If you’ve ever looked into getting an inexpensive residential greenhouse, then you have almost certainly come across the One Stop Gardens 6 Ft. X 8 Ft. Greenhouse. Available exclusively though Harbor Freight, they are loved by many for their simple, sturdy, long-lasting design. With nearly a thousand reviews from over a decade though, you’ll also find that they are equally hated for their notoriously obscure assembly instructions.
Still, you can’t beat the price for an aluminum frame, polycarbonate panel greenhouse. After considering several options, I bought one for Ames as a Mother’s Day present back in May. I had read quite a few reviews and DIY tips, so I planned a day off of work for the build, and I’m glad I did.
The structure itself is pretty light, so to give it a solid foundation, and a little more interior height, I built a base out of pressure treated 2x10s to attach it to. For the frame build, I would have failed many times over if it were not for this step-by-step video:
There are many places in the assembly manual where the orientation of the pieces, direction of fasteners, or method of attachment is unclear. Rather than watching the video on my phone, I actually brought out a laptop so I could watch each step in more detail. Once the frame was built, mounting the clear panels was pretty straightforward after I got a couple done. The metal clips can fly far if you don’t get them secured just right, so I almost lost a few until I got the hang of it.
Our greenhouse sat empty through the Summer, growing only lush grass in the rock bed while we considered what to do for shelving. After pulling out all the weeds, I leveled the rocks a bit and stapled in a layer of landscape fabric. I found some half pallets on the side of the road and decided to see what I could do with them. I cut 3 of the pallets down, and turned them so that the 2x4s were standing up to form 6 legs, screwing them into the 2x10s to form a steady, level base. Then, I put 2 pallets on top, end-to-end on each side. They fit perfectly, forming a nice, moisture resistant table top.
I’m really happy with how it turned out and excited to have a place (that isn’t our living room) for our potted plants and succulents to thrive through the winter months.
Thank you. This was very helpful. It also addressed the lack of head room that was keeping me from buying this one.
Super cool, and great idea with the 2×10 at the bottom.