The panels on my greenhouse are about 25 years old and are stopping more light than I would like They are rigid panels, probably 72" X 24" and insulated (double walled)- but I really don’t need the insulation because I don’t use heat beyond heat pads. I throw protective fabric over plants on heat pads when temps are expected below freezing and that seems to work down to at least 26F.
The roof is steep, so snow slides off before getting too heavy. I just need panels as strong as the old Filon ones I used to be before I installed the insulated ones. Any suggestions for products and sources would be appreciated.
I buy big sheets of twin wall poly at whatever big box store is cheaper when I’m buying. Last time I bought mine from Home Depot as a 4’x8’ sheet. They are easy to cut to fit with a razor knife. Or if your structure can handle the weight you could go with glass, which is the cheapest and longest lived on top of having the best light transmission.
@disc4tw had luck finding a smaller quantity of sheets to use for a greenhouse from somebody local to him who had posted them for sale on Craigslist or F’book Marketplace. I had priced twin wall polycarbonate sheets at the orange big box store, with free site-to-store shipping, but the initial cost was not cheap. A friend who works in the sign industry is able to source similar ones locally for me at roughly the same pricing as these ones:
@alan, I would like to correct something that I said earlier: after going back through and looking, it appears that the best local pricing that I found was actually from the BLUE big box store. Their page might actually default to a different size of polycarbonate sheet depending on which local store location you are trying to view, so please make sure that it is actually showing you this product: Tuftex Multi-Wall 6mm Panel Clear 4-ft x 8-ft Corrugated Clear Polycarbonate Plastic Roof Panel, Item #1100341, Model #1518A
…I’d like to see a picture of it in an arched orientation. Anyone use it for a curved structure?
I used Solex Solexx XP 3.5mm per linear foot – Greenhouse Megastore
for my curved application but am not happy with its ability to support algae and moss growth. The growth does not wash off easily. Anyone else with Solexx see this downside or is it just my fungal-supporting climate?
I’ve used those poly panels to replace the arches on my greenhouse because replacement 2x2 bent glass is $250 per piece. The poly bends easily enough but it’s very hard to attach to the frame. You need a lot of screws and some kind of rigid end piece to make it work. Once I get them wrestled into place and caulked they have held for several years.
@cdamarjian, I would like to suggest using an oxygen bleach powder (OxiClean or similar) dissolved in hot water, and then dispensed with something along the lines of those ~$12 one gallon lawn and garden sprayers.
I would prefer those chemicals instead of the sodium hypochlorite of chlorine bleach.
