Well, I got started this weekend! Spent much of yesterday and all of today on it.

I used my tractor to level the site and then placed the 4x6 beams in. Got them in perfectly square and level, anchored them down with 5/8"x2' rebar. That step alone was all of yesterday and all of this morning. So it wasn't until after lunch today that we got started on the greenhouse! I'm really picky about foundation issues and I wouldn't proceed until it was absolutely level and perfectly square.

Anyway, we now have the bottom on, and have the four corners up with their braces. Tomorrow I'll continue the work. Given the reputation of the manual, I was bracing myself for some real frustration, but actually the instructions are quite good! You just have to read them very carefully and read each page in its entirety before you start following the instructions on that page.

It helped that we opened the two boxes that have all the metal parts and laid all the parts out in the garage with their numbers facing up. Then for each page of the manual, we found the parts that applied to that page only and brought them out. That greatly simplified things.

I didn't take any pictures today but I will tomorrow. I'm looking forward to working on it. This is a fun greenhouse to put together.

Dave, glad to hear it is going so well for you. Yes it took me quite a while to get it level and square up the beams but well worth it in the end. Good luck with the rest of it. It is not that hard just take time.

@Dave Hooray!! I am so glad you go started! I can't wait to see the pictures.

Being the researching goob that I am, I have printed up both versions of the instructions as the Blog suggested. I will read over them at work this week. I want to be over-prepared. And at this rate, I will! I can't wait to dig in and be where you are today, Dave!! So glad it is going without a hitch.

One tip for you, Cheryl: it's harder to understand the instructions if you don't have the pieces in front of you. This is why we first for each page took out the pieces for that stage and then with them in front of us read through that area of the instructions. That helps a tremendous amount!

Anyway, @Txtea is right: it's not hard, just time consuming.

Watch out for the post installation instructions (page 16)! It seems that the error is still present in the manual. Print out the diagram on http://hfgh10x12.blogspot.com/... and follow it. That's what I'm doing, anyway.

Came back in to write that the post installation might be correct in the manual and the blog might be wrong.

At least, that the blog was right originally but the manual is indeed correct now because the manual changes some earlier steps of installation. I'm going to proceed and just do the best I can and I'll report when it's done what the right course is. But right now I'm wishing you had gone first instead of me!

well, good luck Dave! Pictures when you're done!

Alright, well, here is a case where the blog is making things more confusing rather than less.

The manual is correct on this point and the blog is outdated and wrong.

Just follow the manual and completely ignore the counts of bolts that the blogger tells you to insert. The manual has the right numbers.

Here is a photo of my current progress. Note the snazzy 5 gallon bucket which doubles as a stepping stool. Cardboard on the ground as make-shift tables so the aluminum pieces can get laid out without getting muddy. Tires are waiting to be sent, well, somewhere else.

Got a lot done this afternoon. Dusk came way too early, just as we were getting started on the roof part. It's exciting to see it going up. So far we haven't had a single problem. The manual is flawless and crystal clear. I have to give serious kudos to harbor freight on this. They really have made this about as easy a process as you could hope for.

Tomorrow will be a nice day and I plan to get the framing finished so I can move on to the extra third-party security add-ons.

Below are photos I took just as the sun was setting. The red metal building is my 20x30 shop.

Looking west:


Looking east:

One more thing: the peak of this building is unbelievably high. My ladder wouldn't reach high enough, actually, so I ended up using the loader on my tractor as a scaffolding. Worked perfectly.

Looking good Dave, at your rate of work you will be done before weeks end. And I know very proud. Best to you.

You are moving along quickly, Dave! Good job! It looks goooooood! Can you tell me which model you have? I have the older model 933---something. -- I was at Lowe's today and picked up deck wash and waterproofer and preserver to ready our foundation. I could only find 2 packs of neoprene washers. I need to find those for the panels! Of course we will see that the deck is level. Already DH doubts his building ability (He built the deck) and is planning on using 2 x 4's attached to the deck to mount the base to something uber level. The weather has been too cold for me to work with liquids. Barely made 50º today. I have an 8ft ladder. will that reach?

I don't know which model I have, but I'll check. I hope your deck comes out level enough as is. I don't know what he means by using 2x4s to mount the base to something level but hopefully you won't need to do any unusual efforts. "Almost perfectly level" to me is as good as "perfectly level". I'm much more fussy about it being square. If the bubble on the level is between the two lines, I'm happy.

50º yesterday, don't I know it. I was out there all day and wore a tee shirt plus 2 sweatshirts plus a thick jacket over all that. Then I was finally warm.

I think your 8 foot ladder will be fine but working the peak means you might have to occasionally stand on the top rung which is always very scary... I'll let you know how that part goes later today.

He was going to use 2 x 4" instead of 4 x 4's to mount the base of the greenhouse like you did on the ground. He would use shims to level if needed. Would 2 x 4's not work??

I hate ladders. I fell of the top of one about 30 years ago and it gave me respect for ladders. I am fine as long as I know there is someone at the bottom of the ladder holding it steady ... and to break my fall. Dh not so much. He has a fear of heights but he has never fallen off a ladder. even when he could climb a ladder, he avoided it. But it doesn't stop him from playing around while he is supposed to be holding the ladder steady for me. He pokes at my butt as I climb up, shakes the ladder in fun. But it not fun for me at all and I get madder than heck. I have laid down the law that if he starts playing around as I attempt to build the 10ft+ peak of the greenhouse, he will be fired. No tolerance. OFF the job! I am serious since I know I will be up and down and up and down that ladder quite a bit. It won't hurt me a bit to hurt his pride and call my friend or neighbor to come hold the ladder whenever I need to be up on a ladder. He knows I am serious about that part. We'll see if he can hold back.

You go girl!

ShadyGreenThumb said:He was going to use 2 x 4" instead of 4 x 4's to mount the base of the greenhouse like you did on the ground. He would use shims to level if needed. Would 2 x 4's not work??

Ahh, I understand now. Yes, that sounds like a fine idea. Definitely use pressure treated 2x4s and you should be fine. I would even use pressure treated "bits" as shims. Or you could use plastic shims like they sell for leveling toilets.

Now... the peak of the greenhouse may be only 10 feet high but when you're up there it feels like you're on the top of a pole barn. And I'll add that you'll spend a lot of quality time up on that ladder once it comes time for the windows.

And, since I'm feeling grumpy, I will warn you that the windows will test your language skills. I spent 2 hours this afternoon putting together and installing a whopping two windows. And that was with competent helpers. Definitely the most frustrating part of this project, by far. Getting them square and fitting right in their openings challenged my patience. There was a brief moment where I thought I might actually throw one! And installing those piece of junk automatic openers was a trial I was not expecting. I'm wondering if they'll actually work or not.

In short, my feelings about today's work are:

I feel a tiny bit better now. Tomorrow might be better when I do the other two windows and hopefully also the door.

Dave, I put my door together inside my den. Sitting on the floor a little bit of pushing and pulling but they went together very well and when I slipped them on the frame had no problem. Mind blowing but thing will all work out. And the moment of happiness will hit you.

I'm feeling a little better now that I've had some time to cool off (and have a glass of wine!)

I've got other obligations for the next couple days so you probably won't get another update for a while. I am looking forward to continuing, though.

I'm done with the frame, windows and doors and am now in that stage where I have to reinforce it before I add the panels. I'm planning a trip to Lowes tomorrow to get the conduit and other things that I need for this task.

The current state:



The doors were really hard to put together because the instructions say to put it mostly together and then slide the poly panels into their grooves and then finish it. Well, those grooves are SO tight that the panels simply will NOT slide in. So I tried adding the panels while putting the doors together.

Then I read the blog again and noticed the author suggested to crimp the edges of the panel all the way down first and then they will slide right in. I tried that and sure enough, it worked great and the job was easy after that.

So, to crimp those panels, just pinch the very end with your pliers. You go down the line, pinch pinch pinch, squeezing the edges from corner to corner. Then it slides right into their grooves with no fuss.

I think I got the auto vent openers installed right and it looks like they're working. It's about 60 degrees right now and they are open. Tonight I'll check to see if they are closed when the temps dip into the low 30s.

Dave, Please let us know about the openers work out for you. I have not gotten them for mine yet and have heard both good and bad things, so have been holding off. Thanks