Greenhouse - with no glass!

[francesbh]

I've inherited a large, completely glass-less greenhouse with my allotment.  I can't afford to replace or re-glass it at the moment - does anyone know of anything I can stick up to replace the glass? Thanks

[francesbh]

[ipt8]

A difficult problem, I think you will find perspex expensive as well.

Perhaps you could attach some clear polythene sheet in some way.

I aquired a partly glazed greenhouse and attached some half inch squared  plastic mesh which is used to make tree guards. I use it as a large coldframe.

I should say I also have a polytunnel which was not cheap but you get more for your money.

[KevB]

Its got to be a large plastic sheeting!! it will work just the same as a poly tunnel.
sorry i cant help with a better idea!
cheers KevB
unless you live near Warringotn as my neighbour wants next to nowt for a perfetly glassed 8x6!!

[peterpiper]

i have the same problem .i have seen one with corragated clear plastic sheets. the person who has it told me it does the job.
pete

[ipt8]

I have a feeling that wide clear plastic sheeting may be available from builders merchants. I think it is used in the housing market for some pupose like damp proofing or whatever. Perhaps someone from the building trade knows?
Maybe an internet search would produce suppliers.

[AlanP]

I had the problem of glass been broken by vandals, so I removed all the glass, fitted slate battons onto the greenhouse frame and stretched polytunnel covering over and fixed with more slate battons. It has served us very well

[Trixiebelle]

Hi!

Clear plastic sheeting IS available from Builders merchants - I know this because I went for some yesterday to replace our greenhouse glass!

They sell it in large rolls for about £12.00. HOWEVER! Whilst I was in there I noticed that a lot of their bulk building materials actually come wrapped in the stuff from their suppliers.

So I batted my eyelashes at the lovely little man in the stockroom and he gave me about 16sq miles of the stuff for nothing. Glad to get rid of it apparently!

Always heartening to get allotment goodies for FREE I find  ;D

We've fixed it on with a staple-gun (which obviously only works if it's wood frames!) and we've put one layer on the inside and one on the outside in case it gets ripped in the wind.

Hope this helps  :)

[Mimi]

Well done Trixiebelle.  Well scavenged  ;)   ;D

[Trixiebelle]

I am a natural born scavenger Mimi  ;) I have a designated time each evening after dusk when I cruise round the local neighbourhood skips. My daughter is MORTIFIED about my behaviour  ;)

[ipt8]

Reminds me of my son in law who scavenged skips at his nearset B & Q or whatever for some pallets or some such thing for a job in the garden.

He was mortified as he loaded the said item into his car and heard an odd noise above his head...........yes he was on camera ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
he would not answer the door for days out of embarrasment I reckon :D

[gunnerbee]

If you know a good sewing machinist in your area, you could take the the plastic and they could make you a loose cover for it!!!

[allanwoolley]

If you do choose the corrugated plastic sheets, and they're very good, make sure you do not buy the cheapest ones as they are so brittle they tend to crack.   There is about four different quality grades.

[scotch-mist]

Theres an advert in (March 2oo6) Gardeners World mag ,page 140 , DIY plastics ,dont know how much but the catalogue is FREE and there is a website address, I intend to look into it more closly myself and see if I can get a bargain.

[basher]

i have a large greenhousesome 16feet long, what i did was to make wooden frames the size of the panle sections .I used 3/8 inch thick by 1 inch timber.then i wraped them well with industrial wrap that you see pallets wraped in ,like cling film then drilled and screwed the wood to  the green house alloy. A  bit of work but easily unscrewed and re wraped and not a magnet for kids to throw stones anymore .

[Gardenantics]

I like that tip Basher,
I assume the panels will then be double skinned like double glazing? helping with insulation too. I'm going to use that idea on some cold frames I am making. The panels will be much lighter, double glazed, and safer than glass, if you trip up you put your hand through cling-film. Brilliant!

Brian

[basher]

yes they are all double glazed.darned hot in the summer so you need a few openable windows .but as it is cling film the light is also somewhat diffused an advantage on hot summer days.the only draw back is that high winds tend to give wear and tera so you may have to re wrap a few panles after the winter.  but its cheap and effective.

[Melbourne12]

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=101908&ts=43771&id=65582

These look like a bargain; each sheet is two greenhouse standard panes in size, for less than £7 a sheet.

[scotch-mist]

nice one,Melbourne12,

I've got that book at home,

definately value for money. :)

[ruudbarb]

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=101908&ts=43771&id=65582

These look like a bargain; each sheet is two greenhouse standard panes in size, for less than £7 a sheet.

They certainly look a heck of a lot cheaper than D I Y Plastics referred to in an earlier post, their's are over £12 for a 4' x 2' sheet.

[misterphil]

I, too am in a similar situation. I was given (if I removed it, a 12" greenhouse, and only enough glass for the roof made it home - the panes were puttied AND siliconed into the frame!

Anyway, have a look at this site:

http://www.casupply.co.uk/acatalog/6mm_polycarbonate_multiwall_sheeting.html

I recon that I'll be able to do 24 ft of wall to a height of 6 ft for less than £130