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When I got my allotment, there had been a huge greenhouse that had been burnt out by the local firebugs. There is now a large, empty concrete pad. As it is just over the hedge from the lane and therefore will inevitably be targeted by vandals/firebugs, I want to find a building material for walls for a new greenhouse that is reasonably fireproof. Limitations: Lanes are too narrow to get pallets of materials delivered and I'm on my own - so lightweight would be good.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Are we talking about your avatar pic?

Looks like you have living windbreaks on at least two sides. Is it possible to install a shade sail or are you definately looking for some sort of enclosed (and maybe lockable?) construction?

I tend to think lightweight and fireproof are not normally used together to describe things in the natural world... but maybe someone has thought of something I am not considering....

If constructing on site is necessary, maybe mudbricks or strawbale building? Strawbale is supposed to have good fire retardant properties once up - but you'd be better checking all that with Muddy, and making sure you can actually get it up if some some firebug is likely to interrupt the process...

...Garden torching?!?!?!? I have never heard of such a thing... Values and respect for life really have gone down the toilet...

I think Boots idea of mud brick is a good one - cheap, available and difficult to torch! Does take a bit of work though.............

Nev

Thanks for those ideas...
I had thought about straw bales but the Heeley City Farm just down the road from me tried this method for a cattle shelter and it was comprehensively destroyed by fire (maybe accidental - let's be optimistic). The mud bricks sound like a potential plan but the soil isn't clay. Wouldn't it be a bit wasteful to use my precious topsoil, anyway?
I agree that any other solution is unlikely to be natural but a firm structure to support (probably) plastic corrugated rofing (easy for me to work with and easily replaced when damaged) will be required. I'd prefer to have something lockable, too, though the allotment gate is padlocked.

You're right about the natural windbreaks and the whole site is surprisingly calm in medium winds because all allotments are surrounded by hedges (supposed to be a maximum height of 6 feet) and most of last year was taken up with hacking the privet hedges to approximately that height - bottom half of the allotment still to do, though!

Sounds like a simple wooden box construction might be the go?

Again - not sure of the size... is it the bit with the bricks in the pic? Maybe just drop 4 corner posts into holes with bucket mixed concrete. Then support with cross beams and Bob's your Uncle.

You can whack your sunroof sheets on top and high sides and maybe find some recycled fibro or something similar for the lower walls to head or chest height. I don't think that burns, does it?... Better still recycle those bricks to form foundation walls and fill from there up with some recycled fire retardant something or other. Maybe just make sure you don't expose any wood.

If it's any help, I start most of my building by saying, "Right what have I got?" rather than "what do I need", because even when you start with what you've got, you still need extra stuff

If you decide to try mudbricking. I am happy to help where I can. Am actually trying to get a small booklet together, but am afraid it has been pushed back behind some historical stuff that has my hands tied a bit at the mo. You wouldn't use your topsoil though... You'd need to start by going down through your soil levels to locate your clay, and then you work in the level above it.

there's a link on here somewhere to building a greenhouse using plastic bottles (can't remember where it is...might be RRR).

They won't be particularly fireproof if some little B*st*rd is determined, but they melt instead of flaming, so that might put them off.

And they're cheap and lightweight to carry.

Many thanks for those ideas, folks.

Boots: I have a mental picture of some angled metal struts that could be bolted together instead of using flammable wood. If my tired brain cells can come up with the context, I’ll see whether that has potential. Why didn’t I think of using plastic sheets on the high sides as well as the roof, as you suggest? Good plan! What is ‘fibro’?
Too few bricks to use – although I’ll employ them in raised beds once the main structure is complete.

Fee Fairy: I found that link when originally searching for shed/greenhouse info on the site – it looks absolutely amazing! I’m going to post a message on the intranet at work to ask people to bring theirs in for me and have a go at one.

Came across this web site:
http://www.buildeazy.com/diylist_images.html

Thanks, Peatie. What a useful site - I've bookmarked it for future use.
The concrete pad is 18foot by 10 foot - so I don't think I'll be filling all of it with buildings at this stage.
I did find out that my brain was trying to tell me about Dexion shelving, by the way. Ideal for a non-wood frame. Now, where do I get some of that, free-of-charge of course ...?

Thanks, Peatie. What a useful site - I've bookmarked it for future use.
The concrete pad is 18foot by 10 foot - so I don't think I'll be filling all of it with buildings at this stage.
I did find out that my brain was trying to tell me about Dexion shelving, by the way. Ideal for a non-wood frame. Now, where do I get some of that, free-of-charge of course ...?

Peatie wrote:Came across this web site:
http://www.buildeazy.com/diylist_images.html

yes a useful site

Have a look on your local freecycle site- you can often be lucky with what people are giving away
http://www.freecycle.org/display.php?re ... %20Kingdom
I have occasionally seen greenhouses on there but they don't hang around for long

Kind thoughts

Deb

I have several near me which have been made using very heavy fencing wire which is inserted into lengths of poly pipe (about 3/4 inch). The lengths of wire ( one place used concrete reinforcement rods which are bendable) are pushed into the ground to form a curved roof, with each rod or heavy wire about 3 feet apart. The whole structure is then covered with semi-transparent plastic sheeting which seems to be car covers or thick drop sheets like you would use for painting. There are very strong winds in this area, and they are all still there, so they seem to work well. The idea of the poly-pipe (looks like what is used for drip irrigation) is to stop the rods or wire from cutting the plastic, I imagine. They have used an extra drop sheet front and back to seal the ends, which have eyelets in them.

Gosh!
It had all gone quiet and suddenly ...!
Thanks for the new ideas. I am a member of our local freecycle and keep an eye out on it, Deb, but every greenhouse in one of the rows had its glass broken the other weekend - so my plans to make one out of plastic bottles (now have about 300, so well on my way!) may be safer.

If I've understood you correctly, Aussie, those structures will end up looking like poly tunnels - is that right? Sound like an excellent plan, though. Thanks

please post pics and the story of your plastic bottle green house! I want one when i get my allotment, and it'll be great to hear someone else's experience building one!