I am hoping to build a greenhouse about 15 feet by 30 feet. I am looking at a metal frame with high quality plastic for covering. Anyone built one themselves? I am interested in the costs and types of design. This will be a free standing greenhouse about 10 feet from my garage. Any information apppreciated. I have a carpenter friend who is willing to help me build when I find a good design.
My experience is that it only costs 2 - 3 times as much to do one myself versus buying a kit. That seems a small price to pay for the satisfaction ;-)
John
The message from John Bachman contains these words:
I've known people acquire very large second hand commercial grower's GH frames, for free, on condition they dismantle it . People are often only too glad to give away a perfectly strong re-usable frame just because the glass has long since gone. (Many growers have gone over to polytunnels instead) Janet.
made mine out of wood, avoids all those draughts. It's a lean to using two stone walls for their heat retention. 13' x 6' using horticultural glass for the wall and twin layer plastic for the roof and door cost me £700
Built my own 8 x 16 lean-to last summer. The cost was about the same as a cheaper kit but is much better built. Also most kits don't give too much thought to exhaust fans and ventilation. Unless you only want to use for a very short time each year this is just as inportant as heating. You can view my greenhouse at the link below.
Marv-Montezuma, IA
Is your greenhouse set on the ground? Or are there sonotubes? Would it have been better to have it a few inches above ground to prevent continuous contact with moisture?
Snow,
There an awful lot to define before you can expect decent answers to your question.
just for example:
location ( where you live) siting on your site, relative to the sun what you want to do inside the greenhouse... annuals, veggies, propagation of orchids or other specialties..and lots in between
Hobby or business? do you need town permits for this structure?
how much of the year do you expect to use it, how you will heat it AND cool it, what your water source will be....
without knowing these things, I think any answers are just shots in the dark.
Sue Western Maine
Greenhouse sets on a landscape timber frame. Have weed barrier & pea gravel floor.
Marv-Montezuma, IA
You want to build one, but I can assure you will not save that much money doing it that way, verses buying one already made. Here is one I bought several years ago. It goes up in about two hours, same coming down. When the outer part wears out (it has a 7 year warranty in my area of Texas if left up all year, and it doubles if you take it down half the year). Let's see if I can find it:
Victoria
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