# How do I take apart this greenhouse?



## sleuth (Aug 31, 2013)

On Monday, I was given a professional style greenhouse by a nursery that is going out of business. The catch is that I have to get taken apart and hauled away within the next 2 weekends. This weekend I and a friend removed all the electric and irrigation systems and today I removed the lean-to that the nursery had added on.

At this point, I am ready, I think to remove the outside gutter, and all the ventilation equipment (fans, vents, etc.) and then I am ready to get started on disassembling the actual structure.

The walls are made of metal posts and beams and the roof is a M-shaped double hoop. The panels are Lexan-brand polycarbonate panels. It appears that the roof panels are 1-piece, over 20' long, and are bolted to the hoops from the outside of the roof, and here is where I am at a loss.

How do I disassemble the roof panels? I am afraid to put my weight on them and even if I thought they could hold my weight, I certainly can't climb up them to reach the highest ones!

Secondly, once I get them removed, how heavy are they and how do I get them down safely to the ground? I am limited both on manpower and funds to rent equipment.

Pictures attached. Thanks for any advice.


----------



## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Sleuth, naturally you need to take it apart in reverse from the way it was put up. But You might be "bit off more than you can chew"----if you only got 2 weekends(not 2 weeks), no equipment and short on help-----I wish you luck. Better get busy!! 

You really Need a sissor lift or similiar to remove the top.


----------



## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Start at the bottom take all the walls off. then on the end away from the building go along the edge, you should have enough reach to get the neoprene screws they used in the center of the panels, the the strip (H Channel?) should come off, and the twin wall sheet should slide out of the next channel and repeat. Think you should be able to figure out the rest of the structure, may want to abandon the supports depending on how well they are anchored... I'd cut them off at the least. 

May want to number everything.


----------



## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

By the way well I'm ever so envious, very very.

I hope you get her down! 

Thats a super score indeed.


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

The roof panels are your real question. Those polycarbonate panels are good for about 12-15 years, max. The roof ones are going to be the worst, given they get the most exposure. 

See if you can find out the age, and if it's in the 10 year range, I'd probably use care removing the side wall panels ( you can see the screws in them ) and take a sawsall to the roof panels from the underside due to age, and the fact they probably used a sealant on the edge of the panel before it was shoved home into the H channel. IF they used a sealant, even if you could get the screws out, you'd have a hard time removing the panels....so just sacrifice them to time and the fact you got the greenhouse for nothing, and buy new panels. It's only a matter of time before you have to do that ANYway.


----------



## warnimct (Jul 27, 2012)

Darn! I just saw that posting on Craigslist today and was hoping they still had the greenhouse available.

But to answer your question... To disassemble the top it looks like you would start at the end with a ladder and have to reach across the panel to get the bolts towards the middle. Once you got the first panel off you move your ladder to the next one and would have to reach across to get out the next set of bolts


----------



## sleuth (Aug 31, 2013)

Tnandy... Know where to buy replacements?


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Solex is the cheapest.....It's a flexible polycarbonate, and because of that, you can get it cut to length in rolls that will ship UPS up to a certain size.....either 3.5 or 5mm thickness.

Rigid polycarbonate panels are more expensive AND ( this is the killer ) the shipping is outrageous because it has to go motor freight AND have a nice wood crate built for it to ship in.....that last part is high.

https://www.sundancesupply.com/index2.html

http://www.advancegreenhouses.com/twinwall_and_triplewall_polycarb.htm

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/products.asp?dept=1034&gclid=COufzOvCiZYCFQSPFQod5Wa0Ew

http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/cat1a;gs_greenhouse_covering.html


And Google "Solex" for folks that deal in it alone.


----------

