faq
products & customization
What is the warranty?
Each greenhouse is warrantied for 10-years against breakage, bending and yellowing.
Vent openers are warrantied for 1 year.
Corrugated polycarbonate panels are warrantied for 4 years against breakage due to hail.
Soil is not warrantied but we are able to provide an exchange of unopened bags.
Can I customize the greenhouse?
The size and shape of the greenhouses are not customizable. You can customize the accessories (number of shelves or plant hanging rods) and the trim colour. Because we are a small family shop, we can produce the regular greenhouses pretty quickly but customized sizes and shapes require new design, new part sizes for us to cut and changes to the jigs we have built, so we stick with what we can do really well and do really quickly because we have been building them since 2000.
Can I come today to buy one at your store?
No. Greenhouses are made to order and while we do our best to anticipate need, demand has been high so we seldom have any greenhouses that aren’t already spoken for. We don’t have a retail store, we operate out of a shop at our family’s farm near Beaumont.
How do I pay for the greenhouse?
We take all forms of payment: credit card, cash, etransfer, or cheque. Cheques must be made out to 2284605 Alberta Ltd.
prep, delivery, assembly
How much room do I need for a greenhouse?
There are 3 sizes of greenhouse: 7×8’, 7×12’, 7×16’. The footprint of the greenhouse is its dimension PLUS 6 inches for the base and an extra 30 inches for the door swing. A landing area of 42 inches at the front of the greenhouse is a very comfortable amount of space for you, the door and whatever you may be carrying in or out. We recommend enough space for a body to move between the greenhouse and any nearby wall, fence or other structure. This will allow you to attend to weeds that will popup or to do maintenance in the future.
How much does delivery cost?
$1/km from Beaumont to your home address.
How soon can I get my greenhouse?
Depending on the time of year, you may be able to pick up your greenhouse within a week or it may take up to 8 weeks for us to build if there are many orders ahead of you.
Do you landscape and prepare the site too?
No. We only build and deliver the greenhouses to whatever location you have ready for us. We do not make any site adjustments.
What do I have to do to prepare the site?
You should make sure you have an area large enough for your greenhouse plus 30 inches for door swing. You’re goal is to have the site as level as possible to ensure the greenhouse doesn’t twist or bend which could impact how the door and vents operate.
What should I use for the base?
You can put the greenhouse on almost any surface (concrete, bare soil, roadcrush, grass). There are pros and cons to each base option. If you plan to grow in pots or containers, a great option is to laydown a layer of landscape fabric and then 3-4 inches of road crush over top. This will allow for water drainage and also prevent weeds from growing up. You may decide to plant directly in-ground too (great for healthy soil and water drainage) using paving stones surrounded by pea gravel as a walkway. We discourage the use of pea gravel for the entire space because it will never compact and will always be difficult to walk on and has a tendency to spread out. We discourage wood as a full base as well because the combination of humidity and warmth and minute bits of organic matter will make it dangerously slippery over time and you may slip and be seriously hurt. We use wood only at the perimeter of the greenhouse to improve structural stability and to provide a strong base for you to tether it to the ground.
Where do I go to pick up my greenhouse?
Once we contact you to tell you your greenhouse is ready, you can pick up the greenhouse at our shop southwest of Beaumont at 50368 Range Road 243. Pick up is by appointment only to ensure we are there to meet you.
Can I pick it up with a pickup truck or do I need a trailer?
The greenhouse kits are too large for a pickup without modifying the box. The largest panel size is 8’x7’. The greenhouse weighs 500-800 pounds (depending on size and accessories). A trailer is best; something at least 7’ wide and 8’ long. You will need at least 4 ratchet straps (more is better). There are some small loose components that can go in your truck box or vehicle interior as well.
How do I assemble it?
We will provide you with a link to a series of short YouTube videos to lead you through step by step.
How long does the greenhouse take to assemble?
Depending on the size of greenhouse you buy, you should count on 6-10 hours to get it fully built and ready to grow. It takes us 45 minutes to 2 hours but we have built hundreds over the past 21 years!
Is it difficult to assemble?
It is moderately difficult to assemble so we don’t advise it as a beginner project. But if you have skill with an electric drill, a ladder and an extra person to help lift and hold panels, it is absolutely doable!
How do I pin it to the ground?
We strongly recommend that you find a way to connect your greenhouse to the ground. For some, this might be as simple as screwing it down onto an existing decking system. If your greenhouse is on bare ground, a simple approach is to drill holes in the wooden base at different angles (don’t make the holes straight vertical and make sure they don’t all go in the same direction) then pound a 12-18” piece of rebar through the holes. BE MINDFUL of what lays in the ground underneath your greenhouse and avoid penetrating any utility lines or irrigation lines.You should also pile a little bit of sand or soil around the outer edge right at ground level to prevent the wind from sneaking in from the bottom and lifting the greenhouse that way. The greenhouse is very, very sturdy – steel construction and all – so it is unlikely to be damaged much if it goes flying but it will definitely damage all the things around it.
using your beautiful, new greenhouse
How do I start my seeds?
How and when to start your seeds depends on what you are growing, where you live and how you plan to grow them. Check the planting information on your seed packet for details on each plant and variety. For most greenhouse edible plants (tomatoes and peppers) grown in zone 3 or 4 Canadian Prairies, you should start your seeds between late March and late April. You can use your greenhouse to harden off seedlings earlier than gardeners growing WGH (“without greenhouse”).
How do I grow things?
Plants in the greenhouse will typically grow faster and be more productive than those grown outside the greenhouse. This means they will need more water and more nutrients to meet their growing needs. You will also need to monitor for high temperatures, humidity and adequate air flow. Outside the greenhouse, plants are at the whims of mother nature.
How do I keep plants from freezing?
Don’t expect to keep away frost without significant effort if outdoor temperatures are colder than about -3°C. There are a few tricks for warding off light frost including use of containers of warm water placed around your plants, insulating the north side of your greenhouse wall to reduce heat loss (but not impede light), drape plants with fabric, and add a small space heater for managing overnight lows.
How do I prepare the greenhouse for spring?
Spring checklist includes reinstalling vent openers (do this while temps are still in 5-10°C range), clearing out any plant debris from the past season using a damp cloth to wipe down any surfaces that may have been exposed to mold or insects. DO NOT USE BLEACH. Use 77% alcohol or warm soapy water with hydrogen peroxide in it (1tsp per litre of water).
How do I prepare for winter?
Winter checklist:
- Remove wax cylinder from heat activated vent open and stash somewhere it can’t be lost
- Remove and compost spent plant material (note: if the plant had disease, dispose in your garbage, not your compost)
- Drain your rain barrel if you have one in there
- Wipe all your tools down with alcohol wipes or soak and scrub with hot soapy bleach water
- DO NOT use bleach on your shelf or wall studs, it will remove the galvanized finish. Use 70% rubbing alcohol (alcohol wipes)
- Use diluted hydrogen peroxide if you would like to clean any algae growing between polycarbonate overlaps on the walls
How do I manage extreme heat?
You want to prevent plants in your your greenhouse from getting warmer than 30°C. To do this, ensure your door is left open, vent openers are installed and working properly, gable vent is open or gable fans (optional) are pulling air out of the greenhouse. Add an overhead misting system. You may also consider adding a floor fan in the doorway to pull hot air from inside the greenhouse. You can also cover your greenhouse with a shade cloth: optimal is a black shade cloth at 50% shade but you can also use a green shade cloth with as much as 70% during particularly hot and sunny spells.
Do I need to worry about hail? (Or golf balls?)
No. We chose this polycarbonate on your greenhouse specifically for its resistance to hail without compromising light penetration. The panels have a falling dart impact resistance rating of 444 in.lbs (50 joules). This should withstand 2” hail falling at 84 miles per hour (40.90 joules). Impact Energy is a product of the mass of the projectile multiplied by its velocity, E = ½ * m * v * .001.
What’s so special about this outer sheeting?
Lots of special things. The sheeting we use is a rigid, corrugated polycarbonate made especially for the greenhouse industry. It is 0.8mm thick and has a light transmission of 92% (almost equivalent to glass) and hail resistance of 444 in.lbs. It’s optimal performance range is in temperatures between -40°C and +100°C. The R-value is 0.83. It has a solar heat gain of 218 BTU/hr per square foot. It is UV protected to prevent yellowing which robs valuable light transmission. It has PSF load of 18.45 (compare with 20 PSF for standard home roof trusses). Expect your panels to perform 25-30 years.
TIME LAPSE VIDEO
7′ X 16′ greenhouse assembly in Namao, Alberta
Still have questions? We’ve got answers.
