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greenhouse Greenhouse in Shambles :(

C

cmpman1974

Barely even had a windstorm yesterday and the plastic 10' x 10' greenhouse is completely turned over. The cover is nearly off. All the tables were on their sides, etc. How sad. Waste of $200.

I had the cover held down with 20-25 house bricks each weighing 2-3 lbs minimum. The strage part is our plastic $3 lawn chairs didn't budge in this storm. Unfilled plastic planters were in the same place.

The greenhouse frame is partly apart. It's raining horribly here and has been for 8+ hours. The backyard is soaked.

It irritates me so much I don't even want to go out and look at it. To really piss me off, this happens AFTER I lay down weed fabric covering and kill grass so I wouldn't have to mow in there. I think the grass may not be dead though.

That's what I call a pissing of $$$ down the drain. I'm done with these crap type greenhouses. They are a joke. The frame even weighed 100 lbs!

Chris

P.S. Can you tell I'm a little irritated? lol. The old addage you get what you pay for does mean something though. :fireball:
 
I'm really sorry to hear this Chris. I know before in England when the weather's been crap that I've had pieces of peoples sheds, washing, and bits of greenhouse in my garden.
 
Sorry to hear. How are your carpentry skills? Possibly build the frame of a shed and cover it with plastic. Could even pour small footers and tack the frame down. I know you probably don't want to hear stuff like this now. If you're not too pissed could you tell me exactly what the frame of the one you had was made of?
 
Gosh Chris, I feel so bad for you man...when you get out to look at it, there may be some repair you can do...hopefully...
 
Chris,

That really sucks. But if it helps, I plan on erecting a temp greenhouse in the spring. Your experience means I will drive rebar down the pipes and into the ground. It won't blow over but I guess the wind could pick it up and move it.

Mike
 
Rebar will make a huge difference. I'm not good at handy work so it's hard to succeed at establishing a permanent structure.

I think I left the vents open and the wind got underneath and send it up like a parachute.

No matter what, these things are flimsy. I can't believe the wind picked up 20-25 bricks so easily.

I was wondering if someone vandalized things, but that seems unlikely no real destruction was done and nothing stolen.

It just seems impossible light pots with no dirt on a patio 5 ft away didn't budge in a major windstorm (if that occured).

Hmmmm..

Chris
 
BUMMER!!!! I truely am sorry for your loss. I know all to well how much it hurts to make plans in your head and dreams only to have one thing spoil and f*ck it all up.
 
I was thinking vandals also, given how nothing else was hurt. But, 25-30 bricks are not that much if you have 80 sq. ft. of space facing a wind, especially if it blows for very long.

Mike
 
Chris, it needs to be tied down at the top corners...put some stakes in the ground and tie to them...put them at 45 degrees from the corners and pull the tie downs pretty tight...that will hold it down and add rigidity to the structure...sure hope it is salvageable...if the frame survived, you can get another cover for it if that one is beyond repair...check out how I tied mine down in my greenhouse thread...
 
Chris so sorry about your greenhouse,Had exactly the same thing happen to me earlier this year nad it i no how it pi``es you of..I was frustrated myself,A.J is giving some good advice and i can only say try and re-patch and learn from it,If you lived round the corner id come give you a hand,But as iam sitting here,Just p.m/Email me if i can help..
 
A very inexpensive greenhouse could be constructed of old rejected sliding glass doors and some 2x4 or 4x4 framing.I replace these all the time and a local construction salvge yard should have them dirt cheap.They could easily be expanded by adding another set of doors.It gets to hot,just open some doors.With some adequate framing it should be fairly windproof as they are pretty heavy.Hope your plants are OK Chris.
Also lots of folks upgrade windows which could also be incorperated.If there is no local salvage yard,check with a local window contractor.Usually they have to pay to take these things to a landfill,which we definately don't like.They might even deliver them to you for free!A local carpenter who is short on work I'm sure would help with framing etc. and some work at a discount for cash.
 
Sorry to hear about your greenhouse Chris, that really sucks. I hear good suggestions and hope you can salvage some of it. Wind can sure make a mess of things.
 
Thanks for the hints / ideas everyone. It looks like the frame and cover are fine. That is good news. I think nost likely I'm going to sell it on Craigslist. I just don't think it's worth the effort given my resources.

I don't have a proper drainage system for the floor so it gets muddy. Ventilation is difficult. While I love the idea of a greenhouse, I think I'll wait until someday I buy a real one. I have to remember this is just a hobby.

Also, thank gosh it didn't happen in mid-May with 200 plants in it. That would be devastating. :lol: I learned my lesson at the right time!

I just sowed some grass seed. The 10' x 10' area looks like a mud pond. Depresssing. :lol:

Chris
 
Wood pallets make for excellent Floors.They are free usually at the large
supply outlets.They will keep your stuff off the ground.Insulate the open space with straw.Buy waferboard @ $7 a sheet for floor.When it rots burn it or use it for sides for a compost pile.Mother nature can be fought back against!(unless your home is on the beach!)Fresh herbs and veggies worth a bit of a fight!Good luck!
 
Well, easy come easy go. Sold the greenhouse today for about $30 less than I paid for it. I'm happy with that. I'm sure someone else who's more handy will get more enjoyment out of it. I'll be setting plants out later this year so I'll be fine. :lol:

I'll also be starting peppers later too to avoid setting out huge plants. I learned my lesson. :lol:

Chris
 
cmpman1974 said:
Well, easy come easy go. Sold the greenhouse today for about $30 less than I paid for it. I'm happy with that. I'm sure someone else who's more handy will get more enjoyment out of it. I'll be setting plants out later this year so I'll be fine. :)

I'll also be starting peppers later too to avoid setting out huge plants. I learned my lesson. :)

Chris
Click to expand...

Good on you for the decent sell but sorry it didn't work out for you. In Alaska, we used the more or less the same unit but as AJ mentioned earlier, we used deadman style tiedowns i.e. anchors. Worked well even with 75mph winds. I do understand your frustration though. Make your 'sef happy.

Cheers, TB.
 
Yeah, I agree a better anchoring system would've helped the structure's stability immensely. However, I got a bit dejected when i came out to a cold day (not even that cold) in October and saw my plants inside froze over. Basically, it offers ZERO thermal protection. It's like putting a tent up with paper thin walls. Heating it is impractical with the weak seals.

it took up space, but didn't really offer many advantages of a greenhouse. I asked myself why bother?
 
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