Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Do-it-yourself projects such as greenhouse or shadehouse builds and related topics.
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Ralf
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Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Ralf »

We have used the unusually warm weather to insulate the greenhouse on past weekend.
Now I'll show you step by step how we handle this.

before we've started
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first the southside
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then the northside
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north and southside finished
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one piece for the first half of the greenhouse
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my excellent trainee :wink: fasten the bubble wrap with the special holders
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the special holders
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a second piece for the rest of the greenhouse
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stick together the single parts with Scotch Tape
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so the wind don't have any chance to blow it away
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bubble wrap is complete
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now one huge plastic wrap over the bubble wrap
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it prevent dirt on the bubble wrap and extend its lifetime
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fasten and stick together with the bubble wrap with Scotch Tape
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finished
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Adios :-)
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"Greenhouse insulation - part 2 - inside"
"Greenhouse insulation - part 3 - heating"
Last edited by Ralf on Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.
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Tiggy
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Tiggy »

Very neat and well sealed too. =D> I'm sure it will be well worth the effort. Itoo am in the process of trying to insulate my little greenhouse as best I can with anything I can lay my hands on. Will have to do some pics when finished. Look forward to seeing your updates when you do the inside and your heating. Good job
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by fanaticactus »

This is just amazing work, Ralf. It's now very late at night, so I'll get my questions together later and write you again. Thank you for taking the time to document each step and posting all the photos.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by majcka »

You did a great job. I still wondering how I will manage this. Probably move them into the house. And next year....well it's still farrrrrrr.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Ralf »

Thanks for your positive feedback! It was a pleasure for me.
Feel free if you all have any questions.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by majcka »

Ralf wrote:Thanks for your positive feedback! It was a pleasure for me.
Feel free if you all have any questions.
Oh yeah I do. Where to buy that "pins" to fix the bubble wrap on the construction?
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Ralf »

I bought them at Kakteen-Schwarz. It's a shop for stuff around cacti.

Befestigungselemente
Unfortunately it is only in German language available.

Or you try it here
Foil holder
These are similar to mine holders.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by majcka »

So if I got this right. You stick them to GH construction with silicone, then you put on the folia (made a hole in it) and over that you screv the top part of holder. In spring time you do it the other way around. And in the fall you do it again. How strong wind does it take? Here where I live winds can be very strong sometimes. What happens with the holder during summer? Does it fit on plastic folia?

Is it too much already? Well you said we can ask. :wink:
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Ralf »

majcka no problem. :D
The holders which I use are to screw in wood. Inside at the roof I use them to glue with silicone. Both do a pretty good job.
I've placed the holders once and never more. I have had no problems with it or that some are broken. They are made very robust.
At my place there are sometimes heavy winds in fall. I don't have had any problems with the insulation.
The last layer with the usual plastic foil don't get the winds any chance to blow it away or looses anything.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by majcka »

Thank you Ralf. I just find out I do have problem with last rain fall last night. Plenty of water where I don't need it. I think this winter it will be better for my plants to be moved into the house if I don't want to count casualties in the spring. Since I have my GH for the first year (never winter) I'll have to think some things through before do something. Guess winter rest in GH is one of them. :wink:
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by fanaticactus »

Ralf & Maja - I've been following your conversation and it cleared up a few of my questions. I am still a bit concerned about fastening the base of the "pin" to the greenhouse itself. My GH is all polycarbonate panels with just very thin strips of aluminum holding them in. At this point, anything will have to remain a project for next year, since we've already had a few nights of sub-freezing temperatures. The small space heater has worked very well. It has a built in thermostat (although there are no specific temperature markings on the dial) and has kept the interior at a safe temperature. I haven't even had to install the separate thermostat I bought to plug the heater into.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Ralf »

Maja, no problem. You've asked and I've answered. :wink:
Don't hurry, you both have all the time which you need therefor. Fastening of the holders is really important. I for my part have had no problems therewith till now.
In the first years had all my plants its winter rest in the house. The step to leave them into the greenhouse during the winter, was a long way of learning. 5 years ago I would not have thought that the most of my plants stay into the greenhouse during the winter.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by daiv »

Hi Ralf,
This is a fantastic post! I also look forward to the next two parts. Very very helpful!

One thing that comes to mind. I don't think I've asked this already, but I suspect that the bubble-wrap and extra plastic blocks a lot of light. So in addition to the shorter days and the extra blocking, I imagine that you do not want your plants to grow over winter, but to remain dormant. Am I correct?

Daiv
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Ralf
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Ralf »

Thanks, Daiv!

You're completely right. Because of the really low temperatures and the missing sun light they shall not grow. If they would grow, they would get a unnormal shape. The plants don't get any water from mid of October to approximately begin of March. The temps during this time won't get higher than 50 to 53F.
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Re: Greenhouse insulation - part 1 - outside

Post by Ralf »

The second part is done.
http://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=27989" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.
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