I think you would be much happier buying a greenhouse kit, and probably even save money. Redoing the rotting house will be a huge amount of work, and you will have leaks and increased rotting from the humidity produced by a greenhouse.

What size greenhouse would you like? People on this site can point you to modestly priced kits that will give you many years of service.

Thanks kudzu9!
I'm not completely sure of the size... I do know no smaller than say 10 x 12 but I feel I wouldn't be happy with something even that size. See, I recently was given about 30 plants (very large plants) in pots and will need room for them in the winter plus I really would like to have a greenhouse to start seed and be able to garden year round. I've looked online at a few kits, but haven't found "the one" yet... any suggestions where to look?

lyoung-
One place to start would be...Costco. I got mine there and was very satisfied with the price, selection, and quality, plus it's the only place I know that will allow you to return it if you're not satisfied with it. Take a look at the link below and it will give you an idea of whether the costs of some of the kits fit your budget.

An alternative is to build one yourself. If what you want is a large functional greenhouse and you're not concerned that it doesn't look like something from Better Homes & Gardens, you can build it yourself out of steel tubing and poly film for a covering. There is an inexpensive tool available specifically for bending tubing for greenhouses that you can get online. I'll do a second post so you can have the link to that, too.

After you take a look at these links, please re-post: I'd be interested to know if this is helpful, or you want more info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Costco GH's

lyoung-
Here's how you use a specialty tubing bender to make a greenhouse...

Here is a link that might be useful: Bender

I have also noted those benders but I also wonder just how easy they are to use and whether or not you can produce EXACTLY the same bend time after time?
But, the price it right for sure.

1eyedJack and the Dawg

oledawg-
I seem to remember a thread or two about this subject a couple of years ago in this forum, and people were pretty positive about using these benders and how reproducible the curves were. That link I gave above has short videos showing how to use the benders, and it looks pretty straightforward.

I wanted to share that we recently finished building a 12X20 ft hoop style greenhouse. After doing some research, we decided for our needs and budget was the best way to go. We found a retired nursery owner here in SW Washington who sells complete hoop kits: very heavy duty bows, bolts, stakes, plastic etc.. at a very affordable price. He also had heavy duty ground cloth and shade cloth available at much less then the big box stores. We were delighted at how easy the process was from start to finish. It took my hubby and I four afternoons to put it totally together that included site prep and setting up the inside. We used OSB & 2X4 for the ends and doors, pressure treated wood for the base.

Even with our recent record setting late snows and frosts here in the Pacific Northwest- my GH is alive! I've got several trays of seedlings sprouting, a couple trays of perennials I am propagating, and my tender perennials I typically overwinter in my garage are happily soaking up the light!

Thank you so much everyone for the info... kudzu9, I had no idea costco had greenhouses...I briefly looked and I'm going to go back and look some more with my husband... and I going to show him the bender as well... We discussed it this weekend and are still deciding on hoop house or using the plexiglass... it doesn't much matter to me but DH is having trouble deciding... any suggestions on size? I know everything I read says make it bigger than you think you need so you don't run out of space but I'm not sure...we have a large area to work with...basically we have about a 60' X 40' area to use... I say use it all! DH thinks I won't need that much... Also, we live in Texas... between Austin and San Antonio..so Central to South Texas... in July we can easily have days reaching 100 plus... so am I correct in thinking we need lots and lots of ventilation windows so it can stay basically open in those hot months? And I guess this shade cloth stuff will have to be used as well? Thanks again for the info... we are the first in both families to get a greenhouse so we have no help there...lol

anne79,

I'd love to see pictures if you have any!

lyoung-
Size kind of depends on your budget if you have so much space. I have a 10' X 15' which is adequate for my needs. Sometimes I wish it were bigger, but overall I think I chose right. Given my space, I was somewhat limited.

The things to think about are what you plan to do with the greenhouse and what your equipment needs will be, such as:

-ventilation fans?
-heaters?
-misters?
-shade cloth?
-utility locations?
-number of roof and side vents?
-etc.

In a smaller greenhouse, it's pretty simple. For example, I have a $20 oscillating fan that works fine for me, but if my greenhouse was several times bigger, I'd probably be looking at a much bigger and more expensive industrial fan. I'd also want electricity and water in multiple locations. Sometimes doubling or tripling the size of a greenhouse means you can start getting into a whole new realm of equipment cost (as well as heating cost if you choose to do that). However, don't let that discourage you...just decide what is best for you (and then make it a little bigger!)

One possible option you should consider is getting one of the kit greenhouse brands that is expandable (you can just add new sections to increase the length), or build your own with this in mind. That way you can build what you think is reasonable, and then expand it if you feel cramped over time. Whatever you do, also make sure the sidewalls are high so that you don't feel cramped and so that the roof has room for taller plants.

Good luck. I'd like to hear what you ultimately decide to do.

As far as those benders, you have to realize that this is only for lighter gauge tubing, unless you are Mr. Muscle. The gauge of the tubing makes a big difference in how sturdy it holds up to not only snow but wind as well. Some of the better built greenhouses that use 1.90" 13 gauge with full cross frame supports can handle trellising your tomatoes directly to the top of your greenhouse. You are not going to be bending 13 gauge 1.90" tubing by hand.

With regard to the Texas greenhouse, you may find the following link useful:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Sunspace/sunspaces.htm#GreenhouseHeat

They list many different options for cooling, even earth tubes. The problem I see with shade cloths is that it is just one more maintenance item. Its best to try and figure out a more passive way of cooling unless you have some helping hands that is willing to deal with the shade cloth. One basic design consideration if heat is a concern is to have a taller greenhouse. A hoop house that is only 5 feet tall is going to cook your plants a lot quicker than a greenhouse with a 14 foot peek height. A taller greenhouse though has to be stronger because of the increase in wind pressure on it. A 5 foot hoop house however is a lot easier throwing a shade cloth over than one with a 14 foot peak.

Thanks for all the info... I'm starting to understand better. I was leaning towards building one so I could have a bigger one but now after more research and info... I'm thinking more a kit now and smaller... but which ever I'll let y'all know and post pics of the progress. I never thought it would be such a difficult decision lol Thanks again!

I wish I knew how to post a picture. My hoop style GH is 12 X 20, about eight feet high on the inside, with wood ends and full size doors at both ends. I have plenty of room inside, my hubby made a potting bench with storage beneath at one end, and a row of slatted tables at about 4 feet high along the east wall. So I have plenty of gardening space on the floor and on the tables. Eventually I want to run a hanger for hanging baskets on the side with the slatted tables.

This GH is solid, and the shade cloth was very easy to toss over, we have it held in place by tying a small rock inside the cloth at each corner with a rope and then weighting it with a gallon jug filled with water.

Including the kit for the structure with the plastic shade cloth, ground cloth and additonal supplies for the base, OSB wood ends and doors we spent less then $700 dollars.

In our climate (Southwest Washington), the guy we bought our kit from says his plastic is 14 years old and he has not had to replace it. We were in his greenhouse, it is 20 X 100 and he had a great variety of plants growing in early March (a rose in bloom even - sigh) . And in spite of the record breaking wind storms that blew through our area this winter - he had no damage to his. That was enough to convince us - our goal is really to extend the growing season and be able to overwinter semi hardy plants. Not raise tropicals/orchids or so forth.

But we are learning as we go - so far so good - but I am really enjoying the conversation on this forum-thanks to all of you who are willing to share your hard earned knowledge.

anne-
I'd like to see a photo of your greenhouse. To post a picture, go to an online site like Photobucket.com, open a free account, and upload your pictures. Once you do this, there will be an URL listed beneath each photo and you can cut and paste that into a new message here. The URL actually gets pasted into the "Optional Link URL" box that is directly under any message box you compose on this forum. When you post this new message, there will be a clickable link that will take us to your photo. (There is also a way to post pictures directly into a message here, but that involves HTML, which I assume may be more complicated than you're ready for.)

Kudzu, Here is the side view, just as we finished. Thank you for your help explaining how to post pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Anne-
Glad it worked; thanks for following through. Your greenhouse looks nice and roomy. Happy growing!