Greenhouse advice

[madderbat]

I have parsley, bay and a couple of thymes so I don't really want to use chemicals, is there anything else I can do?

Help!!!

Ogilvie (feeling very helpless)

Hi Ogilvie
I know you are further north than us, but I have my herbs outside and as yet the parsley, thyme and chives, rosemary, lavendar and coriander are still doing ok. haven't got a bay yet, but see them growing outdoors round here. Maybe they don't need to be indoors, perhaps you could overwinter them in a shelterd spot and cover them over if it gets bad? Might solve the problem. good luck.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Alice - I've just seen your blog - your garden looks beautiful! You must be very proud. DDL PS still working on my photos!

[mandyballantyne]

Thanks Nick,

I am still waiting to hear from her about the size, I know I would fill just don't know where I would fit it in!

If it is too big for me I will put up a post in case any one else can take it.

Mandy

[mandyballantyne]

How to dismantle a greenhouse

Hi All,

Just had the chance of a 12'x8' wooden greenhouse, complete with staging and heating, sooo excited.

It is old, but sound any ideas how best to take it apart and put back up with too much damage, arguements etc

Thanks, Mandy

[nick the grief]

Whats sort of greenhouse is it Mandy? If it's an alton with dutch light glass ( approx 5' x 2'6") I'd leave the glass in and stand the panels on edge it will travel better.

If it's wood all you need is a black marker & you can write on it so you know wht goes where

[Peter]

Hi All,

Just had the chance of a 12'x8' wooden greenhouse, complete with staging and heating, sooo excited.

It is old, but sound any ideas how best to take it apart and put back up with too much damage, arguements etc

Thanks, Mandy

With a digital camera, large meory card and several sets of batteries, several marker pens (don't write on the outside ), note/sketchpad and several pencils, rubber, pencil sharpener and a very good selection of screwdrivers, adjustable spanners, normal pliers, needlenose pliers (great for glazing clips), plus a padsaw (looks like a knife using a hacksaw blade) to cut rusted in screws, between the bits of wood.
Most importantly loads of patience and care, though carefully targetted violence mey be needed.

Your transport dictates how far the dismantling will have to go.
Don't drop any little bits and stack it all carefully. I lost two reinforcing brackets in leaf litter and found them a week later when tidying up.
Give careful thought to how you are moving it, you do not say how far it has to go, a transit or luton van even a pickup is good but needs rope, a trailer will bounce a bit and needs rope.

De-glazing, is it bars, clips or putty? If putty take a couple of old wood chisels to remove the dry putty, watch out for glazing brads (small headless square section spiky nails, hiudden in the putty and use pliers on them.

Take lots of old newspapers, use a couple of sheets between each pane of glass and stand it upright in a box. Secure the box upright in the transport. Upright glass bears its own weight, at an angle it tries to bend and snaps.

At least two people are needed, you'll get to a stage where the bit(s) being removed need to be held up at one end while the other end is undone.

Drive carefully, one pothole too fast and you'll need lots of replacement glass.
Choose your day, dry and relatively windless would be best.

If you find rot stay calm, photograph it as moving may disintegrate the rotton bit, as you have it apart you have the ideal opportunity to replace any rotten timber, remember to use good quality treated timber and use the old bit as a template.

Good luck, it can be done I dismantled and moved my 12'x8' aluminium house four miles in a small car trailer, took several trips mind and that was dismantled down to individual bars, with the final load being the car only with the 12'ers nuzzled up to the dash, between the front seats and out the boot with a cylists/dogs flashing light keyringed off the last bolthole.

Do I need to mention safety?
Good strong boots, for dropping a sheet of glass on edge first.
Appropriate gloves.
Those odd looking woven ones with rubber net stuck over the top, great for carrying glass.
Safety glasess.
For when that sheet of glass shatters as you try to get it out of the frame.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Nick, Peter,

Thanks for that, I am going up to see it on Saturday to have a look at it.

All I know is that it is 12x8 wooden constuction, few panes broken. I have been told that there is no rot but it is in need of a good sand down.

It has the added advantage of coal heating, thanks for the earlier diagram Nick I will probably be back on asking how to fix the dam thing.

It has staging down both sides and it is FREE!!

I have a transit but think I might hire a luton or 7.5 ton as it this size I don't think the roof will fit in anything else.

It is about 30 miles from where I live so I think it will be a fulll day of dismanteling, arguments etc.

I will let you how it goes.

Million thanks for all the advice, Mandy

[Mrs Dobby]

Good Luck with it Mandy!

We moved our 10' by 8' from its previous home to our plot in a day, all in a Fiat Panda! Managed to do it in 1 slightly illegal trip, with the 10' long sections tied to the roof rails with string and Mr D's belt, then drove 8 miles home at 30 mph! Not easy, but hey, its free and was just about the size we wanted!

[Alice]

Where there's a will there's a way Mrs D. I like that style.

[mandyballantyne]

Thanks Alice and Mrs D,

Going to see it tomorrow to see how many arguements it will cause taking it down, but I am determind and sooooo excited

Mandy

[dexterdoglancashire]

Good luck MB - looking forward to hearing how you get on! My OH managed to dismantle and then move my 6x8 alli greehnouse, complete with glass and staging all the way from Thornton Cleveleys to Preston (around 30miles each way!) It took quite a few trips but we managed it! Best thing was the greenhouse cost me less than £30 on ebay! I did give them a bottle of wine as well! DDL

[mandyballantyne]

That is a thought DDL, it is a freecyle item but should I offer something or a gift. Flowers chocs etc It is such a svae for me...................

[pigletwillie]

When collecting both of my freecycle greenhouses I gave a bottle of wine as a thank you. A £6 bottle of wine still makes for a cheap greenhouse and fosters massive good will.

[ogilvie]

Mandy,

How did you get on at the weekend with the greenhouse?

Ogilvie

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Ogilive,

Not to bad thanks. It is fairly sound, with a few broken panes of glass. All of the staging is there as well as the heating.

The heating seems to consist of an outdoor furness, with two metal pies running in side down the legnth, they do not know if it works as it was there when they moved in but I am sure it will be ok, the greenhouse itself looks to have been looked after in it's time.

The one major problem is the OH, even before we arrived he qas negitive, too much hassle etc (He is normally very good) Then when he saw the size, construction, heating system it all went down hill.

It will be a struggle but I think I will in list some helpers, higher a bigger van and leave him at home!!

Keep you posted, Mandy

P.S. the heated sand box runs of electricity and there is no way I can get that over, any use to anyone?