How to Construct a Greenhouse | Building your own Greenhouse | Home Greenhouse

I had to walk the last half mile up to the property. I stood up on the ridge with southern exposure, where my house and greenhouses now stand, and I could feel the sun and hear the spring water running in the ravine below, that same water I pump up into the house and greenhouses today.

And that same sun is what has been encouraging and nourishing my growth and the growth of my plants, my photovoltaic solar panel system, my terraced forest garden, and all five greenhouses I have built here over the last forty years of this experiment. Many of my students and clients who are attracted to permaculture want to satisfy that same primal desire for self-sufficiency with the land.

A freestanding greenhouse can be a great opportunity to create a completely new space with few restrictions. My Phoenix greenhouse at CRMPI is certainly a terrific example of using design flexibility to truly pick and choose details from the ground up, offering perhaps greater potential for high-end performance. Also, without an attached structure, it is more likely to need backup heat, depending on the climate zone step you want to achieve.

Attached greenhouses offer an oasis right off of your home, an extra living space through the winter, shared heating, and reduced construction costs because of a preexisting north wall. At the same time an attached greenhouse will almost certainly obstruct the view to the outside and without a screen door can introduce insects to your home. They carry some risk of unwanted humidity without a sliding glass door and proper ventilation. Also, your design will be bounded by the preexisting conditions of the house that you want to retrofit. An east-facing orientation can work as well, especially if there is some glazing with a southern exposure.

In most situations western orientation or exposure should be avoided because of the potential to overheat. Also, at higher latitudes, the summer sun moves much farther north. This difference is because the sun has a lot more time in the day to heat up a space with a long east-west axis. A good rule of thumb is a 3: There are many different materials and methods for building foundations, and you can use any that apply to building other structures to a greenhouse. Two earlier greenhouses here used sunken pressure-treated wooden posts for foundation footers.

Liability concerns can also be a factor in a school or business setting. Because the greenhouse is warmer than the outside air, a layer of snowmelt often forms between polycarbonate glazing and snow, helping the roof to shed any snow of significant weight. Snow tends to stick more to double-inflated poly. Related to the roof slope is the freeboard , the space between the lowest point of the roof and the ground. The two most common framing materials are wood and metal. Wood is excellent for smaller greenhouses and has the advantage of being a cheaper, familiar material that is easier to work, with or without specialized tools.

Salvaged, rough-sawn, or beetle-kill lumber is readily available. Wood requires greater upkeep; although depending on the type of lumber, it can easily last fifty years in a dry climate with the proper paint and maintenance. Nearly all commercial greenhouses today are made with galvanized steel, often designed to be connected in a long series. Kit greenhouses are most often made of steel, and the included fasteners and instructions can make assembly quite easy.

As shown by the roof slope of Phoenix, steel framing often offers less flexibility in construction, especially when salvaged from other projects. Six-mm double- inflated poly will be cheaper, more flexible, and less insulating, while more expensive, rigid polycarbonate panels tend to last longer and hold up better against snow. Double-inflated poly was an excellent cheaper option in the early years at CRMPI, and it continues to function well on the roof of several of our greenhouses. Glass can be appropriate for eastern or southern walls, but it should be used only for vertical glazing because of its considerable weight.

How To Build A Greenhouse In 10 Easy Steps | Rimol Greenhouses

Mounting problems can occur because of expansion and contraction, and glass presents a much bigger problem than polycarbonate or plastic if it breaks. It is typically more expensive and less insulating than polycarbonate and will also tend to intensify direct sunlight, which can even burn plants in some cases. Insulation is essential on the north wall and the west wall; make sure to insulate all the walls you do not have glazing on. Straw bales are a popular natural building method but probably not a good idea for use in a greenhouse because of the potential for mold problems in a high-humidity environment.

Acrylic has more light transparency but is not as strong yet still stronger then glass 80 percent of light filters through polycarbonate. You could buy fiberglass if you are building a framed greenhouse, you can save money by choosing fiberglass over glass as the roof construction can be lighter of construction. Fiberglas will turn yellow and lose transparency in a few years. Acrylic is more expensive but has higher transparency and stays clear up to 10 years.

Choose clear fiberglass or even better Acrylic. This is the most attractive material, if you are building a greenhouse that will accentuate your house or garden. Glass is very fragile and is expensive to replace when it breaks, but on the other side acrylic, fiberglass and polycarbonate needs replacing over time. Use strings along the ground to measure where you want the supports to be set.

Pound stakes in the ground. If you are building a lean-to or Quonset, you can reinforce your frame with rebar and PVC or a non toxic variant. Pound rebar into the ground every 4 feet 1. Leave 48 inches Pour gravel on the ground in an even layer, after your supports are driven into the ground. Small, loose gravel allows for extra drainage in a greenhouse environment. Hire builders to pour concrete, if you need a foundation. They will need to bring in concrete forms and pour the floor of your greenhouse before it can be framed.

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Treat any wood you use before using it, be aware and informed what you use for treatment not every coating nd treatment is suitable to be in contact with food products. Untreated wood can degrade in as little as 3 years. Seal the covering to the frame as closely as you can. You may be able to simply bolt film to wood. The more expensive the covering, such as glass, fiberglass, or double walled plastic, the more time you should take to seal it to the foundation and frame.

Place fans in the corners of the greenhouse. Set up fans so that they are diagonal and create a airflow. They should run almost constantly during the winter months, to ensure the entire greenhouse is benefiting from the heater. Install vents in the ceiling of your greenhouse. They can also be located near the top of the supports.

Some ventilation of carbon dioxide is essential. Consider installing an electric heater. Solar heat may only account for 25 percent of the heat in your greenhouse, so a backup heater is essential. You can also use a wood or oil-based heater, but it must be vented to the outside to ensure good air quality, carbon dioxide poising is a real danger to be looked out for in such a close space.

Install a forced-air system, if you are using a glass-frame greenhouse. If you can afford to outfit your greenhouse with its own temperature control system, then you can set it up to grow almost anything. Employ an electrician and a contractor to install your system. It may need regular maintenance to ensure it can handle ventilation and heating in the winter.

Install thermometers or thermostats. You should install several thermometers in case 1 breaks. Place them at different levels of the greenhouse so that you can observe the temperature in your greenhouse at all times. You can buy a thermometer that measures the temperature inside your house and inside your greenhouse, so that you can watch it closely during the winter months.

10 Easy Steps

Study planting conditions for the plants you want to grow. The more sensitive the plant is to changes in heat, the less likely you will be able to grow other plants in the same section. A cool house is a greenhouse designed to keep plants from freezing. It is ideal for temporary greenhouses.

Greenhouses

A hothouse is a greenhouse designed to keep plants in tropical temperatures. You will need to choose what the temperature will be and keep it steady.

When using your greenhouse structure for retail applications, benches are an essential part of making it function in ways suited for you. Our benches come in a variety of materials, styles and sizes, so that you can choose exactly which benches you would like. Made of strong, galvanized steel, these benches are sure to last you a long time. We can make virtually any custom bench, so call us and we will help you design the benches that you would like. Once you have finalized your greenhouse plans, as well as any additional accessories, it is time to order your greenhouse structure.

Fill out one of our quote request forms , and read through our terms and conditions to be sure that you fully understand the ordering process.

The Forest Garden Greenhouse

Once you send us your order, we will have it shipped directly to you as soon as possible. Finally, after selecting all of the equipment that will make up your greenhouse, you must build the structure. While this may seem like a daunting task, Rimol Greenhouse Systems has numerous instruction manuals and fact sheets that can help you construct your greenhouse without a problem. Call or email us and we can send you a PDF of any instruction manual that you desire. Before you begin your project, be sure to obtain a building permit from your local government, and understand the construction and taxation of your structure.

Contact us with any additional questions or concerns during the building process, and we will show you how to build your greenhouse! Building a Greenhouse in 10 Easy Steps Need to know how to build a greenhouse? Doors and Hardware When looking at how to build a greenhouse, your Rimol greenhouse structure needs entry and exit ways that are both functional and fits with the specific look that you are trying to achieve. Choose Your Covering Choosing the proper covering is a key step in creating an effective growing environment in your greenhouse structure.

Cooling and Ventilation A common question when people ask how to build a greenhouse concerns greenhouse ventilation. Select Your Heating System Your greenhouse plans should also include proper heating for giving your plants a suitable growing environment. Environmental Controls In order to create a functional and energy-efficient greenhouse structure, it is essential that you maintain complete control over the heating and cooling.

Other Systems Novices looking into how to build a greenhouse should research all the systems that go into creating a fully functional greenhouse structure. Benching When using your greenhouse structure for retail applications, benches are an essential part of making it function in ways suited for you.