Palram - Canopia 6x4 Greenhouse for Outdoors, Walk-In, UV Polycarbonate Panels, Heavy Duty Aluminum Frame, Lockable Door, Adjustable Roof Vent, Rain Gutters, Galvanized Steel Base, Hybrid (Silver)

The media could not be loaded. Here are my first impressions and setup tips.1. Installation: While some reviews found the assembly challenging, I thought it was pretty simple, just need to be patient and follow directions in order. The directions are similar to IKEA’s, where it’s mostly graphical, with a few notes scattered throughout where more detail is necessary. It’s recommended to have two people working together during installation. I only had 1 issue with the roof bracket instructions. The part number placement did not match the placement depicted by the image. This only cost me about 30 minutes extra since I had to remove 2 roof panels to move the window placement. It was no big deal and was an easy fix.2. Sturdiness: So far, it does seem very sturdy. I placed the green house on 4x6 wood frame surrounded by gravel. Using lag bolts to secure the base frame to the wood. At first, it did not feel sturdy and I started to have doubts, but by the time everything was secured, it actually feels really sturdy. It’s only been up for a couple weeks and we have had a few storms, with high winds; there was no issues what so ever.3. Panels: Panels are very clear and provide plenty of sunlight to come in. The hybrid model has different panels for the roof which also helps trap heat and apparently blocks UV rays. Other reviews say they fly out with high wind. I haven’t experience this yet, and they do feel like the windows are locked in pretty well. However, I will take some extra precautions and use some caulk to try and secure them down, just in case.Tips and recommendations:1. Panels: The corner wall panels were a bit hard to put in, and we got one stuck as we were sliding it in. We found it was way easier to take the corner post out, slide the panels into the corner post, then put the corner back in like it was one piece. While you are building this, walls are not secured and constantly moving, causing some misalignment, which makes it hard to slide the panels in. Putting the corners together as one piece helped tremendously.2. Parts: One major recommendation is to count all parts, separate them and place them in clearly marked bags. We did not have any parts missing. All small parts went into bags and big parts were organized, so all like parts were together. You will have extra parts left over, review directions, it’s marked which parts have extra pieces. As mentioned earlier, we did not have issues with directions, but we followed one page at a time and only got parts that we needed for that page.3. Take your time: It took about 3-4 days to put together, working on it a little bit at a time. It gets very hot in the green house when you get towards the end, so have plenty of water handy if you’re working in the sun.Update: After one season.Well, I now see why other users complained about losing panels. After 1 very strong wind storm, roughly 30+ mile an hour winds, one roof panel came half way off. However, the solution was simple. I made kinda of a net with covered steel cable and clamps. See video, and pic of the final solution. I also added some more caulking near the top of the roof, since that is where the panel came out. Pretty sure this will solve the problem.

This is my first greenhouse. Some parts are tricky. You’ll also need a needle nosed plier and a helper that was an avid child of erector sets and legos. So many nuts and bolts so don’t get a fresh manicure prior to starting. Once done it’s pretty sturdy and roomy enough for me for now at 6x8. My husband built a beautiful deck to put it on. No storms yet but we’ll see. It took about 8 hours. The door at the end was tricky. I’d maybe start there next time.

Prior to purchasing this greenhouse I read many reviews, for this and other greenhouses. I had bought one of those $150 ones last year that has the rip stop plastic covering a plastic tube frame. I had clamped it to a base of pallets and plywood. Despite the harsh winds coming off the field that have torn metal and ripped concrete tie-downs a foot out of the ground with screenhouses and pergolas, my cheap little greenhouse stood firm through the winter. I'm mentioning this for a reason... stay with me. So after less than a year my cheap little greenhouse had thousands of holes eroded in the plastic. I tried ordering a new cover and got a total runaround before eventually they were in backorder. Why spend $150 for less than a year? So late one night I hit BUY and spent a little more on this greenhouse. If it lasts me 3 years it pays for itself.First of all, whoever engineered a full size greenhouse to fit in like a 3'x5'x6" box, hats off to you. It seems the part design is at least partially centered around fitting in the box. You will also marvel at what you pulled out of a box the size of a party cupcake pack from Sams Club. Once together, it's a bit of a masterpiece of aluminum and plastic interlocking pieces.The reviewers mentioned taking your time, and that is key. There are no words - instructions are pictoral and the devil is in the details. It's sorta like one of those "can you spot it?" puzzles when you have to study the picture for the slightest of clues of what's hidden inside. I was all excited when I read a review on how one woman constructed it in less than a day when others said it took two people a couple days. But clearly, unless you are assembling this for the 10th time, slow down. He who finishes first loses here. I'm just one 51-year-old short lady and it took me 3 good afternoons into evenings after work to assemble. Full disclosure: I am very comfortable with construction but also yeah I may have been slightly pokey after working all day. It was an additional Sunday afternoon to build and level a nice solid base out of plywood and pt lumber (make sure you get ground contact lumber). The 1st day included 2 hours to unpack the parts, count them and place them in numeric order, read thru the directions.Another excellent tip: all nuts/bolts should be 75% tightened unless they tell you otherwise. Exceptions would be when marrying two pieces together to create one long piece such as the roof ridge. When you are completely done, tighten everything. Make sure your diagonal cross bracing is especially loose.Biggest tip: tie it down. With my high winds, I couldn't do enough. I screwed through the holes in the base into the plywood. Additionally, I bought their tie down kit. The cable on the kit is pretty thin and the ground anchors are completely inadequate (I yanked them up easily by hand) but the other pieces are proprietary and good to have. If you study the tie down kit you can come up with your own pieces I'm sure. I kept the kit and just used thicker cable I had on hand, cement, thick eyebolts. The reason I think my cheap little greenhouse didn't budge in the wind is I left no orifices for the wind to take hold. So a solid heavy base, matched by closing the window and door at night and with any wind, will make your tie downs effective. Or so I hope.... if this thing goes with literally thousands of seeds planted in it I may lose my mind.Some miscellaneous tips: predrill your holes for the couple steps when you are supposed to drive a self-tapping screw thru the aluminum rod and into the connecting aluminum piece. Next, jerry rig the top window with more substantial supports or the wind will take that right away. And finally those silly little gray plastic spacers that go on top of plastic side panels, and to some extent the roof panels, made me insane. Mine kept popping off, refusing to go on despite figuring out this may be a good use for the wd40 they recommend in the beginning. I was intent in getting them perfectly placed and flush and really I don't think it matters as long as they are superficially on there and pinned in place. I had cut myself multiple times over the course of a good hour fighting with them, had blood all over the panels like a murder had taken place. Yes the rain washed it off. But that may also be why they suggested work gloves in the beginning.All in all, this will seem like a completely cheap kit when you unpack it. But if carefully put together and secured, you have a greenhouse that may last. In the end, I'm pretty sure I could've built a cabin easier than this greenhouse (unless that cabin kit was to come in a 3x5 box). But hey I'm not afraid to say it... I'm proud of what I built and you will be too!!I am adding onto my review after having owned the greenhouse almost 3 years. It is still as sturdy as when set up, no wear or discoloration on the plastic. A huge tip: if you live in a cold climate like I do, be prepared to use a space heater most nights. You will get frost inside the greenhouse and the freezing temps will prevent your seeds from growing. A bit of a bummer that you will be using so much electricity but nobody ever said gardening was a cheap hobby!