If you've are thinking about putting a greenhouse into your garden this year, this series of postings may be particularly interesting to you. In this and in my next posting, I will describe buying, building and using an economy grade greenhouse.
If you are a first time buyer, shopping for a greenhouse is an eye opening experience. When I stared searching, I had no preconceived ideas about the cost, and I quickly discovered that they are very expensive. Even "economy" is expensive.
"Cha-Ching" Get Out Your Credit Card
An 8' x 10' Victorian-style glass greenhouse is $6,000. These greenhouses are top-of-the-line in terms of construction, durability and looks. But they are so far outside of what I had budgeted for this project, that I will only mention them as a way of providing you a sense of scale with regard to prices.
A good grade greenhouse of about the same size will be made of polycarbonate (clear plastic) panels, rather than glass, and the frame is often aluminum, rather than steel. These can be purchased for $1,500-$2,000. Much less expensive, but hardly cheap.
At the economy grade level, greenhouses are made with single ply polycarbonate and have light aluminum frames. These can be purchased for under $1,000 from a variety of online sellers and from Costco.
After looking at thee various options, I gave serious consideration to building my own greenhouse. But as I investigated further, I discovered a stumbling block.
Building A Greenhouse
If you are going to build your own, you will need to find a source for polycarbonate sheets. Polygal is an excellent brand and they have a product line designed specifically for agricultural use.
Polygal sheets transmit a high degree of light, are UV protected so they resist cracking and discoloring in the sun, and they come in a range of thicknesses (6mm-16mm) which provide more or less insulation depending on the needs of your climate.
It's my personal philosophy that if you are going to go through the trouble of building your own, the best approach is to use highest grade materials you can because you are going to make a major investment in the project in the form of your own labor. Great materials pay back this investment over time.
And here lies the problem... Polygal is not distributed at home centers like Lowes or Home Depot. I could not find a local supplier, and my only other option was to buy it online and have it shipped to me. The online supplier requires that orders be crated for shipment and the cost of the cost of this alone was several hundred dollars. Ouch!
Buying A Kit
Given the high cost of shipping, I opted to buy a kit greenhouse. I reasoned that this was the best option for me after weighing the following considerations:
The Positives
- All materials in one box.
- Less labor than "Do It Yourself."
- A low price relative to other options.
- Professional appearance - looks like a more expensive greenhouse.
The Negatives
- Lower quality materials in general.
- Single-ply polycarbonate found in economy kits provides minimal insulation.
- No option to customize design features.
I purchased my kit from Costco; the "Kensington" greenhouse kit set me back $600 after my $150 rebate. The kit provides single ply polycarbonate panels (not better grade Polygal), aluminum frames, and all the hardware you need to build the greenhouse. No special tools are required.
The Kensington Kit is not a regularly featured item at Costco; you order it from Costco's web site, and it is delivered to your door via UPS Ground Service.
In my next posting, I will describe what it's like to build this kit. I will also make specific recommendations to gardeners based on my experience using the greenhouse over the fall and winter months.
See you next post.
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