Advice on choosing a greenhouse

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My husband and I are currently searching for a greenhouse. We are currently looking at the poly type, as opposed to glass etc.. The size will be approximatelly 12x16. I have found two in our budget. Has anyone had experience with these types? What are the pros and cons?

-- Chris Menges (CLMngs@aol.com), April 09, 2001

Answers

Not what you asked, but I'd recommend either an insulated wall on the north side. Assuming you're at mid latitude, you won't be getting any sunlight on the north wall, but a poly, or glass, etc. north wall will nevertheless lose lots of heat.

An even better arrangement, if it works for your location, is to attach the greenhouse to the south wall of your house. The greenhouse will be able to significantly save on your home heating bills on sunny winter days, (my heater never comes on when it's a sunny day here, which is unusual in winter, unfortunately). Also, the heat from the house, which would normally flow throught the south wall/windows/doors to heat the outside air, instead helps keep the greenhouse warm at night, and during inclement weather.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), April 09, 2001.


You didnt mention what area you live in and that would be a big factor determining what type of greenhouse to build. Another question would be, do you plan to use it year around or just as a season extender. I have built about a half dozen and they have all been made of greenhouse poly and schedule 40 pvc tubing. We moved to a new area a while back and were told to expect about 5 inches of snow in a typical winter. We couldn't decide between using pvc tubing or galvanized supports. Finally we chose the pvc tubing and were we ever glad. About two weeks after we finished the first of two greenhouses there was an unexpected record snowfall. 30 inches in two days! We simply went out and brushed the snow off the collapsed greenhouse and it popped right back into shape. All the commercial metal greenhouses in the area were scrap. I wont say we made the smart choice,lucky may be more truthful. If your interested in plans to construct it inexpensively and bypass the cost of a prefab kit, email me and I would be happy to go into detail. good luck jz

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), April 09, 2001.

For less than $50.00 I built a 12 x 16 green house. Look for someone replcing thier windows with new vinyl ones. Most people will give them to you to haul them away. I was lucky, my neighbor replace his and he also had storm windows so I got a bonus. See it on countryside friends photos. Don

-- DON (dessertmaker2000@hotmail.com), April 09, 2001.

my advice to you is to build about 3 times bigger than you think you will need. you will be suprised how quickly you will outgrow what you started with.

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), April 11, 2001.


Do a search on hoop houses. There is a lady out our way (Missouri) that has one and I like it more than a reg. greenhouse. They cost alot less!!!! BIG PLUS She started selling seedlings out of her yard and has done so well she sold her place and just bought a ranch! She took her hoop house with her.

-- Teresa Bourgoin (c3ranch@socket.net), April 12, 2001.


I built a greenhouse with a wooden frame and covered it was sheets like corrugated fiberglass sheets but they were made of PVC. I think the name was Tuftex. They became very brittle over about 2 years and discolored to a dark brown. I think they also conducted electricity as I was looking at the greenhouse during a thunderstorm and saw sparks just jump across the roof. Glad I wasn't in it at the time! The company stood by the product and replaced some of the sheets but I replaced the roof several times due to hail damage. I live in West Texas and we have lots of heat and hail and sun. Just research what ever you decide on. And enjoy it, most of all. Marlene

-- Marlene (mleiby@caprock-spur.com), April 15, 2001.

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