Build a small greenhouse yourself

A little manual skill and appropriate instructions will help you build a small greenhouse. The low cost of materials and the quick implementation facilitate the building project in your garden.

material

A small greenhouse for the garden can be implemented with little effort. All you need is the right materials for the project. The best: You can determine the size of the small greenhouse yourself and adapt it to your garden or terrace. You have to decide for three specific dimensions:

• length
• broad
• height

The compact dimensions are suitable for storing numerous planters or for small beds. Since the instructions require little manual skill, the size of the greenhouse can be individually adjusted. The following materials are required:

lot	material
4	Wooden beams for the length
4	Wooden beams for the width
4	Wooden beams for the height
1	Wooden strip in the desired length x 20 mm width x 10 mm height
Double wall sheets for the back
Double wall sheets for the left and right side
Corrugated sheets for the roof
16	rustproof 4-hole angle connector in the dimensions 40 x 40 x 40 mm
64	self-tapping, rustproof screws with a length of 20 mm (diameter depends on angle connector hole size)
self-tapping, rustproof screws with a length of 60 mm
10 / plate	Stainless steel plumber screws 4.5 x 45 mm

The squared timbers each have a width of 50 mm and a thickness of 50 mm. This makes them easy to process. The double wall and corrugated sheets can be made of the following materials:

• Polycarbonate
• PVC
• Plexiglass

Depending on the selected dimensions of the greenhouse, you can either use a large plate for one side or put it on two. For example, if you want one side to be two meters long, you can use two one meter wide panels instead of one two meter panel. That’s entirely up to you. They are available in a variety of strengths. The following are suitable for the small greenhouses:

• 4.5 mm
• 6 mm
• 8 mm
• 16 mm

Note: Use weatherproof wood for the frame so that the greenhouse is robust and durable. Larch, robinia and Douglas fir are well suited and inexpensive to buy.

tool

In addition to the materials, you will of course also need the right tools to start building the small greenhouse. The following list gives you an overview of the tool you need:

• Cordless screwdriver
• Cordless screwdriver bits (suitable for the respective screw)
• saw
• Protractor
• pencil
• Tape measure or folding rule

Basic structure: assembly instructions

Now we can start. This mini greenhouse is basically a wooden cuboid, which is then glazed with the corrugated and double-walled sheets. Use the following instructions to build the basic framework for the small greenhouse:

1. Start by laying a frame of 4 beams. You need two bars for the longer and shorter sides of the greenhouse. Just put a rectangle or square out of these bars as a base. Do not screw the timbers together yet.
2. Now place one of the 4 height bars at each corner. They serve as corner beams for the greenhouse and are attached vertically. The frame timbers are attached to the corner beams using the angle connectors and 20 mm screws.
3. Note that this construction method adds 10 cm on each side, as the individual pieces of wood do not lose any of their length. Shorten the timbers accordingly if the greenhouse otherwise becomes too big.
4. Screw the corner beams at the top with the remaining beams for the length and width. This gives the cuboid or cube-shaped greenhouse the support for the roof. Use angle connectors again for this.
5. You should now recognize a base frame that has the dimensions you want. Check the screw connections and angles again so that the basic structure is stable enough for the small greenhouse.
6. If necessary, you can attach additional beams as supports, for example for the back. If you use a length of one meter and want to reinforce the back, simply attach another beam in the middle. This allows longer sides to be supported effectively.
7. Finally, all you have to do is assemble the wooden strip. It ensures sufficient distance for the corrugated roof sheets so that a slope of 20 ° to 30 ° is achieved. The incline ensures that rainwater can run off more easily and does not accumulate on the roof of the greenhouse. The weight could cause damage.
8. To do this, simply screw the bar onto the longitudinal beam on the back. Use the 60 mm screws at regular intervals for this. The final number of screws therefore depends on the length of the bar. The basic framework is now in place and it is time for the glazing.

Glazing: assembly instructions

As soon as the basic structure is in place, all you have to do is disguise it. The glazing can be done quickly and effectively using the individual elements. Since the basic structure is made entirely of wood and the plumber's screws used for the plastic panels are self-tapping, you do not have to do any special preparatory work. The panels for the sides and the roof are always attached in the same way. If you have a helping hand, the implementation of the following instructions will be even faster:

• Cut panels to size as required
• Place the double wall sheets on the outside of the scaffolding
• use 10 screws for each plate
• then screw it together with plumber's screws
• Lay the corrugated sheets for the roof on the basic framework
• Note the roof overhang of 5 cm on each side
• protects against rainwater
• screw
• Pay attention to the inclination over the screwed bar

Note: If you want to glaze part of the front, all you have to do is mount another panel.

frequently asked Questions