A Lesson in Due Diligence

Months of greenhouse product comparisons. Extensive research on the benefits and disadvantages of various types of greenhouse frame and glazing materials. Greenhouse kit vs. new construction. How much to spend. What design will work best on our property, and for our growing needs?

No one would blame greenhouse owners like Rosemarie DiGiorgio and her husband Dan for so carefully considering these important elements before making their selection. That’s the due diligence that any prudent consumer should employ in this case. And since greenhouse costs can run well into the five figures - and even beyond in some cases - it’s no trifling decision, either.

Now, we’ve found that most of our greenhouse customers are like Rosemarie and Dan in conducting this same level of ‘due diligence’ before buying. 

 

By the time greenhouse customers  contact us, they’re usually already well informed about greenhouse frame and glazing materials, pros & cons of greenhouse kits, price ranges, and can choose one of our cedar-framed greenhouse designs based solely on photos and videos of examples we’ve built, along with an on-site consultation where we carefully scout the ideal location for the greenhouse, answer specific questions, clarify details, etc. 

(click here if YOU'D like to see photos of some of our cedar-framed greenhouses.)

We even bring small samples of our rough-sawn red cedar framing lumber and polycarbonate glazing to our on-site visits, to help further illustrate how our cedar-framed greenhouses are unique.

Rosemarie and Dan were interested in a greenhouse about 8’x10’ in the backyard of their home in Greensboro, and with a few clicks, we emailed them links to photos of many cedar-framed greenhouses we’ve built, ranging in size from 8’x8’ to 8’x12’. 

In a follow up phone call, we explained in more detail about the features that set our greenhouses apart ;  the sturdy, red cedar frame, durable twin-wall polycarbonate glazing, automated roof vent windows, base built with red cedar timbers and filled with decorative pebbles. 

 

And of course, this phone call was also the time to explain our construction process in more detail ; the way we craft greenhouse walls and roof sections in our Charlotte workshop - assembling and ‘dry fitting’ each structure there first, to ensure a smooth and efficient reassembly later, at the customer’s home.

The many cedar-framed greenhouse example photos and videos made a favorable impression on the couple. And the phone conversation fully clarified all the small, but important details that can’t be gleaned from the photos and videos. 

We had even decided on a size and design for their greenhouse ; an 8’x10’ gable structure. 

But this prudent, and thorough couple just needed one more thing to pull the trigger ; Instead of the standard, on-site visit at their home, they wanted to see one of our cedar-framed greenhouses in person.

Now, this is an easy enough request to accommodate as we have plenty of greenhouse examples for prospective customers to visit ; it’s just that most of them are in the Charlotte area. 

We didn’t have any greenhouse projects in Greensboro for then couple to visit in person.

But we did have a 10’x12’ cedar-framed greenhouse project in the final stages of completion, just outside of Charlotte, not far from I-85.

The couple quickly accepted our offer to see this project in person, gladly making the hour and a half drive to tour an active worksite, meet our team face to face, and see the finished product take shape. We were happy to make arrangements for their visit to the work site, and we were now beyond impressed with the couple’s patience and careful due diligence before purchasing their greenhouse.

With all of the details of their site visit prearranged, the couple arrived on the appointed day and time to find our team installing and sealing the cedar trim on the 10’x12’ greenhouse’s seams, and installing the roof vent windows with automated vent window openers. 

About fifteen minutes after their scheduled arrival time, the phone rang here at the Microfarm.

In an excited tone of voice that said much more than the words themselves, Rosemarie eagerly placed her order for an 8’x10’ cedar-framed greenhouse - right there from the worksite, as she and Dan watched the Microfarm team in motion. 

Rosemarie and Dan selected the same 8mm, clear, twin-wall polycarbonate glazing that had been installed on the 10’x12’ greenhouse, along with four automated roof vent windows and a single 36”-wide hinged entry door. And just like the 10’x12’ structure they saw nearing completion, the couple also requested a base made with red cedar timbers and filled with decorative pebbles.

This simple and attractive greenhouse base/floor design is our first choice, as it has several major benefits over a concrete slab greenhouse floor.

-Water drains down through a pebble floor anywhere inside the structure ; there’s never a chance of a drain clogging up. 

-A decorative pebble floor is easier to install, costs less, and is more attractive than concrete.

-There’s less chance of slipping and falling on a pebble floor than on a concrete slab ; greenhouses floors make with concrete frequently become slippery, especially if the slab isn’t poured correctly and the floor doesn’t drain properly.