February 21, 2023

Greenhouse: Progress on the Roof

Continued from "Greenhouse: Starting on the Roof."

I have a couple of progress pictures to share.

Sealed and partially painted.

How it looks from below.

A couple of you asked about using wood framed windows for the roof. I passed those questions on to Dan, who said he mulled over the same concerns. But when he was a kid, his folks bought a 3-acre nursery with a huge greenhouse and it was build entirely with wood framed glass windows. It stood the test of time, so he went with it as well.

The wood window sashes you see in the photos have one side sealed by the manufacturer (they say, "this side exterior") plus they take the paint (a good quality exterior trim paint) well. Dan is using DAP Window Glazing to seal between the windows because that product works well with wood and glass.

If the weather cooperates, I hope to show you the bottom portion of the roof soon. Dan has different windows to work with, so their installation will be different too. 

7 comments:

Ed said...

Good quality paint, caulking and glazing will go a long way towards longevity for anything. Honestly, even traditional greenhouse panel roofs have a life span. The ones on our shop at the farm have been replaced three times since my early teens when it was built. They darken and get brittle with age and then leak life a colander. When I built my greenhouse, I went with a different product that was honeycombed in the middle and flat on the exterior surface, unlike the ruffled sides of the panels on the farm, in hopes that when brittle, the washers will still seal for awhile longer. Nothing is permanent when exposed to harsh elements.

Leigh said...

Ed, nothing lasts forever, does it? We had some long discussions about what to use for the roof. The most durable polycarbonates are pricey, and as you point out, eventually dry out and crack. That seems to be true of all plastics. That's unfortunate for us consumers, as it seems to be the material of choice for so many manufactured items.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Looks good - and agreeing with Ed that good quality paint and caulk will go a long way.

Jenn Jilks said...

I have enjoyed this project!

Rosalea said...

Looking good, Leigh. I thought for a moment..."how are you going to clear snow off of that?", then gave my head a shake!!!!!

Nancy In Boise said...

Looks great!

Leigh said...

TB, hopefully, it will last a long time.

Jenn, that's good to hear!

Rosalea, ha! If we ever get that much snow, we'll see!

Nancy, thanks!