BCSS - Forum

I have recently had a new aluminium/glass greenhouse installed from a well known supplier.
I realise the amount of rain recently has been extreme but I'm quite surprised by the amount of water that gets in. This is concerning me with winter approaching as I would rather it be bone dry like my other greenhouse.
There are small gaps at the seams and edges where frames join and vented openings in the roof which up until now have not been a concern. Also water seeps in under the aluminium greenhouse base.
Should I live with a balance between dry and ventilation?
Are my expectations too high or is this normal? It looks like my only option is to get out the sealant gun which I did with my other greenhouse (brick, wood and twinwall polycarb).
Any advice or tips much welcome.

I have a similar problem with water seeping in under the structure and have seen small amounts of water getting in through gaps in the roof during very heavy rain. I did consider getting out the sealant gun and trying to stop these issues but haven't got around to it as of yet.

I have tried drawing a bead of silicone around the outside of the base, obviously not enough. I'll probably do the same inside, my concern is the moisture and humidity over the winter. Hopefully heater and thermostat at 7 degrees combined with ventilation should keep my collection safe.

EdMcKenna wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:44 pm I have tried drawing a bead of silicone around the outside of the base, obviously not enough. I'll probably do the same inside, my concern is the moisture and humidity over the winter. Hopefully heater and thermostat at 7 degrees combined with ventilation should keep my collection safe.

I tried both ... inside and out .... unsuccessfully. I think you'd probably need to put the silicone down first and sit the frame on top of it.

Are you using CT1? CT1 and similar products were recommended a few years ago on the forum. I've tried these out for various
water sealing jobs and so far been very impressed. A bit more expensive than a generic tube of sealant but works
better than the others I've tried. I like that it is quite sticky so if you apply even to damp or wet surfaces you can get
a good seal.

SimonT wrote: ↑Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:03 pm Are you using CT1? CT1 and similar products were recommended a few years ago on the forum. I've tried these out for various
water sealing jobs and so far been very impressed. A bit more expensive than a generic tube of sealant but works
better than the others I've tried. I like that it is quite sticky so if you apply even to damp or wet surfaces you can get
a good seal.

The spec escapes me since it's going back a couple of years. But was the one recommended by the local builder's merchant. On asking the GH installation guy .... squirting UNDER the framework rather than trying to run a seal ..... was the answer ..... but no guarantees!

SimonT wrote: ↑Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:03 pm Are you using CT1? CT1 and similar products were recommended a few years ago on the forum. I've tried these out for various
water sealing jobs and so far been very impressed. A bit more expensive than a generic tube of sealant but works
better than the others I've tried. I like that it is quite sticky so if you apply even to damp or wet surfaces you can get
a good seal.

It's hard to find out the specs on that but it's best to use a low modulus silicone on a greenhouse to cope with expansion and contraction of the glass/poly against the frame.

There are specialist products for sealing greenhouse glazing. These might be worth considering for that task.

But for sealing the base you need something that's going to bond to the frame and whatever it is sitting on.
Ct1 or similar would be good for this task- it bonds well to lots of different surfaces. If there is a small gap underneath in places then you can just fill these and then run a bead around.

I also have this problem so thanks all for the advice. Will be out with the silicone ( if it stops raining long enough )