HFGH Polycarb Panels failing!
laserfan
15 years ago
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mudhouse_gw
15 years agomudhouse_gw
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Replacement parts for HFGH
Comments (25)Good point about the warranties! Hmmm, my GH roof is almost always covered with an endless supply of desert dust. I can hose it off, but it will be covered again in no time (in spring, anyway.) I have had a lurking concern that IF there is a panel deterioration problem, it may be heat related. I read a post on another forum last year from a Tucson GH owner who'd purchased two 6x8 kits to use the poly panels in his own homebuilt wood-framed GH. He posted that after a few years the roof panels were brittle and breaking. I know he doesn't use his GH in the summer at all, and I figured his roof panels must have been subjected to extreme temps (if it's 110° outside, imagine what it may be inside an uncooled GH in Tucson, especially the air right under the roof panels...140°? 150°?) I hoped my plan to use the GH year round might help me to escape the same fate (I'm hoping I can keep the temps in mine under 100°, although most of my plants will tolerate that.) Still, I note that the three mentions of this problem so far (the Tucson person, yours, and Jamesy40's) have all happened in southern states. If heat is a problem, mine will likely fail sooner than some...so I'm keeping an eye on this trend! I guess it could be an opportunity to upgrade the roof to 6mm at least, eh? :-) Sheri...See More5 wall polycarb
Comments (14)seamommy: Check out BC Greenhouses for their 5 wall, then price compare with their major distributors, starting with ACF and IGA. BC won't undercut their own distributors, but all of their GH's are built to order and- read on.... mulchlady: Mine is the 12 x 16 Anniversary model, in white and it's everything claimed. Sturdy and truly precision mfg. Once we had the foundation in and ready, it took less than 3 hours for 3 men, one of them an old poop, to have the frame completly up and secured. Every single part fit- perfectly. But I use mine as a tropical fish hatchery, so went to extremes with the insulating to keep it at a steady 70 deg. min temp all winter. However, as a reward for those extremes, it's incredibly cheap to heat. My heater is a 45,000 BTU dual vent Sterling. I probably could have gotten away with a bit less and yes, I know that because it's a bit more than necessary, it doesn't run as much so costs less to operate but will probably wear out the electronic ignition sooner, but one of them isn't near as costly as our natural gas rates. Everything is a trade-off. I bought it on the recommendation of the H/AC contractor who installed a new system in our home a few years ago. He is exclusively a Trane distributor so I believed his opinion would be unbiased, and he was right. It's excptionally well made, powerful and reliable. But all gas heaters/furnaces need routine annual maintenance if they are to be counted on to keep running trouble free, so the one in my GH gets the same end of season cleaning and servicing as does the one in our basement. Good. You understand the value of ceiling fans, but in a 12 x 16, not one- two. Two 52" outdoor rated ceiling fans from any big box home center will pretty much pay for themselves in one heating season, not to mention what they will do for you in summer, if you mount them directly under your roof vents. It's late and I'm road weary, so will come back tomorrow, and tell you exactly how we mounted ceiling fans in a Cross Country. A hint: lengths of aluminum L stock from the local home center and lots of extra custom headed (to fit the polybars) SS bolts from BC. The SS nuts are a stock item at any home center. But if you buy a Cross Country and fail to take advantage of being able to raise your ceiling with a taller knee wall, with a custom door drop at no extra charge, you are shooting yourself in the foot before you even begin....See MoreHFGH Polycarbonate Panels Failing (Part 2)
Comments (38)Hi steve333, good question. I always said I'd never buy HF panels again, but when I was faced with the purchase, I caved! It was a combination of price, and convenience. At the time, I priced 4mm twinwall polycarbonate at a number of greenhouse supply companies. The best price at the time was through FarmTek (cheaper than Charlie's or any other source I tried.) Their product had a ten year warranty, and was truly UV-protected. However, the cost to purchase enough material (just for the roof) with crating and shipping fees to my address, was $410. The cost to order more Harbor Freight roof panels, with shipping, was $135. That difference was enough to give me pause. Hmmmm. Note, it's possible folks living closer to urban areas with more businesses would have found better deals on shipping, but down here in southern NM, the only things close to us are lizards and cactus. Also, the HF panels arrive sized to fit; if you buy better polycarbonate from a greenhouse supply company, you'll have to cut the material to size yourself for each part. Not difficult, but it does take time, so I factored the convenience in as well. Also, occasionally I consider upgrading to a larger home-built greenhouse, so kicking the can down the road doesn't bother me as much as it would if I was positive I wanted to keep this small greenhouse another ten years. I think an argument could be made for both sides. If rtyu's and my experimentation with the Top Secrets clear epoxy product pans out, though, it will definitely tip the scales towards using the (clearly lower quality) HF panels and protecting them with the coating, especially if folks can apply it to their new greenhouses, and avoid the need for panel replacements. Fingers crossed. I think much of the appeal of the Harbor Freight greenhouses is cost/value. They appeal to folks who want to try greenhousing but don't want to make a major investment. I haven't tallied it up exactly for a while, but scrounging supplies, materials, and labor, I figure we have around $2500 in ours total, including kit, benches, sink, plumbing, electric, heaters, thermostats, shadecloth, pavers, and the new roof panels. Over six years that's roughly $400 a year (not including heating costs, which aren't too bad in my climate.) So I think many folks who are attracted to the HF structures also enjoy keeping costs low. It's just one option in the world of greenhouses, and not the right fit for everyone. Happy New Year!...See MorePolycarb Panels
Comments (15)I'm in Ocala, FL. Have had my 6X8 HFGH for 4 years. See no problem yet but I keep shade cloth on it year round because of the heat down here. I also have 2 of the 10X12 HFGH. One is 2 years old with no problems and the other isn't a year old yet. But see no problem with them at this time. Also shade cloth on at all time because of the heat and the fact that I grow orchids in them. The 2 10X12's are hooked together to make a 10X24 GH. Love it that way. I use 70% shade cloth. The large one has aluminet on it and I don't like that as much as I do the shade cloth from Arrons Creek Farms which is black. I have 60 orchid hanging from the roof so I can walk under them and grow other things on my benches and shelves. I also have a Julian GH that has 6m polycarb that is 5yrs old no problem with that either. YES I'M A GREENHOUSE NUT I'm retired and loving every minute of it....See Morelaserfan
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