mmccaws wrote:
it was recommended to paint all non-glazed surfaces with 3 coats of
exterior paint. Any product recommendation or horror stories about
using paints -- I don't paint much and in fact I'm allergic to it so
badly that I'll have to have someone else do that but I have to know
what to expect.
You probably want to stay away from oil or enamel based paints. I
think those can bleed organics into the air for years after you apply
them (that may be just a rumor). But I would use a good quality latex
paint. Or get the kid across the street to use it... High gloss is
supposed to be easier to clean, although it is also easier to get dirty.
Use a good primer too, that is more important than three coats of
finish paint.
You can purchase a little packet of additive at the home center which
is designed to be a microbicide. Keeps mildew from growing on your
paint. Cheap, and it does actually work pretty darn well. I used this
in my plant room (Good primer, two coats of gloss white latex paint with
the additive). Nothing ever peeled or grew mildew. The rest of the
basement did...
I was thinking to either paint the North wall grey, black body surface
that obsorbs energy during winter months, or lower a black current on
that wall during the winter months.
I'd suggest white... You are going to need as much light as you can
get, especially in the winter and with a half roof. You can always trap
heat with black water barrels. Since I have a 19 month old child, I've
been going through gallon milk jugs like crazy. I fill them with water
(and a touch of bleach) and put them under the plant benches for thermal
mass. I figure I have room for a few thousand milk jugs, and when I run
out of room I'll stack them. A friend of mine suggested green gallon
wine jugs would collect more heat - if you can't drink that much wine
you can pick them up at the recycling center (milk jugs too).
The gh is going to look like a country shed with two large glazed
surfaces to fit better into the neighborhood. The above solid part of
the roof will be where I can mount the solar panel to help run fans and
such.
Don't forget to insulate the tar out of the solid part of the roof.
You might want to use an insulating board, rather than fiberglass (which
gets waterlogged). Or, since you want to do it right the first time,
find a contractor who installs the spray on foam. That would work
great. Use it everywhere... If you are allergic to paint you
definitely want to contract that out.
All this is making me think I might build my second greenhouse sooner
than planned... *grin* My wife would just love that.
--
Rob's Rules:
http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm - Growing the plants Rob likes. )