Bodging the greenhouse

It's do or die time as regards fixing the greenhouse, so I've been out to take a closer look.
The side that is causing the problems is butted up within 6" of a flat roofed brick shed. (Not ideal, but the best solution at the time.) It often has had creepers falling on it which has greatly contributed to the rot. It also means the only way of accessing the area is by climbing on the shed and lying on top of the creeper on my stomach stretching my arms down to work on the greenhouse. (This explains why it has not been dealt with yet.)

The metal things which hold the glass in have dropped out so all the panes are beginning to slide out. The wooden bar at the top of the greenhouse 'wall' is badly rotten. I could put some sort of nail in to hold the glass back but it may drop out again, it is difficult to use a hammer so near to the glass and will probably damage the rotten wood even further.

So I am thinking of getting some Grabs like Nails type glue, and using this as a bead to hold the glass in place.

Any idea how that will work? It doesn't matter if it looks like a dog's breakfast as it won't show much and I need to think about a new greenhouse anyway. My main concern is the setting time for the glue as it will be difficult to hold the glass in place for very long. I'll probably have to devise some sort of support for it anyway, which wedges against the brick wall.

Any suggetions gratefully considered!

 

No can do, Loofah. It's got to happen before the first frosts and it just ain't! I'm off on hols next week, for a start, and I want the plants under cover by then.

I will need to look at a replacement but this will now be next Spring. I may start looking for 2nd hand greenhouses on Ebay before Christmas as the prices will be lower than the spring, but I can't see anything being built before March.

I am planning some home improvements, and if/when they happen that's the time for the old greenhouse to go. Till then, it's got to stagger on. I don't think the glass is going to fall in but I'm worried about Monday!

Also, it was a cheap softwood greenhouse in the first place, and seeing as it's now subsiding slightly I think the time for a proper repair is past.

Shiney, ta for the pic, that is exactly what was holding the glass in place. I would have tried to get them back in place following your instructions, but the strip of wood they were nailed into has also just fallen off. Seeing as it was the edge of the roof frame on that side, I'm a bit mystified what is now supporting that edge but perhaps best not to think to deeply about it.

Sooooooo.......what I actually have done.......

is to effect a miraculous repair..........

using a little-known technically advanced and very expensive material....

known as........
















PARCEL TAPE!

No kidding. I have great faith in the stuff as it once held my wing mirror on for two years, so as I was reluctant to hand over the dosh to Homeabuse for the grab glue until I was sure it would work, (and it wouldn't have) I had a little play with it this afternoon. Basically, I slid the glass back into place, taped all around the edge of each pane and it seems to be holding. I'm a bit concerned whether the bond with the wood might fail as it gets damp but I might get some grab glue and replace the tape with a bead of glue, bit by bit. Parcel tape bonds with glass and shiny surfaces really well, so i don't think that will fail for ages.

So I have sorted the roof, but there are some panes left to do on the walls, which is harder as they are vertical. However I think the Shiney solution will work there as the wood is still in place at the bottom.

Hope i haven't shocked Loofah too much with my slovenly approach!

 

On damp wood for a bodge up repair gun grade PU adhesive is pretty good.
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Adh...ne+Wood+Adhesive+Gel+310ml/d180/sd3198/p78519

 

Wouldn't Flashband have been better being waterproof? I've used it on two timber greenhouses to extend their lifespan, in conjunction with a couple of cartridges of silicone glazing sealant applied internally using a mastic gun all around the perimeter of the glass to bond it to the timber.

It can work out a lot cheaper to buy a wide roll and and use full width adjacent framing (so even if the timber's bit a dodgy it should be in contact with some sound surfaces), but cut into two half width strips for securing glass either side of a narrow glazing bar. These jobs are obviously best done when the timber is nice and dry and on warm day.

P.S. Unless you have gas blowtorch (like what I have) check it's a product that doesn't need heating immediately prior to application. I've not used it myself, but the stuff that uses a primer to get a decent bond may be better for you than the blow torch warmed tape I used.

 

Ha, ha, you lot obviously insist on doing things properly. I was afraid of that!

Basically, I used parcel tape because I had lots of it in the house. I also had some duck tape but that didn't work very well. It was a nice dry day yesterday so I wanted to crack on and get some sort of a result, no matter how cack-handed, as I will be away next week.

Didn't think of flashing tape - the job doesn't have to be waterproof, it's only a greenhouse, and the panes don't really leak at the moment anyway. Silicone sealant is a real possibility, especially as I already have some in the house. The wood at the pane edges is mostly not rotten but doesn't give a very good surface for tape to stick to, being slightly rough.

The areas of rot are around the window frame, the base of the roof on the brick wall side and the timbers in contact with the ground. They rest on slabs, but over the years, soil and foliage has been in contact with them. However, I reckon I've had getting on for 15 years out of this greenhouse.

The other big advantage of parcel tape is that it doesn't require a blowtorch!

 

I have had my wooden greenhouse for 27 years and every year I have to bodge up part of it.
This year it is the opening vent window ,had to replace one side and the bottom.
A labour of love I guess.

 

Went out this morning, one pane is still OK, the other has gently slid back to square one. (Sound of GC members collapsing with laughter over their keyboards.) So I have expended bucks on some instant clear grab glue from Wickes, top quality of course, and when I've strengthened myself with a cuppa I'll be out there for a bout of horrible swearing, no doubt.

 

And next year it will be the other side and the top, but it will still be the "original" window?
I'm sure you could get a job working for "English Heritage".

 

Well, didn't get on too badly, only a bit of swearing. The grab glue seems to have done the job, though my definition of the word 'instant' differs somewhat from Wickes'.

Yesterday's work wasn't completely wasted as it gave me practice in sliding the glass, using the clips and wedging things in place. Very important, seeing as it seems to take about 30 minutes for the glue to start to go off. Things got easier when I realised my wooden plant labels were the perfect size for wedging the glass into the frame slots so it didn't just slide out again.

The nozzle at the top of the glue gun seems to have now dropped off, breaking the screw thread with it. Would it be unreasonable to expect Wickes to replace it, seeing as I have used less than half and the rest may now be unusable? £6.09 for 150ml of glue, not impressed.

 

£5.09p Cheaper in Poundland.

 

Oh no. I just discovered I have glue in my hair.

 

short back and sides?