I'm wondering if that spray leaves a residue on the polycarb.

That is what i am afraid of. I am only hopeing that someone here can come up with a better idea on how to attach the bubble to the inside of my greenhouse without using spray. If i use the spray then there will not be a barrier between the polycarb and the bubble and i feel it would be better to have that air barrier.

I have a HF greenhouse and thought maybe someone that already has one had an idea. My gas bill was a little high last year so I sure would love to save some money and keep my plants at a better temp than last winter.

I was looking for the same solution and after I determined that I could hold 2 ft. wide strips of shade cloth in place inside my GH by sewing some wide binding to the tops and bottoms, to create rod pockets and using curtain tension rods to hold them in place between the aluminum polybars, I thought about how the shade cloth could also hold bubble, then wondererd if the rods could do do the same without the shade cloth, so I experimented with some bubble wrap, and it worked great.

No tape, glue, hooks or screws- just the tension rods and their rubber tips, set between the aluminum frames.

With the sloped roof on my GH, I'll be needing at least 4 for each 2 ft. section, so will price shop like mad to find the cheapest. You would only need 3 per section; ridge, eave, bottom- presuming you will be running the bubble from roof to base.

So far, the best price I found for them is $1.97 at Menards. I would venture to guess that Lowes or Home Depot would be in the same price range, but I haven't yet checked WalMart.

BTW: This would only work easily on the long, evenly spaced roof to base sides. I haven't yet figured out what I could do on the ends at the top, where it comes to a V, but am working on it.

I got my bubble insulation from Charley's and it is just the right width to fit between the framing and I secured it with the things that are made to hold it to the wall.
You can buy them from Charley's they are not expensive and they are fast and easy to install.

Here is a link that might be useful: clips to hang insulation

Gardner:

I looked at the clips, but rejected them simply because I want to leave the channels on the polybars free to attach shelving, and have electrical and water lines running along them horizontally, so by mounting the bubble wrap both between and behind them, I leave channels open and can still put the bubble up, or remove it quickly.

If puffysmom has no need or desire to use the channels to mount anything on the walls of their GH, the clips would work well for them.

I guess it really depends on how we want to fit out our GH's.

The clips will NOT prevent you from bolting shelfing to the framing.
The clips can be put any where in the rail and removed with a twist of the wrist. Could not be faster or easier

The tension rods will probably work in my HF but not my Rion. In the HF I already insulated the north wall and roof with aluminum covered bubble wrap. It fit between the polycarb and the frame. Nothing else needed.

I like birdwidow's idea of the tension rods and I'll have to look into it. I have been using the clips from Charley's and they are fine. But I have trouble with the edges and keeping the clips in place. So I am looking for something different. Double sided tape does not work and I don't want anything permanent. I have not even considered the adhesive as I don't know the effect on the polycarb.

Dave
Milwaukee

For the Rion I ordered bubble-wrap and the clips from Charlies last night. Also the heavier duty thingies for the HFGH polycarb.

What I don't understand about the clips for the Rion is how the corner-clips are used. There are no slots in the corner posts. I ordered them anyway hoping someone here can offer advice or a pic on how they're used.

Gardener:

I understand that the clips wouldn't prevent me from mounting shelving, but I want to be able to take the bubble wrap and/or shade cloth strips down or reinstall them at will, without the need to mess with the shelf brackets.

By using the tension rods and strips of shadecloth and/or bubble, or aluminum faced insulation, just wide enough to fit between the polybars, I get the ability to switch and move them as needed.

Like most people with a new GH, I'm experimenting, to see what will work for my uses, climate and GH site in my garden. It's not just the degree of the sun. As the seasons change and shade trees leaf out, fill in, then become bare, the amount of sunlight hitting my GH changes too.

If money were absolutely no object, we could all have thermopane glass GH's with built in blinds and automatic climate controlled H/AC systems. Absent unlimited financial resources, we try to come up with solutions that both fit our wallets, and hopefully, our individual desires for our GH uses.

But there is a world of products available that are not marketed for GH's that could still be of great use in one, if you just think outside of the box.

For instance: If you want quick, easy, cheap filtered shade on an interior GH wall that has no shelves on it, check out the vinyl roll up outdoor shades at Home Depot. 8 ft. wide X 6 ft. long: $15.99.

All you need to mount one is an 8 ft. piece of 2 x 2, bolted into the channels, with some eye hooks on the bottom, set to match the hanging eyes on the top of the shade track.

Mount it on the exterior, and it makes no difference what's on the interior wall.

I don't see the need to remove the bubblewrap. i sandwiched a larger single sheet of it (20x40') between two poly layers and inflated on both sides. The wirelock channels hold all three layers secure.

The way I look at it the layers are needed in early spring and fall for insulation and everybody is using shade cloth the rest of the time. Just install the bubblewrap and leave it in place and all materials will last longer. My plants don't know the difference.

bmoser,
Where did you get bubble wrap that wide? Did it come that way or did you make it up form narrower widths?
1eyeJack and the Dawg

I agree that the bubble insulation works great. The widest I've seen the bubble wrap is 10' wide. I guess you could always tape the widths together though.

The same people that make bubble wrap make a shade cloth that reflects 95% of heat. This might be something to look into. It's called Temptrol.

The link I'm posting is for a company that makes the insulation and cloth.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shade cloth

dfw_1r
WOW, WOW, WOW: I just got off the phone with their salesman named Todd and This product would be super for use in stead of shade cloth or bubble wrap for heat retention or REFLECTION which is what I would be interested in. It comes in 59" wide rolls and cost something like $4.60 A YARD. That would make 10 yards of this cost under $50.00 and would yield a sun barrier 9 feet 8 inches wide for the top of the greenhouse. Turned reflective side out you would get the 95% heat reduction. In my case it would allow me to shade the GH from noon on or however I placed it on the house. This is cheaper than good shade cloth and WILL WONDERS NEVER CEASE! IT IS UV PROTECTED. AND, it can be sown on a standard sewing machine. He is sending me a sample that I should have by Saturday. MAN, this stuff sounds great.
Thank dfw_1r for this link. Where did you hear of it?
1eyedJack and the Dawg

Thanks. I was having the bubble insulation installed in my attic to lower my electric bill, and when I visited the website for radiant barrier, I can across the fabric. Being nature lover that I am, I said to myself, "I bet they haven't though of using this for greenhouses."

Neat idea! I called them and will be receiving a sample too. I learned that it blocks light as much as heat, but I think this may be the same reflective material sold for lining draperies.

59" is the standard width for all drapery/upolstery fabrics and liners, so I doubt the width of this product is coincidence. If it is the same, then at $4.60 per yd., it's a pretty good deal, presuming there is no minimum length on mail orders and the shipping isn't a killer.

dfw and birdwidow,
Great stuff. The site shows many uses. I mentioned shade to Todd the salesman and he agreed. The width is correct and the price also. I asked about weight and he said it would be like a heavy bed sheet material so the shipping should not be bad.
It DOES NOT TRANSMIT light, but in my heat I don't care as I could sew two lengths together (USING A REGULAR SEWING MACHINE) and end up with a width of a little under 10 feet and my GH (under construction)is 15 long so that would be 10 yards for $45.00 and that will suit me fine. I get sun from sunrise til after 7:00pm so cutting out 5 hours during the hotest part of the day would be good.
DFW,
I will be building a small place (very small like 500 sq ft to live in) and I will be looking at this for insulation. I am an energy saving friek when I can be and absolutely hate high power bills. If I can find a small piece of land with a spring or creek in the hills around here with some woodland and a bit of open area with sun to garden I will be in heaven. Out in the country you can still get land for 7m to 10m an acre. I start SS in 13 months from YESTERDAY at 62 and I am going to take it before it is gone SOUTH if you understand what I mean.

I told the salesman I was going to plug it on Garden Web, so the more people we get asking for samples the better. It will make them aware of our buying power.
Thanks all
1eyedJack and the Dawg

Ole Dawg, Sorry to take extended time to reply on the bubblewrap I'm using. Check out pcpools.com and searh for the Magniclear solar pool covers. The material is bubblewrap and comes in larger sizes than I purchased but the freight starts to soar when you order the larer sizes..

There were a few threads on this site in times past and I must give credit to the people who gave me the advice. I am very pleased with the material. The sheets are seamed at one or two places but the seams are strong. I needed a pliers to insert wiggle wire into the wirelock channels at the seams.

Compare prices and don't forget the shipping.

bmoser,
So you are putting the pool cover BETWEEN your two poly covers? Are you using the treated material the UV protected and dripless stuff? Sorry to be such a pain, but I am very new at this and after the money I am going to have in this frame I might was well go whole hog and hope it last.
1eyedJack and the Dawg

Come on, guys. You aren't just a little bit suspicious when dfw lr joins GW and within two days has no less than 4 posts referencing the same product? Two of these posts are 9 and 10 months old!

Hello?

Oh, in case you didn't notice, the company is in Arlington, TX, within the Dallas-Fort Worth(dfw)-Arlington metropolitan area.

so? I still looks good to me and I look forward to seeing the sample.
1eyedJack and the Dawg from lovely Pickens County SOUTH CAROLINA lol

I donÂt want all of you thinking that IÂm trying to sell you some "snake oil". IÂm not trying to sleaze anyone out of anyoneÂs money. The product works, and I honestly think this is a good application.

The company has a few big deals for Temptrol in the air for major companies to use as an alternative for shade fabric, and I was trying to get the word out. If there is a higher demand for it, and the company has testimonials of people that used it in their greenhouses, then the deals will go easier. I apologize if I have offended anyone or broken any forum rules. I understand this is not what the forum was intended for, but I thought if I could get just a few people interested, no harm would be done.

Thanks.

dfw,
Well I for one am not offended. I am glad I was able to find out about the product and I did learn a lot about heat and insulation from their web site. I still look forward to receiving the sample and if I think it will work I will give it a try. It is a bit cheaper than shade cloth. that is just MHO
So, are you Todd? LOL, LOL

No I'm not, but that's alright. I'm not tring to get any commission, just tring to let people know that it's out there and it's a serious alternative to what their using.

Like I said, I am open to learning something new since I AM NEW AT THIS MYSELF.
1eyedJack and the Dawg

Have long have you had your GH, how large is it and what brand is it?

Have long have you had your GH, how large is it and what brand is it?

Greenhouser,
Who are you asking? If you are asking me I don't yet have a completed GH. My is under constuction, but when finished it will be a "Longmire" LOL. It is homemade from PVC pipe and EMT conduit. It will not be large, 6.5 feet wide by 15 feet long and the height is still up in the air. LOL so to speak. I am trying to make it high enough for at least a 6 foot door on one end. I am now going thru the "how am I going to vent it" stage. I want mine at much for the summer as the winter so I am really interested in anything that will keep it cool. It gets really hot here and my greens (lettuces) are bolting like mad.

1eyedJack and the Dawg

BTW, Longmire is a common name in East Tennessee where my father was from.

I was addressing you. :^) I try and remember to add the person's name in the "Subject" line as this is one confusing Forum as to who is replying to who!

Here in TN it's so hot so early lettuce bolts before we get to eat most of it. It so cheap at the market I don't think I'm going to bother with it anymore.

OK, I didn't know if you already had a GH or not.

Well here it is not cheap. I went to the market today and lettuce was $1.99 A POUND and it did not really look that good. The Kale was $1.50 a pound and I am still eating mine from March. I really like salads and my lettuce is so much better than the store bought available. HOWEVER it is beginning to bolt like mad and I am starting containers every two weeks and cutting it in the baby stage to get it before it gets bitter.
Off to bed now, tired of working on the "plans" which are now in stage D. LOL. It will be strong without a doubt.
1eye