I still love the Sunglo greenhouse that my husband, Chris, assembled last fall.
Greenhouse in December, 2014, shortly after assembly of the exterior.
And, since I’m new to greenhouse gardening in general, I’m still learning new things about it.
Too Much of a Good Thing
Because of the excellent south-facing location we chose for the greenhouse and the early spring we’ve been having this year, the fan in the greenhouse has been working overtime. The plants and seeds I started inside have been getting a little too much of some good things – namely heat and sun.
My darling greenhouse is just doing what it’s supposed to do, and it came with a shade cloth for the exterior that we realized we should install pronto for just these kinds of conditions.
A Lighter Shade of . . . Shade
Maybe I was just being naïve, but it seemed to me to be a little early in the year to install the shade cloth. In the Pacific Northwest, the weather can turn on a dime, and we might still be faced with days of clouds, rain, and general gloominess.
So I started thinking about ways to get some light-duty shade. Something I could install on the inside of the greenhouse that would allow filtered light and bring the temperature down just a few degrees.
At the fabric store, I ran across that good old standby, burlap. And burlap is sometimes used in orchards and plantations to shade crops but still provide filtered light. Perfect.
I chose this soft, pretty burlap.
Shading on the Curve
So now we had a new challenge: How to turn the burlap into shades that would curve with the wall of the greenhouse.
Greenhouse before shades
I decided I would leave the ceiling of the greenhouse un-shaded since most of the sunlight comes in from the south-facing wall. So I would shade the curved wall down to the upper shelf. That way, plants that needed it could be placed on the lower shelf and still get direct sunlight.
But how to make a shade fit the curve. At first I thought we (and by “we,” I mean Chris) could install an upper rod to suspend the shades, and then a second rod farther down on the curve. The shades would then be tucked behind the second rod so they would follow the line of the curve.
But we both hated the thought of drilling a lot of big holes and….
To view this full post you can read it on Heidi’s blog here.
Sunglo Greenhouses will be attending the 2015 Northwest Flower & Garden Show! If you came to visit us last year you’re in for a pleasant surprise this year! We are re-designing our booth and bringing some hands on displays to really show how strong and wonderful our product is! Not only will you be able to touch and see a Sunglo assembled but we are offering some killer NWFGS promotions! The 1000C – 8×10 greenhouse will be displayed so you can actually see how the greenhouses are made and experience one first-hand!
Check out our NWFGS greenhouse special! Only for the month of February! Click here.
Here’s a look at our builders working hard on the 1000C demo model!
Watch our 2015 NWFGS adventure on our Facebook page.
Sunglo greenhouses booth #701 is located on the 4th floor of the Seattle Convention Center on the other side of the breathtaking display gardens. We are on the corner of an isle so you can’t miss us!
Need directions? Click the map on the left for directions to the convention center from the light rail, on foot, shuttle, etc.!
To see the entire NWFGS floor plan click here. And also visit the NWFGS website for a list of all the attending exhibitors and speakers.
We really wanted to engage with our long time Sunglo owners and give our new greenhouse owners something to be excited about! ALL of the photo entries were beautiful and we had a lot of fun interacting with all of our contestants. Thank you for your entries and we hope you will all participate again next year!
After a long deliberation the Sunglo crew has chosen the winners:
** Congratulations! **
3rd Place: Ms. Sheisl-
To view the full photo album of this project click here.
2nd Place: Ms. Vanmeer-
To view the full photo album of this projectclick here.
1st Place: Ms. Madden/Jacobson-
To view the full photo album of this projectclick here.
We had a hard time choosing through these great photos! Here is a peek at some other entries –
1700 Lean-to model. Learn more about lean-to greenhouses here.Happy Sunglo owners in their 1000 model. Learn more about the 1000 series here.Beautiful 1200 model in AZ. Learn about the 1200 series here.Sunglo’s can hold a ton of snow! See details about this size lean-to greenhouse here.
Beautiful Christmas bows on this 1000 series. Learn more here.
2100 model with 3 foot raised foundation/knee wall
Greenhouse foundations
Purchasing a greenhouse can be a difficult and sometimes overwhelming process. The first factors you should consider are location, foundation and of course your budget. All foundations should be level and square. A square and level foundation will eliminate challenges later when installing your greenhouse. A raised foundation or knee wall is a good option if you prefer to add height to your greenhouse. Knee walls are commonly 12-48 inches high and can be made of various materials. If you would like a knee wall with your Sunglo greenhouse kit please notify us at 800-647-0606 to add a door drop kit to your order.
Concrete
Concrete is a great option for a greenhouse foundation and often chosen among consumers because is it convenient. To attach your greenhouse to a concrete base we recommend attaching quality treated wood to the base of the greenhouse, commonly called a wood sill plate. 2 x 4’s will do. If you choose to use pressure treated wood make sure to install a barrier between the wood and aluminum, such as gasket material, as the treated wood can cause the aluminum to rust. Sunglo includes a barrier called a “boot” with each greenhouse kit.
Concrete foundation – Raised/knee wall
Measure twice before cutting your wood to ensure proper dimensions. We suggest allowing a 1” border around the inside and outside of the entire greenhouse. Sunglo adds 2″ to each greenhouse size for the foundation measurements.
This is designed to allow a safe margin for irregularities in the wood sill plate. After the concrete has been poured and is level and square, a small drain should be placed in the center of the slab where water run off can drain into a gravel pit or piping that leads to a drainage area. Then your greenhouse can be bolted to the foundation. Water and electricity should be ran to the greenhouse site before the foundation is built.
Wood
1200 series Sunglo greenhouse with a raised wooden foundation and custom benches
Building a wood base is easy and inexpensive. Cedar and redwood are commonly used. Pressure treated wood is also a great option but make sure to put a barrier between the wood and aluminum, such as gasket material, as the treated wood can cause the aluminum to rust. The size of your base will depend on the size of your greenhouse again allowing a 1” border around the inside and outside of the greenhouse. After assembling the base and making sure your ground is level lay down a weed barrier. This allows the water to drain through but does not allow weeds to come up through the floor boards.
1000E Sunglo greenhouse built on a wooden foundation
Pack the natural earth over the excess barrier. After your base is finished and the weed barrier is set underneath, you need to cover it. Start laying down your wood planks to make the floor. Now it’s time to attach the greenhouse frame to the base – Make sure it is level and square again by measuring from corner to corner. For added insulation, we suggest you caulk the bottom of the aluminum framing (caulk the wood then attach the frame – making sure there is a barrier between the aluminum and wood) where it meets the base with a waterproof sealant – If you are using pressure treated it is still a good idea to caulk between the base and wood. This will add extra protection to the greenhouse and keep cold air from entering and warm air from escaping in the colder months. If you are using pressure treated wood make sure the aluminum does not come into direct contact. Sunglo includes a plastic “boot” that attaches to the base rails with all our kits, so you don’t have to worry! As with all foundations please consider whether you will need water and electricity ran to the greenhouse site. Wood foundations are natural and beautiful looking! The only down side is you might have to replace the wood every 8-10 years.
Deck
If you are planning on purchasing a lean-to style greenhouse or even a small free-standing but only have room on your deck, that’s no problem! Before attaching the greenhouse base to pressure treated wood lay down a thick rubber, insulated mat that is the dimension of the floor of your greenhouse.
1700 lean-to model on deck
There are various mats you can purchase that have designs or just plain old black. Insulating underneath and around the base is a good idea also. To attach the greenhouse base to the deck we recommend contacting your hardware store representative and explaining the project. Decks are made of different materials and you wouldn’t want to ruin your deck in the process. Now insulation will be an issue as well. Depending on your style of deck please take this into consideration and do your research on what type of insulation, if any, you should use. Water and electricity can be easily ran to a greenhouse on a deck foundation as it is usually attached to a house or a building.
There is lots of info on the web about different foundations and step by step instructions on how to build them. I hope this gave you an idea of what you want to do with your foundation!
NOTE: If you choose to create a foundation that is NOT concrete we highly recommend giving the wood base a few days to settle. After 24 hours re-measure for square and level. In some cases the foundation will settle and become uneven affecting the assembly of the greenhouse. And you dont want that to happen because it can make installation very difficult!
Sunglo offers a greenhouse foundations guide that shows how to build a easy, affordable and effective foundation base. To request a free-standing or lean-to foundation guide call us at 800-647-0606.
For more advice about greenhouse foundations or general questions leave a comment below or please e-mail us at info@sunglogreenhouses.com or call us at 1-800-647-0606.
Our greenhouse kits are manufactured and fabricated in Kent, WA. When you place an order our warehouse team carefully packs and boxes up your greenhouse kit for shipping.
Actual Sunglo Greenhouse Delivery
Our standard shipping service is called Curbside Delivery. Your order will be delivered to a local terminal. The terminal will call you when your order arrives to schedule a delivery appointment. Deliveries are scheduled between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday. Your kit will be delivered on a lift-gate truck and the driver will unload it for you. We ask that you inspect the boxes for damage before signing the delivery receipt. Once the delivery receipt is signed you can start assembly!
A lot of customers wonder what our kits look like when they arrive. Sunglo received these amazing example pictures and sunglo greenhouse review:
Dear Sunglo,
It’s up now and we couldn’t be happier, when the wind broke several panels, we called and it was replaced within a
few days. When we lost some pieces, there was no issue – we called and within 2 days they were delivered with no
questions asked. When we had questions there was always someone to talk to and walk us through it. Had such great service from Joanie who answered the phone to the technicians who had so much patience with us.
Now it’s up, looking good and so proud – just have to go shopping for plants and supplies. Your company is the best and we would recommend it to anyone; and maybe that they get a few extra hands at the start of the project! Have attached some photos, from delivery to completion – like I said no plants yet, but that won’t be long
Sincerely:
Bob and Bonnie Graham
A pair of very happy customers
To see more pictures of customers greenhouse projects visit our Facebook page.
If you have any questions about Sunglo’s shipping and/or delivery service please contact us.
