Grand Hideaway Home
Reasons to Buy
Price & Specifications
Assembly
FAQs

1. What are the different kinds of greenhouses available in the Grand Hideaway™ series?
   Freestanding or lean-to.
   Which type is best?
   That depends on a number of things, including aesthetics, available space and how the greenhouse will be used. Both styles can be attached to the home for easy access in winter months but may limit you as to where it can be placed. Freestanding models offer more flexibility and can be positioned for optimal lighting.

2. How big should my greenhouse be?
   The size of your greenhouse will be determined by the available space you have in your yard, or the space available for attaching a greenhouse. Our customers will encourage you to build your greenhouse as large as your space and budget will allow as they find that once you know the thrill of greenhouse gardening you will find you can outgrow a small greenhouse quickly. The Grand Hideaway™ series offers 3 standard lean-to widths and 4 standard freestanding widths. Your greenhouse can be any length you desire starting at 10’ and increasing in 30 1/2” increments.

3. Can I enlarge my greenhouse at a later time?
   Yes, you can add to the length of your greenhouse as long as you have at least one gable end free to expand.

4. What are the basic design choices?
   Glass to ground or glass to wall models are standard for the Grand Hideaway™. Glass to ground models are less expensive to build because less concrete is needed than with a wall model. The wall models have other advantages: wall models can be adapted into existing architecture, they provide better insulating qualities in cold climates and they hide the bottom of the greenhouse benches from the outside.

5. Where’s the best location for my greenhouse?
   Lean-to models will depend on the design of your home and where a greenhouse will look best and fit appropriately. If you will be using your greenhouse house for growing plants, you’ll want to consider exposure to the sun. The preferred exposure is southern, followed by southeastern, southwestern eastern and western. You want to choose an area that gets 6-8 hours of sunlight per day or you can consider supplementing the lighting with grow lights. Freestanding models are not as affected by directional exposure since all walls are glazed. It can be helpful to have a natural windbreak on the north side to reduce heating costs and strategically located deciduous trees on the south can provide some necessary shading in the summer and allow full sunlight in the winter.

6. What glazing options do I have?
   The Grand Hideaway™ comes standard with 1/8” clear tempered glass. 1/8” bronze tinted glass is available on all models. Straight eave models are also available with 8mm hi-clarity polycarbonate or mirrored glass.

7. What are the differences between glass and polycarbonate?
   Clear glass gives you the best light transmission and is the closest to growing outdoors, it won’t deteriorate over time from the elements and is aesthetically the most pleasing for a residential application. Polycarbonate is 200 times stronger that single pane glass, it gives you an 82% light transmission but over time will deteriorate from the elements and perhaps need to be replaced. Polycarbonate is only available for the straight eave houses.

8. Should I buy a greenhouse or a solarium?
   The name greenhouse is often used interchangeably with solarium or sunroom. The question you want to ask yourself is: How will the structure we used? The Grand Hideaway™ greenhouses is perfect choice as a hobby greenhouse, as an enclosure for pools, spas or hot tubs or as an enclosure for patio or outdoor furniture.

9. How do you recommend heating the greenhouse for year round use?
   A separate heat source is your best choice for maintaining a consistent temperature in your greenhouse during the winter month. We offer several different choices for you to consider available in the accessory section of this website.

10. Will I need additional cooling equipment in the greenhouse?
    Your Grand Hideaway™ comes standard with a row of thermostatically controlled roof vents and if you have one or more doors in your greenhouse you have the advantage of a self-storing screen for cross ventilation. It is possible that you will need additional equipment to keep your greenhouse from overheating. Some of your choices to avoid overheating are: exterior shading, exhaust fan/intake, evaporative cooling, or awning windows.

11. What kind of foundation is needed?
    The type of foundation required depends on the greenhouse style and the climate. Glass to ground models may be built on a slab or grade beam. If the greenhouse is constructed in areas where the ground freezes during the winter, and the greenhouse is covered with glass, a foundation that reaches below the frost line is required. The depth may range from as little as eight inches to as much as four or five feet below ground. If the footing is too shallow, the ground below may freeze and heave, cracking both the footing and the greenhouse. The general rule is that the footing should be twice the width of wall and since we require a minimum of an eight-inch foundation, the footing must be 16 inches wide.

12. What type of floor should I have in the greenhouse?
    This depends on how you will use your structure but if you are using it as a hobby greenhouse then you can consider several choices: concrete, dirt, wood boards, gravel or brick. Most of our customer prefer a combination of brick and gravel. The gravel is used under the benches and the brick works well in the walkways.

Grand Hideaway Home  •  Reasons to Buy  •  Price & Specifications  •  Assembly  •  FAQs