Lean To Greenhouse? How To Do It Cheaply
There is something admirable about the people that have the resourcefulness to build their own prospering ecological community. The waiting that one has to endure is too much for most. The sad truth though is, even if you have all the patience to do something like this, the one unavoidable problem is cost.
No matter how inexperienced you are, if you are not able to build a lean to greenhouse (or lean to conservatory) cheaply it might be that you are trying to over complicate things. Lean Tos are not difficult to build, especially the free standing ones. You will however, need to get the right materials for the building and this might get a bit expensive if you are not careful.
A mini lean to conservatory or greenhouse is extremely cheap to erect. They are tiny units which can be used in places like flats where there is no, or limited room for a garden. If you feel that you can build a postbox or a dogs kennel then you would most probably be able to build a decent mini lean to.
Don’t forget to take your environment into account. If you are prone to heavy wind or rain storms then it is probably best to have a solid wooden frame with a glass covering. Since glass is not the cheapest of materials the chances are better to save a few pounds if you use the correct size of fiberglass. Wood is not expensive and any lumber yard will have what you need.
On the subject of wood, a wooden greenhouse is probably the cheapest to build if you have decided to do it yourself. Your budget will be in reason whether you build an attached or a stand-alone type just by sticking to wood. Some fiberglass, glass or polyethylene covering as well as a bag of nails and a hammer is all that you should need.
Polyethylene is cheap and effective in areas with good weather. Wood, however, will need some kind of treatment if it needs to withstand excessive sun or a cold, rainy environment. A simple coat of varnish every now and then should suffice.
An aluminum greenhouse is the most expensive option to build. Even though it is a very common material it is still rather pricey. It is not as easy to work with and it is not as versatile as wood. Greenhouses made from aluminum are meant to be attached to a house or garage so trying to avoid costs this way is definitely not an option.
Although you might not get the same satisfaction as if you were building one yourself from raw materials, another option to consider is buying a prefabricated uPVC lean to conservatory installation kit. If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions you will find that they are not difficult to build and they have many advantages. They are durable enough for any weather conditions, they need no maintenance, they are easy to clean and they are relatively cheap. A wooden one is admittedly cheaper but the fact that you won’t have any long term maintenance costs definitely makes it a more efficient choice.
Imperial Windows specialise in windows, doors and Conservatories. The lean to greenhouse (or lean to conservatory) is only one of the ranges that we supply. Visit us at http://www.imperialwindows.co.uk
thanks for all the info very useful