Harbor Freight Greenhouse 10x12 Review & Customizations

[@jessicahulse6705]

I love my greenhouse. Wanted one since I was a little girl. Thank you my love.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Glad you love it. You are very welcome.

[@samdelong2131]

We have the same greenhouse, but it does require a TON of customization and reinforcements to last beyond one or two 30mph wind events and to be user-friendly. Some of our upgrades that we did from the start: We ran power to the greenhouse so we can have overhead lights, worktable lighting, and a thermostat-controlled exhaust fan. Reinforcement of the frame is important too. We've used aluminum stock from Home Depot to make reinforcements to the upper door track and ridge. Then again, we also added some angled aluminum stock to create a framework for a 16" vent fan in with front top panel above the door. We've made closeable vents on the lower rear the building to allow fresh air to be drawn in as the heat escapes through the upper vents , and they can be closed off during winter months when the exhaust fan is not used and the roof vents are closed. We like the "idea" of temp-controlled closers on the vents, but they really aren't useful when you need to close the vents for high wind during high temperatures (think hurricane weather), and keeping this thing buttoned up during periods of high wind is CRITICAL. If you don't, the suction and pressure created through the greenhouse will have panels blowing 2 or 3 houses away after they come free of the framework. Last on high wind: we live in SE North Carolina, and we're prone to hurricane force winds. When that much wind is coming, we remove ALL of the polycarbonate panels and leave the framework exposed to the wind, which is not so easy when the panels get taped closed like you did at the upper edges of the panels on either side of the door - the tape makes a mess on the aluminum frame too... For the lower frame, we kept that about 50/50 above/below ground and tied that frame to the ground with wind anchors from Home Depot hooked over the inside frame lip and concreted into the ground - it won't blow over if panels are left in during high wind. We did the same thing with stainless screws and washers that the fellow above did, securing the panels to the aluminum reinforcements on the framework - no brainer on that. But that brings me to the panels themselves. Panels don't last very long before they're so yellow that sun can barely get it. We can buy replacement panels from Harbor Freight or the manufacturer via a parts list and 800-number, but the price of the replacement panels is nearly twice the cost of the whole greenhouse - not very cool on the part of HF or the manufacturer... Another modification/addition was to run a cable that works as a ceiling joist from the top center of the frame on the L to the top center of the frame on the R to correct roof sag that had begun to show up recently. Without any support working to hold the opposing long walls in place, the weight of the roof begins to push the top of the long walls outward slightly. If you put any weight on the roof framing when doing anything up there, it will only make this problem worse - a cable running between those two walls corrects this and prevents future movement. Doors are flimsy and need some upgrades too: the weird rubber strips that run vertically on each side of the door are pretty much useless for sealing the greenhouse, and both "seals", particularly the one at the inside edge of the door, make getting the door off the track quite difficult - just remove that inner seal even if you make no other modifications to the door; you'll thank me later! To modify the seal design, we took the rubber strips off both sides of the door frame and ran a length of 1/8" thick, 1" or 1-1/4" wide (you'll have to measure that to get the right overhang on the back edge of the door frame) aluminum the length of the door and added foam weatherstripping to the back edge overhand to seal against the vertical wall frame that meets the outer edge of the door when closed (can't remember the thickness of the foam seal, but measure for it with both doors closed, then add a strip just thick enough to meet the vertical support at both sides of the door opening. Another suggestion on doors: put a stainless U-bolt on one of the door slats near where it meets the other door, then put another on the other door opposite with a stainless latch hook on it to have a way to "lock" the doors together - during high wind the building can shake enough to let the doors work open, and if that happens the wind can start doing serious damage to the panels and overall structure. How do I know? Early on, it happened to us. We approached the greenhouse to find one of the doors with a side frame bent to about 75 degrees. We were able to repair the door, which is why we put the latching mechanism on the doors. The little bearings that the doors roll on need regular maintenance to keep them working properly. About once per year, we take the wheels/bearings out, and wipe the dirt off, then submerge them in an industrial lubricant, then work the bearings with a cordless drill in both directions. When smooth, wipe excess off, and reinstall the bearings. A note on the screws that hold the bearings in: put some anti-seize (or oil) on the screw threads to prevent them from seizing in place. If you don't, you'll likely reach a point where you'll have to cut the roller/bearing/screw off to remove it for replacement. The threshold plate under the doors is fragile and if you walk on it, or roll things over it (or drop them on the threshold), the track will get jacked up and the doors won't work well. We trimmed the inside vertical edge of the aluminum track (door does not run on this edge) to take away the likelihood that we'd bend it or deform it (did this along the exposed length when the doors are fully open). We also put shimmed up pavers under the track area the width of the door to prevent bends and sags of the track downward, which would cause problems with the door staying on track. Last, we wrote in large black letters "NO STEP" on the lower track the door runs on to prevent damage. If you're expecting this greenhouse to work well and stay in place as directed following the instructions, you'd best be in a locale that gets almost no wind and be ready to make modifications and repairs along the way. If you don't secure it to the ground, you're going to have a large bounce-house on your hands in high winds. If you don't maintain it, you might be junking it inside of 2 years. If, on the other hand, you maintain it, reinforce it, upgrade it, and take care of it, it will last quite a bit longer. We bought ours in Feb of 2017, and it is still our primary greenhouse on our 1/2 acre lot. In fact, we just bought three (3) more units, one to use for parts maintenance for our 7.5 year old greenhouse (needed replacement panels), and the other two (2) we're going to put up with extensive modifications: We're going to build the two bases together lengthwise with a bit trimmed off of each to be able to remove the entire rear wall on both units, and install them end to end to create a second larger greenhouse that is 10' wide x 24' long. This is a project that we're aiming to have completed by the end of December 2024... For the money, these are great little units, but as stated, be ready for repairs and maintenance to make it last.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thanks for the comment. All great comments. Yeah this thing is cheap and has to be reinforced a lot to hold up. We have had it for 3 years now and did go so far. Our next will be a custom build for sure. We hope to get a couple more years but feel lucky to get what we have gotten so far. Best of luck with yours. Thanks again for watching.

[@samdelong2131]

@@SmallSpaceLiving You're welcome. I edited my comment above to add some more of the tips/tricks we've employed as well as a few other maintenance items to address. Note in the final paragraphs the project we're about to tackle: buying two more these and assembling them end-to-end to create a 10 x 24 greenhouse :-)

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

@@samdelong2131 Thanks for the add. I have heard of people putting these together like you are talking about. You will have to let me know how it goes. Good luck.

[@fivecrosses9040]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I bought a shed kit the same size and it was flimsy. So I put up stud walls on interior to anchor it down. Seems like you’ll get your money out of this greenhouse with your improvements. Your wife seems happy. So you did good.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thank you very much for watching. Yeah we are hoping to sure it up even more with the cross boards around the top of the frame. I think in the end it will be good for a bit. Happy wife happy life. Really glad she is enjoying it. She is out there in it as I type the reply. lol

[@melduncanakamelnetteliving9892]

Pretty nice setup! Jessica has some talent with building those tables. Very nice. Solar controller arms are a great idea. Veggies are also good to grow, no collard greens for me for please. Thanks sharing friends. 👏👏👍👍🤗🤗

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thanks for watching y'all. Yes, Jessica is the go to person for putting stuff together and building stuff. I have no patience for that. lol Going to add the solar arms and add solar exhaust fans as well. Trying to get more stuff off the power grid. We will have plenty of stuff to share if y'all make it this way.

[@ranjanty]

Thanks for the video. I'm thinking about getting one,they are on sale for 500.00 this week.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

@@ranjanty I say that may be a pretty good deal on it. Not the best but so far we are a few years in and very little issues. Best of luck and I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to reach out if we can help.

[@NightwatchN8]

Looks good, nice place! Thanks for sharing

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thanks for watching and the kind words. So far the greenhouse has held up great.

[@BoxVanDee]

Love the greenhouse, wish I had room for one in the RV park.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thanks for watching Dee. My wife is loving it. Hey make it happen. You could have a community greenhouse for everyone.

[@Barrettbaby91]

Thank you for this!! We’re in the process of doing this now. This is the first one I’ve seen on a platform!

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

You are very welcome. Hope this is helpful. The one thing we learned is to run a 2x4 across the main doors on the upper frame. It's a major weak point. Ours buckled but was fixable. We added the 2x4 and no issues there since. Good luck with the build.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Sorry meant to add if you have any questions please reach out. Will help all we can. You can email in from the about section of my youtube page.

[@JurgensJourneys]

That’s a very good start on your garden! I’m sure you can build one better, seeing some of your other projects. Thanks for the honest review. Good job and good luck to both of you!

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Hey man for sure. She has all sorts of stuff growing in there. We should be eating good once stuff takes off. Hoping this cheap made thing will last a few years and rebuild a better one. Hope all is well.

[@JurgensJourneys]

@@SmallSpaceLiving Thank you. Yes we’re doing well. Looking forward to seeing your plentiful garden 🪴

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

@@JurgensJourneys Thanks man. We are surely hoping it does well after all the work.

[@rvvacation1862]

Jessica excellent work building your greenhouse. Congratulations. I do not know but 🤔 I still see visions of HH in the future. 😊 Migration begins April 1st. Oklahoma City here we come. Returning to home base NW PA sometime in May. Be well.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Well hello y'all. Hope all is well. Jessica really did kill it on putting this thing together. LOL on the HH. Y'all are welcome anytime to be our guest but no thought on HH. I like to control who is coming and who is not. hahaha OK is great. We hit there a few years ago and loved it. Hope you have a great safe trip. Let me know what you think. Watch out for the wind.

[@clarawillis2437]

Thanks for the advice I got one

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thank you for watching. Ours is still holding up very good and working out well.

[@lindamartin6465]

I'm fixing to build one just like yall. I'm trying to understand how to attach the greenhouse to the deck. Any advice or instructions?

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Hello and thanks for the comment. I used metal to wood screws on the framing and screwed it to the deck. Then on the inside of the frame I put decking board all around to solid it up more. Same metal to wood screws. It has made it through some bad weather so far and held up pretty good. Hope this helps. If not please feel free to reach out to me at the email in my about page. If you have an iphone we can jump on a facetime call and I can show you. Best of luck with your build.

[@DreamingOutloudRVing]

That is awesome. You have that thing battened down for hurricanes! Dude that is where the RV is suppose to be! Your truck isn’t white anymore! What the hell is going on over there?!?!

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thanks y'all. Yeah with this thing you have to. Will not hold up well we are afraid. Still got much more to do. Yep no rv anymore and a new truck. Changing things up and getting out of debt. Come on over and we will put you to work. lol

[@HappyPlaceCamping]

That’s a huge greenhouse! I bought some pots and seeds. Gonna try again to grow some crap. I’m hopeful, but not holding my breath. Maybe if I was ever able to grow a few things, I’d invest in a greenhouse to grow even more. I hear sirens. Oh I think the styrofoam cups sounds like a good idea. Jessie wants me to use tiny boxes. Cuz be easy for transplanting, but the cups would be too. Aw. I should do a sunflower. Just cuz they’re pretty. Oh I don’t think I’d enjoy putting that together. I hate work. And I really hate when I gotta undo work to keep doing more work 😂 Great review!

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thanks for watching y'all. Good you are going to starting growing some stuff. You got to start somewhere so that this a big step. The sirens where them coming to take me away. lol Yeah the cups are cheap and easy to move stuff over. Yes and some of them boxes just break down so you can put them right in the ground. We use the seeds in the sunflowers to use as food for the chickens. They love them and it's good for them. Plus they bring in a few bee's to help pollinate other stuff. I hate work to. Jessica did most of the hard stuff. lol

[@MsLuvinLifeDaily]

Looks like it's been a year. Are you still happy with your wrapping on the polycarb panels? Are they still clear?

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Overall we are happy and with our additional bracing it has held up well. We hope to get a few more years out of it Nd then build a new one ourselves. Hope that helps. If any other questions please feel free to reach out. Will help all we can.

[@maryjones6580]

That's really nice 👍

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thank you. The wife is really enjoying it.

[@hollymahler8213]

Wow greqt video!

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Thank you for watching and the kind words. Hope the video was helpful.

[@clarawillis2437]

Please could you tell me where you got the basket, I being looking for something like that for my succulents

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Which baskets are you referring to and I will for sure try to find out for you?

[@clarawillis2437]

@@SmallSpaceLiving the basket is the green one ,thanks

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

@@clarawillis2437 My wife says she got them at the Dollar Tree. So even better they should be cheap. lol

[@clarawillis2437]

@@SmallSpaceLiving thanks

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

@@clarawillis2437 No problem at all.

[@mrpatterson81]

Any update on your Harbor Frieght greenhouse?

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Still doing great so far. We have had no major issues. I will say I think you get about 3 to 5 years out of it and the panels will need to get replaced. In our case we are going use plastic wrap instead of panels next time. Hope that helps.

[@na9260]

Collect rain water from those spouts probably.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

100% great for that. We catch 5 gallon buckets and dump them into our bigger water tote.

[@jjr6929]

Year ago..... how's the price change over last two years? It's Sept 2024 and I see it listed at $899 now.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Not 100% sure on the price but that prob sounds about right. I know they run deals from time to time to be able to get it cheaper. I will say if you decide to buy remember you need to sure up the frame inside with wood to make it last. So there is some extra cost. So far though with the upgrades ours has held up good.

[@homesteadingwithsadie]

we have the smaller one , and I find I cant keep the windows clean ,

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

So far we have not had that trouble but it did fold in on the front end with just a little bit of wind. We have since added a brace across the frontend to avoid anything else happening. For sure not the best product. Next time we will build our on. This China stuff aint worth it.

[@AmericanDetection]

Hey I know this guy...What's up my brother!

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

Hey man, how goes it? Lots of changes for me as you can see. Hope all is well with the place in TX. Is this a new channel? You are everywhere. lol

[@BluWaveOdyssey]

You're not messing around. You have a great idea to reinforce the header over the door. You "think" those are tomatoes? They look like something else, don't they? Did Jessica have to put it together for you? I know you have issues with directions, especially when they are in Chinese. All kidding aside, it looks like the two of you have a great thing going there on the homestead.

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

We are getting there man. It slow but stuff is getting done. Yeah this thing is cheap made so more or less building our frame up for when we convert over down the road and using it to support this. lol Yeah them are smoking tomatoes. lol You know Jessica did most of the work. I called it "Women's Work". lol Thanks man. Next time y'all come by we will hook you up with some food and eggs. lol

[@LanceMcCormick]

whazzzzzzup BIll!

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

How goes it man? Been a min. Hope all is well.

[@LanceMcCormick]

@@SmallSpaceLiving Retired March 31st! Sold our Real Estate business. We been running around in RV enjoying early spring along coast.. Heading to Florida next month for couple months. Looks like you never going RVing again! Ha

[@SmallSpaceLiving]

@@LanceMcCormick Congrats on the retirement man. So happy for you. I agree don't waste time and do what you want to do when you can. Glad you are already out and about doing your thing. You are good damn people man and deserve it. Hope FL is great. We love it down there. We will be back at some point I think. It will be a class b though so I can go on my on when I want to go. Congrats again man. Hope you have the time of your life.