[Totty]

Very nice. Always a bonus if you can move it in one. Constantly watch freecycle etc etc from now on. You are in no rush so can take time in trying to find another one if needed. I have an octagonal greenhouse that was free to collector, auto roof too. Was happy enough with that then found a small ad at the local garden nursery "wooden greenhouse, free to collector" turned out to be a 12x8 Alton with staging and auto roof vents. Good things can still be found for nothin!

Totty

[HuwG]

Loosen all the bolts before you put the glass in and then tighten them up afterwards as it gives you the chance to square up the glasshouse

[green jack]

what i did wrong was,
i built it up and took the dimensions 8x6 but didn't think about the door section as it needed a little extra length for the door to slide as it was catching on the scaffolld battons, so the trim on the greenhouse could lap over, not much though, just another one of my errors

[Daamoot]

Thanks everyone!  And these extra tips will come in handy!  So far I've layed and levelled a base made from planks of wood (decided on a less permanent base atm since I'll be moving in a year or two) but the snow prevented me from getting the glass in.  Greenjack, are you adivising that I push the greenhouse as far forward on the wood so the door can overhang it?  I'll make sure it can open without hinderence before I secure the greenhouse to the base.



Hopefully I'll get the glass in this weekend if the weather clears up.  Another issue I'm facing is cutting glass to size.  I got a couple extra panes but need to cut them to size (one for centre section of door and one for peak of rear, triangle bit), I'm guessing its similar to tiles - score the line then snap it off over hanging a solid surface?  Would like to get it right first time so I don't have to buy more glass so any tips are very welcome  :happy:

[JayG]

Glad you've made some progress despite the weather! 

Couple of thoughts - are the rubber (or foam) glazing strips still intact? I suspect that on many old greenhouses they have mostly perished and fallen away, but it probably makes sense to have them in place if possible - there are plenty of online shops selling them, you just need to find the right type for yours.
Cutting the dreaded triangular-shaped panes!  Glaziers make it look very easy - apart from their obvious experience they will also be using new glass which is much less brittle than old glass. Give it a try, but be prepared to finish up at a glaziers anyway - mine did the cutting for free when purchasing new panes, the measurements were handily provided in the instructions which came with my greenhouse.
Assuming you havent't got them for yours you will need to either accurately measure a similar intact pane or take it with you - there isn't much margin for error!

Spray or paint the threads of all the bolts with Waxoyl even if you haven't had to touch them - it will help you if you need to replace/tighten/remove them in the future (ideally you would paint the threads before fitting the nuts but it still has quite good penetration properties over time.)

[mumofstig]

Mine came with a broken triangle and I used a piece of plastic (an old for sale sign) cut to size - meaning to replace it.

I never have because in summer I remove it completely to give more ventilation than the one window provides. Much safer to play with plastic than a glass piece

[Daamoot]

Didn't think of that mos, what a good idea!  I can use some plastic for the awkward pane then I have 2 new panes to attempt cutting to size for the door, roughly 1/3 a pane so that'll give me a few attempts. 

Thanks JayG, didn't consider using Waxoyl and I really should because I'll be needing to dismantle it for the move.

[Sparkyrog]

be sure to do it on a level firm surface !

And the glass must be clean .

[Daamoot]

Thanks Sparkyrog, will use an old worktop with a decent edge for it.

Hit wee problem, with high winds on monday night the greenhouse had flipped onto its roof yesterday    Not too many bends or breaks but one of the roof supports/mounts was practically folded and I doubt I can bend it back to its former straightness.  So if anyone knows where I can get a replacement I'd be extremely grateful.  Will get it glazed and suitably anchored as soon as I fix this.

Cheers,
Damian

[JayG]

Oh dear - I'm quite surprised that an unglazed greenhouse has enough wind resistance for that to happen! 

Probably stating the obvious to say that the manufacturer would be your best bet, although without any documentation that could be difficult to establish (mine has no identification marks that I'm aware of.)
Equally obviously, the best chance of finding a replacement component would be to find another similar one for spares, but that's not likely to be easy either.

Best I can suggest is to straighten the bent item as best you can, replace, and then check in several places for squareness with a large set-square - even small deviations in critical areas can put it well out of true and make glazing almost impossible.

I'd then consider making at least one additional brace to strengthen the damaged support (bolted to an undamaged one using crop-head bolts and/or to bridge and reinforce the damaged area) because even if it hasn't broken it will have lost most of its structural strength.

Finally, I'd chuck a couple of sandbags over the base to stop it happening again before being screwed down properly!