Names such as Alton Greenhouses, C.H Whitehouse Greenhouses, Halls, Edgell and Pratten are just a few of the many companies that over 100 yesrs have produced these structures and many are still working decades later.  They do however suffer with time and the elements. Whilst Cedar is resillient it is not immune to rot or insect damage as some think. So what happens when issues start to occur. Left unattended the frames will fail and the glass will break. We see many attempted repairs and applications of wood filler and hardener but these are just stop gaps measures....

We specailise in restoring these structures back to as near original as when they were first erected. It. Many a building the owner has felt was beyond repair  with rotting and collapsing frames only to be amazed when we return it a few weeks later looking like new.

See below how we can dismantle and fully repair / restore your old greenhouse frame back to as near new condition including glass and standard internal fittings. Before returning to site and re-erecting.

Please note we are a not a glazier service and do not offer a glass replacement service.

For broken glass please contact your local glazing specialist.

Equally we do not supply, make or retail any individual components, frames or parts for greenhouses, Our service is based on a whole greenhouse restoration service.

We can take down an old Tired and rotting Alton Greenhouse then repair and restore it back to its original condition in less time and far less money than you can normally get a new one for.

IThe above is the same greenhouse, photographed over 14 days before and after the pictures were taken.

• Every rotted piece of timber was replaced.
• All Timber was striped back to expose clean wood.
• Every screw, nail, bolt & hinge was replaced as required.
• The non working auto vents were repaired.
• all the broken glass was replaced
• The whole frame was treated with a spirit based wood treatment.Then Finished in two coats of a finishing oil.
• Time on site 3-4 hrs to take away and 5-6 hours to re-erect, total time for restoration  is typically 14 working days  (this is only a guide)
• For most small commercial greenhouses we can generally travel up to 100 miles, even  to 120 miles at maximum and still complete the work, more than this is not practical. and often provide free quotes based on suppied photographs of the structure. 
• we can take down and restore most commercial timber free standing fully glazed and part timbered greenhouses. Dwarf brick wall styles can be restored but because of the extra issue of the brick wall are considered on a case by case basis.
• We unfortunately do not make spare parts for mail order for Alton greenhouse 
• We can usually work from good pictures of the greenhouse we ask that you send over and can get a quote back over in 5-7 working days assuming that the material suppliers have stock and we can offer a service.

We have completed many in al sizes, shapes and age.

AS TO WHY RESTORE AND NOT BUY A NEW ONE CONSIDER, most Alton Amateur greenhouses for example are at least 15 to 20 years and many far older before they develop issues. (We have worked on some well over 70 years old.) However because of the way the building is created with its sloping walls, it is naturally very strong. They can easily stand in exposed gardens battered by gale force wind, rain, snow and endure blistering summers. Many customers speak about the great storm and how there greenhouse survived when other aluminum models were destroyed They are perhaps the most succesful greenhouse design ever created, far better in design than most of their replacements.

      Their failure is sometimes in the quality of the material used when built or just down to working hard  in our UK wet climate and its repair / restoration along with treating all the original frame will once again produces a very strong and resilient greenhouse.  WE DO NOT CUT CORNERS ... Every piece of the greenhouse is taken apart and cleaned repaired or replaced...we call it a 'stick by stick restoration.

Thus avoiding first the cost and time required in disposal of the old greenhouse, then potentially creation of a new foundation. It will once again look pleasing and continues to fulllfill the purpose it was intended with little additional impact on the environemnt. 

 if you factor in all the costs then restoring your old greenhouse makes sense.

Covering the South Coast and home counties we can usually travel to 100 miles to collect a greenhouse. Distances over this are often not cost effective.

Note all prices shown are correct at the date shown but prices will vary with time.

Of course in some cases the original company may have gone out of business and so a replacement may be more challenging as with this unusual C H Whitehouse 'Hexa-Light' Greenhouse but we still aim to get them back in service.

The 'hexa-Light' was a hexagonal greenhouse made by C H Whitehouse, This one is about 35 years old and was in serious need of attention. Frames were completed rotted through and glass was literally falling out. but 10 days later it was back as original and ready to provide for the home owner once again. The company ceased trading in 2011 so a replacement to fit the extensive foundation built on a steeply sloping site was no longer readily available.

It helped that the client had regularily painted his greenhouse  and all glass was intact. A new greenhouse including removal of the old one, delivery and erection of the new one was costed by the client at over £3500. We completed the work for less than £2100 quicker than they could even deliver a replacement. (work undertaken March 2018)

Here is the clients reaction

Every now and again you get to work on a project that means much more than just a greenhouse.

We recently restored a 16ft by 10ft Alton amateur purchased in 1972 by a family. Purchased after the loss of a family member the greenhouse had been moved from Sussex to cornwall and back via ashort stay in Dorset. 50 Years old and showing the signs of age we restored it back to as original and to see the family visit the greenhouse and their reaction was truly moving. But 50 years on the greenhouse lives on to support a remarkable family again.

There are two principal timbers used in comercially produced greenhouses. Cedar which is a very resilient timber and Redwood which is a very hard timber from the pine family. Nowadays you will also see Spruce and thermowood being touted but some caution needs to be exercised when considering buying a greenhouse made from these materials. 

The most common issue is that as wood ages it is exposed to fungal decay or is attacked by insects. Most people assume that cedar is rot resistant but this is not true. As it ages the resistance is lost and if not replaced it will decay. Redwood although very strong needs to be protected otherwise the rot will take a hold and destroy your precious greenhouse.

The issue with some modern greenhouses and garden buildings is that they are produced using material that is a cheaper alternatives to the above. However to work even moderately well they require extreme care in production otherwise they have very little resistant to the elements. Thermowood for example CANNOT be used within 200mm or 8 inches of the ground but you can buy a greenhouse made with it where it is taken to ground level. Spruce which must to be pressure treated for external use if cut needs to be retreated as the treatment is in the form of a shell so any break of this such as a joint or cut destroys the protective surface and again it will rot and very quickly.  Never buy a building for the garden made from Spruce that is untreated...no amount of paint or preserver will protect it from rot and with the arrival of the European Spruce beetle in the south east its lavae will eat through it in no time.

Sometimes the failures are through poor maintenance and age but in some cases the issues are as a result of the way the greenhouse was built in the first place. The market place for wooden greenhouses is very competitive and manufacturers are constantly looking to cut cost to make the product affordable and protect profit margins. Inevitably these 'cuts' will impact on the durability of the greenhouse.

It goes without saying that you should look to buy the best greenhouse that you can afford. Be wary because there are lots of makers with 'interesting' claims about there product.

It should be said that ALL the greenhouses that supplied the images above were restored back to as new again. Some took more work but they all went on to continue their role in the owners garden.

We think so..         

Any timber building can be repaired or restored. Timber is environmentally friendly and its use doesn't create or add to polution. 

         Old timber tends to be slow grown and seasoned naturally over many years, Old timber greenhouses tend to be made from higher grades of timber than some of the more commonly produced one today. 

         The reality is that the frame may be rotted in places but most of the glass is intact and the timber can be replaced and repaired.

         Consider that a new 10 foot by  8 foot cedar greenhouse today at its cheapest will be around £5000 with benches and shelves at £350 and erection at another £500+ The disposal of the old greenhouse costing a few hundred pounds with most of the material going to landfill (most councils do not salvage glass sheets at waste tips) You will be looking to spend around £6000 to £6500.  We have always been thousands of pounds cheaper than this and your greenhouse will be like new again. Plus we can normally do it quicker than you can get a replacement erected

        of course you could pay to have it removed and install one of the many aluminum framed greenhouses now produced. At the flimsy budget end we are looking at £800 - £1000 and they are certainly not comparable in looks and style to a timber greenhouse. Of course there are better quality aluminium frames and for a good quality make with a powdered coated frame you are more likely to spend £2500 to £4000 to replace it. We can often match even this price point.

    What we ask is that you look again at your old greenhouse and consider that It can restored

Obviosly there are many factors in determining cost, Such as distance travelled, how much repair is required and if any changes are to be made. We often work from supplied photographs butr can come and see the 'patient' and always aim to give a fixed quotation. As a guilde here are just a few of the one we have done 

There are many sites on the internet that say that after a while it isn't commercially viable to repair a timber greenhouse - most of these site also happen to sell new greenhouses, we don't take this stance and yes we do make greenhouses. 

              Most importanty it was ALWAYS cheaper than buying a new one if we don't believe that is the best course of action we will say so.

Here are just a small selection of some of the greenhouses we have brought back to life and what the client made of the experience.

This Client had tried four other companies who all said it was beyond repair...... It is a very large example of a C H Whitehouse greenhouse .

Inherited with a house purchase, The building was leaning so badly that the client refused to go into it.

However it was restored back to its original condition and even relocated in the garden.

The Clients Reaction:

Everybody else said it was beyond repair, we are so glad we found you, just to go inside and feel the warmth and space is special and the smell is amazing.

The clients reaction:

When you said it would look like new i thought that was a bold claim...

                   but it has to be said you lived up to that claim.

This Very old greenhouse had stood at the edge of a wind swept field for years The glass gradually being stripped off by the wind. Destined for the waste tip.......could we save it?

Of course we did,  plus The client wanted it to be moved into a new more exposed location and asked for a system that allowed them to easily change glass should it break. The solution was that we installed the glass with custom made hardwood blocks to clamp it in place these can be simply unscrewed to remove a pane of glass.

     Here the client had thoughtfully collected glass from other greenhouses and also supplied reclaimed oak boards that were used in the base. 

Some would have simply walked away but you actually seemd to relish the challenge. It has been on this site since before our time and now will go on for many years to come. I actually have friends with 'greenhouse envy.'

The clients reactions:

 greenhouse 1 : Who would have guessed that hidden in that derelict pile of wood was such a beautiful greenhouse.

Greenhouse 2 : I have always wanted a timber greenhouse, it was a small part of the reason we purchased the house. I just love my restored building and the neighbours still can't believe its the same building.