Best way to move a greenhouse?

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peter
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What is the best way to dismantle and move a greenhouse over a number of miles?
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nog
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I have done this loads of times and the answer is PLANNING.

Plan, where you are going to store the glass when you get it home,

Plan, where you are going to store the frame.

Will the longest piece go in the car?

What tools will you need.

Order some new galss clips and nuts and bolts.

If you have the owners manual you are ok just dismantle it. Glass first.

If not photograph it from every angle before you start.

Take your time.

Take the glass out one day and the frame the next day.

Then the take out the glass roof first to resuce the strain on the frame. Write a number on each piece with a felt tip a number on each pane. Then mark it on a plan. I would suggest R1-n for one size of the roof then R2-n for the other and n being the pane number. Then F-n(front), R-n (rear).

When you get to taking down the sides try to work from the top down but take all the top panes out all roud then take the middle then the bottoms. Wrap each piece in newspaper and put in boxes. Do not transport them flat keep them upright.

Ok now the good bit you need a box for all the glass clips and nuts and bolts.

Now photograph all the joints where the uprights meet the roof and where the Roof joins the ridge.

I then number each piece where it joins the next. You will find that you have loads of bits that look the same when they are laid on the lawn.

When you are ready to remove the roof you will need at least two of you. I nomally take out all the bolts that join the roof to the sides and take it off whole, then take the sides off whole once it is flat on the floor you can dismantle each subsection.

have fun....
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richard p
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we once lifted a fully glazed 6 by 8 off a show stand onto the back of a transit with a crane :P ive no idea what happened when it got delivered :twisted: once the glass is out it is possible for 4 people to lift the frame complete if you have good access and the right transport. wear thick gloves when handling the glass, a pair of pliars is often the easiest way to twist out the glazing clips, mark each piece of glass with a felt tip pen and draw a simple labled diagram of where each piece of glass goes. if you have to dismantle the frame mark each piece of frame as you go, again draw a diagram. dont trust anything to memory anything can happen to delay the rebuilding.
be methodical and dont rush
sally wright
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Dear Peter,
the best bit of advice I can give you is to colour code the corners with spray paint. Two blobs onto each piece where the roof meets the sides and the end. At the bottom where the walls meet the base plate one blob. This will ensure that all the pieces go back in the right direction. Don't dismantle the frame more than is strictly necessary. If the nuts won't come free and some won't then twist them out by overtightening them (the shanks usually break).
when re-erecting don't tighten anything more than finger tight until the frame is complete and then make sure that the frame is square and vertical before putting in the glass.
You must always expect to have to break some glass when doing this sort of thing. The older the glasshouse the more brittle the glass will be.
hope these ideas help.
Regards Sally Wright.
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