Greenhouse

Wardy1980 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Aug 2014 Posts: 8

Hi all, I am undertaking a project soon to build a greenhouse for garlic and onions over the winter and for herbs and chillies next year.
Want to get peoples opinions on it and see if they think it will withstand the weather.

Thanks in advance for your replies.
http://www.howtospecialist.com/garden/greenhouse/free-greenhouse-plans/

Good guy · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 5:29 pm Post subject:

Whereabouts in the country are you, Wardy? How exposed/sheltered is your site? Will your greenhouse be on soil or a hard surface like concrete or gravel? How big will it be?

Greengage · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:26 pm Post subject:

would you not be better with a poly tunnel.

Wardy1980 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Aug 2014 Posts: 8

I am in East Galway near Ballinasloe, my site is a third of an acre with high trees on two sides and hedges on a third. The trees are high enough to take the brunt of the wind but not to black out the sunlight on the majority of the back lawn. I would be building on grass not concrete even though I have a big enough yard to be able to build the greenhouse on but we have plans to extend the house in the next couple of years. The greenhouse would be 10 foot by 14 and The walls are 6 foot high. Reason I didn't pick a poly tunnel was that I wanted to take on a project like this and a friend of mine built a greenhouse recently, similar to the one in the plans and it looks really well. Plus I like the idea of a wooden frame one.

Greengage · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 2:39 pm Post subject:

soundslike you will be moving it in the near future, that could be a bigger job to move it than build it.

Mz_G · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:48 am Post subject:

I think he meant he's going to build it on grass and leave the yard free for his extension.
Hey Wardy maybe you could enlist your friend's help since he's built one already?

Wardy1980 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Aug 2014 Posts: 8

Mz_G · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 6:59 pm Post subject:

Good stuff, looking forward to a pic when all done! Best of luck with it

Wardy1980 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Aug 2014 Posts: 8

Finally, I have progress, between weather and getting good help it took a lot more time than I expected. I finally got the frame of the greenhouse built and I went for polytunnel plastic rather than pvc sheets because money is not flowing.
My cousin, who is a very tidy carpenter, was invaluable and donated loads of his free time to help me and a work collegue helped me out a lot as well.
I will post another reply when all the roof edges are nice and smooth and the strips and plastic are on.
I have a table to put into it and 3 raised beds but I have to kill the grass and put in a floor and some sort of crude irrigation system running off a water butt i got.

Greengage · Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 8:29 am Post subject:

There was a great article on greenhouses recently dont know if it was here or somewhere else about greenhouses and the falling apart after initial enthusium
this will get you started if your interested.
https://www.google.ie/search?q=broken+greenhouses&safe=active&rls=com.microsoft:en-ie:IE-Address&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RNFmVbOPEuTD7gb0-YDQCg&ved=0CCAQsAQ&biw=1843&bih=924

tagwex · Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 8:59 am Post subject:

What is the DPC detail and would you not be better putting it up on some blocks or a concrete ring beam to protect the sole plate from rot?

Wardy1980 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Aug 2014 Posts: 8

There is a much thicker wooden plate wrapped in agricultural polystyrene underneath the wooden frame. If I get a nice evening this week, it will be wrapped and the ground will be covered to kill the grass and then raked. There will be 3 raised veg beds made from untreated timber and a table put in once the cover is on and the door.
I admit I would be better off putting it on a concrete base but I will be changing the layout of the back of my house next year or the year after and didn't want to be digging up a concrete base.
Because I am a bit of a noob here I have no idea what DPC is.

tagwex · Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 9:39 am Post subject:

Polystyrene??? Or polythene? That timber will sweat and eventually rot if completely surrounded.
I cannot help but wonder, why not put it in its final place now? If there is a good reason not to, then put lifting eyes in the base plate so as the whole construction can be easily moved when you need to do it without dismantling.
I didn't mean a whole concrete base, just under the walls. Alternatively lay blocks on a sand bed and strap it down - it will save the timbers from rotting.

Wardy1980 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Aug 2014 Posts: 8

Thanks for the advice Tagwex, I will see about moving it onto blocks on a sand base, suppose now is the time before it start making additions to it.
I will post updates as I have them.

Greengage · Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 4:23 pm Post subject:

As you can see you get loads of advice and everyone thinks they know better, looks good well done keep us posted, There is a chap in the village of Laragh Co Wicklow who has built one and it looks super, if I see him in the garden Ill get a look around it and post a few pics.