Rigid plastic greenhouses - any good?

[Seahorse]

At the moment I have three metal frame, soft plastic covered greenhouses. I've been really pleased with them, especially the walk-in one but obviously they're not built to last all that long, so I would like to buy a 'proper' one as and when I see sales/bargains etc.

I saw one in B&Q yesterday that had rigid plastic panels, instead of glass. As I've got four small children, this seems like it might be a good idea!

Anyone have any experience of these? Good or bad?

Claire

[Two_Sheds]

There've been several threads on this subject, have a quickie look thru the archives...!

[Seahorse]

I'm either over tired or just not looking in the right place but the only threads I can find are about soft plastic coverings, not rigid ones (ie like glass, only not). Perhaps someone could point me in the right direction?

Claire

[mrskp]

The only thing I'd say about plastic is that on my Norfolk greenhouse, the sections are not secured anywhere near strong enough and have a tendency to blow out of their plastic runners during high winds.

In hindsight, I would have gone straight for my aluminium standard one and not bothered with the Norfolk which is now held together with various bits of washing line, uv resistant tape and the odd panel cut out from an old walk in g/h.

Hope that helps !

[mrskp]

here's one of the previous threads .............

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ead.php?t=5172

[Dobby]

Call me old fashiond but from what I saw after the winds on the plot. I'd go for the Alominum ones with tuffend glass, Have a look on ebay, it might work out cheaper but be prperd to have to buy nuts and bolts and zclps and w clips all avalabel on ebay or your local garden center, oh yea and set a day aside to dismantle and put up, rember to number the sides
we did this when we dismantled the 2nd one but we havent put it up yet and Mrs D used pencil I dernt look to see if its still readable
oh well we got a week of at the end of the month geuse what were doing

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Seahorse,

I bought a Palram 6x8 earlier this year. It has an aluminim frame and polycarbonate panels. I have been really happy with it.

In the really high winds I had a panel pop of a few times but they just bounce and don't break, crack etc easy to put back in. The one I have has the panels secured in with long plastic clips that run all the way around each pane, if the one you are looking at just has small clips I would think again.

From memory I paid about £275 for mine.

Hope that helps, Mandy

I

[Seahorse]

Thanks! Really useful answers. I'm not excessively worried about the wind thing becasue (famous last words!) the space where it would go is sheltered on three sides by my house/wall/shed and further sheltered in that the surrounding houses form a block pattern. The awkwardness of assembly on some models sounds a pain though!

I'm looking at ebay and local ads, even Freecycle, so I'm hoping I won't have to pay full price. The advice above will help me avoid getting a complete dud instead of a bargain

Claire

[scared55]

Thanks! Really useful answers. I'm not excessively worried about the wind thing becasue (famous last words!) the space where it would go is sheltered on three sides by my house/wall/shed and further sheltered in that the surrounding houses form a block pattern. The awkwardness of assembly on some models sounds a pain though!

I'm looking at ebay and local ads, even Freecycle, so I'm hoping I won't have to pay full price. The advice above will help me avoid getting a complete dud instead of a bargain

Claire

Funnily enough I have been looking at two possibilities - one aluminium with plastic windows - 2.5m x 1.9m, 300 €, the other rather like a frame tent 3m x 2.85m for 69,90 €. The latter I would put in a 8m x 3m space which has high walls on three sides and a 1m wall to the south. The former I would, with a fair amount of confidence, place in the open.

KK

PS - almost decided in favour of both

[SarzWix]

We've got 2 Norfolk greenhouses, but not the ones with rigid plastic panels - the ones with plastic sheeting covers (it comes on a big roll, & you put it from one side, over the top, down the other side & bury the tails like a polytunnel). We get some fairly high winds round here, and neither of them have ever budged. The light transmission is good, it retains heat well, and the window at the rear will take an automatic opener with a bit of fiddling. Best of all, the 6ft x 12ft (Standard Professional 12) we got only cost £130!

[Snadger]

Polycarbonate is very strong and ideal where children are about playing or if you have problems with vandals breaking glass!
Is the thread about polycarbonate greenhouses or something different?

The only other rigid plastic I can think of is perspex which is brittle and as far as I know NOT ultra violet inhibited! After a season in daylight it wil go very, very brittle!
Polycarbonate can be single thickness or multi layered with air gaps inbetween giving better insulation. The downside is that the multi-layered stuff lets in less light than the single thickness!