DIY greenhouse?

johngalway

Hi folks,

I'm thinking of building a greenhouse. Plan was to do a poly tunnel (like the plans on over the garden gate)but maybe a greenhouse would be better.

Does anyone have any good plans for an inexpensive GH? Fella I know built one out of some type of perspex/clear plastic sheeting, I've yet to see it though.

ATB,

John

sponge_bob

i built my own greenhouse last year using old windows that i managed to save from the tip, i have a thread here with pictures. i was also going to go for the polytunnel but my site was very exposed and i didn't think the homemade tunnel would stand up to the winds i get here.

the price my greenhouse cost €500+ by the time i was finished, i bought the perspex roof for it and i got the uv sheeting so that it wouldn't get brittle after a few years and this turned out to be the most expensive part at €300ish for the roof.
you would build some size of a tunnel for €500 where my green house is only about 16'x12' your tunnel would probably be 12'x30' or 40' for the same money.

redser7

Why do you favour the greenhouse over the tunnel John?

johngalway

redser7 wrote: »

Why do you favour the greenhouse over the tunnel John?

I can't answer that!

I'm flip flopping over this issue to within an inch of my life.

redser7

Well I suppose the deciding factors for DIY builds are cost, space available, size wanted, access to free or cheap materials and ease of the build.
(Go for a tunnel, you know you want to)

healyon

Id go with the poly tunnel, much less work just put the sheet on on a nice warm day so you get a nice stretch on it

joseph brand

Good website here with a decent demo video on setting up a polytunnel (42 mins).

They sell polytunnels and deliver, but they also have instructions for DIY enthusiasts.

MayoForSam

I constructed my own 14' x 25' polytunnel 3 years ago and it's still going strong. It's survived plenty of wild and windy weather in the meantime.

I'll never forget one Easter Saturday morning when I cam outside after an almighty hailstorm to see my tunnel looking more like the Aviva Stadium, it had completely collapsed under the weight of the hail :eek:. Managed to pop it back up and reinforce the interior with some vertical stays.

I made mine using 40 mm galvanised tubing concreted in around the perimeter, then black PVC water pipe cut to size and formed into semi-circles, 2x1 battens along the inside and then heavy duty polytunnel plastic over the frame (plenty of guides online as mentioned).

Supercell

On the subject of diy greenhouses, how essential/useful is it to put in electricity and water into one?
I bought one that I'm going to put up where a raised bed is now, in the Autumn, and was thinking about running a cable from an external plug under the ground and into the greenhouse when putting it up.
I have an external tap too and was thinking maybe i could bury a pvc pipe with hose and come up in the green house as a bit of a bodge. obviously getting a plumber would be better but funds are tight.
Anyone did electricity and water diy or is that best left to the pro's ?

joseph brand

B&Q are doing a relatively cheap greenhouse £150. Don't know how much it is here in Ireland.

I know this thread is on DIY greenhouses but it looks like a good deal. Got good ratings and it's an 8x6.

Kat1170

joseph brand wrote: »

B&Q are doing a relatively cheap greenhouse £150. Don't know how much it is here in Ireland.

I know this thread is on DIY greenhouses but it looks like a good deal. Got good ratings and it's an 8x6.

Don't think that includes the 'glazing'.

joseph brand

Kat1170 wrote: »

joseph brand wrote: »

B&Q are doing a relatively cheap greenhouse £150. Don't know how much it is here in Ireland.

I know this thread is on DIY greenhouses but it looks like a good deal. Got good ratings and it's an 8x6.

Don't think that includes the 'glazing'.

Oops! Didn't know there were greenhouses sold Sans glass.
Seems like hassle.