Reclaimed Window Greenhouse Part Five: Finishing the Siding and Trim

Marie Overton
Apr 24, 2023
4 min read

Updated: May 28

The siding and trim will finish the exterior of my reclaimed window greenhouse. I love how well the pallet boards worked as the siding. Not only did it give it a cute cottage-type look but it was very cost-efficient. In the first video of the Greenhouse Build series, I showed you how we made the foundation. The second one showed how to do the framing. The third covered the roofing. The Fourth was the windows. This Fifth shows the finishing of the siding and trim.

Trimming the Front of the Reclaimed Window Greenhouse

A person in a black jacket works on constructing a wooden shed with ladders, in a grassy area with trees and a white fence nearby.

trim the front

I began this portion by trimming out all the front windows. First I put a small piece of trim along the edge of the plywood then I trimmed over that joining with a 1 1/2″ trim board. This will better protect the plywood from the elements and give it a more finished look. You can buy trim boards but for a project like this, I just rip down a 2×4 to about 1/4 of an inch. Choosing 2x4s with fewer knots will make better trim pieces.

I also trimmed along the edges of the roof and the corners. I waited to trim out around the door until after I installed the frame.

I painted mine all white but if you really wanted the trim to stand out you could paint it a different color.

Shed Wall

Two people constructing a wooden shed, one on a ladder using a drill. The setting is outdoors with a grassy area and white fences.

sheet the interior wall

We then put up the plywood on our interior wall. I wanted this to match the front of the greenhouse so I constructed it similarly.

Person in a black jacket working on a wooden and transparent-panel structure. A ladder is inside, with a cloudy sky in the background.

caulk cracks and nail holes

Before I could paint, I caulked all the nail holes and cracks between the boards to make them less noticeable.

Person on ladder installing trim in wooden room with large windows. Door centered on back wall, pipe handles on right. Bright daylight.

trim interior wall

I also trimmed the shed wall, leaving a 3-foot opening for access to the loft.

Loft Ladder

Person in a brown jacket using a power tool inside a wooden structure. Sunlit yard visible through window, creating a focused atmosphere.

extra blocking for loft ladder

I added some extra 2×4 blocking to one side of the shed wall. I placed these every 12 inches. This gave me a secure location to screw my ladder rungs into. I actually ended up adding a second block right next to the first one since the rung’s securing pieces were so big. This did make it strong enough that even my husband can climb it without any issues.

Person painting wooden shed wall white outdoors, under sunny sky. Wearing a brown jacket and gloves. Green field and trees in background.

install loft ladder

Before putting up the rungs I painted that portion so that I wouldn’t have to paint around them later. Because the temperature was below freezing I didn’t want to do the whole wall yet. Painting is really done best at the right temperatures.

Electrical

White wooden door with glass panels in a sunroom, overlooking a grassy yard. Visible tools and wiring inside, creating a workshop atmosphere.

have electrical work done

We added a number of different lights and outlets to our greenhouse including up in the loft and around the walls. I do recommend making sure that the outlets are above the level of your grow tables. We have one that is above and two that are lower and I really like the higher one.

My husband has a lot of experience with electrical work but if you don’t you might want to get a trainer profession in for this portion. (The most important thing is to turn off all electricity in an area before working in it.)

Caulk Interior of the Windows

Person sealing a window with a caulking gun in a snowy setting. Wearing a tan jacket and knit hat, working in a rustic wooden room.

caulk interior of windows

With the electrical all done, I was able to bring in a heater and get the internal temperature above freezing so I could caulk. I caulked around the window itself as well as the board that holds the window in. I used a fast-drying caulk due to the outdoor temperatures.

Loft Banister

Person on ladder in a wooden greenhouse, wearing winter clothes, looks up at loft where another person in green shoes is resting. Snowy windows.

add banister

We decided that we needed a railing to contain all the important things in the loft like blankets, pillows ... kids. The posts also gave us somewhere to attach handholds which we will show in our next video. We just used 4×4 posts and then a 2×4 for the top railing. We put in willow branches for our spindles but that is in our next step as well.

Wood Details

Close-up of a wooden door with an ornate floral carving. It’s framed by glass windows, reflecting a snowy scene, creating a rustic look.

add details

We added some wood appliques which are just a fun extra detail for the greenhouse. Later I will paint these so they stand out a little. Mine had been broken so I had to doctor them up a little but you can’t even tell at this point.

Front Interior Wall

Two people work inside a greenhouse with large windows, one standing with a tool, the other kneeling. Sunlight casts shadows.

sheet interior of front wall

With the electrical done we were now able to cover that wall. We used 1/8″ wood that we had from some hollow doors but any thin plywood would do. This was really easy to cut for our electrical boxes. Then we trimmed this wall out as well.

Paint

paint

Now that the walls and trim are all up it is time to pull out the paint. I painted the whole loft area, the plywood walls, and around the windows on the inside. I like the white-washed look of one coat but I did an additional coat on the trim to make it more solidly white and have it stand out more.

Pallet Siding

Person in a brown jacket using a drill on a house under construction, with wooden planks and white sheathing, under a blue sky.

pallet board siding

The pallet board siding was relatively easy. I just used the same width for each level and worked my way up from the bottom with a 1-inch overlap.

A person in a red hoodie uses a tool on a wooden structure under a clear blue sky, standing on a ladder. The hoodie reads "LIFEGUARD."

top pallet board siding

The peaked portion was a little harder. I put a small strip of wood in rows every 8 inches and attached 12-inch boards along it vertically. This gave a 4-inch overlap and provided some variety on that end of the shed.

A person in a red sweater examines a window on a wooden greenhouse with numerous window panes. The setting is sunny and bright.

To finish the look I used 1x4s to trim out the roof, windows, and all of the wall edges.

Finishing the Siding and Trim

Woman painting a small wooden structure beside a greenhouse. Overcast day, ladder leaning on the building. She is standing on a platform.

weatherproof the wood

Finally, I weatherproofed all the wood with Thompson’s water seal. This will help protect the wood from the elements. You could use polyurethane but I was afraid it would yellow too much.

A person applies caulk to a wooden window frame on a sunny day. Animals graze in the background near a white fence.

caulk all exterior cracks

I then caulked around the windows and door as well as any other location that could possibly have a crack. (We used like 30 tubes of clear caulk but we wanted it to hold the heat well.)

Now that the siding and trim are done, the next step is finishing the shed and loft portion.

For helpful videos, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCClHdEfsiSI8nmUbUoa6lKQ

To see how to make a root cellar, follow this link: https://wisdompreserved.life/root-cellar-part-one-excavation/