Halls greenhouses - are they really the best ?
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
-
Guest
I am on the verge of buying a greenhouse. Two people have told me to make sure it is a Hall's greenhouse. Are they really the best ?
-
Geoff
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5582
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
- Location: Forest of Bowland
- Been thanked: 135 times
I confess I have no idea - haven't studied prices for a few years but I suspect you get what you pay for.
In 1995 I had a wooden Alton blow down that I had got for nothing from my parents garden. Prudential kindly agreed to put some money towards a new one so I bought an expensive Clear Span Hartley Wisley 8x10 for £1,132 including ½ staging, 1 louvre vent and 1 autovent. It has been excellent and is still rock solid and moves very little in the wind.
In 2002 I thought about a polytunnel but then decided to go for cheap glass instead. Bought a 12x16 Elite with 3 louvre vents, 4 autovents and no staging. Coincidentally the invoice was £1,132. It rocks in the wind but has stood up to a wind that destroyed a 30' Eucalyptus, despite losing some glass to flying debris - there was a dent in an aluminium strut to prove it was debris not failure.
So personally I would set your budget then shop around for maximum size. I got the best mail order price then challenged my local stockist who undercut it a bit.
In 1995 I had a wooden Alton blow down that I had got for nothing from my parents garden. Prudential kindly agreed to put some money towards a new one so I bought an expensive Clear Span Hartley Wisley 8x10 for £1,132 including ½ staging, 1 louvre vent and 1 autovent. It has been excellent and is still rock solid and moves very little in the wind.
In 2002 I thought about a polytunnel but then decided to go for cheap glass instead. Bought a 12x16 Elite with 3 louvre vents, 4 autovents and no staging. Coincidentally the invoice was £1,132. It rocks in the wind but has stood up to a wind that destroyed a 30' Eucalyptus, despite losing some glass to flying debris - there was a dent in an aluminium strut to prove it was debris not failure.
So personally I would set your budget then shop around for maximum size. I got the best mail order price then challenged my local stockist who undercut it a bit.
They were the best Alloy green houses years ago.Mine is 25 years old and the struts are 1/4" look at teh new ones and they are at best 1/8". I would go somewhere where they have them erected so you can look over them. There is a great place near Gatwick that has about 15 erected.
-
Colin Miles
- KG Regular
- Posts: 1025
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 8:18 pm
- Location: Llannon, Llanelli
Below is from the old Forum - about 15 months ago and I had saved it as I followed Johnboys advice and bought a 10'x 8'. The only thing I would say is that you do need a level base and that it may take you a lot longer than suggested to put it up! And the instructions may need some addition interpretation and clarification. If you do buy one and need any help and advice, please let me know.
Although I have half a dozen tunnels I decided that there are certain plants that needed to be in a heated enviroment I decided that a 12' x 8'was what I needed. I went to the Gardeners World Exhibition 2003 and viewed those on offer.
I could have had a green (colour) one with toughened glass that would have cost me the earth but in the end I thought about it and bought and Aluminium one with normal horticultural glass and elected for a double sliding door unit on the entry.
It cost me just £488.00. delivered and it has been perfect for the job. It is an Eden something or other Greenhouse and although bought from Green Houses Direct at Royston Herts. It actually got delivered from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire which is relatively near to me. It came on time and It was very easy to assemble and it was a great success this year. It came on it's own base but I put that onto a concrete foundation and laid water and electricity into the area before erecting the greehouse. I have installed two automatic vents and the openings have anti White Fly netting screening the openings and an Anti White Fly Screen across the doorway.
I bought a 2KW Parasene Electric heater which cost me £29.00 and it behaved well this Spring. I didn't want to pay a fortune for a heater and as there doesn't appear to be a middle range I elected for the cheap one rather than one around a £100.00, and as far as I can tell the gamble has paid off.
I am certain that there are larger models on offer but I was amazed what I could get in the 12' x 8'. I made benching to go down both sides and across the bottom which are easily removed.
I incorporated some exceedingly well rotted manure into the soil which I double dug with manure on both levels before erecting Greenhouse. I also laid a 2'x 2' slab path down the centre at this point.
The great thing about a greenhouse over a tunnel is the ventilation aspect. Unfortunately when my tunnels were put up the Local Authority would not give planning permission for greenhouses and still will not. I live in Herefordshire but 3 miles down the road in Shropshire they have no opposition to greenhouses which is quite galling.
Whatever you decide Chris I wish you many happy hours growing.
Regards, Johnboy.
Although I have half a dozen tunnels I decided that there are certain plants that needed to be in a heated enviroment I decided that a 12' x 8'was what I needed. I went to the Gardeners World Exhibition 2003 and viewed those on offer.
I could have had a green (colour) one with toughened glass that would have cost me the earth but in the end I thought about it and bought and Aluminium one with normal horticultural glass and elected for a double sliding door unit on the entry.
It cost me just £488.00. delivered and it has been perfect for the job. It is an Eden something or other Greenhouse and although bought from Green Houses Direct at Royston Herts. It actually got delivered from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire which is relatively near to me. It came on time and It was very easy to assemble and it was a great success this year. It came on it's own base but I put that onto a concrete foundation and laid water and electricity into the area before erecting the greehouse. I have installed two automatic vents and the openings have anti White Fly netting screening the openings and an Anti White Fly Screen across the doorway.
I bought a 2KW Parasene Electric heater which cost me £29.00 and it behaved well this Spring. I didn't want to pay a fortune for a heater and as there doesn't appear to be a middle range I elected for the cheap one rather than one around a £100.00, and as far as I can tell the gamble has paid off.
I am certain that there are larger models on offer but I was amazed what I could get in the 12' x 8'. I made benching to go down both sides and across the bottom which are easily removed.
I incorporated some exceedingly well rotted manure into the soil which I double dug with manure on both levels before erecting Greenhouse. I also laid a 2'x 2' slab path down the centre at this point.
The great thing about a greenhouse over a tunnel is the ventilation aspect. Unfortunately when my tunnels were put up the Local Authority would not give planning permission for greenhouses and still will not. I live in Herefordshire but 3 miles down the road in Shropshire they have no opposition to greenhouses which is quite galling.
Whatever you decide Chris I wish you many happy hours growing.
Regards, Johnboy.
Hi
I think that I was the Chris in JB's reply. I took the advice and bought a 12' by 8' ft. greenhouse. But because I had been working on this and saving for almost 20 years I decided to go for the best available in the North of Scotland - a Robinson's greenhouse with a green frame, toughened glass and built by Ian Fraser (Ness Horticultural Services)from the Black Isle. It is strong and I have no worries about gale force winds. I have a 3kw Parsene electric heater but apart from a few days when it was -8 degrees the 1.5kw setting has been fine. Woderful crops last year.
Total cost was high - about £2000 but with hindsight I wish I had done this years ago. My advice now is to go for the best and the biggest you can afford. BUT as a first investment and if money feels tight I would get a polytunel.
Good luck whatever you decide to do
Chris
I think that I was the Chris in JB's reply. I took the advice and bought a 12' by 8' ft. greenhouse. But because I had been working on this and saving for almost 20 years I decided to go for the best available in the North of Scotland - a Robinson's greenhouse with a green frame, toughened glass and built by Ian Fraser (Ness Horticultural Services)from the Black Isle. It is strong and I have no worries about gale force winds. I have a 3kw Parsene electric heater but apart from a few days when it was -8 degrees the 1.5kw setting has been fine. Woderful crops last year.
Total cost was high - about £2000 but with hindsight I wish I had done this years ago. My advice now is to go for the best and the biggest you can afford. BUT as a first investment and if money feels tight I would get a polytunel.
Good luck whatever you decide to do
Chris
Chris