Hi, I'm a real Newby having had my allotment since Tuesday!
I might have the chance of a free 6 by 8 greenhouse but it has to be dismantled and carried piece by piece on foot 1/4 mile from gadren to plot then put back together, and the land it came off dug over and turned into a patch of reasonable looking garden.
Just how differcult is it?Its bout 25 years old aluminimum frame with most of the glass intact and held in by clips. Its got an aluminimum base which is concreted in at the corners so would have to be chopped out to free it.
Is it worth the agro? Would such an old greenhouse survive being dismantled and reconstructed(it doesn't look warped)? Just how differcult is it likely to be to put back together?
It seems too good a deal to turn down but I have this horror of ending up with a giant puzzel I can't put back together!-particularly being as it is going to be hell carrying it on foot and landscaping the ground it came off.
I would give it a try. If its free, what do you have to lose. Take photos of it now, including close-ups of the fittings and mark each piece (including the glass) with tape or marker pen, draw up a diagram of each side/ roof span. All this will help you to put it back together properly. You can buy spare glass clips and bolts for aluminium greenhouses everywhere and panes of glass shouldn't cost more than £2-£3 each. If its a metric greenhouse, you may even be able to buy a new base for it if you find it impossible to remove the old one.
Good luck!
Wow....rather you than me :o but then you're probably half my age!!....sounds too much like hard work to me! ::) but if you're really keen....'go for it' and lots of luck......let us know what you do :-\
I would give it a go certainly, as I did the same from a disused allotment. Remember to stack the glass on end, stacking it flat may well break some panes.
You will only need to dismantle the frame into flat sides, as they will be very light and easy to carry.
Replacement clips and fasteners are easily available from your local suppliers, I know Wilkinsons definitely stocks them.
Good luck.
Certainly worthwhile dismantling, I did the same a few years back...as Derek says, just dismantle so you have 4 sides it will be fairly light;TIP:get hold of some new nuts and bolts from your local hardware store as the old ones will probably shear if you re-use them.
Yes it`s worth a go-just take your time to ensure you do not twist anything- take some oil and a hack saw in case of bolts that are hard to undo.
It might be a good idea to clean the glass before you re- assemble.
Stephan.
done the same thing last year with the same size of house, all the nuts and bolts are aluminium and wouldnt be rusted, it is a fairly awkward bit of work and some help from someone whos good with a spanner etc wont go amiss. I think the only sticking point for me would be having to fix up the garden again, at the end of the day your also doing a favour by removing the house . if you do you should try and have your base already set out. concrete blocks built on their edge exactly 8 by 6 to the outside provides a good solid base to fix it to.Just on another point you can also come across secondhand greeenhouses from as little as £50 if you look in the buy and sell magazines . good luck and let us know.
We are in a similar situation, except that the greenhouse we got free from a friend was already dismantled, and we have no manual to put it together with!
I don't suppose anybody knows of any manuals for aluminium 6 x 8 greenhouses that look pretty standard on the Internet?
Thanks
Ten x
Ten, I have a manual for ours, the chap who we bought ours from kept the original paperwork! I will post it to you if you pm me your addy. I don't know what size ours is, that's Ava's department :o, but I figure they must be kinda standard..... :-\ and ours isn't huge, kinda standard I always think. ;D
EJ that would be fantastic! I will PM you my address right now.
Cheers!
Ten x
Ten, have no idea if it would be here, but may be worth a look!!
http://www.instruction-manuals.co.uk/ (http://www.instruction-manuals.co.uk/)
Opps, no greenhouses on the list, but handy for loads of other stuff!
Doris, what a great site. Other half is dead chuffed with it. He is usually good at keeping manuals and instructions(he even reads them)how sad is that? :D I only read them when something goes wrong :-[ I too have an instruction manual for a greenhouse..if it is needed(thank you ma in law)
Can't take the credit Mimi, heard it on Steve Wright in the afternoon a while back! I should post it in top tips! ;D Might just do that!
Thank you Mimi, I shall await EJ's manual and if it is not helpful might ask you for yours!
Great website Doris by the way
Ten x