[Windsong]

I've just won an ebay auction for a 6x8 greenhouse. Now we're going to have to dismantle it, transport it and put it back together. I've never been inside a greenhouse let alone put one up.

Please give me your helpful hints. I did read the guide on this site but wanted to know if anyone has anything to add.

Also, does anyone know if we'll be able to fit it into our Zafira with all the back seats down?

[Windsong]

Just thought of another question; will we need any special screwdrivers or anything?

[dexyblue]

Take pliers 10-12mm spanners, hacksaw and screw driver also take lots of photos of where all pieces join together. Mine went into a vauxhall astra estate so should go in yours. Glass is heavy though.

[mumofstig]

Take a permanent marker and write on each piece it what it is

[Becci W]

I have just dismantled one with the help from advice on here. I used some large sheets of cardboard to put either side of the glass panes. These protected the glass and my car (moved most of the glass in my honda jazz)

[Plottered]

take wd40 for the stubborn nuts/bolts

[Plot18]

Put a sheet or two of newspaper between each sheet of glass, then transport the glass on end (not laying flat). Much less likely to break that way.

Also a cordless screwdriver/ drill with an M6 nut driver, and a decent set of pliers.  2 sets of hands is very useful too.

You might need a lump hammer/ cold chisel if the GH is bolted to concrete - often easier to sheer a rusty bolt.

Start with the glass in the roof and work down.

Good luck!!

edit: might be worth buying some glass clips and green house nuts/ bolts (cheap at Wilkinsons) as you're bound to lose and break some.

Also I used a crow bar for pinging off the glass clips on the roof, and a long screwdriver for the lower ones (you'll need to look at a neighbours GH when you put the clips back on, it still takes me a couple of goes!!!)

[JayG]

Having assembled a new greenhouse I can say with confidence that having each piece numbered and good line-drawings of what goes where makes an impossible job quite easy!

If you label and number each piece in such a way that the orientation is obvious (i.e. up/down and left/right) then do a rough line drawing from each side showing which number goes where then re-assembly should be a cinch! Photographs would no doubt help as well.

Agree with the advice about transporting glass; ideally upright but otherwise each sheet protected with cardboard or bubble-wrap.

[Windsong]

Great tips! Thanks so much!

[nipper31]

I got a cheap greenhouse last year from a fellow plot holder on our site - it's still in pieces in my shed!

There are no markings on it because he sold it to me already dismantled, he told me it's as easy as Meccano to put together ?? But some of us girls didn't play with Meccano as kids...

Not all the clips/bolts are there and also some of the glass panels are missing. I'm struggling to know what to do? Don't seem to be able to get anyone to help me build it  or should I buy a new one and sell this second-hand one?

[Lardman]

Not all the clips/bolts are there and also some of the glass panels are missing. I'm struggling to know what to do?

Wot no Maccano ? 

It really is very straight forward. If you know what make it was the destructions might be online. If not they're all much of a muchness Halls popular instructions are available.

Might be worth the mods setting up an area for pdfs of the instructions - I don't think they're copyrighted ?

[Trillium]

Before you touch the greenhouse, take photos of every corner, etc, including pix of how each type of section came apart so you'll know how to put it all back together. Memory is a wretched thing when you're stuck with a zillion bits.