You’ll get more food from it, faster, by turning it into a chicken run.
norcalifornyeah
On the cheap? Plastic sheeting. You’re going to have to figure out a way to keep the snow off to prevent collapse.
hucklepig
Clear tarp is the cheapest
kisielk
Step 1: Remove kennel
Step 2: Build greenhouse
bungpeice
Yes buy plastic or if you think you can do it for cheaper pull the chain link and use old windows
CrackaTooCold
Knowing the amount of said budget would help
saxmaster98
You could try getting some 15-20 mil plastic tarps to cover everything. Depending on your location, you most likely would only use a “greenhouse” for seed starting and then replant outside. If your location’s climate permits that, I’d sell the kennel and get something [like this](https://a.co/d/40ncD4x) or [like this](https://a.co/d/6MyCO9z) would be more cost effective and less of a hassle.
MainelyKahnt
Plastic sheeting as others have said. When it’s nicer out of take whatever roof you built for it off and finish building an actual greenhouse with it. Then use the kennel for beans or other climbers like grapes and hops.
Misfitranchgoats
get some gray plastic conduit. Use that to make arches that you fasten to the top of the kennel. Then you gets some plastic sheeting if you want it to last longer, get the green house plastic sheeting that is rated for 5 years or more. Cover it with the plastic. You can get snap clamps that will allow you to snap over the sheet plastic and onto the conduit. Or if you want to really do it cheap, get some old garden hose, cut the hose into five or six in pieces then cut a slit in one side of the small pieces of garden hose. Then you put that over the plastic sheeting and onto the plastic conduit. You could use plastic wire ties to attach the plastic sheeting to the metal pipe on the dog kennel. You can use pipe insulation on the metal pipes around the door so it will seal better.
good luck
mtvmama
Find old windows. Habitat for Humanity Restore or used construction materials store. Or used glass doors.
Grumpyoldgit1958
Dog kennels are normally built in a shaded area as you don’t want your dogs getting sun stroke, so might not be the best location for a greenhouse / poly tunnel type building. Need a place with good weather/ sun exposure
RightyTightey
Electrical conduit to make hoops over the top. Zip ties and poly sheet the whole thing. Maybe some pallets for the lower portion of the walls.
gd2bpaid
I would use PVC pipes bent into arches and secured into place for holding the roofing material. For that I would use 6 mil plastic sheeting or thicker for your walls and roof. Also read up on how to grow in a greenhouse. It is a little different that out door gardening.
82LeadMan
Go get some painter plastic throw sheets and drape it over. Then put a post in the middle so it sheds water. Cheap and easy.
hallese
Start finding when houses are going to be demolished in your area and offer the owners 50 bucks for the windows.
Blagnet
Absolutely! So long as you don’t have much wind, some plastic sheeting and some zip ties will make that a greenhouse in a hurry. Plastic sheeting needs to come down for the winter.
If you look into old windows, keep in mind that they are almost always painted with lead paint, sometimes 25-50% lead oxide, which is real bad news. Lead made paint more durable, but also more expensive, so lead paint was generally only used in places that needed extra-durable paint, like trim, doors, windows, bathrooms, and exteriors. Basically, lead paint was used in all the places where paint was most likely to chip and turn into powder, which… yeah, bad news.
BioelectricSolutions
Painters plastic! Go to big lots they’re fairly cheap. Extremely durable too. And for the size you could do two of these!
ElderberryOk469
Tractor supply has 4mil plastic sheeting for under 30 bucks.
Lhtripper
PVC hoops and some 5 mil plastic sheeting and you got a greenhouse on a budget!
ArthurBurtonMorgan
Put it on Craigslist or Facebook for an even trade.
Those things are close to $1,000 in the 12’x12’ size range.
3006mv
PVC hoop pipe!!
OakParkCooperative
I buy greenhouse plastic (can be had on amazon) and wrap it around the kennel.
I use ropes on outside to secure it down but wiggle wire is a cleaner option.
Make sure there’s a trestle or arch to make sure rain/snow runs off.
Sempergrumpy441
Saran wrap. Boom.
Chaghatai
You can build a greenhouse around it, but that structure does not give you any advantage or leg up in creating a greenhouse
It’s not suitable for attaching polycarbonate or plastic to, and you would still need to build a roof, and it doesn’t lend itself to having structure added onto it like that
So by the time you add enough support with either wood or metal parts, you’ll have basically built another greenhouse around it
Bornstellar_Eternal
PVC pipe, 90° elbows, plastic sheeting, some trim boards and a staple gun would get you a long way. Make sure to leave a flap you can open for ventilation / cross flow.
babylon331
PVC pipe across the top. I bought a huge roll of heavy plastic from Home depot quite a while back. I don’t remember it being terribly expensive. I made a ‘hoop-house’ over one of my bigger raised beds with the PVC & plastic. It worked great and lasted 2 years in AZ.
man-a-tree
If I were you I’d get a few big sheets of uv resistant greenhouse plastic over some pvc arches that attach to the kennel. Without the uv resistance, you’d probably only get a year or two of use. The sheets can be long enough to reach the ground on either side and held tight with sandbags or logs and greenhouse pvc clamps. You’d have to cut the front and back walls separately. Greenhouse megastore and Johnny’s seeds are good sources
Halfbaked9
Wrap inside and outside of kennel with plastic. You can get plastic sheeting at any big box hardware store.
It may last for a couple of seasons.
Best thing is to just invest in a green house. I’m sure there are videos on YouTube to show you how to build one.
31 Comments
Clear Vinyl sheeting perhaps?
You’ll get more food from it, faster, by turning it into a chicken run.
On the cheap? Plastic sheeting. You’re going to have to figure out a way to keep the snow off to prevent collapse.
Clear tarp is the cheapest
Step 1: Remove kennel
Step 2: Build greenhouse
Yes buy plastic or if you think you can do it for cheaper pull the chain link and use old windows
Knowing the amount of said budget would help
You could try getting some 15-20 mil plastic tarps to cover everything. Depending on your location, you most likely would only use a “greenhouse” for seed starting and then replant outside. If your location’s climate permits that, I’d sell the kennel and get something [like this](https://a.co/d/40ncD4x) or [like this](https://a.co/d/6MyCO9z) would be more cost effective and less of a hassle.
Plastic sheeting as others have said. When it’s nicer out of take whatever roof you built for it off and finish building an actual greenhouse with it. Then use the kennel for beans or other climbers like grapes and hops.
get some gray plastic conduit. Use that to make arches that you fasten to the top of the kennel. Then you gets some plastic sheeting if you want it to last longer, get the green house plastic sheeting that is rated for 5 years or more. Cover it with the plastic. You can get snap clamps that will allow you to snap over the sheet plastic and onto the conduit. Or if you want to really do it cheap, get some old garden hose, cut the hose into five or six in pieces then cut a slit in one side of the small pieces of garden hose. Then you put that over the plastic sheeting and onto the plastic conduit. You could use plastic wire ties to attach the plastic sheeting to the metal pipe on the dog kennel. You can use pipe insulation on the metal pipes around the door so it will seal better.
good luck
Find old windows. Habitat for Humanity Restore or used construction materials store. Or used glass doors.
Dog kennels are normally built in a shaded area as you don’t want your dogs getting sun stroke, so might not be the best location for a greenhouse / poly tunnel type building. Need a place with good weather/ sun exposure
Electrical conduit to make hoops over the top. Zip ties and poly sheet the whole thing. Maybe some pallets for the lower portion of the walls.
I would use PVC pipes bent into arches and secured into place for holding the roofing material. For that I would use 6 mil plastic sheeting or thicker for your walls and roof. Also read up on how to grow in a greenhouse. It is a little different that out door gardening.
Go get some painter plastic throw sheets and drape it over. Then put a post in the middle so it sheds water. Cheap and easy.
Start finding when houses are going to be demolished in your area and offer the owners 50 bucks for the windows.
Absolutely! So long as you don’t have much wind, some plastic sheeting and some zip ties will make that a greenhouse in a hurry. Plastic sheeting needs to come down for the winter.
If you look into old windows, keep in mind that they are almost always painted with lead paint, sometimes 25-50% lead oxide, which is real bad news. Lead made paint more durable, but also more expensive, so lead paint was generally only used in places that needed extra-durable paint, like trim, doors, windows, bathrooms, and exteriors. Basically, lead paint was used in all the places where paint was most likely to chip and turn into powder, which… yeah, bad news.
Painters plastic! Go to big lots they’re fairly cheap. Extremely durable too. And for the size you could do two of these!
Tractor supply has 4mil plastic sheeting for under 30 bucks.
PVC hoops and some 5 mil plastic sheeting and you got a greenhouse on a budget!
Put it on Craigslist or Facebook for an even trade.
Those things are close to $1,000 in the 12’x12’ size range.
PVC hoop pipe!!
I buy greenhouse plastic (can be had on amazon) and wrap it around the kennel.
I use ropes on outside to secure it down but wiggle wire is a cleaner option.
Make sure there’s a trestle or arch to make sure rain/snow runs off.
Saran wrap. Boom.
You can build a greenhouse around it, but that structure does not give you any advantage or leg up in creating a greenhouse
It’s not suitable for attaching polycarbonate or plastic to, and you would still need to build a roof, and it doesn’t lend itself to having structure added onto it like that
So by the time you add enough support with either wood or metal parts, you’ll have basically built another greenhouse around it
PVC pipe, 90° elbows, plastic sheeting, some trim boards and a staple gun would get you a long way. Make sure to leave a flap you can open for ventilation / cross flow.
PVC pipe across the top. I bought a huge roll of heavy plastic from Home depot quite a while back. I don’t remember it being terribly expensive. I made a ‘hoop-house’ over one of my bigger raised beds with the PVC & plastic. It worked great and lasted 2 years in AZ.
If I were you I’d get a few big sheets of uv resistant greenhouse plastic over some pvc arches that attach to the kennel. Without the uv resistance, you’d probably only get a year or two of use. The sheets can be long enough to reach the ground on either side and held tight with sandbags or logs and greenhouse pvc clamps. You’d have to cut the front and back walls separately. Greenhouse megastore and Johnny’s seeds are good sources
Wrap inside and outside of kennel with plastic. You can get plastic sheeting at any big box hardware store.
It may last for a couple of seasons.
Best thing is to just invest in a green house. I’m sure there are videos on YouTube to show you how to build one.
Wrap in clear plastic 🤣🤣🤣
It will cost you more than just buying a kit.