After home renovations, owners often end up with old windows that they no longer need. Some people rush to throw them away, others find rational uses for the products.
One of the acceptable options is to build a greenhouse on the site from existing items. Let's look at how to make a greenhouse from old window frames with your own hands, what nuances need to be taken into account, and what advantages it has.
Ready greenhouse Source sveklon.ru
Advantages and disadvantages of the design
The structure is characterized by a considerable number of advantages. The main parameters are the following:
- inside such a greenhouse, high-quality ventilation is always ensured, since the old windows are equipped with vents;
- thanks to window frames, you can quickly build a stationary structure;
- in the microclimate created by windows, it is permissible to grow plants at any time of the year;
- a greenhouse made from old windows has excellent thermal insulation characteristics;
- in such a building you can use combined lighting.
The advantages of this choice also include the affordable cost of the project. Old windows will be quite useful; you won’t have to purchase new blocks. When erecting a structure, no special tools are required: it is enough to have a hammer, nails, and pliers.
Even before making a greenhouse from window frames with your own hands, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with some of the disadvantages of such material:
- the structure can easily collapse during hail;
- the room can be very hot;
- For such structures, a mandatory foundation is required, since the frames are heavy.
It can be very hot inside the structure Source grounde.ru
Forming beds
This is best done before installing the frames. The first layer (the so-called biofuel), approximately 2/3 of the height of the foundation, consists of cuttings of branches, mowed grass, and manure. The mass is compacted and watered generously.
On top is prepared soil. The soil extracted while digging a trench for the foundation is used. If you first sift the soil and remove the roots of the weeds, then later you will have to weed the beds much less often.
Heavy soil can be mixed with sand and peat. Proportions are selected depending on what crop is planned to be grown in the greenhouse.
Also read: Flower beds and flower beds with your own hands at the dacha that bloom all summer
The level of the beds should be 15 cm below the base. The remaining soil can be collected in bags and used for filling after subsidence.
Step by step guide
If you plan to install a greenhouse with your own hands from window frames, but it is not clear how to build it, we recommend following the step-by-step instructions. The construction of the structure occurs in several stages:
- creating a sketch of the future structure;
- carrying out preparatory activities;
- arrangement of the base for the object;
- floor arrangement;
- frame construction;
- performing roofing work.
Preparation of drawings
When figuring out how to make a greenhouse from window frames, you definitely need to understand that you first need to sketch a sketch of the future object. You can use ready-made projects, of which there are many on the Internet and they are described in detail. When drawing up your own drawing, pay close attention to certain parameters:
- Correspondence between the dimensions of the window frames and the required height of the structure. The walls are certainly made higher than the parameter 180 cm. When it is not possible to join the height of the frame, then it is necessary to build up the walls below with other materials.
- Roofing _ Often, timber or a metal frame is used to construct this structure. This choice is due to the fact that these materials are quite reliable and dense, capable of withstanding loads from snow in winter.
Option for a roof that can withstand a snow load Source i1.wp.com
Also, when developing a drawing of this building, it is important to consider the issue of the roof ridge . It is advisable to place it along the north-south axis. This approach will ensure proper lighting in the greenhouse.
Preparatory stage
When starting to implement the plan, you need to choose the right site for the facility. To install the structure, you need to choose the most flat surface possible, perfectly illuminated by the sun on each side. The site must be reliably protected from constant winds. No buildings or trees should be placed near the proposed structure, which will shade the space, which will negatively affect the growth of plants. If there is vegetation, then it is better to choose another place, or sacrifice plantings.
The soil under the object must be clean and dry. Experts recommend that there be a sand cushion under the chernozem. The soil under the structure must be compacted, since the glass in the frames is heavy. This is especially important when building a greenhouse without pouring a foundation.
Drainage system for a foundation on a summer cottage with a high groundwater level Source mastergrunt.ru
When choosing a site for a greenhouse, it is also important to consider the location of groundwater. It is necessary to find a place where they are located at a depth exceeding 1.5 m. When the soil on the site is too wet, it is not recommended to build a heavy greenhouse.
The preparatory stage also includes preparing window frames for further use:
- you will need to clean them of nails, hinges, hooks and latches;
- sand the wood, removing the facing material (old wallpaper, self-adhesive paper);
- It is advisable to cover the bare wood with an antiseptic several times, then with paint or varnish to protect the product from further damage.
Foundation
When exploring the problem of how to make a greenhouse from window frames with your own hands at home, it is worth emphasizing that you will have to start work by arranging the foundation. Here everything depends on the landscape of the site, the type of soil and the design features of the structure; the foundation is performed by choosing one of the following options:
- Tape version made of concrete . First, they dig a trench to a depth corresponding to the freezing of the soil. Its width is approximately 20 cm. Next, formwork is built from boards. Sand is poured onto the bottom to create a “pillow”. Then the concrete solution is mixed and poured, completely filling the formwork with it. If you fill everything at once, cracks will not develop later.
Strip version of a concrete foundation Source chonemuzhik.ru
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in garden furniture and greenhouses.
- Dense timber. Dry material, pre-treated with a special solution that resists rotting, is suitable for the foundation. Remove the top ball of soil, dig a trench, maintaining the size of the timber. Its bottom and walls are covered with roofing felt to protect the wood from moisture. The timbers are placed in the trench and fastened together to form a rectangle.
- Columnar option . This is the simplest base option. It requires minimal costs and little time. First, they dig narrow holes in the corners, about half a meter deep. Between them (if the greenhouse is long), additional holes are made every 3 m. The cells are enclosed with formwork, sand is poured inside, crushed stone is laid on it, compacted, and watered. After this, all that remains is to pour the concrete mixture into the formwork.
Floor arrangement
Considering further the question of how to make a greenhouse from old window frames, we will study the topic of arranging the floor. First, it is necessary to ensure drainage, since stagnant water will cause the wooden frames to begin to rot.
To ensure quality drainage, you need to dig a trench to the depth of a spade bayonet. Its bottom is covered with fine gravel. Sand is poured on top, scrupulously compacting it.
Properly arranged floor Source i0.wp.com
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- Author: Konstantin
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Video description
From this video you will learn how to make a greenhouse from polycarbonate and window frames:
Frame assembly
To assemble the frame, you need to buy beams similar in size to those present in the unnecessary windows. They must be attached to the constructed frame, maintaining distances corresponding to the width of the frames. Additionally, when deciding how to build a greenhouse from window frames, you need to install similar beams along the very bottom edge and on top, so that the resulting frame is sufficiently rigid and has the necessary strength.
Roof
It’s definitely worth clarifying in advance what kind of roof the structure will have when solving the problem of how to build a greenhouse from old window frames with your own hands. The most ergonomic configurations for roofing are triangular “houses” or their arched hemispherical analogues.
Roof for a greenhouse Source avatars.mds.yandex.net
Building a frame
After pouring the foundation, you can proceed to manufacturing the frame of the future greenhouse. The most suitable materials for this are timber or board. However, you need to know the width of the frames in advance.
Next, along the perimeter of the foundation, you should measure segments that exceed the width of the window opening by 5-7 cm. At the junction of the segments, you need to make a mark. In the marked places, risers made of timber are installed. They should all be the same height.
A thick thread is pulled along the tops of the pillars. It is best to use a level to immediately see how level the pillars are. Protruding tops need to be corrected.
The pillars themselves must be smooth on all sides, so it is better to cut down branches and bulges. Once they are completely leveled, timber can be laid on them. It is placed on the tops in a horizontal direction.
Now it is possible to see the cells in which it was originally planned to install window frames. Next, you can begin installing the windows. The glass should be fastened carefully so that there are no gaps. It is important to be careful not to accidentally break the glass.
The resulting cracks and joints are covered with a layer of polyurethane foam. To prevent the dried foam from drying out under the rays of the sun, it is treated with putty or paint.
Briefly about the main thing
A greenhouse made from window frames is an environmentally friendly and inexpensive structure that provides good ventilation in the greenhouse thanks to the vents, but it cannot be built in an area with high groundwater levels.
Before making a greenhouse from frames, you will need to make a foundation: optimally, a strip or columnar one made of concrete. And also - arrange drainage to remove moisture from the soil using a sand and gravel cushion.
It is better to make the roof of the greenhouse from polycarbonate, so the structure will be lighter. Standard roof shape: gable (triangular) or arched. The frames are fastened using special beams.
After completing the main work on installing the greenhouse, you need to seal all the cracks between the frames with silicone sealant.
Frame preparation
First, you should check the frames and remove rotten or damaged parts. To prepare structures for installation, you need:
- remove excess handles and hinges that will not be used later;
- remove the peeled paint - the main part using a scraper or an ordinary knife, the remaining part - with a grinding machine;
- treat the wood with an antiseptic to prevent rotting, fungal infection, and protect against insects;
- For additional protection, the frame can be painted;
- remove the glass from the frames so as not to break it during installation;
- Fix the windows so that they do not interfere (adhesive tape, self-tapping screws, nails will do).
After that, all that remains is to adjust the frames in height - it depends on the height of the future greenhouse.
Greenhouse heating
The greenhouse needs constant heating. There are three ways to heat greenhouses:
- biological;
- technical;
- solar.
The solar method of heating greenhouses is the most primitive in this matter. Solar heat passes through the walls and roof of the greenhouse, heating the soil, creating a greenhouse effect.
Biological heating is energy from the decomposition of plants or other biomaterials.
Technical heating is carried out using modern heating devices.
The most suitable heating method for winter is technical. It is reliable and, unlike solar, permanent. You can adjust the desired temperature yourself. The greenhouse needs smooth temperature transitions and constant care. Heating is often done using electric fans. But heated floors remain no less popular.
A huge advantage is that this type of heating does not take up much space in the greenhouse and efficiently heats the ground for plants. Also, such heating allows you to save significantly.
