Need advice on greenhouse setup

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FaeLLe
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Re: Need advice on greenhouse setup

Post by FaeLLe »

Good advice all, that I am getting this bigger greenhouse for free and if i decide that this is my permanent place then I will rip the deck apart. Electric heating is on the table then.

Hopefully it can last me at least 1 winter.....

In fact I can't even move my plants out till April because I have been watering them even now as they are indoors under grow lights at 30 Celsius all day. I am going to store them in a cold dark cloakroom till then.

Perhaps in a few months if I find everrything is okay I might take it apart and reposition it without the deck.

The key risk I am hearing is the wood might not hold the greenhouse down if the wood is wet! What is the probability of that happening?

Will paraffin heaters work and be able to keep them at 15 Celsius over winter?
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Brian
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Re: Need advice on greenhouse setup

Post by Brian »

I used paraffin heaters twice and really would not recommend at all. You cannot beat getting electrician to run a cable out to the greenhouse in my experience. Decking as base is a scary option per earlier posts.

Unfortunately nobody wants to agree with you (td). Don’t be put off I love my 8 x 6,it takes hundreds of plants!
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Bill
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Re: Need advice on greenhouse setup

Post by Bill »

Well I will go against the flow and with my ex builders and portable building designer's hat on and say that if the decking is built to a decent standard and given that it is in what looks like quite a sheltered corner, I wouldn't hesitate to put a greenhouse on there particularly if it was only a temporary setup.

The drawbacks are the gaps in the decking, not ideal for a greenhouse floor and it looks like there could be an issue with light.
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FaeLLe
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Re: Need advice on greenhouse setup

Post by FaeLLe »

Yep thanks Bill this is not a standard deck but a deck built with the legs sitting on a concrete base and concrete blocks support it like bricks on all four ends. The wood is the best you could buy and is dip treated for 72 hours with wood preservative.

Hopefully all this can help it stand up for a winter, really appreciate all the answers and hopefully I do not wake up to the whole thing under the soil!

My feel is that this thing should hold for atleast a year, right now if you notice the pots are sitting on panes of glass which means the load is not more than the wood can probably bear?

As for heating I decided to get armoured cable run around the edge of my property fence and install outdoor plugs to where they will be setup. Hope I don't screw up :)
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Apicra
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Re: Need advice on greenhouse setup

Post by Apicra »

Don't forget that a greenhouse is not like a shed that can be shoved into a corner. Access will be needed all around for initial glazing and subsequent maintenance, like cleaning and repairing glass. Add gutters & a butt to collect the valuable rainwater.

Supplying electricity is indeed essential i.m.h.o. You could move one of your indoor frames into the new greenhouse for the caudiciforms and heat the rest at a less expensive temperature.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble
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