Magnum - Assembly Tips <<<< Back Click for Next Step Forward >>>> Foundation / Base Size Build your foundation to size below and the frame will fit perfectly over it. Magnum 8x10 --- 8' 5" x 10' 6" Magnum 8x12 --- 8' 5" x 12' 6.5" Magnum 8x14 --- 8' 5" x 14' 7" The Installation Process is Made up of 4 Steps 1. Building the base 2. Assemble the frame 3. Rubberize the frame 4. Glass the greenhouse (always stand glass on end, do not lay flat) Building the Base You might want to build the frame prior to laying down the wood base, this will give you an opportunity to see how the structure will look at your selected location. The base must be square & level. Using the diagram below, cut the 4” x 6” ground treated timbers to the required lengths. The dimensions are the extreme outside measurements; built to these dimensions the frame of the greenhouse will fit over it. The front door sill hangs over the base, while the other sides fit on top of the base. Once the boards have been cut, join them together to make a solid frame placing the 6” side of the board in the up direction. You will find it is easier to square and level the base as one unit instead of one board at a time. Final leveling and squaring can be done when the greenhouse frame is placed on the base. We suggest leveling your site with gravel, cover entire site with approx 3”. Use the gravel to fill any low spots of site. We recommend 1.5 to 3 yards of gravel depending on site conditions. Use driveway gravel, 5/8” to ¾” in size. Do not use pea gravel, as it is round and will be unstable under foot. Once the site is leveled, construct wood base on top of gravel. Backfill with gravel until base is square and level. Once greenhouse is constructed, cover gravel with groundcover material. We recommend purchasing six 4” x 8” x 8’ timbers. Looking at the figure below (A) you’ll want to measure the thickness of your boards (usually 3.5”) and cut down the 8’ length to give you a total of 101” (usually means cutting 2” off the end boards). Cut the sideboards as desired to equal 126" (Magnum 8x10), 150½" (Magnum 8x12), 175" (Magnum 8x14), then secure together with joiners as in (C) and with 90-degree brackets as in (B). To secure base to ground we recommend driving ½” rebar (on each side) into ground and securing to base with J-nails. Once you are comfortable the greenhouse frame and base are square and level, drill a small hole in each corner of the greenhouse frame. Secure the frame to the base with screws, placing the screw towards the outside edge of the frame. The glass needs to rest on the sill so you don’t want any screws in the way. Once you have finished the installation of the greenhouse you’ll want to go back and place four screws on both sides and one screw in the center of the front and back part of the frame. Assembling the Frame Depending on the weather conditions the greenhouse frame can be assembled away from the actual site then carried to the site when completed. 1. Since all the nuts and bolts are stainless steel we suggest using a hand ratchet with a 10mm socket. Using power tools may strip the threads. 2. Each section is packaged together, only open the section you are working on. 3. The layout and pictures for the frame assembly are viewed from the inside of the greenhouse. The door and vent sections are viewed from the outside. 4. Pieces that can be confused with each other will have a number stamped into the aluminum. 5. Step 5A - Door, pieces 777, 778 & 779 have two holes at the end of each piece. The holes closest to the end should be at the bottom of the door. Rubberize the Frame A roll of glazing material has been provided for glazing the aluminum frame. The purpose of the rubber glazing material is to keep the glass from touching the aluminum. In addition, when the glass is clipped into place it helps seal the greenhouse. Installing the glazing material will go much faster if you measure the pieces that are the same size and pre-cut them. There is enough material included with your greenhouse to cut an extra 3 to 4 inches for each piece. Start at the top of each rib and gently work your way down making sure the material at the top has not slipped down, then cut off the excess (at the bottom). When installing the rubber for the doorframes and side gutters we recommend using a screen roller tool. Glass the Greenhouse Make sure you always stand the glass on its end and not lay it flat. Your greenhouse is provided with tempered glass, which cannot be cut. All glass is custom cut and lettered per the diagram for your greenhouse. Each piece should have a label on it identifying its code letter. If for some reason it is not marked compare to the following: C glass is 18” x 24”, D glass is 22” x 24”, E glass is 24” x 24” F glass is 20” x 24”, G glass is 21” x 24”, H glass is 16 ½” x 24” B glass is shorter than A glass where angle intersects 24” width When working on the sides, the first piece of glass should be placed at the bottom of the greenhouse and work your way to the top of each row. When working on the roof, start at one end using a ladder inside the greenhouse and work your way to the other end. The last row of the roof can be installed from the outside of the greenhouse.
home | site preparation | assembly tips | about us | email us