DIY Greenhouse Construction Guide
Building a self-build greenhouse is actually quite a simple task and if you are a competent DIY enthusiast, you will find that adding a new greenhouse to your home is relatively easy and not as overwhelming as it may seem at first glance.
The following is designed to provide a general guide to the process of installing a new DIY greenhouse, and while it is not intended to be a detailed construction guide, it should provide you with the basics.
1) CONSERVATORY BASIS
You have two options regarding the type of greenhouse base. You can select a traditional excavated base or you can use a pre-cast steel base which will speed up the installation process.
Traditional base
If you choose the traditional foundation route, you may prefer to hire a local builder to build the foundation for you, as brick precision is vital to ensuring your new greenhouse can be installed easily and efficiently. Your DIY greenhouse supplier will provide you with the basic drawings to suit your selected greenhouse and the base must be built exactly to these drawings. Using an experienced builder to build the base should ensure that the base is built square, with the correct dimensions, and that the footings are excavated correctly. If it is necessary to change the route of the drains, your builder will have the necessary experience to do it for you during the course of construction. Always agree on the cost before starting work and be sure to check the foundation yourself when the builder has finished to make sure you are happy with the end result. It can be difficult to get a builder to return to the site once they have moved on to their next job and any discrepancies in the brick could cause problems during greenhouse installation.
You can of course build the traditional foundation yourself and many of our clients have, but it is time consuming and very hard work so the savings you will get here by doing it yourself will need to be justified against the amount of time you spend. he has to do the job and his experience in building the foundation and laying bricks.
Steel base
Installing a pre-fabricated steel foundation is much quicker and easier than building a traditional foundation, as there are no major excavations to do, so there is minimal disruption to your garden, and no drains need to be moved. These bases are typically made to order, come in kit form, and are fairly easy for two people to install for a couple of days or so. If your greenhouse has dwarf walls these will normally be supplied as steel cassettes with a variety of external finishes including brick tile or alternatively they will be supplied ready to plaster. The base itself is attached to the wall of the house and sits on adjustable legs that sit on concrete pads, making it easy to level the floor, which is normally supplied with insulation and often comes complete with flooring. A steel foundation can be a cost-effective alternative foundation for your new home-built greenhouse, especially when you compare construction times and the fact that there are few interruptions to your garden. Once completed, these factory built greenhouse bases are often very difficult to differentiate from a traditionally built base. You can even take the greenhouse with you when you move house!
2) INSTALLING YOUR NEW DIY CONSERVATORY
Most DIY greenhouses are supplied complete with installation instructions that are designed for the novice installer and will cover fixing the greenhouse walls, installing the greenhouse roof, and glazing the greenhouse frame.
Generally speaking, these instructions will guide you through the installation of the French door, welded sill, greenhouse windows, corner posts, and greenhouse roof. The most important factor to continually check when installing any greenhouse is making sure the frames and sill remain plumb and level throughout construction. All screw fasteners and their positions must be in accordance with the guidelines provided by the DIY greenhouse supplier.
The roof structure will include an eaves beam that will be placed on top of the window and door frames, a ridge beam or wall plate that will be attached to the wall of your home, and glazing bars that will connect between the ridge or wall plate and the eave beam. All components should be supplied factory cut, marked and pre-drilled ready for installation and apart from trimming the gutters to size, it should not be necessary to cut any of the roof components. The ceiling layout plan will allow you to identify which component and which glazing panel should be installed in which position. Where the greenhouse meets the house, you will need to put lead flashing to form a weather resistant seal.
3) COMPLETION OF THE CONSERVATORY INSTALLATION
With the greenhouse walls and roof installed, your next task will be to glaze the roof. If you have chosen a polycarbonate roof glazing, this is a relatively simple task and involves putting the glazing in position and tapping the PVCu caps to form an airtight seal. The ceiling plan will indicate the required position of each panel. If you have chosen a glass roof, the process will take longer due to the additional weight and the nature of the material.
Inexpensive DIY greenhouses can be supplied with the factory glazed windows and doors, but made-to-order greenhouses are generally supplied with unglazed windows and doors. This not only helps to ensure that the glass does not break during the installation process, but the windows are generally supplied for much longer to provide thinner sight lines and there could be health and safety concerns if the frames were supplied glazed. due to the considerable weight of a glazing. window.
Most windows and doors are now internally molded with a “recessed” bead of glazing and the glazing process should be relatively easy once you have glazed a couple of openings. Glaze packers are used to hold and pack the glass so that it is square in the opening and the glaze cord is tapped into place with a rubber mallet. If you are glazing during cold weather, it is a good idea to submerge the glazing bead in warm water, which will help make the bead more flexible and easier to install. Your installation guide will detail the exact process used.
Finally, it will be necessary to apply silicone sealant to all joints according to your installation guide and PVCu internal trims will need to be installed on the roof eave beam, ridge beam and glazing bars.
Your new home-built greenhouse should now be structurally complete and weather-ready for internal finishing keys.
You will find much more information on DIY greenhouse installation by visiting our website.
