Quote:
Originally Posted by Tractorboy
Hi,
I'm a newbie here. I've just bought a secondhand 8x10 Alton greenhouse and now must go and dismantle and collect it from the seller.
I'd like advice about the best way to do this... eg should I remove all glass or transport the panels with glass in situ?
I've ordered a complete set of assembly hardware from Alton so I can be savage when dismantling and use new screws etc when reassembling.
What sequence should I dismantle - eg roof....walls... ends. Or roof... ends...walls?
I've downloaded the assembly instructions from the Alton website and notice that there is mastic used along the ridge. Is this easy to access and cut through with a Stanley knife?
I will be hiring a van to transport the greenhouse and will need to bring all the tools I'm likely to need (screwdrivers, saw, knife, spanners) Anything else?
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Well I've now transported the greenhouse from Sussex to Suffolk and thought I'd post one or two tips to help others undertaking a similar project:
1. The Alton 8' Amateur range does NOT fit in a regular Ford Transit. In particular, the gable ends don't fit! We had to leave those behind and make other arrangments.
2. Fit the bolts into the kerbs after dismantling so that the threaded holes don't get filled with dust and dirt.
3. Expect some minor rot even if the greenhouse superficially looks good. On close inspection of the joints, we found a couple of instances of wet rot. Easily fixed with wood hardener and filler.
4. When we got the greenhouse home, we set the glass out on the lawn and washed it all with soapy water and a floor mop. Then dried with a squeegee. It was a sunny day and although the glass was only on the lawn for about 90minutes, the grass underneath got badly scorched. We live and learn! We now have a lawn with bizarre patterns!
5. It was a surprisingly quick (about 5 hours) operation to sand all exposed timber surfaces with 40grit paper on an electric sander. It quickly removed old coloured wood treatment and made the whole thing look like new. We then treated the wood with a colourless preservative. The quickest way to sand the glazing bars was to clamp the sanding machine upside down in a workmate and run the bars over the sanding surface.
The footings are dug and the concrete poured. I made shuttering so the footings are a couple of inches above ground and I'm going to set the kerbs on a mortar bed. This will lift the whole house about 2.5" so I don't have to duck to avoid the door frame!