Hi All. Winter is coming and I am considering building a green house.
I would like to pick the best material besides glass to use. I have trouble
keeping glass in my house (kids), a green house stands no chance. Looking
through Home Depot, there is polypropylene, vinyl, polycarbonate,
fiberglass,
and acrylic. Glass has the property of admitting near ir to uv and trapping
long wave ir. It would be nice if some of the plastics would do something
similar. Does anyone have information on the optical properties.
Thanks in advance. Larry

In article ,
"Larry Snyder" wrote:

Hi All. Winter is coming and I am considering building a green house.
I would like to pick the best material besides glass to use. I have trouble
keeping glass in my house (kids), a green house stands no chance. Looking
through Home Depot, there is polypropylene, vinyl, polycarbonate,
fiberglass,
and acrylic. Glass has the property of admitting near ir to uv and trapping
long wave ir. It would be nice if some of the plastics would do something
similar. Does anyone have information on the optical properties.
Thanks in advance. Larry

Polycarbonate was depicted at a good source to let more wave lengths
in. It is light but not that strong. So you would need many panes as I
recall. Pricey too.
Don't ask me where I got this info. I just trashed a cold frame of
this stuff that lasted about 25 years. Metal supports failed first.

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade

This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid

Larry Snyder said:

Hi All. Winter is coming and I am considering building a green house.
I would like to pick the best material besides glass to use. I have trouble
keeping glass in my house (kids), a green house stands no chance. Looking
through Home Depot, there is polypropylene, vinyl, polycarbonate,
fiberglass,
and acrylic. Glass has the property of admitting near ir to uv and trapping
long wave ir. It would be nice if some of the plastics would do something
similar. Does anyone have information on the optical properties.
Thanks in advance. Larry

Your location would help. As would information about what plants you intend
to keep over the winter. Are you planning on heating it? If so, then you
need to consider how you will run electricity to the structure. Are you
planning on trying to hand water everything? If not, then some sort of drip
irrigation needs to be installed. Again, now you need to consider how to
run water to the structure. If your water is on the "hard" side, you'll
probably want to install some sort of softener or RO system, or you'll be
replacing drip emitters on a regular basis. Are you looking for a rigid
frame, or a hoop house? Are you planning on starting seeds? If so, a
misting system will help. Are you planning on using it during the summer?
Then you need to consider a way to cool it.

Hope you can see that putting up a greenhouse entails much more of a
time/money investment than just simply erecting the structure. You need to
first decide /what/ you want to grow (and when), and find out what you need
to do, in order to accomplish those goals.

To answer your question about the covering: A *minimum* of 4mm, twin-wall
polycarbonate would be best. Thicker is better, and triple-wall is
available.

IMO, waiting until mid October to make a "spur of the moment" decision
about erecting a greenhouse is not the way to go about it.

HTH
--

Eggs

How can there be self-help "groups"?

Larry Snyder wrote:
Hi All. Winter is coming and I am considering building a green house.
I would like to pick the best material besides glass to use. I have trouble
keeping glass in my house (kids), a green house stands no chance. Looking
through Home Depot, there is polypropylene, vinyl, polycarbonate,
fiberglass,
and acrylic. Glass has the property of admitting near ir to uv and trapping
long wave ir. It would be nice if some of the plastics would do something
similar. Does anyone have information on the optical properties.
Thanks in advance. Larry


Hi Larry

If you are going to use synthetic glazing material materials look for
those treated with Ultraviolet protection. Ultraviolet deteriorates
glazing materials.

Also look for the longest guaranty against UV deterioration.

You may want to build a chicken wire shield for your Greenhouse.
Synthetic materials are not stone proof.

Derryl Killan

Horticulturalist

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

http://www.greenhouses-etc.net/glazi..._6mm_clear.htm
is one such place. do a search for clear thinwall polycarbonate. it doesnt break
like glass. is tough stuff. Ingrid



On Sat, 6 Oct 2007 10:35:29 -0700, "Larry Snyder" wrote:

Hi All. Winter is coming and I am considering building a green house.
I would like to pick the best material besides glass to use. I have trouble
keeping glass in my house (kids), a green house stands no chance. Looking
through Home Depot, there is polypropylene, vinyl, polycarbonate,
fiberglass,
and acrylic. Glass has the property of admitting near ir to uv and trapping
long wave ir. It would be nice if some of the plastics would do something
similar. Does anyone have information on the optical properties.
Thanks in advance. Larry

Janet Baraclough wrote:
S our
(all glass) glasshouse had no deterioration or damage other than a small
clean bullethole.

Janet.

Your bullet or someone elses... I always find it disturbing to find
bullet holes in places when I don't do the shooting myself...