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Owning a greenhouse for the better development of plants is the ultimate dream of every gardener. The greenhouse was a huge-scale project once, but with the development of plastic glass and other easily available materials, it has become quite easy to realize the dream of having your own greenhouse.

Building a greenhouse is quite simple provided you follow the right instructions and have the right gear. Even if you are not up for do-it-yourself, ready-to-assemble greenhouses are available for your convenience.

Here we will provide a step by step guide on how to build a DIY greenhouse in your backyard. Let’s live the dream.

What is Greenhouse?

A greenhouse is an enclosed structure with a transparent covering typically made of glass or plastic, i.e. acrylic. It creates a microclimate, ideal for plant growth.

Greenhouse enhances productivity by extending the growing seasons, protects the plants from unfavorable weather conditions, enables pest prevention, and allows you to produce a wide variety of plants by providing ideal growing conditions.

From small sheds to large industrial-sized buildings, greenhouses come in a wide variety. However, for your kitchen garden, you need a relatively smaller greenhouse that can house your plants effectively.

How to Build a Greenhouse – A DIY Guide That’s So Easy To Follow

Gardening enthusiasts usually go for building greenhouses for their plants, so it’s a common project. Even though it sounds like a huge project, building a backyard greenhouse is quite simple.

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If you are a newbie, here is a guide for you to successfully build a greenhouse. There are a number of things that you should consider before plunging into the building step. Let’s get there systematically.

#1. Consider your Budget

Proper planning is very important to make a project successful. If you don’t reflect a little before starting the project, it will all fall apart at the seams. Therefore, take some time and plan every aspect of the project first.

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Read more: Little Cottage Company greenhouses >>

Budget is the most critical factor in the accomplishment of any project. Make a list of your required products. Do some research, and find your desired products online. Take an estimate of prices from websites as well as nearby marketplaces. See what suits your budget better. Create a budget plan and consider different possibilities within that budget.

#2. Select Location

The right location holds primary importance in the proper functioning of a greenhouse. The right place makes all the difference. The ideal location for building a greenhouse is where the sun shines consistently.

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Look for a sunny spot in your backyard that provides the best sunlight. Choose a place that can capture early morning sunlight effectively. Morning sunlight is better for plant growth as compared to afternoon or evening light. Although plastic glass is designed to endure any weather conditions, it’s always better to take precautionary measures.

So be mindful of the other weather constraints as well. Avoid the areas where the wind flow is maximum or rain falls directly. If there are trees around the area, choose a location near seasonal trees. These types of trees lose their leaves in the winter allowing the sun to reach the greenhouse.

#3. Collect All Essential Hardware

If you are dedicated to build your own greenhouse, gather your gear, and get ready. And if you are going for a ready-to-assemble greenhouse, set up the assembling kit.

Some of the essentials are digging tools, safety gloves and glass, drills, circular saw, hammer, carpentry pencil, and measuring tape. Take your equipment to the backyard where you are planning on building the greenhouse and get ready for some grind! If your backyard is a mess and you need a quick guide on how to clean it up, you can see it here!

#4. Choose Covering Material

Selecting the right covering material has a decisive impact on the operational quality of the greenhouse. The appropriate covering is responsible for creating an effective environment for the plants.

There is a wide variety of covering materials based on thickness, style, and service life. Each type of covering caters to different sets of requirements. Some major types of coverings are.

  • Glass – for a seamless look

Conventional greenhouses employ glass as the covering material. It has been in use since the very beginning. Glass can retain more heat and has high light transmission ability. It is durable but still prone to unfavorable weather conditions like hail storms.

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Glass is also heavy and quite expensive to be used in a backyard greenhouse. However, tempered glass is an excellent alternative to glass covering. It is affordable and impact resistant. You can buy tempered glass for your greenhouse covering the budget.

  • Plastic Films – a cost-effective option
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This type of covering material is usually made of polyethylene, polyester, or polyvinyl chloride sheets. They are a cost-effective choice but have a lower service life.

You may want to read more: Best Bamboo Pillow Reviews – Ultimate Buyer’s Guide For This Year Update

  • Plastic Glass – Durability and proficiency

It is a relatively new covering material and taking over the greenhouse industry very quickly due to its benefits. The covering material is usually acrylic or polycarbonate sheets. These sheets are transparent like glass but are impact-resistant, which enhances their service life. Plexiglass covering helps maintain uniform light intensity throughout the greenhouse and creates favorable growing conditions for the plants.

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You can either go for plastic glass sheets or buy tempered glass to get the optimum productivity in an affordable way. Confused to know how to tell if the glass is tempered or not? Go to this link https://www.glassgenius.com/blog/how-to-tell-if-glass-is-tempered/

#5. Ventilation and Temperature Control

While we are devising easy ways to keep the heat in, there must be a way to avoid overheating. The greenhouse ventilation system caters to this issue.

Cooling and ventilation system are one of the main concerns while building a greenhouse. The greenhouse ventilation and cooling system maintain the temperature inside the structure by using mechanical and natural vents. Sometimes the covering is also shaded to achieve the cooling effect. A variety of quality products are available in the market.

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Note your greenhouse requirement and conditions. Determine which ventilation system is the best for your structure. However, a smaller cooling system will do the job for the common backyard greenhouses.

#6. Set Up the Structure

Take your gear and roll up your sleeves. If you have the ready-to-assemble greenhouse, open the instructions guide, and start assembling the greenhouse using the kit.

If you are up for building a DIY greenhouse, set up all the hardware. Lay a strong wooden foundation first. It will hold your structure uptight so pay special attention to the foundations. Next, set up the walls by screwing the vertical uprights into the foundation poles. Install the covering material on the walls and go for the roof at the end.

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Once you have made these decisions, you are ready to build your greenhouse.

Flat, sloping, pitched, or pointed, select the roof style according to your requirements and screw the roof directly to the walls. Cover the whole structure with covering material and seal all edges. Install a floor and your very own greenhouse is ready to function!

Read more: Are You Inadvertently Harming Your Trees? Never Do These 5 Things

Take the Lead and Do-It-Yourself!

A greenhouse is a gardening enthusiast’s sanctuary and it’s not a hard-to-get thing now. You can channel your creative side and recycle some old windows or doors to build the greenhouse structure. Grace your backyard with an operational greenhouse and grow your favorite plants there.

Congratulations on your DIY greenhouse!

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