Lean To Greenhouse? How To Do It Cheaply
The skill, patience and endurance of people that build their own successful ecosystems has to be commended even if just for taking the initiative. Unfortunately no amount of initiative is going to remove the one difficulty which is cost.
First time handyman? It’s not a problem if this is your first project, if you cannot build a lean to greenhouse (or lean to conservatory) on a limited budget then you are probably doing something wrong or trying to complicate matters. Lean To’s are easy to construct especially the stand alone type. It can get costly if you don’t take care when buying all your materials though.
It is very cheap to build a mini lean to greenhouse. These are small enough to fit in the most cramped living areas or those which only have a small area for plants such as a flat. If you are able to build something such as a small dogs kennel or a post box then you have what it takes to build a mini lean to.
Don’t forget to take your environment into account. If you are prone to heavy wind or rain storms then it is probably best to have a solid wooden frame with a glass covering. Since glass is not the cheapest of materials the chances are better to save a few pounds if you use the correct size of fiberglass. Wood is not expensive and any lumber yard will have what you need.
On the subject of wood, a wooden greenhouse is probably the cheapest to build if you have decided to do it yourself. Your budget will be in reason whether you build an attached or a stand-alone type just by sticking to wood. Some fiberglass, glass or polyethylene covering as well as a bag of nails and a hammer is all that you should need.
If the area you live in has great weather then polyethylene is both effective and cheap. Wood, on the other hand, will need to be taken care of and this might be in the form of some kind of varnish so that it can stand against harsh weather.
Aluminum is probably the most expensive material to use even though it is commonly available. It is not as flexible as wood and it is definitely harder to work with. Aluminum greenhouses are meant to be attached to a solid wall (house or garage) so if you are trying to cut costs, this is one route you definitely don’t want to follow.
Although you might not get the same satisfaction as if you were building one yourself from raw materials, another option to consider is buying a prefabricated uPVC lean to conservatory installation kit. If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions you will find that they are not difficult to build and they have many advantages. They are durable enough for any weather conditions, they need no maintenance, they are easy to clean and they are relatively cheap. A wooden one is admittedly cheaper but the fact that you won’t have any long term maintenance costs definitely makes it a more efficient choice.
Imperial Windows specialise in windows, doors and Conservatories. The lean to greenhouse (or lean to conservatory) is only one of the ranges that we supply. Visit us at http://www.imperialwindows.co.uk