There is something admirable about the people that have the resourcefulness to build their own prospering ecological community. The waiting that one has to endure is too much for most. The sad truth though is, even if you have all the patience to do something like this, the one unavoidable problem is cost.
No matter how inexperienced you are, if you are not able to build a lean to greenhouse (or lean to conservatory) cheaply it might be that you are trying to over complicate things. Lean Tos are not difficult to build, especially the free standing ones. You will however, need to get the right materials for the building and this might get a bit expensive if you are not careful.
It is very cheap to build a mini lean to greenhouse. These are small enough to fit in the most cramped living areas or those which only have a small area for plants such as a flat. If you are able to build something such as a small dogs kennel or a post box then you have what it takes to build a mini lean to.
Bear your surroundings in mind. If you live in a country with a lot of hard rain you should choose a sturdy wooden frame with a glass cover. Although glass isn’t cheap, the correct size of fiberglass will save you a bit of cash as well. Wood, as versatile as it is, is not that expensive either and if you go to any lumber yard you will find the ideal wood to build your greenhouse.
Talking about wood, a wooden lean to greenhouse is probably the most cost effective that you can build if you are doing it yourself. Using wood will keep you to a reasonable budget whether you decide on the free standing or the attached type of greenhouse. Some polyethylene, glass or fiberglass covering, some nails and a hammer (which you probably already have) is all that you should need.
If you are blessed with good weather then polyethylene is a both cheap and effective solution. Wood needs to be taken care of especially in areas which has cold, rainy conditions or too much sun. To avoid the wood splitting apply a coat of varnish periodically.
Aluminum is probably the most expensive material to use even though it is commonly available. It is not as flexible as wood and it is definitely harder to work with. Aluminum greenhouses are meant to be attached to a solid wall (house or garage) so if you are trying to cut costs, this is one route you definitely don’t want to follow.
Although not something which you can build yourself out of raw materials, one option to consider is purchasing a D-I-Y uPVC lean to conservatory installation kit. They are usually easy to install (if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions), they have no trouble in any kind of weather, they are very easy to clean and relatively cheap to purchase. Obviously they are not as cheap as the wooden version which you can build yourself but I will almost guarantee that it will be standing (in a good condition) a lot longer.
Imperial Windows specialise in windows, doors and Conservatories. The lean to greenhouse (or lean to conservatory) is only one of the ranges that we supply. Visit us at http://www.imperialwindows.co.uk
