One-Year Review of Our Polycarbonate Prefab Greenhouse & 5 Essential Upgrades

[@AquarelleArtist]

My first greenhouse was made of cedar 2x2 lumber covered in plastic sheeting. Not greenhouse grade, just maybe 4 or so, possibly 6 mil thickness of the type of plastic house painters use for a drop cloth. We used an electric space heater on an extension cord. It had to have been on a 15 amp fuse because that's all the old house had except for 220 circuits that had been added later for window air conditioners. (Gas oven and water heater.) The fuse would blow every time the overnight low went below freezing. So... we added a second layer of the same type of plastic sheeting, this time stapling the plastic to the inside of the 2x2 (actual measurement 1 and 1/2 by 1 and 1/2). No problems with the fuse anymore! In fact, we had a freak weather event for this part of the country . Several inches of snow with a low of 4 degrees F - coldest I've EVER been in my life! and the temps did not rise above freezing for several days. Inside the double layered greenhouse the temperature was 80F and the snow laid on the top of the outer layer of plastic like a blanket. Amazed me.

[@thebeesmeads]

Over the whole building is cleaver. We were thinking along similar lines of frost covers for inside each plant but your suggestion sounds better.

[@SMOKEtillUReyezBLEED]

Hoping to explore more content of yours. Those beeswax window openers are slick. Thank you. Hopefully you are able to get as ready as you need to be for the winter. Salud

[@thebeesmeads]

Glad you liked that part. Those beeswax window openers are a game-changer!

[@lylelovesflowers]

How did you get it installed on the thin metal part of the window? We keep running into an issue with the ones we’ve tried that the metal bracket that attaches to the window hits that bar it’s supposed to close down on. Been rather frustrating 😩 did you have to modify it in some way?? Thanks!

[@thebeesmeads]

Yes. We did need to modify it but my husband can't remember exactly how. We may need to do a video or a short about it later.