How to Make a DIY Greenhouse

Growing plants has become a fun activity for many people lately, especially during the pandemic when people spent more time at home seeking indoor hobbies. Gardening is not only a way to pass the time but also offers numerous benefits such as stress relief, enhancing the beauty of one's home, and the ability to harvest fresh produce for cooking or consumption.

Many individuals are now trying to create their own greenhouses for their beloved plants. One example is Kayla Haupt, who designed and built her own greenhouse with the help of her father. Here is the process of creating the greenhouse owned by Kayla Haupt.

1. Design and Budgeting

Kayla Haupt wanted to construct a greenhouse with plenty of windows. Fortunately, her parents were able to find most of the windows used in buildings for just $20. Habitat for Humanity's ReStore sold them windows for only one dollar each. The giant windows at the back of the greenhouse cost just one dollar. Amazing! She also found other window collections, and neighbors even gave her nine used windows for free.

Here is the breakdown of the budget for building the greenhouse:

Wood: $500
Roofing: $400
Windows: $30
Gravel: $50

2. Gathering Building Materials

Kayla Haupt was very fortunate to find materials for most of the structure. Wood, roofing, and gravel were all purchased new for the greenhouse's needs. Her father designed the layout of the windows they had gathered using a computer. He customized them as best as possible, filled gaps, and even added some wood in places where they couldn't fit windows. As seen, there is only one window on each roof, and the back wall has some corrugated metal along the base where the plant shelves are. They used pine that they treated for the structure.

3. Starting the Build

They dug down the topsoil layer by 12 inches and filled it with stones, compacted, to create a foundation. They didn't fill it with concrete to save on costs.

They were very pleased with the roof, selecting a clear plastic material to allow some light in and generate ample warmth.