[Lee G]

I've got a free greenhouse off freecycle and am going to dismantle and collect it tomorrow, I haven't seen it and know nothing about greenhouse construction, can anyone offer any tips.  What tools am I likely to need, presumably it's best to remove all the glass panes first.  Is it OK to lay the panes straight on to each other or should I seperate them with something like a sheet of newspaper or card?

Hopefully theres pleanty of knowledge online this evening as I go for it at 8.30 in the morning 

[bognorboy]

I small screwdriver to remove all the clips that hold the glass. (a box to put all the fixings in)
You will need a 10mm O/E spanner and ring spanner to dismantle the frame work. However if its old the chances are the aluminium nuts and bolts will be 'fused' so take a socket set with a 10mm socket and this will snap them and then you can replace them when you rebuild it. If you try to undo them you'll be hours !!

have fun!

[bognorboy]

Sorry forgot to say about the glass...when transporting it try to keep it vertical. I have just transported a greenhouse from worthing to bognor with no breakages. I put bubblewrap between the glass panes, made a frame to hold them together and it was fine. and that was 17 miles in a trailer !

[Ice]

Mine is constructed from lots of small square headed bolts so you will need to take some spanners, pliers etc.  I would also take an old screwdriver to pry things apart.

If you have a camera take lots of pictures.  Draw a diagram of where each piece of glass goes and label each pane if possible.  I moved my glass without anything in between the panes.

[newatthis]

hi i've taken 1 apart and i was lucky to have the glass already taken out and it took us about 2 hours to take it a part, and when i put the glass in the car i used paper to put in between the panes, and then i put the rest of the greenhouse on top(in peaces), but then we had a 6ft by 8ft to take apart...i wish i had taken a photo of it befor i took it down so i could have something to look at when i put it back up , it took me ages to put up again..
good luck but as for tools, we had the same as bognorboy..

[Lee G]

Thanks all, I should have utilised the search facility here before starting my thread as I've since found some other useful bits and peices, appreciate your responses though.

Tomorrow looks like being an adventure !!  :blink:

[philskin]

When i got mine I took loads of photos inside and out ,then with a marker pen labeled all the glass starting at the roof down to the floor then took each strip out wrapped in newspaper and stacked ,as was said above transport glass vertically. If your not sure how a corner goes take a piccy because your memory will let you down .Another thing take your outside measurements of the greenhouse  ie  length and breadth whilst it is still up in position so you know exactly the dimensions to make your new base  . If you look at my previous postings there is one about making the footings etc  good luck and make sure its level and you  3 4 5 it for your right angle  phil  ps if you want any additional advice please feel free to email me    phil

ps there will be some photos in my gallery if it helps in anyway please feel free to look

[noidea]

good thick gloves and clothes! I learnt that one the hard way, also take lots of photos before and during especially of door area, so you dont mix up the sides/ends (learnt that the hard way too!). Bubble wrap each pane, try and keep the different nuts and bolts seperate. Buy fresh pane clips for putting back together.

[Lee G]

Thanks again all.  Only had a couple of hours free today so didn't get it completely done, but have removed every pane from the four sides without breaking one, nor losing a single clip.

I remembered everything you'd all said, plus an old thread of John's which I found, however the batteries in the camera were dead so I had to do some very rough sketches (I'd even taken a spare pair of batteries as the camera drains the power really bad, but someone had put dead batteries back in the battery drawer.  Fortunately I have to go and finish it off later in the week so I'll try and take pictures then)

I have to say though, it's in really good nick, 8 x 6 I'd guess, so I'm well chuffed - well I will be when it's up and the seeds in my plastic greenhouse are safely re-homed.

[newatthis]

thats great news..well done

[Lee G]

thats great news..well done

Thanks.  I now have a quandry though, site it down the plot or at home.  The plot layout would need re-jigging to house it in a decent spot, and it would mean more frequent trips to the plot.  At home would be more convenient but how do I keep my 4 year old from smashing every pane of glass playing football?

[newatthis]

that a tough 1..other than ban him from playing football, i only thing i could think of was 4ft fencing round the side's or netting about a foot awy from the glass, thenyou could grow sweet peas or runner beans up them, sorry couldn't much help on that

[Rubellite]

I was a bad mother - I banned the lot of them from playing ANYTHING in the garden. The dogs were garden trained too!

[philskin]

chicken wire fence in front of the greenhouse about 18" away ,ive told my lad i will sell his Wii to pay for the glass stopped him dead

[Lee G]

that a tough 1..other than ban him from playing football, i only thing i could think of was 4ft fencing round the side's or netting about a foot awy from the glass, thenyou could grow sweet peas or runner beans up them, sorry couldn't much help on that

I was a bad mother - I banned the lot of them from playing ANYTHING in the garden. The dogs were garden trained too!

chicken wire fence in front of the greenhouse about 18" away ,ive told my lad i will sell his Wii to pay for the glass stopped him dead

 

I was thinking out loud (or whatever the typing equivalent is) so wasn't really expecting any answers, but thanks for all making me laugh!!