Dads allotment shed/greenhouse/lean-to - how to build?

[raynerd]

Hi guys, appreciate this is not wood work joinery forum but you are the most skilled group of people I have contact with so thought I'd ask.

My parents got an allotment before Christmas and we have all been working on it like mad! Infact, it is amazing  what has been done in such a short period of time.

Right at the end is a wierd lean too style greenhouse. It is knackered - half falling to bits and is need of a total rebuild. However, the odd thing is that it is built on a dwarf wall/ concrete foundation 2 foot deep! It seems logical to build it off this as before but even that is falling to bits.

The greenhouse is really long, about 4.4m long and only 1.5m wide.

They have spent a lot on the allotment as it is something they have wanted for a long time but can't afford a brand new ready built greenhouse. Besides, being next to a road, we like the wooden back with glass front.

Basically, it is a wooden box frame with plastic windows. I'd like to know your opinions on the best way to put a few frame together. How would you make it secure and rigid? What joints?

I have no wood working tools but our local woodyard is excellent and will cut anything if you tell them exactly how you want it! Mum and dad have left it to me to build from scratch!

I'd really appreciate any thoughts on how you would construct it. Would you leave the back wood in place - it seems ok and is solid? - it is the front and side frames that are ruined. We also would like to increase the height and would like to do this by making the roof run the other way, high at the front to the back.

Here is a very old picture from when they first got the allotment, but the only one I've got.

[John Rudd]

 Chris,
The shed I have in my garden is a quality item built from square timber stock and ship lap style cladding....
The sides,front and rear are just butted together and bolted up using coach bolts....nothing mor or less......it's stood the test of time for the last 25 years of where I currently live.......
So, similar construction methods ought to be good enough for your needs.......

[SwarfnStuff]

My only worry about raising the front and having the runn off at the back would be to make sure it (the run off) doesn't interfere with back neighbours. I see in your case that would likely be the local council.
Other than that some close up photos of the existing frame and glazing might elicit some helpful comments. Even show them to your local timber yard as the seem very helpful.
John B

[raynerd]

Thanks guys. There is a 3 foot gap behind the greenhouse - part of allotment policy is that all all structures are a small set distance away from the boundary. That said, there is then a road before the houses - I think the perspective on the photo is funny but you are probably 15m away from the houses at the back.

The existing framework has been removed so no photos other than this old one, or I would have taken some. The glass glazing has also been sold as we are going with safer plastic with my kids (their grandchildren) being about.

I think I'm going to keep it simple like John said and simply go for a decent thickness of timber and coach bolt it all together just simply butting the timbers together. Where I can, I'll add some steel brackets.

[DavidA]

Plastic doesn't work in the same way as glass. So you won't get the proper green house effect.  My own greenhouse has tempered glass in an aluminium frame. So the glass just shatters if any thing hits it.  No shards.

No need to ask how I know it shatters

Dave

[chipenter]

Use CLS timber it's been rough planed with rounded corners , used for timber framed buildings and partions comes in set lenths .