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Newly Constructed Greenhouse

Posted by Michael_H_Taylor none (My Page) on
Tue, Dec 4, 12 at 17:56

I bought a house this past June and to my liking it had a small greenhouse attached. Initially I had the intention of recovering it given that the single wall polycarbonate that was on it was cracked and with dire need of replacement. When I went to tear off the existing polycarbonate it became clear that the whole greenhouse would need to be reframed. The wood over time had rotted and was going to have to be replaced.

When I reframed the greenhouse I decided to cover the newly painted and sealed structure (went with white for it�s reflective properties), with a 3.5 mm polyethylene Solexx material. I wanted something that was going to give me a substantial R factor which would help me grow various kinds of greens and cold crops through the winter time. The material was very easy to apply, cutting it easily with as Leatherman and a standard utility knife. I am very pleased with the material and would recommend it to anyone who wants something easy to work with, while providing great light quality and insulation.

The original green structure was limited by the flat wall on the front wall so I chose to extend the front of the unit out to make more space. With this extra room, I decided to put cedar shelving on the interior, for one to give some contrast to the white and to also prevent any deterioration of the shelving given that it will be exposed to moisture on a continual basis.

Ventilation hasn�t been installed yet but a small 12" exhaust fan will be installed soon enough to lower condensation and to increase the amount of available Co2. Living in the Northwest is a challenge for any greenhouse gardener given the propensity for mold and mosses developing.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Newly Constructed Greenhouse

Nice work! I paint everything white, too.

I'd want a cheap blower and thermostat (abt $40 ea) to exhaust the air in case it got too hot when you're not around. I don't know how much wind you get, but you might fix the door so it can be propped open on a hot day and supported. A simple snap and an eyelet will do the trick.


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RE: Newly Constructed Greenhouse

Very cool! That looks like an excellent improvement and clearly you are quite handy. Do you have a photo of the interior to share? It's always fun to see other people's setups. With your mild winters I bet you can grow greens all winter long there.


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RE: Newly Constructed Greenhouse

That looks great to me too. I'm happy to see a photo of the Solexx material installed, and to hear your thoughts about working with it. I've considered it for replacing some of my Harbor Freight greenhouse panels. I know it has very good insulating qualities, and because it can be shipped in a big roll, the shipping/crating fees didn't give me a heart attack when I priced it (twinwall poly is really expensive to ship.)

Hope you will keep us posted with how everything progresses.


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