Dog kennels can be transformed into greenhouses.
Greenhouses are an excellent way to extend your gardening season and save money on produce. Unfortunately, the upfront cost associated with buying a greenhouse kit can significantly eat into those potential savings. By building your greenhouse out of new or reclaimed wire dog kennel panels, you can reduce the cost by hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Not only is a dog kennel greenhouse relatively inexpensive, but most of the work has already been done for you. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Get four pre-assembled modular dog kennel panels. There are many sizes of wire kennels available so choose one based on the dimensions you would prefer for your greenhouse. If you decide to build a greenhouse that is wider than 3 feet then you will also want to buy a fifth roof panel.
2. Assemble the kennel. Join two panels to form a 90-degree angle and fasten them together with saddle clamps (or other hardware included with the kennel). Add the third and fourth panels to form a box and then clamp the roof panel on the top, if needed.
3. Build a raised garden bed. Take the interior measurements of your assembled kennel and cut four rot-resistant 2-inch-by-8-inch boards to fit. Use 4-inch-by-4 inch posts cut to size as the corners of your bed and screw your sides into them. Put down plastic or weed mat to reduce weeds in your greenhouse. Lift the kennel and place it over the raised bed.
4. Frame out the inside of the kennel. Attach 2-inch-by-4-inch boards to the inside length of each edge of each panel (including the roof) using U nails or utility stapes. Add additional framing boards every 3 feet inside each panel. If you do not have a roof panel then frame out roof supports by attaching them to the side frames.
5. Spread greenhouse plastic across each panel and attach it to the framing boards with utility staples. Add a staple every 4 inches or as needed to ensure that the plastic is taut and firmly attached to the boards. Wrap plastic around all corners of the kennel to make sure there are no major air leaks. If you do not have a wire roof panel then pull the greenhouse plastic tight across the top so that rain cannot collect there. Make sure there is a break in the plastic around your entrance to the greenhouse.
Tags: roof panel, each panel, your greenhouse, framing boards, greenhouse plastic, kennel panels
