Thanks for the info. Looks so nice.

Ken,

Thanks for the informative posts. I had some questions on the bubble wrap pool covering. Do you know what the light penetration was on that? Solexx is supposed to be 70ish% is it better? Worse?

Secondly, how has it held up, I sure hope you get this message, don't know how else to contact you on this forum but I sure like the search for alternative tools.

Lastly, have you investigated passive geothermal (earth battery) for greenhouses? Seems you'd find that very helpful.

A Nativewolf

drdawg said:I have a 10x12' Solexx greenhouse. It is a "lean-to", with one side resting against a brick wall of my house. I built it approximately 3 years ago. It is not the most durable polycarbonate I have used and I think (and this is just my opinion) that the insulation value is quite low, regardless of what the company publishes. I think I used the 3.5mm material but would have to do some research to be certain of that. The material tends to "slump" over time if there are long runs of unsupported material. The material is translucent, but certainly nothing like clear. I have built another greenhouse since this one and went with another company and another polycarbonate. The Solexx material was easy to put up and if you are using a curved greenhouse like mine is, the material follows the curve easily.

I am in the process of completely covering this greenhouse with a solar blanket, using bubble-wrap like material made for outdoor use. The wrap is 16 mil whereas regular bubble-wrap is probably 2-3 mil. I hope I will gain a lot of insulation value from this material and thus lower my electric heating expense. I am also going to wrap the newer greenhouse in this material. It doesn't have any better insulation value than the Solexx.

The first picture is the Solexx greenhouse and the second and third ones are of the one built two years later.

Ken

Welcome to NGA/ATP, @ Nativewolf.

I really don't know what the light transmission of the Solexx is but 70% is probably about right. The Solexx poly is sagging some but it is still holding up otherwise. I would never purchase another Solexx structure though. I like the other poly material better. It has 100% light transmission, is more cosmetic pleasing, and appears to hold up better.

The solar blanket material I use has held up very well over the last three years and is still perfectly functional.

I don't know a thing about passive geothermal.

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