by Charlie Garratt

Created on: March 07, 2009

When we talk about a greenhouse we usually mean a glasshouse, that is, a building constructed of an aluminium or timber framework with a high proportion of glass in the walls and roof to maximise the light. Whilst constructing such a greenhouse from readily available materials might be difficult in aluminium it should pose no real problems for a reasonably hand person if using a wooden framework. However, you do need to be careful as it is often possible to buy a budget glasshouse cheaper than you can buy the materials yourself - the savings on self-build will only come if you aim for a higher quality of greenhouse than you can buy cheaply.

One way of making this much cheaper is to use polycarbonate rather than glass. Polycarbonate can be readily purchased in sheet form and can be cut to size using a hacksaw, rather than the always tricky glass cutter. It has a good heat co-efficient and is less likely to be damaged by stones than glass. Polycarbonate is much lighter than glass so you might need to consider this as an issue, especially if you live in a windy area.

It is also occasionally possible to obtain old wooden windows from someone who is having their house refurbished with new ones. Though you then have to make your greenhouse fit the windows available rather than making it the size you want, it can be a considerable saving. A very attractive greenhouse can be built this way, particularly if the windows are placed on top of a brick or block wall.

Often a green house will be built on a concrete, slab or similar base but it really is worth considering leaving out the base as it has two big advantages. On the one hand it saves some money but also it provides more growing space. It's perfectly feasible to have beds growing vegetables and salads underneath the shelves you'll use for propagation and potting.

Another cheaper alternative is to consider a 'lean-to' type of greenhouse where it is built against the side of the house, garage or similar building and there are, therefore, only three sides of glass/polycarbonate to construct. Because the greenhouse is anchored to the wall and not free-standing the construction is a bit more straightforward and potentially cheaper. The wall of the building can heat up in the daylight hours and release this heat overnight, thus maintaining a higher night time temperature in winter than a conventional greenhouse - much better for your seedlings. The wall of the building also provides a good anchor for shelving - always useful

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