Building a Greenhouse from Plastic Bottles for Beginners

Pros and cons of a greenhouse

In addition to the availability of "building material", a greenhouse made from plastic bottles has several advantages:

• This type of greenhouse is durable – plastic is much more reliable than regular film and not as fragile as glass;
• a greenhouse built from plastic bottles perfectly transmits sunlight, while simultaneously diffusing direct rays;
• excellent thermal insulation – the bottles used contain an air gap, which helps maintain a constant temperature inside the building;
• Low cost of construction – no need to buy materials, you can easily assemble the required number of bottles in a few months.

A DIY greenhouse made from PET bottles is a successful project in every way, the only real challenge being the lengthy collection period for the "building material": one greenhouse will require between 600 and 2,000 bottles, depending on the size of the structure.

Video: Building a Budget Greenhouse

This video will show you how to build an inexpensive and high-quality greenhouse yourself.

Necessary materials

Before you make your own greenhouse from used plastic bottles, you should stock up on the necessary materials and tools:

• the main building material is bottles;
• wooden beam or mounting slats;
• Necessary tools: hammer, hacksaw, cutter, nails, tape measure, awl, nylon thread.

Construction stages

Building a greenhouse, like any other outbuilding, requires a specific approach. All work is typically carried out step-by-step, from design development to the interior fittings.

Design

Fortunately, building a simple greenhouse doesn't require a complex, detailed design—a simple drawing outlining the structure's dimensions, roof shape, and the spacing of supporting structures is sufficient. After that, an estimate should be drawn up to estimate the costs. Even at this stage, it will be clear that the greenhouse's cost will steadily approach zero.

Another consideration is the foundation. Given the lightweight construction and the minimal weight of the main building material (plastic), it's perfectly possible to do without a foundation.

Frame

Although a bottle greenhouse doesn't require a foundation, its base should still be raised slightly above the ground to reduce humidity. Beams, cinder blocks, or logs are suitable for this purpose.

To construct the frame of the future greenhouse, a foundation must be constructed from thick beams of the chosen shape and size. Support beams are installed on it at approximately 1-meter intervals. After this, the roof frame is assembled, reinforcing the structure with a beam in the middle.

Walls and roof

Once the frame is complete, it's time for the main stage of the work—erecting the greenhouse walls and assembling the roof. To ensure the work goes smoothly, follow a few rules:

• the bottom of the prepared bottles is cut off at the bottom so that they fit tightly on top of each other;
• the bottom of the first row of bottles is not cut off, but the top part is removed - they should be secured through the bottom with nails or screws to the wooden frame;
• Now we just assemble the walls by stringing bottles on top of each other to the desired height;
• Don't forget to "tie" the bottle posts horizontally, securing them with mounting strips or nylon thread.

The roof is assembled using the same principle, but you'll need to work with already assembled posts. To prevent the roof from sagging inward, dense sheathing will be required. To ensure a watertight seal, the roof is covered with an insulating film.

Interior design

When building a bottle greenhouse yourself, don't forget about essential elements like doors (you'll need a way to get inside) and vents (essential for regular ventilation). You can make them from the same wooden beams, attach them to furniture hinges, and cover them with plastic film. That's all there is to it; the greenhouse is completely ready for use.

Operating Rules

You can use the bottle structure just like any other greenhouse: plant seedlings, grow herbs, and vegetables. This greenhouse will easily last for about five years. The only thing you need to do is periodically check the integrity of the roof covering and replace it as needed.