Finished building our Bellerose Greenhouse about a month ago. Spectacularly well thought out product. I was consistently impressed with the thoughtful detail that went into this. I cannot say enough good things. To make this review useful, i will talk about the challenges i had... this does not make this a negative review, but helps others building theirs to anticipate and avoid problems.
We oiled all the wood first - this was 2-3 days worth of work - i stickered it to dry and then laid all the wood out on 5 tarps - there are a LOT of pieces.
Get a big table (or two) to lay all the hardware out on in numerical order (there are over a thousand hardware bits that go into this - if you are not organized you will waste a lot of time searching) - for often used screw and washer sizes small containers make life easier. They GENEROUSLY include all sorts of drill bits and tools (including a 90 degree bit adapter that i only discovered after i bought one to complete the job ;)... the instructions do not note when they have included the tool you need (simple fix for Backyard Discovery)
As noted in other reviews the blue protective film on metal parts is a PAIN IN THE BUTT to remove - i did it in front of the TV at night and it took several episodes and left my fingers raw. I did have one part that was improperly bent. They sent a replacement which was also incorrect so i clamped it between two boards and used c-clamps to "tighten" the channel (it should have been a U and it was a V which caused the piece to not lay flat and be a dirt collector - easy fix... but something that should be corrected on BD end of things)
Plastic protective window film being pinched between parts was noted by someone else. Where i assembled the parts i peeled the film back an inch before putting on channels this let me keep the protection but not have to deal with the pinch. Pre assembled panels were tricky, but mostly with pressure and careful peeling you could get it out. Sometimes an exacto was required and in a few small areas i still have a bit of film that i simply could not get out. No one will ever notice but me and a month later i don't even know if i could find it back.
For 99% of this the fit was absolutely wonderful. Better than i would have imagined possible with wood (which warps, twists and has a mind of its own...). A few of the lap joints on the roof were proud (not cut deep enough so that the wood did not lay flat). I used a chisel on these to remove a bit more wood and get a proper fit (otherwise there would have been a bump which would bend the channel that you have to slide the roof panels through).
One notable challenge was inserting the roof panels. The rafters are secured in several steps before the roof panels are inserted. At some point a few of my rafters were tooo close together to make it possible to insert the panel. I tired loosening the rafters but there were secured too many times. In the end reversing a bar clamp to be used as a spreader proved to be the perfect and super easy solution... If you take one thing away from this review, let it be this. When you get to this step you will thank me ;)
This thing is a LOT to put together. For the most part it is a one person job... but it helps to have an assistant to pull parts and hardware. My 12 yr old daughter LOVED this job and made my life SUPER easy! There are only a few times when it is necessary to have two adults to attach larger sections together. That being said, for all the work, it was a joy. Thoughtful and well constructed at every turn it was a pleasure to assemble.
I cannot recommend this greenhouse enough. The hardest part was the level spot in our hilltop yard ;) Once we had the foundation the Greenhouse went up like a dream!
Customer reviews for Backyard Discovery 11'x7' Traditional Cedar Greenhouse - DIY for
