Here is a brief photo essay of a multipurpose greenhouse we built on our small homestead, total cost around $500. It may cost a little more or less depending on what materials you have lying around or your ability to scavenge for free stuff.
I am by no means skilled at building things, I just try to make things I can use rather than paying someone to do it for me. We were looking at making a cheap pallet based chicken coop and birthing area for our pigs and goats during the winter. We wanted something smaller (around 10'x10') and we had access to lots of pallets. This design is blocked on one side to provide security from our neighbors and the road, but it could be easily modified to have a full greenhouse roof.
We started by clearing a level area and making a pallet wall box with a 2x4 top board that went around the top perimeter of the pallets (If I did this again I would also put 2x4's on the bottom of the pallets so if I had to move it it would be easier):
We used a double compound miter saw to make the roof trusses out of 2x4's and had a roof height near 9'. We needed our neighbor's help to get the framing up and screwed down.
We covered the road facing side of the structure with roofing OSB:
We topped the exterior with corrugated roof panels made out of recycled asphalt that we got from Home Depot:
We used red but they also have other colors available.
For the sun facing side we used a polycarbonate clear twinwall roof panel also from Home Depot:
We framed in a standard 36" wide door for the entrance and used shed grade t-111 style siding that we got for $14 per 4'x8' sheet.
We initially set up the interior for a winter chicken coop,
but we have also used it for birthing pigs and goats later in the winter. In the spring and summer we kick the animals outside and use it for vegetable and plant starts for our garden.
In the future I would like to add a solar powered fan and solar interior lighting but the prices are cost prohibitive for us now.
Have you built anything similar out of pallets to save money on your homestead?
