First, I'd raise a huge ruckus with Harbor Freight, on the phone, and be very aggressive as needed. I would not wait very long to get a call back from them; I'd keep calling. Harbor Freight customer service, unless they have improved in recent years, is not known for outstanding response time. Try to insist on immediate shipment of the missing part, and ask them to email you the tracking number, so you know it has been shipped. If they hem and haw about this, and can't give you a promise of fast shipping, and tracking, it may be a bad sign that this part is not one that they normally stock in their US warehouses. If the part is not in stock for immediate shipping (like, panel clips and panels, which they keep on hand) it could mean a very long delay. It used to mean (years ago) that they would tell you they'd ship it in a few weeks...and six months later, people were still waiting for a missing part. Maybe they have improved their track record on this point. Since the kit is assembled in China, I always assumed these long delays meant the part had to be shipped from China, but I'm not sure they'll be honest with you about it. If they can't ship pretty quickly and give you a tracking number, I'd start to be a little worried. Did you buy the kit in a store, or order online? I recall one post from a person who bought their kit in a Harbor Freight store. When they found it was missing a piece, the store manager (astonishingly) opened up another kit to replace the missing piece. I frankly think this was an exceptional store manager, so I'm just mentioning it as a long shot. If you don't get good response from Harbor Freight, please post back, and I'll try to help you brainstorm how you could temporary a piece (out of wood, or something else) so you could complete your greenhouse, and add the piece later. I just checked my own greenhouse, and I think it might be possible to do this, since part 23 is only about 1' 5" long, and its main function is to provide a track on both sides to accept two of the gable poly panels, that go above the door. Of course, it would be much better if they can send you the correct piece, so my first response is to be as proactive as you can (go ahead, yell a little, be assertive.) Don't assume they will take good care of you just because they should. Could be worse...could be late October, with snow moving in...or, it could be a completely critical piece that would stop your build completely. Please do let us know what they say. Sheri

dbw7, thanks for the correction about the gable ends! Not sure if this is what you're seeing, but all of the panels have traditionally been shipped with a clear plastic film on both sides that needs to be removed before the panels are installed. (The part number labels are stuck onto this plastic film.) UV protection is a clear coating that would not be removable...no way to tell if that is present without laboratory testing of some sort, I believe. We just have to rely on the word of the manufacturer we're purchasing the kit from...which is where some of the controversy comes in regarding Harbor Freight. If the white material is designed to be in place for shading, and the white material is already starting to peel away from the panel, that would be a bit worrisome to me...but maybe you could secure it by simply adding some aluminum tape to the edge of the panel.

Definitely a learning experience, birdhope, and a very enjoyable one. Weatherstripping - I applied it to the side panels this week, planned to caulk the roof panels, but really like the way the w.s. went on and works! Insulation - found 1" foil-faced foam insulation at HD and installed on north wall and rear 1/3 of side walls (don't want to block morning or afternoon sun). Solar pool cover question - It finally arrived and is (mostly) installed. It's large enough to "gift-wrap" the gh, so I have a question ... how does one vent the structure? Obviously, the roof vent won't open without slitting the pool cover, but that must cut down significantly on the effectiveness of the cover. Heater question - still debating whether to get a forced hot air, convection or oil-filled radiator type. Somehow I'd expect the latter two to provide a more consistent and gentle heat, and be less drying than the first. Any comments? In the meantime, we've found a carefully-placed 500-watt worklight keeps the frost at bay. 30* outside last night and the inside temp was 41, with incomplete weatherstripping/caulking and no pool cover yet. Benches - took a backseat to "winterizing" efforts, but one is partially complete and looks great. A local fence mfr. sells their seconds of 3x8 white cedar picket fencing for $12 apiece. Cutting the pickets back flush with the crosspieces yields a 22"x8' shelf. Thermal mass - still painting the accumulated 2-liter soda bottles and 1-gallon milk jugs. (This is the one area in which my two younger children have been most helpful, being more than willing to empty as many soda bottles as I'd like.) I read somewhere that dark blue or red will absorb almost as much heat as black, but still reflect some useful light back to the plants ... will try some of each out of curiousity. Noticed also difference in soil temps in green pots vs. white pots (no big surprise, actually, just never thought about it). Except for the impeded view due to the pool cover, it was delightful in there today. Diane

Thanks Karenrei. I use propane to heat my very remote "cabin on a lake", and it's fine there because a local farm business will fill a 100 lb bottle for only $40, and the cabin is well insulated. Soon I'll have a 250 gallon tank and the gas truck will simply keep it filled for even less per unit of LP. I just sort of hate to have a couple of propane tanks to fuss with (and hide) when I could go to the trouble and cost to bury a 100 foot gas line from my house to the greenhouse. I'll basically have to trench it anyway to run water and electricty. I know that propane produces CO2, but it seems that not all experts agree on the benefits of even THAT! Really... I'm just not sure if it might be just as cost effective to use electricy, since I have no experience on what it's going to take to minimumly heat an (obviously) uninsulated greenhouse in this area. Ahhh the mysteries.... but I sure appreciate all the help and advice! I have a decent background in greenhouse gardening, but I've never had to heat one until now. I moved here for a good reason... but every winter I cannot remember WHY! jim Palmer