Building The Right DIY Greenhouse For You
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Every gardener wishes they had a greenhouse no matter how big or small it might be. You can watch the snow pile up and still be able to start seed in preparation for spring and planting of the flower or vegetable garden. Those plants you loose every winter can be safe and sound inside a greenhouse and be ready to come out once the temperatures get more moderate. DIY Greenhouse building is not a hard undertaking. There are many different styles of greenhouse you can purchase and construct that will take you just a few hours to a few days of some work.
There are a multitude of decisions that have to be made before you try to build a greenhouse. Pay attention to the weather in your area so that you know what type of greenhouse you are going to need. Those people living in warm areas have to take a good look at how to vent the greenhouse more than how they have to heat it. They need to figure out how to make a shade screen during the time when the sun is hottest. Insulation is the key word for those living in cold climates and the next key word is how to heat the greenhouse.
Location is another big factor in building a greenhouse. The spot you pick to build should be level and flat, well drained so that no water seeps, and it should be in a sunny spot to make the best use of the sunlight. If your yard is shady you need to find a place where filtered light is coming in at least most of the day.
Materials for making a greenhouse are many. You can use glass like the old fashion greenhouses were made but you can also pick fiberglass. You can also get polycarbonate panels that are specially made for greenhouses but they are very expensive. Another option is using plastic sheeting on a skeletal frame of pipe. You can also make the greenhouse out of recycled items. There is a plan online to make a greenhouse totally out of a wooden frame filled with plastic beverage bottles. You can also find how to make a green house out of discarded aluminum and glass doors.
What should the floor be made of? Many greenhouses do not even have a floor. Instead the dirt on the ground is the floor and more dirt is added so that you can plant seeds in it. Some people prefer some sort of flooring in their greenhouses. You can use gravel or pour concrete for a very sturdy and durable floor. You can even build a floor out of wood. A nice floor can be made from setting bricks and pavers into sand on the ground. When building a greenhouse right on the ground make sure it can never flood or you will have one big mess on your hands.
Many gardeners make benches out of wood that line the perimeter inside. They put their pots on those benches and do not have to stoop to the ground to garden. Heating units can be run from either gas or electricity so you need to build your greenhouse where there is a gas line or availability of electricity. You might even decide to put some electrical outlets in the greenhouse or lights so you can see at night. Do you want to run a water line right into the greenhouse instead of having to carry water to feed the plants? These are all considerations that have to be met.
Cheap DIY greenhouses are the ones that look like a big tunnel made from plastic sheet draped over PVC or other piping. Since PVC is not environmentally friendly these types of greenhouses are sometimes avoided. They are functional and most important they are very affordable. The next level of green house is one made with a wooden frame and then glass or fiberglass is installed. The most expensive is to install the polycarbonate panels and if you live in an area where kids play all the time, this might be the best in the long run because the panels will not break or shatter no matter what hits them. Building your own greenhouse will be an adventure and you are sure to find a green house that you can build easily and afford even if it is built out of water bottles or old back doors.
To build a DIY greenhouse is not all that hard. Diy greenhouse kits on the market today make it so easy that every single gardener can build their very own greenhouse.
