Choosing a greenhouse advice

My beloved old wooden greenhouse will need replacing soon. It's starting to lean backwards.

I've just had a cursory look at prices of a metal 6x6 greenhouse and they start at around £250. I recall the wooden one cost about that 15 years ago from B&Q, so it seems suspiciously cheap.

http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co...te?oid=13034&gclid=CNK6s7P85rwCFWoOwwodclgAAg

I certainly don't want a top of the range one, sadly, but what are the quality points to look out for? Has anyone got any warnings/recommendations?

 

Mine came off eBay. Old, sturdy, Aluminium frames - they used a lot more metal back in those days, than today! If of interest the "adventure" is on my blog: http://kgarden.wordpress.com/projects/greenhouses/

£250-ish got me a 12' x 10' and a little while later £400 got me something bigger - 30' x 10'

Only problem was that it took a while for a suitable one to come up within a reasonable distance.

Chums of mine got one from their neighbour - cost nought, or probably a few bottles of wine. They come up on freecycle too.

6x6 sounds awfully small to me - might be all that you have space for though?

 

Good idea to look on ebay, there's a cedar one going for £100 at the mo. The transportation and logistics might be a nightmare, though! I've no access to a van. The best way to transport would be to keep the side and roof panels intact and reattach on arrival, I think.

The old one will stagger through this summer, I reckon, so no hurry. I could stretch to 6x8 but the existing one is 6x6 and my garden is fairly small.

 

I really wanted to get a second hand greenhouse when I first got my garden and even got one off of eBay for 50 quid. I found though that the panes were glued to the frame and that it simply wasn't worth the hasle. I ended up spending 10 times that on a brand new one but I was able to assembly it by myself with minimal help or fuss.

If you know what you're doing and have the help then bargains are out there. I may try again at a second hand one day for my mum as I understand the construction much better now.

 

I bought my 8x6 Halls greenhouse from the place below seven years ago, delivery was prompt and surprisingly no charge to ship it to the island even with the heavier toughened glass I opted for, but of course that may have changed now.

http://www.greenhousesdirect.co.uk/Greenhouses/Halls/

Don't by a greenhouse from B&Q they are poor quality.

 

I'm sure you are right but sadly my garden does not similarly increase in size also. I could always just have the whole lot glassed over, like Kew gardens!

I have been very happy with what I got out of my original B&Q greenhouse but generally I would not expect good quality so that is a good tip, ta.

 

The greenhouse is getting even more rickety than I thought. I don't want to shell out on a new one just yet, so am thinking more about a 2nd hand one. They have been going on Ebay for £50-£75., but I'm wary of the logistics of transporting and re-erecting. I'm assuming this will need to happen:

1. Remove the glass, retaining all clips, and store separately.
2.Take off the two roof sections.
3. Remove or lock the door frame
4.Remove the corner fixings.
5.Load all 6main sections plus glass into a suitably sized vehicle - Ford Transit?
6.Repeat in reverse on getting home.

I would probably have to hire a vehicle to get it home. On the plus side, the greenhouse would already be partially assembled so possibly easier to put up than a brand new one? I have got an aluminium "cupboard sized" greenhouse and although I put most of it together myself I was defeated at the end and had to get a man in. Grrr.

Anyone got any comments of the relative ease (or otherwise) of going down the 2nd hand route?

 

Step 0 -Photograph everything from every possible angle. 100 digital photographs would not be too many ... although 20 would probably be enough Get up close at each corner joint. You might even find an Assembly manual, for the model you are buying, online. Write unique numbers on each side of a joint that you unbolt, if you like. (Permanent marker pen required)

Step 5a - the glass needs to be vertical, not flat, in the vehicle

Take gloves to handle the glass. I did, but assumed I could manage without, until I had cut myself several times!

Most aluminium nuts will wring-off when you try to undo them. New Nuts & Bolts readily available online. Ditto glazing clips.

If the rubber seal (between glass and frame) has perished then perhaps use window draught excluder (I used the brown, rather than the white, as I thought it likely to be more UV resistant). Or Silicon them in (nightmare to then remove, but I doubt that would worry you)

Mine ( a LOT bigger than you are buying) happily came home in a People Carrier.

Pictures on my blog in case they might encourage / discourage? you

http://kgarden.wordpress.com/projects/greenhouses/

 

Very sound and sensible advice, there, Kristen, thanks. I knew about the vertical glass, but the nut marking is an excellent idea, and the photos which I might not have thought of.

How the dickens did you manage that? You must have concertina'd down the sides and roof panels rather than keeping them square? Or did you just dismantle completely? I'm going for a 6x6 or a 6x8 one, hope it'll fit in the Fiesta. If I to go to the expense of hiring a van it may not be worth getting a cheap one.

I'm tempted by the cedar one on ebay - is this likely to prove easier or harder to move?

@Jungle Jane was not very happy with her siliconed windows, and I would certainly hope to pass mine on if I replaced it with a new model - Halls above do a sexy black number that I'm rather taken with. So I'd try to avoid sealant.

Woh, two humungous greenhouses back to back! I notice you don't have a photo of how exactly you stuffed the frame into a People Carrier. Are you sure you didn't have an artic tucked away somewhere?

 

Should I add sticking plaster, tranquillisers and a willing and competent assistant to that list?

Thinks: Do I dare ask what a Dremel is?

 

Yes, Having dismantled most of it, dismantling all of it was no great bother. Of course converting it to flat-pack panels and bringing it home like that reduces the amount of de- and re- construction, but probably not if you have to hire a van specially. Can't remember but I suspect we brought the boors back "whole". With glass removed whole panels have no great strength, and will not remain "square", so perhaps some risk of them then succumbing to bending? whereas individual rails, because of their profile, are inherently strong in & of themselves.

Dunno about timber framed, but I am imagining the glass will be held in with puty
ty, which I think would be more technical to a) remove and b) replace. Unless you can just convert it into flat-pack panels to bring it home

For the Pergola I blagged I ran a big (12" ?) angle grinder down between the vertical sandwiched timbers - which took care of the bolts holding everything together. Not needed for a greenhouse, but you are right that Power Extension to the site, and power tools, would be prudent

Nice old lady, the former owner of mine, took care of that for me

Yes, you need at least 2 pairs of hands.