Dismantling an old greenhouse

[nilling]

I hoping to be offered an very old 6'x8' aluminium greenhouse. This will be my first greenhouse.

Any pointers/tips/comments for dismantling and transporting? What tools will I need? Should I remove all the glass and how? etc etc

I'm so excited

[kernowyon]

yes take out the glass, it should just unclip, take your time with it and take a camera to take photos of the joints (easier to work out what goes where later)

and go to wilcos (or similar) and buy some more glazing clips and nuts and bolts, no matter how careful you are you will sheer a few off / lose some when dismantling.

as for tools a pair of pliers, a flat head screwdriver, a cross head screwdriver and a ring spanner / adjustable will do the job.

[RedThorn]

Photo's of the joins and the general shape will be a definate bonus. Pen and Paper to show to make diagrams etc. The apex/ non standard pieces of glass, you should mark with a permenant marker as to where they should go. As to spanners, the bolts are usually a 10 spanner.... but take an adjustable too if you can. A can of WD40 sprayed on the bolts and joins before you start removing the glass helps a bit too. A tin to collect all the clips and bolts....

Standard glass panes seem to come in 2 usual sizes 2ft by 2 ft and 2 ft by 18 inches. So it's easier to just show their positions in your drawing.

Careful with the "W" clips, I bought some from Homebase and they were fine, then I bought a packet from wilkinsons, they weren't long enough for my greenhouse.....

Start by unclipping the top pane in the stack and remove, then repeat working your way down the stack. A sharp knife might help if the insulation sticks to the pane (run knife between the pane and the frame if they stick)

I didn't think it through and had a 3D jigsaw puzzle to put back together

Good luck with your venture

Oh and the obligitary pic's when it's re-assembled please...

[nilling]

Cheers kernowyon and RedThorn for the quick responses and brilliant tips - so glad I posted here first. Will start to get my tools together and then keep my fingers crossed!

[digthatchick]

Great tips already - also if you can find the name/manufacturer of the greenhouse and trawl the web for assembly instructions. Good luck.

[greendean]

good idea to give the frame and glass a good scrub before you re-assemble it

[Stacey Steve]

Have some cable ties & canes handy when you start to rebuild it. really useful to stop the frame bowing when you first start to erect the walls.

[dogsbody]

Having done this myself I would recommend:

1. Having a number of friends to help
2. If you can leave the aluminium frame in fitted together sections: e.g 2 ends, 2 sides, roof bits etc. this enables a really fast re-build. To do this you will need a large van or trailer.

We managed to dismantle and re-assemble such a greenhouse with the help of 2 friends building and 1 washing glass in under 5 hour.

Have fun and locate the nearets glass supplier too!

[MaureenHall]

Write on each section whether it's left, right, top, bottom, roof, diagonal etc. Mine too was like a jigsaw puzzle when I first got it and thank goodness my daughter had marked (with permanent marker) each piece. When erecting it, we found cable ties handy to stop the bolts slipping down the grooves. Don't try to do it alone! 2 people minimum