Greenhouse kits are the perfect choice if you are planning on a greenhouse for home, or for a commercial application. Sure, you can build one yourself – but WHY? For what you would get in a good kit, you’re not going to save any money (usually) by building a greenhouse from scratch.
Greenhouses are more than just glass panes held together by a frame. A greenhouse typically uses specially designed materials to support the frame and to allow the greenhouse to trap heat inside so it functions properly.
If a hand-built greenhouse is designed incorrectly it can have major problems. It can collapse, or develop cracks and openings which will degrade the heat-trapping functionality.
When purchasing a greenhouse kit, keep in mind the following….
Greenhouse Floor
Many greenhouse kits don’t come with a floor or base. Many people construct their greenhouse right on the ground. Sure, that’s easy. You can typically purchase a base or floor separately wherever you purchase greenhouse kits, and your particular retailer may (read: SHOULD) have one they recommend.
Be sure you get the right sizing information for your floor. A reputable greenhouse kit reseller will be able to provide you with exact sizing recommendations if you plan to lay a concrete slab for a floor.
Word of caution – DON’T GO CHEAP. If you skimp on the price of your greenhouse kit, or better said, if you don’t do your homework and buy from a low quality dealer, you will have problems. Low quality greenhouse kits aren’t always exact and correct in their measurements. In other words, some greenhouse kits say the structure is six feet wide and ten feet deep, but the building will actually wind up being two inches shorter one way and one inch longer the other way – and so on.
In short – do your homework! You can pick up a cheap greenhouse kit for a few hundred dollars. However, it may only last you a couple of years, and won’t be effective while you have it. Spend a little more and you just might have some delicious veggies on your dinner table!
More important than the price is simply the quality of the seller. Get references. Get a warranty. Make sure they offer support.
Greenhouse Accessories
Once your greenhouse kit is complete, you may find that you are in the market for some accessories for your greenhouse. Needed accessories may include a heater to use during the cold winter months, a shade cloth for the overly hot summer days, a thermostat, a hydrometer to measure the humidity, and perhaps a timer for the heater.
Greenhouse Watering
You may also want to get a mister which works like the misters at the produce section of your supermarket, spraying a slight mist over your plants at regular intervals. An electrical outlet may also be needed to plug in these accessories! Make sure you have a complete list of everything needed to keep your greenhouse functioning and then double-check what is and what is not included in those greenhouse kit, and be prepared to order or purchase these other things separately.
