DIY Greenhouse, Find The Materials That Fit Your Budget
A greenhouse is always a gardener's dream. It is a place that one can start plants while the snow still drifts around and once it is planting time there is an abundance of plants that were grown from seed. It is also a place where you can over winter some more delicate plants that you do not want to loose during the cold months. Building a DIY greenhouse is not all that difficult. Kits on the market today make it so easy that every gardener can build their own greenhouse.
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.
Make sure to pick a spot in your yard for the greenhouse that is in direct sun. It is good to give the plants an east west exposure to get the most out the sunlight you can. If you do not have any space in direct sunlight then go with partial shade.
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.
The floor of the greenhouse is an integral part of building. Many people construct the floor from concrete because it makes the greenhouse stable and flat. Other people prefer not having extreme elements between the greenhouse and the ground and opt for gravel and some just have a dirt floor. Still others construct wood floors or use railroad ties all along the floor. You can also set concrete pavers or bricks in the ground on sand to make a floor for the green house. If you use just a dirt floor you can just add some top soil and plant right there instead of putting everything in pots. It is very important to make sure the floor does not get flooded or wet from outside weather.
Many gardeners love to build benches that run all around the edges of the greenhouse. They put plants on the benches so they do not have to bend down all the time. An important decision is how you are going to be heating the greenhouse, with gas or electric and if you need to have electrical outlets available. You must also decide where you are going to put a spigot in order to get water into the greenhouse. Some people opt to have it outside and some inside.
The most inexpensive greenhouses are the ones that are made from PVC pipe and plastic sheeting. The pipe is put into the ground in a horseshoe manner and the plastic sheet is draped over it. You will also need some wooden parts on a greenhouse like this. Some people have a problem with this type of structure because PVC piping is not environmentally friendly. The next alternative is to build out a frame of wood and cover it with glass or fiberglass. The polycarbonate panels are the most expensive but they do not break either. You have to decide what is right for you and your budget. You might not mind having a greenhouse made out of millions of plastic beverage bottles or discarded aluminum doors.
To build a DIY greenhouse is not all that hard. Diy greenhouse kits available on the market today make it so easy that every single home owner can build their own greenhouse.
