Homemade Greenhouse VS Buying a greenhouse kit

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

When choosing a Homemade Greenhouse vs Buying a greenhouse kit

The economy is tough for everyone out there these days, but that is no reason to allow it to get in the way of you enjoying things that relax you. Many people enjoy gardening but feel they can’t for it because of the colder weather, well with a homemade greenhouse it’s easy to continue this relaxing activity at a fraction of the cost from buying a premade structure.

When considering a Homemade greenhouse vs Buying a greenhouse kit will save you money and it can be quit fun to build one. Saving a dollar these days won’t hurt anyone in the long run so instead of buying a premade greenhouse, we recommend the money saving idea of building your own. If you don’t believe us, feel free to browse through your local hardware store and price out the cost of premade greenhouses, they can run anywhere between a few grand to tens of thousands of dollars; not cheap at all! However if you take the time to build your own it may only cost a few hundred dollars, that might seem like a lot but when you factor in how much you will be saving, it definitely looking like the upside.

Cutting cost with a Homemade Greenhouse VS Buying a greenhouse kit online

The reason you cut costs is because you aren’t having the extra materials put in to your structure, you are cutting out all of the extra materials and only using what is truly necessary to sustain a small greenhouse. Instead of paying for extra insulation and extra heating devices you use the basic necessities for your greenhouse and if you need the extra heat in your greenhouse, you can simply get it from your house instead of paying for it, again, which will save you money in the long run.

Homemade Greenhouse VS Buying a greenhouse kit wil save you moneyA lot of people are afraid to go for the cheaper method and build their own greenhouse because they think it will be complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. If you do a little research online there are many free greenhouse outlines that go into detail and describe exactly what materials you need, how much you need as well as give you a breakdown of each step needed to preparing your greenhouse. These free online diagrams come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are incredibly helpful and again, they are free, meaning you’re saving more money; you don’t even have to buy specialized plans through your local hardware store!

Decide which is best for you a Homemade greenhouse vs Buying a greenhouse kit

Just because we are all watching what we spend doesn’t mean we should give up activities we enjoy. So if you enjoy gardening, don’t be limited by the weather around you, make your dream come true. Decide whether to Build your own greenhouse vs Buying a kit taking in consideration the pros and cons. Do you have the tools and time then building one with a set of plans will do. But incase your time is restricted and you have the funds then a kit will work fine. Start now and keep working that green thumb year round after you have evaluated a homemade greenhouse vs buying a greenhouse kit!

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Homemade Greenhouse

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

Homemade Greenhouse

Do you enjoy hands on projects but at the same time enhance your green thumb? If that’s the case then you may be curious as to whether or not it would be a good idea to have your own homemade greenhouse or not. The following will attempt to show how easy it can be to build your own!

People generally turn to greenhouses when they want to continue on with their gardening but the weather conditions outside made it less than favorable to do that. Building your own green house isn’t as difficult as you may think; the main materials you will need in creating your own greenhouse is plastic sheeting and polyvinyl chloride piping, also known as PVS pipes. This will help you create a small greenhouse; if you’re looking to build a larger green house then it gets a little more complicated as you’ll need to establish a permanent foundation for the building, sink fixtures and you’ll likely have to establish some form of plumbing. But, let’s focus on making the smaller and much simpler one.

The first step to take when building your homemade greenhouse is where to place it on your property. Generally people put them in their backyards on a relatively level ground, try and find an area that gets the most sun exposure and not where it is well shaded. Next build a wooden from for the general area you want to use as your greenhouse, ( Presure treated lumber for the base) you have total control on how wide you want it to be, or how narrow you want it. Make sure that you level out the frame, unless you flatten the ground there’s a chance the odd spot won’t be as flat as others so make sure you pay close attention to level that out. From there you need to attach the PVC piping to the wooden frame, ( You can drill holes on wood the size of PVC diameter) this will hold up the plastic covering that will act as the roof for your greenhouse.

The PVC piping almost forms a rib cage shape once it is fastened to the wooden foundation. Make sure before you cover the rib cage shape that you construct a door so you have access to your green house. From there, cover the outer area with you plastic sheeting, to be safe don’t be afraid to use two layers of plastic sheeting. Make sure the sheeting is secured properly as you don’t want to allow heat or humidity to escape your green house. If you live in an area that experience incredibly cold winters you may want to consider bringing in a heat lamp or a small electrical heater to help boost the temperature in your homemade greenhouse.

That’s it! It’s pretty simple to build all you have to do is make sure you plan it out properly and ensure that you will take all the steps needed, do this and you will be on your way to having a homemade greenhouse sooner then you may have originally thought!

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Build Your Own Greenhouse – Best Plans For Your Needs

Posted on February 7, 2012 by

Things to consider when you Build your own greenhouse.

There are several things to keep in mind when you build your own greenhouse from scratch. Take a look at some of these simple steps to consider.

  • Decide what size greenhouse you will need
  • What plants or vegetables do you want to grow and how many fruits or plants do you want.
  • Do you want it attached to your home or freestanding, in other words permanent or temporary.
  •  Also a good idea is to check your local building codes before you start anything or spend money on materials.
  • Budget: depending on the size of your greenhouse, you need to have a budget set aside for all of your materials and tools if need be.
  • Material: What do you want your greenhouse made of. There are a few things you can use. PVC, Wood and piping and for the outside, it could be heavy grade material plastic or plexiglass are just some ideas.

The best thing would be to write down some basic ideas and size of the greenhouse you would like to build. take a look at the area where you are considering building one and you might want to measure out an area, by marking it with a stake and some twine. This will give you an idea of the size if you step back and look at it.

If you’re trying to stay on a budget and build your greenhouse there are a few basic tools that you will be needing to get started.

  • A hammer is required to nail wood frames together and for other things
  • A saw is also required to cut the various sizes for your framing
  • Tape measure
  • String, preferably bright color and stake to mark the area
  • A shovel is need to level or dig an area for your base
  • A level is also a good tool to have
  • Nails or screws- make sure they are galvanized to prevent rusting
  • Lumber- make sure that the base of your greenhouse is treated lumber and the rest of the frame is regular studs.
  • Of course if you have power tools the better, but if you just have these basic hand tools that would be sufficient.

Base or foundation:

Another thing to consider is the base of which your greenhouse will rest on. You can either have cement layer to the size you have chosen or have gravel or pavers. When you have marked your area, make sure that is located where it gets the most amount of sunlight. If you decide to keep it simple you can use gravel or pavers as a base. Rail road ties or treated wood works great for the base framing of your greenhouse to prevent rotting.

 

Panels:

The sides can be made with various materials, I have listed some below.

  • Heavy grade plastic- If you get heavy winds in your area, this might not be a good choice to use. But if you do, make sure it is a heavy or thick plastic.
  • Plexiglass panels are good as well, but it might be a bit costly depending on the size of your greenhouse.
  • Glass is another option to use, but with plexiglass and glass you will need to make panel frames to or frame the sides to fit these panels.

Recycled materials:

Most people will use stuff they have laying around the house or garage. Some things you may or can use are.

  • Old wood windows. If you don’t have any take a look at yard sales, flea markets or even classified ads. If you know someone that may be replacing their old wooden windows with new vynal ones, why not ask if you can have them.
  • Wood doors or wood doors with glass.

 

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