New to me Greenhouse

[thesunflowergal]

Next week I am hoping to pick up a second hand greenhouse that has been promised to me. Hubby and I will then have the joyous event of trying to put it up when nether of us are very practical, and we have to even seen it up got get an idea.

Has anyone got any words of wisdom please?

Also staging is so expensive so I am going to look for some second hand, but what do other people use?

Thanks Nikki

[Chants Cottage]

Are you going to take it down too? If so, even though it's time consuming it's probably worth it, as far as its a bit like having the picture on the lid of a jigsaw box! It gives you a much better idea of how its constructed too. I'd never put up or taken down a greenhouse until me and my other half picked up two greenhouses a month or two ago. They were fairly standard ones, I reckon, with normal, ie not toughened glass and I broke about six panes of glass trying to prise the clips off. There was a kind of twisting-behind-clip-with-a-screwdriver technique that OH infuriatingly got the hang of much quicker than me, and once I did get the hang of it they just flipped out. If you ARE going to smash the glass, avoid particularly smashing the triangular panes because the square panes are standard sized and easy to replace (so says my OH anyway). Take bags / boxes for clips and screws. We didn't and had to beg some off the owners, but we'd have been better off with tupperware I reckon. Also don't underestimate how heavy glass is, both in terms of carrying it to the car and also when stacking it up as you take the greenhouse to pieces, cos I think the weight can make it crack if you lean it all together. Hope this is helpful... One of those things you don't really think about at all until you do it!!

[oldjerry]

Presuming it's the ordinary aluminium job,and it's up: If you can,remove all the glass(intact if poss) and shift the entire glassless frame in one piece,then stick it on a new base.(then put the glass back in,if you're missing a couple they're standard sizes ask for HORTICULTURAL grade glass,it's cheaper,and it's worth using new clips,any B&Q) Good luck,it's a bit of a sweat but well worth it. BW

[Carltonian Man]

If you have to dismantle to move it SG, when rebuilding be sure to get it square by measuring each upright corner to the one diagonally opposite (think of an X lying flat on the base). If it's out it can make things difficult when glazing the roof.

[Odsox]

What everyone else said, plus if you are taking it apart yourself, take loads of photos with close-ups of joints.
A picture is worth a thousand words, or something like that.

[Bulworthyproject]

For staging, we've used some pallets. If you take them apart the tops make a great surface and the bottom part makes the supports.

[thesunflowergal]

I am sorry my original post is pretty unclear

We will NOT be dismantling the greenhouse it has already been done, hence my problem. Thank you for the advice all.

[Odsox]

I have a bog standard 8' x 6' aluminium greenhouse. If yours is of that type I can take multiple photos of it and send them to you.
You will have to let me know fairly quickly though as I'm about to dismantle it so that I can move it to a more suitable site (and it's got to be finished before I need to plant my tomatoes )

[oldjerry]

I am sorry my original post is pretty unclear

We will NOT be dismantling the greenhouse it has already been done, hence my problem. Thank you for the advice all.

Oh err.. Right then,going on from CM,'s post,which is 100%.
1. Cut some scrap hardboard to the size of the glass(4or5 pieces should do).
Use this to construct the roof frame 1st(the wood will ensure the glass will fit and the roof frame is square).
2.Put completed roof on where you want your base.Mark the corners.
3.Use CM's diagonal corners measurement thing to check the whole frame is square.
4.Go to pub,meet friends get drunk,go home and forget about mess in back garden.
5.A week later,after threats and much nagging,construct the sides taking much care over the positions of aforesaid diagonals.Use hardboard pieces to check that sides are 'true'.
6.Finish by building a base to fit the frame(sounds stupid but it works).
7.Install glass,gaps where you've screwed up can be masked with the clear flexi stuff like For Sale sign board.Remember,use new clips.
8.Go back to the pub,drink lots,and bore everyone with how clever you are.

That's how I'd do it,.....Best Wishes.

[thesunflowergal]

Tony - Please send any piccies that you think may help. Thats very kind of you

Thanks everyone else too , I will read this all to hubby and hopefully we can bodge it up lol. Jerry I love the bits about going to the pub lol.

I have had a chap of Freecycle offering me some extra bits to it, but his email was in man speak and I need to find a translator lol.