass, apparently glass is so much heavier and stronger and unless the greenhouse frame is really solid, the strength of the glass has a role to play in making the greenhouse more solid.  This could of course have been good salesmanship selling us more poly than we needed, but on the other hand ...... just thought I'd mention it. 

I hope someone with real understanding of structural strength issues with greenhouses will come along and give proper advice.

[shirlton]

We got one from the Greenhouse Warehouse. They also sell polycarbon sheets as well.

[green lily]

Or you could consider a polytunnel- much safer with kids around

[chriscross1966]

chrisscross,

we were cautioned against replacing only the lower panes with polycarbonate and leaving the upper ones in glass, apparently glass is so much heavier and stronger and unless the greenhouse frame is really solid, the strength of the glass has a role to play in making the greenhouse more solid.  This could of course have been good salesmanship selling us more poly than we needed, but on the other hand ...... just thought I'd mention it. 

I hope someone with real understanding of structural strength issues with greenhouses will come along and give proper advice.

Ahh... my old Robinsons frame is completely self supporting and doesn't rely on the glass for anything... plus on the side I did with twinwall I did the roof as well, only thing that's happened to it so far is that in a very high wind  it pushed in one twinwall panel (the side with the twinwall faces south, the glass side is sheltered by a fence) it only took a few moments to put back...

[sunloving]

Depends where you live, Galinas comment about the structure is correct.
We cant keep polycarbonate greenhouse here as the wind wrecks them. However glasshouses are sturdy and survive the winter gales. In fact the blurb on plastic houses states not for use in coastal/west windy areas and some insurance companies now wont pay out for a plastic house ruined by gales in a windy area.


Have a look on ebay and put an add in on freegle then perhaps replace a few of the more vulnerable panes with polycarbonate or use them as cladding on top of the glass.

Brilliant once its up and growing yummy toms though.
Good luck
x Sunloving

[elvis2003]

dont worry about expensive staging (unless you can afford it) use any old shelves you can