How to Build a Redwood Greenhouse
Greenhouses can protect your vegetables and flowers from hungry deer; and they allow you to grow some of your favorite herbs and vegetables year-round. "The most practical of all greenhouses is one that becomes a part of your house," according to Hobby Greenhouse. With the proper application of tools, some basic construction knowledge and the willingness to tackle a project, it is possible to build your own redwood-framed, lean-to greenhouse. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- 9 concrete piers
- 1 2-by-6-inch, 12-foot-long redwood board
- 2-by-4-inch redwood boards
- Drill with 5/32-inch bit
- Level
- Screw nails
- Hammer
- 9 metal joist hangers
- Galvanized metal flashing
- Framing square
- 2 vents
- Corrugated molding
- Rigid plastic panels
- Redwood lats
- 3 door hinges and latch
Instructions
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Outline a 6-by-12-foot rectangle for your greenhouse immediately next to your house by placing four concrete blocks at each corner of the rectangle. Set the remaining blocks in place at 4-foot intervals from the corner blocks. Dig holes for each concrete block, and set the blocks within the holes to serve as foundation piers. Tie the blocks together with wooden sills on the three outer walls. Set in the 2-by-4-inch redwood boards above the piers to form the sills.
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2
Use lag screws to attach a ledger board to your house 8 feet above ground, level at each stud that the ledger board crosses. You may have to remove siding from your house first to attach the ledger board. Apply a waterproof membrane between the siding and above the ledger to create a weather-proof barrier.
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Cut your remaining lumber in advance before continuing. Cut two 2-by-4-inch boards to 12 feet long to form the top and bottom plates that will hold the studs. Make 14 2-by-4-inch boards measure at 5 feet 9 inches to serve as studs. Finally, you will need four more 2-by-4-inch redwood boards cut to measure at 7 feet 8 1/2 inches long to act as side plates.
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Mark stud centers on the top and bottom plates every 2 feet. Begin assembling the frame of the front wall by first laying the top and bottom plates on the ground and nail the studs into them at each 2-foot- interval mark. Position the front-wall frame atop the foundation piers; make sure it is level and nail it in place. Repeat this step for the side wall that will not have a door put in place.
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Begin the frame for the side with the door in the same manner as the others, however, leave a space that measures 2 feet 6 ¾ inches in the center for the door. Use the redwood boards that you cut to 5 feet 9 inches to make the frame of the door, and place them 2 ½ feet apart from each other. Nail in studs on each side of the door approximately one foot away from the door studs; cut cross braces to fit and nail them in to provide stability. Completely nail the remaining studs into the frame, and mount it onto the foundation piers as you did the other walls.
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Build the roof by setting a 2-by-4-inch board above the ledger board and let it extend to rest above the front wall frame. Mark the board at the appropriate length for it to rest within a joist hangar, and angle to meet the front wall. Once the board is cut, use it as a template for the remaining eight roof rafters. Secure the rafters, one at each end, and the remaining boards to be placed at each wall stud. Secure them by nailing them in.
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Make cross-braces to fit within the rafters by cutting 2-by-4-inch boards. Attach the vents by nailing them into place in the roof or along the upper portions of the walls, at whatever location you desire.
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Secure molding to the top and bottom of the ledger board and molding strips above each rafter. Since you are using redwood, also apply a layer of sealant along the molding.
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Mark the plastic panels and drill holes where you will nail them to the rafters, before placing them on the roof. Use screw-nails to secure the plastic panels to the rafters and cross-braces, and allow for 1 to 2 inches of paneling to overhang the walls. Repeat this process for the walls as well as the door. Attach the door to the side-wall door studs using hinges and a latch.
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References
- Photo Credit Gewächshaus image by Claudia Georgi from Fotolia.com
