It’s often hard to tell home or allotment greenhouses apart, with their silver or green coloured aluminum frames and standardized appearances.
Enter the Swallow Kingfisher greenhouse. It’s manufactured from specially-treated Scandinavian wood, with premium fixtures and some terrific options you won’t find available for any other glasshouse on the market. Unlike machined aluminum framing that could be shipped from just about anywhere, the Kingfishers are hand-built by carpenters in Rotherham for the ultimate in craftsmanship and distinctiveness. And perhaps best of all, the company delivers and installs all glasshouses to UK locations for free.
Enter the Swallow Kingfisher greenhouse. It’s manufactured from specially-treated Scandinavian wood, with premium fixtures and some terrific options you won’t find available for any other glasshouse on the market. Unlike machined aluminum framing that could be shipped from just about anywhere, the Kingfishers are hand-built by carpenters in Rotherham for the ultimate in craftsmanship and distinctiveness. And perhaps best of all, the company delivers and installs all glasshouses to UK locations for free.
Here’s the lowdown on the Swallow Kingfisher line:
Sizes and Detailing: Nine different sizes of this greenhouse are available to choose from. They are all six feet wide with lengths ranging from four feet to 20 feet (in two foot increments), so there’s a Kingfisher to fit everywhere from the smallest of allotments to extensive home garden plots. The smallest model has one opening roof vent; the 6 x 6, 6 x 8 and 6 x 10 each have two roof vents, and the larger sizes have four (going all the way up to 20ft long) – and all of the vent windows come as standard with automatic openers. There an inward-opening door (with aluminum handle and mortise lock) on all of the Swallow Kingfishers, and slatted staging on one side of the structure are also standard.
Sizes and Detailing: Nine different sizes of this greenhouse are available to choose from. They are all six feet wide with lengths ranging from four feet to 20 feet (in two foot increments), so there’s a Kingfisher to fit everywhere from the smallest of allotments to extensive home garden plots. The smallest model has one opening roof vent; the 6 x 6, 6 x 8 and 6 x 10 each have two roof vents, and the larger sizes have four (going all the way up to 20ft long) – and all of the vent windows come as standard with automatic openers. There an inward-opening door (with aluminum handle and mortise lock) on all of the Swallow Kingfishers, and slatted staging on one side of the structure are also standard.
Frames and Construction: The really distinctive feature of this greenhouse is the frame, made from thermally-modified timber known as ThermoWood ®, which is treated at very high temperatures to remove moisture and resin. This makes the wood more durable and stronger, and also ensures a consistent colour. It’s used throughout Scandinavia for outdoor construction, and it’s the “secret ingredient” in Swallow wooden greenhouses. The boards are assembled tongue-and-groove style and then fixed with stainless steel nails; the frame is available in natural wood and nine other colours, with all painting done right at the factory. There are numerous extra construction touches on the Kingfisher including redwood pine glazing bars, clear plastic joints for cut shapes, glazing sealed to the structure with silicone, timber capping at the top and ridge vents, and a lower PVC section screwed onto the bottom of the structure (the “damp barrier”) to prevent the lower timbers from being saturated by moisture. There is a ten-year warranty on the frame and base.
Glazing: All of the Kingfisher models come with 3mm toughened long pane safety glass, which is safe and wind-resistant. It fits into special grooves in the wood and then, as previously mentioned, is sealed to the frame with silicone.
Options: There are some highly unusual and terrific options available for this greenhouse. The most impressive are varying sizes of matching shed extensions which can be added to the back of the glasshouse, some with windows, floors or additional doors. There are also customisations you can select including one which allows the greenhouse to sit on a brick wall (plans for the wall are included) and another with extra side vents. Several colours of rainwater systems are available as add-ons as well.
Glazing: All of the Kingfisher models come with 3mm toughened long pane safety glass, which is safe and wind-resistant. It fits into special grooves in the wood and then, as previously mentioned, is sealed to the frame with silicone.
Options: There are some highly unusual and terrific options available for this greenhouse. The most impressive are varying sizes of matching shed extensions which can be added to the back of the glasshouse, some with windows, floors or additional doors. There are also customisations you can select including one which allows the greenhouse to sit on a brick wall (plans for the wall are included) and another with extra side vents. Several colours of rainwater systems are available as add-ons as well.
The Swallow Kingfisher is a step above the usual aluminium glasshouse – from the treated wood, to the well-planned design and quality construction, to the terrific options available (not to mention the free installation). Anyone who wants to buy a greenhouse they plan to use for the long term owes it to themselves to give this structure a close look.