Greenhouses - cutting down to size 8ft to 4ft

[Conrad Edwards]

From what I've seen a lot of greenhouses are very modular...two end sections, and 2ft middle sections that add to get the right length (4ft, 6ft, 8ft etc). The long rails that hold it all together seem to be just straight strips of metal with no fancy bits at the end, and everything just bolts together with extra brackets for the corners.

I don't want to spend £300 on a new 6ft x 4ft greenhouse, and secondhand ones go for over £100 if you can find them at all.

6ft x 8ft are quite common and can go for around £50....so would there be any problem in simply sawing this in half to make 6ft x 4ft?....all I would do is saw the long rails in half and drill new fixing holes. I would also lose two of the middle 2ft sections. Seems simple enough.

I know this is a bit of lateral thinking, but would it work? Do better quality greenhouses like Halls have a different construction to cheaper B&Q ones?

[BigWallop]

Is it glass greenhouse you're on about, or is it a garden shed ?

Greenhouses are easily adjusted by removing or adding the middle sections. This is easy because the framework is simply a section of timber or metal form that hold the glass in place. So if you can make or buy the same shaped form, then you can cut and weld, or bolt or screw, sections into the centre and extend the size.

To shorten the building all you need do is cut a piece out of the middle and then bolt the other parts back together again with a flat piece of whatever you need to use.

Cutting bits out the middle of the thing leaves the ends intact and these are usually the most important bits.

[Conrad Edwards]

It is greenhouses I'm on about....the cheaper ones seem to use separate brackets at the ends to join everything together - and the frame seems to be just simple metalwork with no fancy bits at the end

- so I thought just slicing in two would do, then drill the appropriate holes. I guess a more complicated system at the ends would mean splicing out a middle section.