Many home gardeners order a greenhouse kit from their local home improvement store, gardening store or an online outlet. They automatically assume a greenhouse kit will be an easy solution to their gardening needs. Thus, they await its arrival and carve out a few free hours for construction. While many greenhouse kits are easy to assemble, most require more than one person to be present during assembly and many of them come with detailed instructions. All in all, they can take much more than an hour to install properly. Use these tips when putting together a greenhouse kit for your garden.

1) When ordering a greenhouse kit, make “ease of assembly” a priority. Sure, you’ll want to ensure the kit has everything you can afford and desire. But, be sure to get one which is known to be simple to construct. There are many out there, so look around before purchasing. Most easy-to-assemble models will say “requires no need to hire a contractor” or something similar. Unless your technical knowledge of construction is advanced, this is important for you to remember.

2) Don’t get overwhelmed when you first open the greenhouse kit boxes. You’ll see oddly shaped bundles, aluminum bars, nuts, bolts, wire clips and glass holders. You may also see plastic pieces and manuals of instruction. Most manuals look overwhelmingly large, upon first glance. However, if you look closer you’ll likely see they are thick due to the various languages the instructions are offered in.

3) Be sure to follow the manual! While it may be tempting to try to figure out where everything goes without reading the instructions, it’s vital for proper construction to read the manual. Most manuals show drawings and written step-by-step instructions, which can make the task much easier than guessing where things go.

4) Most greenhouse kits require a proper foundation before construction. Many kits can include the base frame for an additional cost. So, be sure you have this in place before starting. Some greenhouse designs require concrete to be poured into the pipes and then leveled.

5) Don’t expect to need many tools. Most greenhouse kits require only the parts included, the base, and basic tools like a screwdriver, electric drill, level, ladder, rubber mallet, tapemeasure and knife.

Remember, if you can follow the instructions within the greenhouse kit manual you’ll be able to properly construct the kit. Be sure to work in the area in which you want to sit the greenhouse because you may not be able to move the building in pieces to the site after you’ve constructed them fully. In addition, asking someone for assistance in the project will make your job much easier and quicker. Set aside a day for the construction, just in case it takes longer than expected. As an extra tip, make sure you the kits has arrived and you have taken inventory before you plan your construction day and invite your ‘help’ over.