FAQs – Frequently asked questions about our British Victorian Greenhouses

Here you will find the answers to the most important and often asked questions about our British Victorian greenhouses. If you have further questions or need more information, please contact us.

Where are the greenhouses designed and produced?

Victorian greenhouses originate from England; created and manufactured by Alitex Greenhouses since 1952. The designs have been inspired by the traditional Victorian greenhouses from the industrialization period. The factory is based at Torberry Farm near Petersfield, in the wonderful South Downs.

What are Alitex Greenhouses made of?

Made to look like timber and wood, our greenhouses are crafted in solid, durable and maintenance free, powder coated aluminium. We say: โ€œyou will have all the advantages of a wooden greenhouses, except for the downside of maintenanceโ€. Nuts and bolts are in stainless steel and hardware often in solid brass.

What kind of glass is used in an Alitex Greenhouse?

For your safety and the integrity of the greenhouse, we use 4 mm toughened safety glass. To allow optimum light for nurturing your plants, this glass allows up to 89% transmission of the existing light to pass and allows UV rays through. It is possible to have alternative glass, such as double-glazed for insulation purposes, if needed.

Do I need a building permit for my greenhouse?

These rules vary from country to country and from region to region. Alitex Scandinavia will help you look into the local regulations and best advise how to apply for planning for your greenhouse. We also recommend considering where and how you situate your greenhouse in order to optimize and control the exposure from the sunlight.

Who takes care of, and manages the base and low walls?

Alitex supplies the greenhouse and base drawings so a local builder can plan and build the base, floors and low walls. We can also help you source materials for the base and flooring.

We will work with your builder to ensure the base and wall are built to specification and ready for the greenhouse installation.

If you want us to take care of the building works we can help you find local builders and instruct them.

What is included in the delivery and installation of an Alitex greenhouse?

Our installation team will deliver and build your Alitex greenhouse. The glasshouse design and delivery include solid supportive Alitex spandrels, traditional manual handle operated low vents for wide opening, a choice of traditional finials and cresting and temperature controlled roof vents.

We offer a wide range of complementary interiors, such as traditional benching, shelves, external shades, cold frames, lights and heating equipment โ€“ see more here.

How does the ventilation of my greenhouse work?

Ventilation is of upmost importance for the health and function of your greenhouse and your plants. An Alitex greenhouse has an effective dual ventilation system. It works as a chimney effect, drawing air in through the low side elevation of the greenhouse, which can be opened and adjusted to a number of settings manually. To ensure effective diagonal ventilation, the roof vents controlled with thermos-mechanical openers, are fitted opposite the low vents โ€“ ensuring full control of the temperature in the greenhouse.

If your greenhouse has a width of more than 3 meters, the roof vents will be controlled by an electric opening drive due to the weight of the roof vents.

Can I build an Alitex greenhouse myself?

We are quite confident with the quality of our greenhouses and therefore we are able to offer you life- long guarantee on the greenhouse structure. To ensure that our greenhouses are built to these high standards, we only allow all our greenhouses to be fitted by our own team of skilled installers.

Which colors can I choose for my Alitex Greenhouse?

Our greenhouses are powder-coated to a high standard and we offer a wide range of traditional colors especially chosen from nature and our heritage. However, if you have special requests to the color of your greenhouse, all colors within the RAL color scale are available at an additional cost. See our range of colors here.

Where can I see an Alitex Greenhouse structure?

If you feel like having a closer look at one of these wonderful greenhouses, please let us know by email or call us. We will then arrange for a site visit closest to your home – most of our customers proudly share their greenhouse and gardens, by appointment.