Old Window Greenhouse

[walhondingMF]

Anyone built a greenhouse out of old windows? Starting a project and looking for advice.

 

[MossRoad]

From what I've read, using old windows for anything but a temporary cold frame wouldn't be that great of a use. They tend to leak, and if they are wooden, they tend to rot. It's almost more work than it's worth when there are a lot of plastic greenhouses that are relatively inexpensive and much easier to put up, take down, modify, etc.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

From what I've read, using old windows for anything but a temporary cold frame wouldn't be that great of a use. They tend to leak, and if they are wooden, they tend to rot. It's almost more work than it's worth when there are a lot of plastic greenhouses that are relatively inexpensive and much easier to put up, take down, modify, etc.

I had "recycled" enough windows to make a 12'x20' greenhouse and had all those problems.

Now I use hoops made out of conduit covered with greenhouse plastic that is UV rated. Much better results and much , much less maintenance.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I use the same techniques as the people at the link below.

Build Your Own Greenhouse | Build My Own Greenhouse

Build your own greenhouse or DIY hoop house for less than 1/2 the cost of a greenhouse kit. We design and manufacture The Original Greenhouse Hoop Bender.

www.buildmyowngreenhouse.com

 

[newbury]

Look into cattle panel greenhouses.

edit
or horse fence panel

here

 

[walhondingMF]

All great suggestions. Thank you.

However, I am working against an even great force of nature... my wife.

This is actually a project for her. She wants a cute little greenhouse to grow flowers in that she can take pictures of and post. This is less of a productive, efficient project and more of a building something my wife wants project lol.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

If you used the clear acrylic corrugated roofing with enough of an overhang to protect the wooden windows you might be alright. If does sounds like A LOT of work though. Good luck!

 

[MossRoad]

Ahhhh... I see.

I'm out.

 

[MossRoad]

Just kidding. Have you thought about using a yard barn kit? Like these? It's just a bunch of brackets and you fill in with 2x4. That would give you a frame to start with. However, most yard barns' from wind load is from the plywood siding. But, it might do.

E-Z Frames 10 ft. x 20 ft. DIY Storage Shed Bracket Kit 10X20SS - The Home Depot

This Kit includes our patented polypropylene brackets (the 90°, 120°, 30°, and T brackets needed to build your structure), step-by-step Instructions, and lumber cut list-lumber is not included in this

www.homedepot.com

They make different kits for different size and style of barns.

 

[BlueKnife]

All great suggestions. Thank you.

However, I am working against an even great force of nature... my wife.

This is actually a project for her. She wants a cute little greenhouse to grow flowers in that she can take pictures of and post. This is less of a productive, efficient project and more of a building something my wife wants project lol.

How big of a building are we talking about?

 

[walhondingMF]

12x10 with a shed style roof. The prefab building would has good pricing but I have a bunch of random sized windows to make work. I am will use treated lumber on the bottom plate but not sure if I need it for the rest. I would be afraid it would warp to much.

 

[chim]

I discovered that you can't be too careful when working with glass. There was a large piece that I thought I'd frame up for a shed window. It got away from me and I ended up falling into the glass as it was breaking. The pic of my arm isn't suitable for posting. It was ugly and had the glass shards cut me differently, I'd have bled out.

 

[MossRoad]

Yikes! Good safety tip there. I had a bunch of old wooden storm windows I was thinking of doing something similar with. But the amount of work that would have been required to get them all back into good shape was outrageous. They had a lot of rotting wood and missing putty and such, so I took most of them out of the frames, tossed the frames, and put the glass into storage to use as replacements for the house windows should they break. I wore heavy welding gloves while handling it.

 

[chim]

Mine was a double pane freebie that was originally the center part of a bay window. It sat for years and when I built the new tractor shed, the plan was to use some PVC trim boards and make a non-operating window. It was a bit large to handle, and as I tried to put it on a pair of sawhorses one sawhorse shifted. I was already leaning too far to recover as the glass shattered. Like slow motion I saw a bunch of glass falling ahead of me on the way down. It wasn't tempered so there were some pretty big pieces mixed in. I remember thinking that I needed to get my hands down to stop my fall, but really didn't want to with all those pieces I couldn't avoid.

Hands did get cut up, but the worst was the part of my upper right arm that faced my body. It was bleeding pretty good, but not spurting. Nobody else was around, so I held the flap of skin closed with my left hand and used the cell phone to call #3 Son where wifey was. Told him that I didn't want Mom on the phone first, that I needed transportation, wasn't in shock and wasn't bleeding out. Then said "put Mom on". A few hours and 27 or so stitches I was on my way home from the hospital.

Note - I bought a new window anyway

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

All great suggestions. Thank you.

However, I am working against an even great force of nature... my wife.

This is actually a project for her. She wants a cute little greenhouse to grow flowers in that she can take pictures of and post. This is less of a productive, efficient project and more of a building something my wife wants project lol.

I have worked with that, too. " I am working against an even greater force of nature... my wife".
Completely understood, kind of funny as I have never heard it put that way before.

My cousin used Cedar around all the windows that I gave to him from my build, and he did not have as many problems with rot and mold. He used fir for the rest of the framing.

 

[AWSubie]

I had "recycled" enough windows to make a 12'x20' greenhouse and had all those problems.

Now I use hoops made out of conduit covered with greenhouse plastic that is UV rated. Much better results and much , much less maintenance.

Pictures please!

 

[big bubba]

All great suggestions. Thank you.

However, I am working against an even great force of nature... my wife.

This is actually a project for her. She wants a cute little greenhouse to grow flowers in that she can take pictures of and post. This is less of a productive, efficient project and more of a building something my wife wants project lol.

like your humor, & honoring her wishes

 

[jaxs]

Anyone built a greenhouse out of old windows? Starting a project and looking for advice.

Yes I have. Best advice I can offer is start with a plan.

All great suggestions. Thank you.

However, I am working against an even great force of nature... my wife.

This is actually a project for her. She wants a cute little greenhouse to grow flowers in that she can take pictures of and post. This is less of a productive, efficient project and more of a building something my wife wants project lol.

In that event do it the way she says,not like those with experience say.

 

[walhondingMF]

Yes I have. Best advice I can offer is start with a plan.

In that event do it the way she says,not like those with experience say.

Finding a way to combine "the way she says" and what actually works is proving to be the challenge lol.

 

[jaxs]

Finding a way to combine "the way she says" and what actually works is proving to be the challenge lol.

Especially since you haven't told us the "must haves" and other perimeters she wants and/or will allow. For all I know she wants it in Gothic style and 15 feet tall.