Buying or Building a Greenhouse
Buying a greenhouse can be quite expensive, so the option to build your own is an attractive option. First, you need to have an understanding of the requirements and then make the determination on whether or not you can afford to by one that is ready-made or build your own. You can make a greenhouse from many different materials and the style can arise from your budget and your own personal preference. Following is some helpful tips to help decide on buying or building a greenhouse.
Building Your Own
Building a greenhouse has a lot of benefits. First and foremost, you can save money by using the cheapest materials that you can find. And then of course, you will have the benefit financially of providing your family, fruits, vegetables, and herbs that you have grown yourself. By growing your own vegetables in your greenhouse, you can even make a little money by selling some of it to your neighbors. This can be done all year long, because you will have the ability to control the environment for plants to grow and flourish no matter what the outside conditions are.
Things to Consider
Money can definitely be saved by building your own greenhouse. Costs would be anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 compared to $5,000 to $10,000 for a ready-made model. Buying or building a greenhouse provides another advantage. It gives you extra space for storing gardening and lawn tools.
When you plan your design, make sure that it is practical for your use. Bu selecting the right building materials you can make it more durable than the one you could buy ready-made. A greenhouse can be built from just about any material. You don’t have to try to find specialized materials. Just use what is available at any hardware or Home Depot type of store. The glazing materials, fans, heaters, vents and other accessories can be built into the design thus increasing the ease of growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers all year long.
When Building Your Own
Research is needed on your part before you set out on building your greenhouse. There are plenty of web sites that offer help. You can buy e-books or locate regular hard copy books at a library, Lowe’s or Home Depot. You can find ideas and instructions on how to install the materials, how to treat the plastic or glass panels, how to take the correct measurements so that it fits into the allocated space, etc. You’ll find tips on building to a specific need and available space. For example, you would have to decided on an add-on to the side of a home or a free standing structure.
Buying Tips
If you decide to buy a ready-made unit, you would need to do research on the type of greenhouse such as cold, cool, warm or temperate. In cool greenhouses crops are provided with less moisture. Warmer ones require more moisture. The type of plants you are planning to cultivate will actually help make the determination on the ultimate design you will choose. This will be mainly through the actual heat and water required to make them flourish. If you decide on a lean-to structure against the back or side of your home, being closer to water and heat will be a great advantage.
There are basically three types of greenhouse kits that you can purchase: The Mansod, the Traditional Span, and the Three Quarter Span. The Mansod is best described as a curvilinear design and is free standing. This design provides optimal light because the side panels as well as the roof are slanted. This type of greenhouse is best set up out in the open to insure better winter light exposure. Some kit variations of this type are alpine house and geodesic designs. The Traditional Span is also a free standing structure that is less costly and is of a more practical design compared to others. It can be either a cold greenhouse or if near a water and electric source a warm or temperate one. The Three Quarter Span is a traditional lean-to greenhouse that looks similar to a conservatory or solarium. It should be located in an area that doesn’t receive direct sunlight.
Searching and Price
You can do research on the internet and find out more information on any of these three basic types of greenhouse kits. Your local retail greenhouses can give you info on great sources. When considering prices, don’t forget to take into consideration maintenance costs. The easiest materials to maintain are wood and aluminum. If you buy a kit using steel frames, you are going to have the cost of treating the steel every year to keep it fom rusting. Glass is a great insulator and of course permits more light to flow through to the plants, but there could be some replacement costs if a glass panel shatters from flying debris during a storm.
These are just a few tips to help you make your decision on buying ro building a greenhouse easier. Be sure to check out our Flowers and Gardening Category for more information, products and gardening ideas.
