Here's the box. I opened it first and decided I should take a photo so I closed it and snapped the following:



Sorry for the bad quality photo. It's a dreary day here and the photo is inside my garage.

Inside is 3 boxes.


Looks promising!

I hope the quality is a good as the weight. Show your foundation work and progression of the building to help others contemplating building their own GH from a kit. I could have done that with my two GH's, but ATP was not on my radar at the time. All I can show are completely GH's.

Mine is being delivered on Monday. After seeing your huge box, Dave, I'd better clear more room in the garage. I hope the delivery guys will help me out it in the garage our it will go in piece by piece.-- I've finished indexing the blog. I will try to copy and paste my notes to share. some very good info in there.

One thing the blog stresses is to square as you go. Square! Square! Square!

I have found that not making your building perfectly square is the #1 way to mess up the whole project. Don't ask me how I learned this.

I still have to finish my chicken coop project and I'm pretty nearly done. After that's done I will get going on this greenhouse. I hope to get it up in time for spring seed starting.

Have to say, just looking at the pix of all the metal parts I'm a little overwhelmed already! Kinda made my heart skip a beat, truth be told! I hope I haven't bit off more than I can chew! Girl Power, right?

One piece at a time. We'll make it!! My plan is when I get started, to lay out all the pieces on my back porch and identify them all. They should each be labeled and the manual will tell where each piece connects to. I bet you'll be fine. The blog will help with the difficult sections.

Congratulations to both of you on your new HFGH. I just put one together the end of August but the smaller one 6X8 " now wish I had gotten the larger one. And by all means the foundation is the real pain with these kits.. And the vent opener that they come with are worthless. Need auto openers. One thin I did with mine is to silicone around all the edges of the panels on the out side. I did this after a rain because these panels are not an exact cut to fit into the openings and rain water leaked through a few of them. So I figured if the water is leaking in so will cold air. Has made a big difference. Hint 100% clear no brand tubes at WM $3.00 beats the price any where else. Good luck to both of you.

Harbor Freight Greenhouse Blog Index


http://hfgh10x12.blogspot.com/...

Part 1 Basic Info

Installing Panel Clips..................................................11,17,24
Loose Vent.................................................................15
Connecting Pars 24 &25..............................................19
Extra (snow) roof support...........................................20
T-Slot Aluminum Framing for Panels.............................21
Fastenal for odd size bolts............................................23
Check for all your parts................................................23
Disassembling the Greenhouse....................................25
2 models of 10'x12' Greenhouse..................................27
Replacement panels-costs.....................................................28
Protective Clear Coat....................................................29

Part 2 The Foundation

Check for Square-ness..................................................3

Part 3 Assembling the walls

Insert blots/nut.............................................................1
Corner post orientation..................................................1
*IMPORTANT Support for posts......................................2
*IMPORTANT Attaching ceiling panels.............................3
*IMPORTANT Step 10 page 8 of the manual, FOLLOW IT!....3,4
*IMPORTANT Stud Illustration- Number of long and short
bolts for each wall.........................................................7
TIP Use bolts for shelving later.........................................7
Horizontal braces-arrow direction points to the
corner posts....................................................................10

Part 4 Assembling Roof, Windows, and Doors

If you want to change location of your roof vents................2
Orientation of window support beams...............................3
Fit the 4 vents snugly or else!............................................4
Installing the vent ..............................................................5
TIP Lock your vents while finishing the construction............6
Door assembly....................................................................6,7,8
Installing the door...............................................................9
Getting a tight door seal using foam weather stripping.........11
TIP Automatic roof vent openers..........................................15
Keep your doors from blowing open......................................15,16
Bayliss/Univent Auto vent openers are better than
Harbor Freight brand..............................................................19

Part 5 Modifying the Frame for Strength

Making wall brace modifications-2 ways..................................2, 3, 4, 5
Approximately 3 116" EMT braces needed................................3
Bracing the back wall................................................................6, 7
Bracing the front wall...............................................................7, 8
Bracing the gable ends...............................................................9
Reinforcing the base..................................................................9, 10
Modifications for support of snow fall..............................11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Part 6 Adding the Panels

Prepare/Tape the Polycarbonate Panels.........................................1
ORDERING Extra panel clips..........................................................3
Screw purchasing information used to secure panels....................4, 5, 6, 7
Weather stripping your panels w/Med Density Foam.....................6, 7, 8, 9
How much weather stripping you will need....................................7
Why holes are put into taped panel ends........................................13
Installing the panels in THIS order...................................................16


Part 7 Enhancements.....

Bench Construction....................................................................1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Sink Addition...............................................................................7, 8
Installing an interior insulated wall...............................................8, 9, 10
Adding Electrical Outlets...............................................................10, 11
Constructing replacement shade cloth screen panels..........11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Adding an exhaust fan.............................................................15,16, 17, 18
Adding Thermostats...........................................................................19, 20
Using the greenhouse for underwater gardens.........................................23
About exhaust fans..................................................................................29
Pre-drill or not to pre-drill/Polycarbonate panel installation....................30
Link to a sticking door issue......................................................................34
Justifying the HF Greenhouse even with it's known flaws..........................37
Discussion and link about a using a wood-based foundation................39, 40
Joining 2 greenhouses together................................................................40
Wind-proofing the doors.........................................................................41
Preventing corrosion between aluminum parts and pressure-treated
wood parts.......................................................................................................43
Attaching shade cloth to the roof..............................................................44
Shade/Screen door curtain and link..........................................................45
Cutting aluminum tape to seal the panels...................................................48
Panel replacement price quotes and options.............................................50


Parts list introduced in order of use as mentioned in the blog

Floor plates #1,2,3,4,5,6
Floor plate hold down #47
Stud connector/Side diagonal strut braces #79, 80
Front ceiling plate #24,25,26,27
Rear Wall braces #31, 48
Strut bolt #78
Horizontal Braces #30,31,32
Gutter end caps #73
Gables #8,9
Roof Crown #10,11
Roof studs #15
Window support beam #42
Vent opening holder #50
Door parts:
Door panel sides #33
Door bottom rail #37
Central brace #36
Polycarbonate door panel #64
Back plastic door guides #51
Door slider #34

Peak caps #54
Roof panel #60
Wall panel #58


Images from the Harbor Freight miniature greenhouse store display to help with construction showing panel clip installation, door roller installation, interior bracing and screws.

Wow, you really have studied that.

I studied and took notes while at work so I got paid to do it! I will edit it whenever I finish reading the last, the longest chapter 7 about all the modifications. I might have to pick up extra hours at work to get it done. It seems easy enough the way it is explained in the blog by all the experienced people out there. Just make note of which model you ordered. Some parts seem to be slightly different depending on the model. I am slightly more intimidated than I was last week. But also excited to get started on the project. First on the chopping block is to protect the wood on the deck, then see how level DH's deck is. My goal is to have it done by next winter. No pressure, right??

A piece of cake!

Encouragement, Dr. Ken. Encouragement is what I need most. And support. DH, while not physically able to help a lot, he knows a lot about building construction. I, OTOH do not know a damn thing about building. DH is good at giving orders. I am lousy at following orders. He never reads instructions. I am a step-by-step instruction-reader. Wish us luck in Divorce Court!

Compromise is useful at a time like this, Cheryl. Baby-steps end up being large steps, and large steps will move the project along quicker than you can imagine. Just take your time (you have plenty until next winter), encourage DH to read the instructions and some of the blogs discussing problems with the HF greenhouse, and lay everything out, segment by segment, before you actually screw/bolt anything together. Perhaps there is a neighbor or friend that can pitch in to help you with the construction.

If bad comes to worse, just have the divorce judge award me the GH.

I just edited the index pages to include the final Enhancement chapter.. Is there a post number that we can refer to it by? I also included some photos that might help with construction especially with the seemingly difficult installation of the panel clips. It seems people have a hard time with those for some reason, and also to get the door rolling smoothly.

On the clips, I took a trip back to the store and studied the model they have there. Took out cell phone and video taking one off and re applying it. Once you get one done they are not that hard. Good luck.

Cheryl, I didn't know that you had edited your post above so I missed all those great pictures (thank you for posting them!)

When you make a new reply it triggered a red Yes for all of us so we know there's new stuff. Editing the post doesn't do that. It's the one downside there.

So most of the time we should make new posts instead of editing past ones.

It's HERE! It's HERE!! IT's HERE!!!!!! Can I open it? Huh? Huh? Yipeee!
The greenhouse is in the (garage) greenhouse! That is one loooooong box! The delivery guy used my red wagon to put it in the garage for me. Is there anything my red wagon can't do??

Wait until after Christmas to open it! Gonna rain here and then we're sending it to you!