Fuzzy: You can get pool covers to fit an Olympic sized pool, or a GH many times the size of yours, but if it was of the weight you need to use on a GH; a minimum of 12 ga., you would also need three large buddies and several gorillas to get it up there. Those things are heavy, and why all but the smallest ones actually used to cover swimming pools are wound onto huge rollers. You could use 3 smaller cover pieces, but due to the shape of your GH, if you want to avoid the over-wrapping, would then need to cut the side pieces to fit, then connect them, to make a custon fitted cover. Given careful measuring and perhaps taping pieces of rosin paper together to make a pattern for the ends, then riveting the cover pieces together, it could be done, but would be a real chore. Another option would be to use bubble wrap only on the interior end walls and a single length of pool cover only over the top and front, which would give you effective insulation where you most need it; on the roof and the longest wall. How you would attach it to the top edge of the GH is another matter, but there too; there are options and as installing then removing the cover would be a bi-annual chore, I think it's worth while to set it up to make it as quick and easy as possible, even if the set-up part is a project. For instance: Order a long enough length to give an extra ft. to wrap around a long 2 x 4. Then tack or screw the cover onto it and install some large eye screws in the wood to fit onto hooks you would install on the side of the house just above the top of the GH. Or, some spikes, possibly long, large stainless steel hex screws set at an upwards angle, with holes drilled into the 2 x 4, large enough to slip onto the screw heads. Once in place, with the bottom of the cover held down, it's not likely to come off until you and a helper stand on either end and lift it off. However, you should still allow for wind to get under the edges at the sides, so you would still need some means to tie it down and for that; more eye screws, permanently installed along the base and rope, or long bungees, or a combnation of both. We use both long bungees and some long cargo tie-downs to hold the pool cover on my 12 x 16 x 12 ft. GH and while the lines running over and around it aren't all that elegant; they do the job. Just some thoughts. Keep asking and hopefully, someone with a pool cover wrapped lean-to will come along and tell you how they did it.

soycandle, I might not even ought to post because I am not in your climate zone (I am in zone 8B) and have no experience with the type of winter you have, but...that said... I have had a portable greenhouse for 5 years. Its the same basic type as yours, from a different company. Mine is called a "Groenhaus" and it came from a company in I believe Norway (may have been Sweden, but its one of the Scandanavian countries where they have an actual winter with snow, ice and wind.) Mine has a steel frame in a hex design, air vents, and zipper door. Its made of 12 mil woven poly fabric, and conducts about 83% of available sunlight. The cover is thick and insulates very well. I myself live in Northern Florida where there is no snow, no ice, but it does occasionally get down to 20F once or twice a winter. I have had GREAT SUCCESS with my portable greenhouse. I have used it to overwinter tropical plants that were containerized (plants like heliconias, Ti leaves, gingers, aroids like anthuriums, orchids, bromeliads....) I have also used it one winter to cover a 6 x 6 raised pond that had tropical water lilies in it, I also stacked in a bunch of containerized plants in with the pond and they loved the humidity...currently, I leave the base of the frame on the ground year round, surrounding an outdoor inground planting of tropical plants that would freeze even in our relatively mild winters (Alpinia purpurata, Heliconia, bromelaids, Ti leaves, birdsnest fern, etc) and erect the cover over the bed in winter, then take it off in spring. These little portables work GREAT. All you need is to put a portable ceramic space heater (the kind with a thermostat) inside the grennhouse. For your size house, 6 x 8, one 5120 BTU heater will make it toasty for all your stuff. I have the type that you can set the temp, the range is 55,60,65,70,75 and 80. The heater goes on and off automatically to keep the GH at the temp you choose. The heater has a built in fan and blows warm air out, and it oscilates to help distribute the heated air more evenly. Its also helpful to have a small oscillating fan that you can hang from the frame in the roof to circulate air and heat. This cuts down on consolidation and also on algal growth and pests. I see you are in zone 5...it will of course take you more electricity usage to heat your greenhouse than it does me, but it also depends on what you are growing....I keep mine at a minimum of 60F, but the plants you are growing may only need above 32, or the 40-50 range. I would think you could go on and set the thing up and start using it now. The only advice I would offer additionally is, if your winter storms include WINDY CONDITIONS, be certain you use any tie down apparatus (stakes, guy wires etc) that they offered you. Without them you run a risk of the whole thing blowing over in a high wind. I think of mine as a big, almost clear TENT that my plants are camping out in.

Hi, I'm a daylily grower and I need to build a greenhouse that will keep my more tender plants and seedlings at a minimum temperature of 45 during the winter months. I'd like to make it 16 x 20 and have a 3ft high kneewall to prevent snow from coming in. I've been considering a Quonset style GH but I also wanted to be able to have a solid insulated north wall. I've been doing a lot of reading on this subject and I think I know the steps I have to take in building this thing but I'm having a problem locating a local supplier for the film. I live in the greater Rochester, NY area. Does anyone know of a supplier out this way? I've found online sources but shipping cost almost double the price. I did find an online source for a metal frame (Mortons $400. for a 16x 20 H series) but again I'd rather get it locally than pay for shipping. Does anyone know a source or can suggest an alternative way to build this thing? Heat will be my next consideration. We had been planning on installing an outdoor wood furnace for our house and running a line from it to the greenhouse. Now the need for a new truck may have wiped out the furnace for this year. What options are there for heat.I don't have access to natural gas lines. I can get electric or propane. How many btu's would a structure 16 x 20 x 6 ft high require to maintain a minimum of 45 at night in up to -20F (a possible extreme) weather? Also snow load is another factor. Do I need a minimum slope? We average 5 ft of snow over the winter. If there are archives that would help pointers would be appreciated. Thanks for any help with this project. Molly

I did not caulk any of my panels in place, because I wanted the flexibility of being able to remove panels to replace them with screen panels for ventilation. Also, be aware that you might want to remove a panel down the road to cut a hole in it for something (like installing an exhaust fan or vents, for example). If your panels are all caulked in place, you'll have to do the cutting while it's in the frame. I found it easier to lay my panel down flat to cut it with a utility knife for installing my fan. Just a thought! I used weatherstripping instead to take care of any air leaks around the panels. I didn't need the caulk to keep the panels secure because I added screws (and extra clips) so they're not going to blow out. I DID however use clear silicone caulk to caulk my roof window poly panels into the four roof window frames...after one panel blew part way out in a bad wind. (Those little window panels aren't secured with clips or screws.) I have done lots of caulking on houses. People say the a good quality silicone caulk is better stuff, and it may be, but I find it much harder to work with. It's not water soluble, so it's harder to "tool" or spread the bead into a nice smooth shape. If you did get a drop on a panel, you'd have to wipe it off before it cured, and that might leave a smear...no water clean up possible with that stuff. Acrylic latex is much easier to work with...water soluble so you can clean things up as you go, and my favorite thing about it is you can smooth out the bead with my favorite tool...a wet fingertip dipped in a little bowl of water. :-) I know some folks do caulk their panels in place, but I love having my options open as far as removing panels. Just yesterday I popped a panel out to get a thermostat cord behind a plant shelf...then screwed and clipped it back into place, five minutes total. Just a thought, hope this helps! Sheri Adding the panels to my 10x12 HFGH