Topic: Dismantling greenhouses

[Uncle_Filthster]

I've finally managed to get  my grubby paws on a greenhouse, well, two actually!  Both are 8 by 6 ali extrusion types and slightly different shapes.  They are old (around 30 years) but otherwise in good condition apart from some broken glass, moss and algae.

I've had a go at a few bolts and they loosened quite easily and the one that didn't snapped off any way so no worries there.  The hardest part I can see is getting them off their concrete bases as they have normal screws into thd base that have rusted up a bit.

Anyone got any tips for taking them apart and re-assembling them, like should I try to keep them as whole sides?

They are only a few hundred yards from our plot so I could carry a whole side round if need be.

[northener]

Can't you get a man on each corner and carry the lot. Easier then taking apart only to build again. Rusted screws, get a good sharp cold chisel and a big hammer. Have fun.

[pumkinlover]

Take the glass out and get someone to help you as northener says.
Me and OH carried one up the street like that ;D ;D ;D

[Duke Ellington]

Taking loads of photos helped us when we got our first freebie greenhouse. ....we could then easily see how it all went back together when we got it home.

Duke

[Jeanbean]

Hi there Filthser.  am in the throes of reassembling greenhouse number 3. Each time I have only removed the glass and moved the frame whole. Two of the green houses we transported to the plot in a trailer. We upturned the green house so the apex was in the trailer. This way it was supported by the side of the trailer. Did look a picture as we jogged along the raod. Our first greenhouse was moved by a friend who took it to pieces leaving sides and roof in each piece. It was quite a trial to piece together as we had not taken it apart. If you dont have far to go there is no weight in the frame just take a bit of balancing so a person on every corner is the answer. Good luck with the move and reglazing. Does the nails in putting in the 'w' clips. :(

[goodlife]

..and if you have to take it apart..use permanent marker pen to mark which bit goes with what.. ;)

[Uncle_Filthster]

Cheers guys.  I wish I could just carry the whole frame round as that would be the easiest thing to do by far.  Unfortunately, the back garden where the greenhouses are located are only accessible via a narrow covered alley built into the terrace.  Then there's the narrow alley past my dad's old pigeon loft and the plot next door to contend with.

Hopefully I'll be able to split it into sides without too much hassle.  Plenty of photos and labelling will be done of course  ;D

[kt.]

Me and my brother-in-law got a freebie 8x6ft greenhouse a few years ago.  I took the glass in my car boot to the plot.  But we carried the frame fully assembled 1  1/4 mile from its location to the plot then lifted it over the fence into my allotment.  Took us 40 minutes.  Would of taken longer to dismantle and forever to rebuild I rekon.  Walking along the road we got some strange looks from people and a bus driver who was laughing his head off.  But i got a free greenhouse ;)

[gaz2000]

i had mine for free after a "wanted" advert in the local pages,so had to dismantle and remove myself

i took newspaper to fill in between the glass panes,even though some panes were missing

as for the frame i had quite a few bolts shear,but there cheap to replace as are the glass retainers

i used masking tape to hold the various pieces,just taking my time to remember but a few photos would certainly help...

i didnt re-assemble mine for a few months after collecting,few pieces for the door were at the wrong side but easy to put right  ::).

just make sure there well ancored down as a strong wind can place your greenhouse on a neighbours plot quite easy,minus the glass.

i made a timber frame for mine to sit on,the frame was then screwed down on the pre-installed slabs.

then used 3 foot stakes driven into the ground on each internal corner to the frame then screwed in tight to the frame.

3 years on and hasnt moved a touch  ;D

[Uncle_Filthster]

Well, I have all of the glass removed from one greenhouse and stored in our shed...only broke about 4 panes so far!  I was expecting a few to go though with the age of the greenhouses and the panes are a bit of a mish mash anyway.  I've managed to loosen all but 2 screws with my big daddy screwdriver.  The two that wont budge are flat heads that have rusted a bit so it'll be out with the powerpack and dremel with cutting disc to reslot them, or drill them out.

We already have the concrete base of our old 12 by 8 to stick the greenhouses on but I'm extending the base over the old potting shed area so that there is a nice gap for a water butt and access to the sides between them.  They'll probably be held down with M8 bolts so they wont budge.

As long as I have at least 1 fully installed for my toms and chillies this year i'll be happy  8)

[chriscross1966]

I spent a happy day at the weekend reassembling (with the help of a couple of friends) the 20 foot by 10 foot greenhouse frame for the house I dismantled and picked up last year. After a couple of headscratches it's all worked out pretty well, during the six hours they were around we got the gable ends and the central gable plus the ridges in, and in two 1 hour bursts since I've got the gutters, all the side bars (and braces) and most of the roof bars in. Have discovered that the whole thing goes together with the square head ally screws in slots, and as it came with a lot of spares the fact that I sheared a load getting it down hasn't mattered...

 On the frame side there's about a quarter of the roof bars to go in, the roof bracing struts and then, once I've worked out where I want the lifting lights to go, the cross-members that have the lights handles  can go on.... As I broke a few panes getting it down and back to Swindon't I need to get some extra galzing for it, but I'm planning on it being twinwall rather than glass so it'll not matter when next-doors granjdkids are playing in the garden if a ball comes over....

Was chuffed at how easy it was, but it must have been an expensive house back in the day (it's equivalent these days is about 5 grand) so decent engineering rather than cost saving looks like being a major principle in its design..... by the time its up it will owe me about 500 quid (what it cost me on ebay last year, the fuel and a weekends camping in Essex whilst I got it down, the new glazing) but it's about as big as I could possibly get in the garden, and if my garden wasn't as long as it is it would be a bit intrusive, as it is I can get three decent vegetable beds, the fruit bed and the asparagus bed in between the house and the GH.....the veiw beyond (basically of my sheds TBH) isn't at all degraded anyway....

chrisc

[Uncle_Filthster]

The one I've managed to dismantle today has those bolt in a slot fixings.  It's incredibly simple how greenhouses are put together really.  I sheared off a lot of bolts but that doesn't matter as its only £1.48 for 25 from wilkinsons andit saves te frame from  being damaged. The hardest bit was carrying glass and getting the dremel on the base screws to reslot them.

Tomorrows task is glass out of the 2nd greenhouse, which may be trickier to dismantle as it's older and the fixings are slightly different....should be fun!

[Uncle_Filthster]

Well, that's the second one down now and it was a right pain to do.  Mushroom bolts that spun in the channel, different fixings all over the place, having to cut screws and bolts off/out and one end was concreted in.  To top it all I had to completely dismantle the sides as they are about 8'6" so wouldn't go through the alleyway.  Think I've done about 11 panes in total but I need a fair few new ones anyway.

As luck would have it, whilst dismantling today a friend of the neighbour to where I was taking the greenhouses down saw me dismantling and offered me another greenhouse just around the corner.  So, I may have 3 greenhouses after I have a look at it!  Hopefully I'll be able to install it as an extension to the two I've just done.

[chriscross1966]

Concreted in the base fixings a couple of days ago, if my potato planting doesn't eat the weekend (ie if I can get the Howard fired up to do the trenching) then I should be well on the way to a glazed 20x10 by Sunday evening.... did notice there's a 23x15 on ebay at the moment..... and an 18x8 if you haven't got the space for a "big 'un"

chrisc

[Urlybird]

Well, that's the second one down now and it was a right pain to do.  Mushroom bolts that spun in the channel, different fixings all over the place, having to cut screws and bolts off/out and one end was concreted in.  To top it all I had to completely dismantle the sides as they are about 8'6" so wouldn't go through the alleyway.  Think I've done about 11 panes in total but I need a fair few new ones anyway.

As luck would have it, whilst dismantling today a friend of the neighbour to where I was taking the greenhouses down saw me dismantling and offered me another greenhouse just around the corner.  So, I may have 3 greenhouses after I have a look at it!  Hopefully I'll be able to install it as an extension to the two I've just done.

Heres 2 that i prepared earlier, hth

[Angel]

Urly..... are they just standing side by side or have you 'joined' them together and opened them up to make one large one ?

[Urlybird]

Urly..... are they just standing side by side or have you 'joined' them together and opened them up to make one large one ?

Yes

[Uncle_Filthster]

Well, after lots of hard slog, 6 bags of concrete, too many broken panes, needing to buy a new drill to get into the mega gard concrete, lots of swearing and getting cheesed off I finally have 1 of the greenhouses up!

The other one may take a while as my work will be hectic for the next 6 to 8 months so I'll only be able to do weekends if I'm lucky.  I need a lot of glass for the second one anyway as the local scrotes had broke a few panes and I had to rob some for the other greenhouse to finish it.

At least I can now get my plants in there!  :P