Greenhouse Restoration

[habanerocat]

edit-6PhasesProject173-0410.jpg (19.02 KiB) Viewed 2454 times

I'm at the second phase.
Weather not helping.

[habanerocat]

Can anybody recommend a good cheap UV polycarbonate supplier in the UK that will cut to size and deliver to Ireland.
I don't need exact shapes cut, just the basic pane width, which is the same throughout the greenhouse.

Thanks....

[iann]

Might be a bit late for you, but there are many safe ways to join aluminium and steel, or use steel fasteners in aluminium. You generally need to separate the components first, though, which might not be practical for you.

One simple method is Duralac. This is a gunk that is applied to a steel fastener and electrically separates the two metals (grease is a less effective but cheaper short-term alternative). If any galvanic reaction does occur then the Duralac reacts to form a chromate passivation preventing any further reactions. Used in the marine industry, aviation, etc.

An even simpler method is nylon washers. I kid you not. Obviously, anything that electrically separates the two metals will do the job.

Short term, steel fasteners in aluminium components are not considered to be a problem. The fastener will be largely unaffected by galvanic corrosion, although it may still simply rust, and there should be enough aluminium in the bulk component to survive for many years. Decades might become a problem and it might not look pretty after a while. Or just keep it dry and there won't be much galvanic corrosion at all.

[habanerocat]

One simple method is Duralac. This is a gunk that is applied to a steel fastener and electrically separates the two metals (grease is a less effective but cheaper short-term alternative). If any galvanic reaction does occur then the Duralac reacts to form a chromate passivation preventing any further reactions. Used in the marine industry, aviation, etc.

Thanks, I haven't heard of Duralac before. It looks like a good solution in the correct situation. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out if it can be overpainted. It looks like it can't so would not be suitable for my application.

[Aiko]

I came across this in a news article recently. It's the glasshouse in historic Donaghmore House in Co. Donegal Ireland. The house burned down last week. I presume the greenhouse is still okish. It's made from wroth iron. A nice little project for somebody with time on their hands.

An interesting video about this, by the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZZ0UetHAs0

[habanerocat]

Thanks for that, I hadn't seen it before.

That greenhouse is superb. But as posted earlier it probably is beyond saving at this stage. I can tell from my own ongoing work that the amount of time involver in getting it back to its former glory would be mad. Only possible with state aid or something like that.

The next vodeo up for me was the same building shot by a drone. Some great shots, but boy are those drones invasive.

[habanerocat]

I'm having some trouble sourcing aluminium profile sections for this greenhouse. Basically I need to make up some doors, hinges, etc, which are missing from the scrap heap.

I can source industrial profile locally, but it's very expensive. Any ideas where I could get the parts to make up greenhouse doors?

There may be a greenhouse manufacturer out there that would be prepared to make me up some doors to size, but as yet I haven't been able to find one.

Any ideas?

[RAYWOODBRIDGE]

Give Elite Greenhouses at Bolton a ring.

[habanerocat]

Give Elite Greenhouses at Bolton a ring.

Neither Elite or Eden can supply doors made to measure. I'll just have to work away with what I can source locally.

[habanerocat]

Can anybody recommend a good cheap UV polycarbonate supplier in the UK that will cut to size and deliver to Ireland.
I don't need exact shapes cut, just the basic pane width, which is the same throughout the greenhouse.

Thanks....

Can anybody advise a suitable thickness for polycarbonate for a greenhouse. I was thinking 5-6mm but being advised that perhaps as thin as 3mm would do. I don't have much experience of this other than reading that the thinner stuff bends easier in the wind and gets ripped out.

As you can imagine polycarbonate is hard to get at the moment due to the virus. My timing is very bad to unfortunate.

Any experience out there?