YOUR VISION IN BLOOM: A GREEN HOUSE CONSTRUCTION PLAN

It’s your sanctuary, your own little gardening chapel. It can be as unique, beautiful and functional as you like. You just need to start with the right green house construction plan. You can start from scratch and make the design completely your own, or you can find a plan that is similar to what you want and adjust it to meet your needs. Either way, here are the steps…

Permits, or, "You Can't Park That Here!"
Before you begin, check to find out what kind of permits you’ll need for your green house. Check out all the requirements, too, so that when your 6X8 foot green house turns into a 12X14 green house, you don’t have to go back and get new information.

Permits, or, "You Can't Park That Here!"
Decide where you want to build your green house. Consider how much sun exposure it will get on both winter and summer days, and how much protection the site has against wind and cold weather. Once you have figured out where you want to build and what direction the green house will face, measure the site and start making a green house construction plan.





"Post-Modern or French Provincial?" Footprints and Blueprints
You'll probably start with the footprint. Once you know the external measurements for your green house, you can decide if it will have one room, or if you will divide the footprint into sections. You can decide how tall you want the walls, how tall the peak will be, and what the roof shape will be. Now that you've got a good overview, you can fill in the details of your green house construction plan.

Details, Details: Fleshing Out The Plan
There are several details you need to include in your green house construction plan. Will you have shelves or raised beds? Where will they be, and how will they be supported? What about electricity for lighting or heating? What kinds of heating will you use-or will you have an unheated green house? How about cooling in the summer-where will you place vents? (Hint: It's helpful to know what direction breezes usually blow in the summer.) Will you have sliding panels to cover up solar panels in the summer? What about a door? Screening? Grow lights? Water?

Think through how you hope to use your green house, and make sure your design works for you. Include all the details up front in your green house construction plan.





"How Much Is That Carrera Marble Flagstone?"
Finally, decide what materials you will use. You'll need to think about flooring, framing, walls and roof. Will you need screens? What kind of door do you want? What about moveable panels to control heat in the summer? Figure out all the materials you will need for electricity and plumbing.

Carefully write out all the details, and then have someone else look at your green house construction plan to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Make a materials list and put together a cost estimate…and you're ready to start building.