Topic: greenhouse at last! Whoohoo!

[bennettsleg]

Well, hello again.  Long time away but still trying to grow veg etc.

We have been very lucky to have been given an 8' x 6' greenhouse.  As the current owners are moving they have dismantled the greenhouse in readiness for our collecting it.  In the meantime we are going to install an 8 1/2' x 6 1/2' x 100mm thick concrete base in our small back garden.

This is a new numptiness arena for me, therefore before we make a complete hash of things and inflict our neighbours' with some really remarkable new swear words, I've a few queries!:

• Will 100mm thickness for the base be deep enough?  The concrete mixer is arriving next weekend so if it needs to be thicker, now's the time to decide. 
• The only place available in our garden is in a corner borded on one side by the building and another side by a 6' lap panel fence.  The other two sides are open to the garden.  In your collective wisdom, will this cause a problem - for use, maintenance and erection? The garden is a sun trap so my paultry logic says that an element of shade would be a good idea unless I want to grow desert cacti! Or I may be horribly, horribly wrong... again... ;D ::)
• The garden can also become a wind-tunnel in bad weather. Will it need to be bolted down despite being tucked into a corner? If yes, what's the best way to do this without needing to be an engineer and get measurements perfect as this is probalby not going to happen!
• As we are collecting it in an already collapsed state, what's your advice for putting it back together?  I can't imagine there will be an instruction manual and the verbal advice I had from the current owners was along the lines of "oh, it's SOOOO easy <yawn>" etc leaving us none the wiser. I've read a few posts on here and there seems to be much comment on some sort of clip to hold the glass in place and that they are fiddly little bleeders etc so a few pointers would be much appreicated. 

Hope all's well with everyone out there.  A combination of new job, workload, home renovations etc has kept me a bit too busy to contribute.  Even the plot's had a bit of a hammering (and don't mention the total lack of a pea harvest!).

All advice VERY gratefully received!

[Lauren S]

If the previous owner leaves you with no manual and is no more helpful than "It's so easy". Can I suggest you find somebody else with a similar sized greenhouse and take some pics that might help you with which piece and angels go where etc.
If the greenhouse has a manufacturers name on it perhaps you could write to them or even download instructions from the net.

Lauren  :)

[tartonterro]

100mm should be more than enough - ive got mine bolted onto 6" x 3" pressure treated wood, but im not an expert but would say it should be ok.
if its getting to much light you can either use the paint on shading or as i do i put up bubble wrap, doesnt have to be the stuff specific for gardens/greenhouse - i use a roll left over when i used to work as a storeman for packing goods, double effect acts as a shade to break up the sun during the day - but also helps keep the warmth in at night.
i would anchor it down - as i said my greenhouse is bolted down onto wooden beams so you have a couple of choices - fix wood straps to your concrete slap and screw your greenhouse onto these or what i think would work jst as good is to drill into the concrete, you can get screws and raw plugs that you hammer in then finish tightning up with the screw driver, i would also suggest a wee spot of no more nails or a similar product in the hole - just for added security
pity if was already collapsed - i was lucky to get mine still in one piece and luckly not to far from my home so my sister and i walked the frame home in one piece - i agree would be a good idea to try and find someone with the same or similar greenhouse as it will make it a lot easier
one suggestion i would make is to allow enough space between the building and the fence for you to comfortable to get in between them and the greenhouse - might seem a waste of space - but when your fitting your glass or replaceing broken panels in future you will be glade of the space - i know this from experiance cause i didnt and its a nightmare when anything breaks
good luck and feel free to ask any questions - i will be happy to answer if i can.

[bennettsleg]

one suggestion i would make is to allow enough space between the building and the fence for you to comfortable to get in between them and the greenhouse - might seem a waste of space - but when your fitting your glass or replaceing broken panels in future you will be glade of the space - i know this from experiance cause i didnt and its a nightmare when anything breaks

Is this because the glass is fitted from the outside instead of the inside?

[kt.]

Personal past experience:

I had a concrete base in mine last year. Growing stuff in the pots meant constant watering but also irregular quantities. I smashed it up and put in a concrete path up the centre leaving a horseshoe of digging muck around 3 sides. This year the crop was transplanted direct into the ground for the roots to find their own water source. (Less need for watering). The crop is larger , plants grew higher, less diseases, and plants are looking loads healthier with plenty more life in them for the season.

I won't be going back to a full concrete base - unless the greenhouses is going to be a potting shed only.... but as I said - personal opinion.

[croft8872]

ive just been  given  greenhouse but no glass  :'(

[bennettsleg]

ive just been  given  greenhouse but no glass  :'(

try your local glass cutter, apparently greenhouse glass is really cheap as the quality is too poor for windows.

[tartonterro]

sorry for the delay, didnt notice the reply - yea because the glass is fitted from the outside - if you have to clean it or replace it and you dont have enough space to get in the back or side your snookered - ive got to take out my room panels (twin wall plastic) if i have any maintenance to do

[MrsKP]

I've got a Hall's/AGL set of instructions if you want a copy.   ;D

[bennettsleg]

I've got a Hall's/AGL set of instructions if you want a copy.   ;D

is that a generic instruction set?  I have no clue who made our greenhouse...!

(Base area is cleared (had to dig out an ancient, leggy wooden lavender and rosemary, felt very guilty!), concrete mixer arrives next weekend ('twill be a potting and germination greenhouse).  So excited!!)

[MrsKP]

it's a pretty standard set ........ pm me your addy and i'll get it in the post anyway.

 ;D

[moonbells]

There's pretty exhaustive instructions as to how to build a concrete base in the RHS encyclopedia, if you have one or can borrow one from library or fellow gardener. Putting an adequate wood frame around for the concrete is a must, as is sinking it below ground level so you get a neat finish!!! A long spirit level's also needed, first to get the wood surround level, and then to check the concrete.

Because we have a sloping garden, we had to make sure that the base was dug out so it was all level BUT that the bottom of the actual concrete was below the soil level at all places. Pity that the builders who came to do it (insurance job) were hopeless and didn't realise either this, or that bases have to be larger than what is to be put on them. We got a 5'10 x 7'11 base for a 6'x8' shed despite clear, printed instructions with a drawing (and they even tried to build it 90^o rotated from what was wanted - again despite the diagrams!)- and my husband banned them from coming back because they were so clueless!

Now have a new L-shaped bit round the edge, reinforced by iron rods as you can't just put another layer round or it cracks off. *sigh* but the final shed was worth it!

Another suggestion if you can manage it - the base needs to be slightly higher than the soil around it so it doesn't flood (unless you are in a non-flooding area and want to do what Tim did to get an extra foot of height!). This is probably more important for a shed than an aluminium greenhouse though, as you don't want wood standing in water.

Don't forget to keep cats and dogs indoors unless you find pawprints in concrete or concrete in carpets funny!
It will take about a week to get properly dry enough to put your greenhouse on top, though it's reasonably walkable in a day.

Final suggestion - don't forget to wash your tools immediately. The duff builders nicked one of my spades to do something and didn't - it was my stainless border spade and hardly scratched. Not any more, as I had to use wire brushes and a trowel to get the set concrete off it again >:(. Was not pleased!

moonbells

ps there's also various websites:
http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/shedbase.htm

[davee52uk]

Don't know if this is of much help but did something similar - I was given a 'house from a building site. I marked all pieces Left 1 , Door, back etc. but I still believe some of it is up inside out!

Mine is on wooden planks with a brick path and soil beds.

I have also driven in some long metal spikes and lashed the frame to thsi as it is very windy and I don't want the whiole thing blown away as happened to another's nearby.

Having a greenhouse is really brillinat but someone's just put up a polytunnel on a plot, I wonder....................

[cambourne7]

Congrats, I also got a free greenhouse recently. I have been told to screw in some angle iron into the corners of the greenhouse and postcrete them into place.

I am going to be preparing the area the greenhouse is going in the next week and once the greenhouse is in place i am going to dump some horse poo into the area to get it ready and cover with cardboard.

I am not going to put the glass in till febuary which means i should not get much broken glass over winter and i will worry less and unless you are planning to plant it over winter.