cedar greenhouse owner?

[Yann]

Hello,

i'm looking to buy a cedar greenhouse, my choice goes to woodpecker joinery or gabriel ash.
i love both of the design and the strong structure.

Does someone here own a greenhouse from one of this manufacturer and can give me her/his review?
Alton seems to be more expensive compared with the same equipments.
if you've some advice it'll help me in my decision.

thanks
Yann

[ArnoldT]

Yann:

I'm curious about your preference for cedar over more durable materials.

[Yann]

well to be honest i also own a Janssens victorian greenhouse made of aluminium. it's robust and easy to clean but it not so attractive as cedar.

In 1998 i bought a second hand alton gh. that was 30's old and the structure was still in good condition in 2007 when i dismanbled it and bought the Janssens one.

Yes cedar need more attention and maintenance than coated aluminium.

Another thing i like with the woodpecker joinery is the cedar panels that can hide pots, bags, and all the stuff we use for preparing alpine substrat. With an aluminium greenhouse it not possible or not so beautiful using cheap clostrat.

Janssens

Woodpecker Joinery

[ArnoldT]

Yann:

The cedar is far more beautiful. The cedar may be  more adept at holding in heat in the winters.  I believe the thermal capacity of wood is far greater than extruded aluminum.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Hi Yann,

We purchased a greenhouse from Woodpecker Joinery 6 years ago now. I didn't realise it was that long ago until I checked the post I put on about it.
 
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=5.msg597#msg597

The service we had from Woodpecker was excellent. The greenhouse is still in excellent condition, even though I haven't done as much maintenance as I should have, with no warping. The door still fits like new, not that I close it very often to keep it well ventilated.

Mick

[Yann]

Arnold : i agree with you

Mick : i've read your old post, thanks for the advice. i think i gonna choose WJ for their service and it seems the greenhouse are durable, it should least 15-20 years without any major problems.

[TC]

My ALTON cedar wood greenhouse was purchased 40 years ago and is still standing and in daily use.  Apart from occasional painting with wood preservers it has required no maintenance.  It replaced an aluminium one from the same maker which was destroyed in Hurricane force winds.

We have had some severe storms since then and, so far, the greenhouse has weathered them.

The manufacturer said that the cedar models were more rigid than the aluminium ones.  In very strong winds, the aluminium structure flexed causing the glass to"pop out" When one pane is removed then the wind tears in and farewell greenhouse !

I cannot comment on other makes but would recommend cedar over aluminium unless you are going for the professional horticultural models.

[brianw]

Aluminium or Cedar is really a matter of personal choice. Cedar looks more traditional, maybe cheaper to heat and less day/night swings, but lets fractionally less light in. Aluminium is more or less maintenance free, lets maximum light in, but unless plastic bar cap glazed with the extrusion fins inside, radiates heat from the extrusions.
My part frost free, BaCO professional Al greenhouse was bought in ~1970, extended 5 or 6 years later, and will outlast me. The only maintenance is shading on, and shading off. Only recently I realised leaning ladders on it to do this twice a year was maybe not a good idea. It has over full waist level benches, and eye level shelves round 3 sides, all bolted to and supported by the structure. I.e. no legs, so is unlikely to blow away, even though the steel screws fixing it to the concrete base rusted away long ago. A small plunge bench is in the extension, and does have legs. Its equivalent is still available from Cambridge Glasshouses in the Varsity range but similarly well constructed ones are around.
I prefer glass to the ground to give me the option of using the extra space for growing plants, in pots or otherwise, but they can look a bit of a mess if just a dumping space. Wood hides it all.

[Yann]

the only real problem is the shading. this new grouhouse should host Sarracenia that need full light and saxifraga that need soften light, both needing extra ventilation.

In term of price both projects are very similar, aluminium cheaper but i need to add extra cost for stagings. Gonna make my choice this week end.

Thanks for all your remarks.

[Yann]

The new greenhouse was installed tuesday by WP team, i've many plants to move from the old greenhouse

[Maggi Young]

I like the good number of roof vents. I bet you have filled it in no time!

[Yann]

6 roof vents and 2 louvres. Yes it should be filled this week end.
I currently share growing surface between my old greenhouse and another greenhouse in the village.

The weather should normally be warmer tomorrow, so i'll be able to transfer plants without risk.

I also need to replant perennials near the greenhouse in late march.

[David Nicholson]

......... and you will be just like the rest of us yann in wishing you had bought a larger one!

[ArnoldT]

David:

I realized this about ten minutes after it was finished and I stepped into it...

[ian mcenery]

......... and you will be just like the rest of us yann in wishing you had bought a larger one!

It's a bit like Parkinson's Law meets The Sorcerers Apprentice