I'm trying to add a lean to greenhouse to my 12'x17' shed. I was leaning to a Garden Sunroom model by Sturdy built. The over 15k price + install is stretching my budget a bit. I got an offer from a local guy who sells/installs greenhouses and he has a used glass single pain annodized bronze aluminum unit for 6000 installed. Sounds like a great deal. My issue is i'm zone 7a [Long Island] and want to use the GH as an indoor garden room i can hang out in in the winter with tropical plants. Does anyone have experience with thermal blanket covers to keep the heat in at night? Do they sell rollup units for covering/uncovering? Do they have inside or outside units? Thanks in advance. Edit to add i have a small wood stove and plan to add a mini split ac/heat unit for heat.

Hi Jim. Sorry I can't be of help on this one. Hopefully, someone will come along who can comment and be of help. Sounds like a fun project. Make sure you keep us updated. We always like to see what other folks are doing with their greenhouses.

Thanks Jim, it's strange i googled GH blankets and i see lots of hits but none with info of who makes them or real details. I've been going back and forth and can't make up my mind on which way to go. I was really set on dual pane glass or acrylic but costs are very high.

jpm995 said: Thanks Jim, it's strange i googled GH blankets and i see lots of hits but none with info of who makes them or real details. I've been going back and forth and can't make up my mind on which way to go. I was really set on dual pane glass or acrylic but costs are very high.

Have you looked into twin wall polycarbonate, or do you want the glazing clear? One danger of glass is burning plants. The poly actually diffuses the light better for growing. Greenhouse Megastore has reasonable pricing on poly. https://www.greenhousemegastor...

Here's a thread about using solar pool covers on greenhouses that may be helpful: The thread "Solar Covering Over Our Greenhouses" in Greenhouses forum

MoonShadows said: Have you looked into twin wall polycarbonate, or do you want the glazing clear? One danger of glass is burning plants. The poly actually diffuses the light better for growing. Greenhouse Megastore has reasonable pricing on poly. https://www.greenhousemegastor...

I'm exploring options to make a GH more affordable. The one i prefer is the Sturdi Built lean to with 2 panes [glass/clear acrylic] walls, twin wall with another single layer of white acrylic roof. It's over 15k plus install. BCGH makes and all aluminum twin wall glass that's even better but it's over 20k. This used unit is 6k installed! But it's single pane glass. The problem is in my zone [7a] i'm not sure how practical it is to heat in the winter. If i can find a thermal blanket that is easily rolled up and down the r value would be better than dual pane. I haven't even seen the used unit yet so i'm not ready to pull the trigger. This forum has already provided me with some great advice.

jpm995 said: I'm exploring options to make a GH more affordable. The one i prefer is the Sturdi Built lean to with 2 panes [glass/clear acrylic] walls, twin wall with another single layer of white acrylic roof. It's over 15k plus install. BCGH makes and all aluminum twin wall glass that's even better but it's over 20k. This used unit is 6k installed! But it's single pane glass. The problem is in my zone [7a] i'm not sure how practical it is to heat in the winter. If i can find a thermal blanket that is easily rolled up and down the r value would be better than dual pane. I haven't even seen the used unit yet so i'm not ready to pull the trigger. This forum has already provided me with some great advice.

I read your response, but you didn't say anything about twin wall poly. It is not clear, but it has the advantage of no plant burn, like clear glazing, and it is cheaper.

In my experience with twin wall polycarbonate GH had over 25 years and has held up great. A power washing every few years keeps it up to par . It has held up thru some outrages winter ice and wind storms.
Unless your planning on adding heat with double pane it will not keep any plants during winters even with blankets. I use propane heat in my tiny green house. Not running next season the price of propane has sky rocketed, as well as heating oil 6.20 per gallon.
There are all types of heaters for greenhouses to look into if your planning on keeping plants during winters . Electric heat is off the charts for me too. Don't have natural gas here maybe you do? If so …Tie a line to your gas line add thermostats in GH. Even to start seeds early to put out by spring my lil greenhouse was always good and warm using propane for staring seeds tubers in Feb March and over winter plants.
Really look into other types oh greenhouses. Double pane would more efficient and stand up to winter storms etc..
Good Luck on whatever you decide.

I'm ok with twin wall poly for the roof but i want clear glass or acrilyc for the walls. The GH from Sturdi build uses twin wall and a white inner acrylic panel. It's pricy [14'x7' @15k] but it's perfect for my needs. Cost is the issue. If i can get away with a single pane glass gh and still heat it in the winter for 6k it's a big plus for me. Edit to add I will be spending a lot of time in the GH i really want to have clear visibility to the outside. I have a beautiful yard i know a twin wall GH is a very affordable option but it's not what i want.

Bea, i have natural gas going to my house and could run a line to the shed/greenhouse. I was considering using a heat pump mini split unit that heats and cools. Everyone says these are the most cost effective units but i don't know for sure. I always thought natural gas was cheapest. I plan on using the shed/gh as a hangout [i already have a full gym in the shed and a dartboard]. It has to be year around use. If the blanket can make the gh more insulated than twinwall or dual pane glass it would make my decision easy. Actually if i wasn't so cheap the decision would be easy.

GH can get spendy. If Clear glass is important then put in what you want and be sure no tall trees nearby during winter storms. It will be a great man cave for you ,what ever you decide.

Have you Checked into infrared heat may be something to consider? Heat pump mini great if temps don't drop below 45' in winter.

What are ya doing for grow lights? Most lights for greenhouses are LED and cover many growning spectrums for different plants. They are necessary for winter plants especially if your planning on a GH blanket . It will be dark inside with blanket down holding heat in when covered. Other side of shed have a window? It could be dark like a cave=man-cave.
Either way whatever you decide it will be a fun place to hang out. I spent many winters in mine with tv/radio planting everything but the kitchen sink.

Bea, they claim the new heat pump units like Mitsubishi are 95% efficient down to below zero degrees f. Not sure if this is advertising bull or real. Obviously another plus is its also an air conditioner. I know two people who have them and claim their very efficient. I'm still skeptical. I'll be growing ordinary houseplant tropicals no food crops so i don't think light will be an issue. I'm not sure if the used unit is clear glass or tinted. The used unit aside from being cheap would be easier to time to coincide with the shed roof repair.

Jim, here's another old thread that may have some useful information for you: The thread "sunroom (Florida room)" in Orchids forum

Not a coincidence that it is another thread from DrDawg, he has been very involved with GH growing for many years. At the time that he built this sunroom he was living in Mississippi, he has since moved to Florida. I think the room he built was larger than what you are thinking about, or maybe it will inspire you to go larger

At any rate, I'm really looking forward to seeing what you end up with!

Sandy, looking at that thread is an eyeopener. Only got to page 3, have a way to go. Hoping for a happy ending and some info that may help me. Thanks for the link.

Happy to help - and DrDawg is still active here, mostly on the orchid forum I think (or maybe it's Tropicals) - if you have any questions I think he'd be happy to help out.

If you have any question regarding Florian Greenhouse, the builder mentioned in that thread, I will be happy to help.

And here is a shoutout to Ken @drdawg

Ursula said: If you have any question regarding Florian Greenhouse, the builder mentioned in that thread, I will be happy to help.

And here is a shoutout to Ken @drdawg

I had gotten in touch with the Long Island distributer for Florian Greenhouses but when i said i was thinking of putting it on a 6x6 timber foundation [to avoid permits] he said to call Charlies Greenhouses, Florian had nothing for me. I was interested i a 7x14 lean to which they make, not sure why he blew me off. While searching for insulation blankets i came across a 3M product called thinsulate 75. It makes a single pane glass almost equivalent to dual pane and is clear. Install looks like a nightmare, i wonder if glass installers do this? Thanks for your help, this forum has been an education for me.

Hmm, I am surprised they blew you off!
Maybe they are getting too rich, and tackle nowadays more of really large projects!

I'm surprised too - if they offer the size you are interested in, it seems like they would want to sell you one

I don't have any experience with the window film; we do have low-e windows (double pane) in our sunroom and it seems to limit the amount of sun a little too much for some things; for instance, I have a jade tree in the southeast corner of the sunroom that obviously needs more light than it is getting, and I've also tried temporarily putting veg seedlings in the sun in there when I ran out of room under my lights and they also became spindly (however, that would have been early in the year when our daylight hours are pretty short). Just something to consider as far as the low-e film or glass.

Put my GH on a thick layer of road rocks.