Wow! You have done a really nice job. That looks great.

Are your cinder blocks attached to the pad at all? How much was the shelving? How do you get in the door, step up over the cinder blocks?

Yes, I liquid nailed the cinder blocks to my cement pad. The liquid nails from Home Depot was less than $2.00 a tube. I put it in my hand caucking gun (about $4.00). I used a little to glue the cinder blocks together, and a little to glue the cinder blocks to the cement pad. I filled the holes in the cinder blocks with pea gravel. I had some left over ridged foam insulation that is 1" thick. I cut that and liquid nailed that to the inside of the cinder blocks. The cinder blocks do not form a water tight seal on the bottom, so water runs out (which is what I want). I did not use the normal sized cinder blocks, but used the thin ones (4"X8"X16" @ $1.32 each). They were also much cheaper than the larger cinder blocks.

The shelving is at any Home Depot or Lowes. If you can make do with a 16" deep shelf, you can buy 16" deep shelving that is 8 feet long that is perfect. But I wanted the most shelf I could get in the greenhouse, so I bought the two 12" deep shelving and braced them with PT 1X wood (see my pictures). I think I paid about $12 for a 8 foot long 12" deep shelf, but I would have to look.

And yea, I step over the cinder blocks to go inside. I thought I would *HATE* it, but it is nothing now. I like it. A standard door on hinges would have been easy to adapt to my foundation, but the HF greenhouse only came with a slider type door.

With the two high cinder blocks, the 2X4, and the tiny HF base, I got about 3 feet in hight for the greenhouse. So inside, it is about nine feet at the center. As I am 6' 2" tall, this is great for me and much more room for plants.

Yea, all in all, I think the $299 HF greehnhouse is a great bargain. The money I saved on the greenhouse allowed me to buy a shelving, thermostat, heater, fan, and other greenhouse toys.

jack

That's an awesome setup Jack. Good Job!

Dave
Milwaukee

Anyone building a GH might need the following impact tool.

(note, this is really just a very funny commercial for a "Milwaukee impact power tool". Just thought I'd share the fun) :)

Just cut'n'paste the following into browser address field.

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I think you addressed this, but I wanted to double check. You seem to have an 18" wall to step over to enter the greenhouse, this is does not pose a problem?

Your setup is almost Identical to what I was planning, down to the skinny cinderblocks. How much did the pea gravel run you for filling the blocks?

I am not a small man, not as tall as you, but with a 48" chest, and 40" waist, do you find that you have enough room to manuver between the rows of shelves?

I know you said you had the foam insulation left over, but do you remember what price range it runs?

one more question, where in HD did you find the shelves? in the shelving isle or in the garden section?

Thank you for your time

To Jimmyd02....

The biggest drawback to my foundation plan was the big step over at the door. But after it was installed and I walk in and out of it all day, I found it to be a non issue. I am a big guy. I weigh about 250 lbs. I am 6' 2" tall. I wondered if I built shelving that was 2 feet deep on each long wall, would I have enough room in the greenhouse to walk in and turn around. I do. I can't recall what I paid for the pee gravel. I bought it at a stone quarry. They had it in big sacks. It could be that by trapping a hollow air space in the cinder block, that they would have a higher R value than if they were filled with gravel. I honesty don't know. But filling the cinder blocks with gravel would make for a more solid structure I thought. I guess sand or dirt would also work.

I would make one change if I was doing it all over again. I would use a 2 X 6 as my sill plate, not a 2 X 4. A 2 X 6 covers the skinny cinder blocks better and gives you more room to center the aluminum frame of the HF greenhouse. If everything is *exactly* correct, a 2 X 4 will work, but better to have a fudge factor and use a 2 X 6. If your building is off by 1/4 of a inch, you expose the holes in your cinder blocks by using a 2 X 4.

The ridge foam cost me about $12.00 for a 4 foot X 8 foot sheet. The shelving is not in the garden center of Home Depot or Lowes, but in side the store. They all have a area for build it your shelf shelving.

Nobody makes a 2 foot deep shelf. So I had to combine two, 12" deep shelves. I am glad I did this and I have a lot more room inside this small greenhouse. But, you can *significantly* reduce your costs if you buy the 16" deep shelving. I had to brace for each 12" shelf. If you bought 16" shelving, you only have to brace once. I used PT (Pressure Treated) 1" X 1" for bracing. I used screws and washers (called "Fender" Washers), to attach two 12" shelving together, as well as to attach the shelving to my wood braces. Screws and washers are very cheep. No need to buy fancy stuff.

Keep me posted on your construction. Post some pictures.

Mr Aroid

Wow thank you very much for the Info. I will probably be ordering my kit in a week or so... (waiting for that Tax refund). I will probably comprimise, with 24" shelves on one side and 16" on the other. One of the things I will be using the greenhouse for will be for over-wintering New Citrus varieties I am working on creating. Which means during the summers I will probably be taking out a lot of the panels in the summer and using the frame to support shade cloth in the heat of our summers.

Oddly enough the thing that helped me decide between the 6x8 and the 10x12, other than where I was going to put the greenhouse is from reading the PDF's of the instruction files.
The 10x12 has a warning to build it when the winds are calm. That never happens at my house.

I realize I am starting this during the wrong time of year, but then at least I have 7 months to get it built and working right.

I will be adding a few options to mine. One unusual thing I was thinking of doing was directing the exhaust from our drier to the green house. (The location I am putting it, is very close to the drier exhaust). Since we usualy do laundry late at Night, I figure it is free heat, but I am a b it concerned about the lint.

I will also be routing power and water, I figure the best way for that would be through the dirt under the Cinder blocks. (My shed will be on dirt in my backyard). I will be using all the shingles that blew off my roof this winter as flooring ;)

jimmydo2...

I was at Lowel's this morning. The cost for the 12" deep 8 foot long shelving is $7.92. The 16" deep, 8 feet long shelving is $11.84.

When I get my big greenhouse built, I need to ask you some citrus question. I want to grow a Key Lime tree. I love Key Lime pie!

I never thought about taking the poly out in the summer. A good idea.

I had a very bad wind storm here; 75MPH winds. The base took it and the greenhouse was just fine.

jack

Glad to hear that your greenhouse withstood the winds.

That is a definite Vote for the 6x8

Oh by the way Key Limes are the most cold sensitive Citrus, so it will take some interesting work. I will send you my email address off list, so we can discuss citrus when you are ready

Jack, I've already had to remove two panels on mine since it's so warm here, and it works great! I just clip the shadecloth over it so the bugs (or not so many bugs anyway) can't get in.

It's a great solution for summertime!