Greenhouse Shelving

[Nottsonion]

Hi all new to the forum but have been reading a lot of great posts which have been great for a newbie to woodworking.
I have been investing in tools for my garage workshop and the first item I want to make is a greenhouse shelving unit. I was planning to use treated timber and copy a standard design but seeing the item below made me reconsider and decide to use hardwood.

https://www.woodpecker-joinery.co.u...-Wide-Cedar-Staging-1780mm-x-550mm-p115497501
Please can I ask for advise on the best type of hardwood to use? Very new to buying wood but have found a local place in nottingham with good selection. All advice welcome and thanks in advance.

 

[TheTiddles]

Red cedar is lovely, if I wasn’t concerned about the price that’s what I’d use, needs stainless screws.

 

[Nottsonion]

Thanks I’m expecting the wood to be expensive as not experienced in buying from lumber yards. Just wondered what other hardwoods would be suitable and maybe cheaper if red cedar if expensive at the moment. Thanks again

 

[TheTiddles]

Sweet chestnut or cedar of Lebanon would also be good, then the usual suspects of oak, meranti, iroko.

For softwoods larch might be a good plan.

Ash and beech probably not so suitable

 

[planesleuth]

All those timbers good. My additional advice is think very carefully about the slat sizes for the top shelf and their orientation. The design shown in the link cuts a lot of light out to the plants on the shelf below.

 

[MikeH]

I have done greenhouse shelving in both cedar and standard tanalised pine. The cedar looks great and smells really nice as the weather warms up. Bearing in mind working in a greenhouse, or any gardening, should be theraputic and enjoyable, I would recommend the cedar if you can bear the cost. I made the cedar shelving about 12 years ago and it is still holding up well. Has some degradation at the bottom of the legs as you may expect but overall is fine. I used a similar design to the woodpecker but did make the bottom shelf so it can be stood upright at the back of the unit or removed to allow for larger plants under the shelving.

The tanalised ones I made last year for a new much larger greenhouse. They look fine and work well and were obviously a lot cheaper.

Another thing to consider, making the cedar ones makes your workshop smell ovely for ages. About the only time that SWMBO actually wanted to come into the shop.

Very good point about stainless steel screws has been made. I used brass and still got some fairly minor blacking over time. I plugged the main carcass screws so only see this on the top, and to be fair they get mucky enough in the greehouse that you don't notice it much, but given the cost of the wood then going stainless would be worth it.

 

[Nottsonion]

Thanks for the replies. I will head down in the weekend with a cut list and see the price difference between red cedar and the others mentioned. Thanks again will look forward to uploading pictures when complete.

 

[Chubber]

Re decay/degradation of the legs at ground level, consider suitable sized plastic lemonade bottles cut down, slipped over the leg and then shrunk with a hot air gun. The grip is surprisingly effective and they will conform perfectly to a square/ rectangular leg.