I would suggest that if you wish to use an extension cord to get the Heavist one you can find. I use one now, not for a heater, but power tools. It is a heavy duty job and I don't get cord heatup. I just stuck mine into the closest wall receptical(SP?)and drilled a hole thru the wall passed the cord thru and then use chaulk to seal the hole. It is a jury rig, but it will work for me for now. Good Luck 1eyedJack and the Dawg

Scroll down a ways in this link (which you started) for what I did. Mine is still pretty tight a year later. Here is a link that might be useful: Happy Rion Owners?

I set up my Rion 8x12 "Hobby Greenhouse", the green one, over six years ago (photo below). No structural or deterioration problems, and no panel failures of any sort. The green finish has dulled, much like you get on a fiberglass boat. (The GH was new when the photo was taken.) Living in lower Alabama (sub-tropical), I ordered a custom kit with double doors in both ends, four vents and a shade cloth. This provides great ventilaiton - the secret to keeping it below the melting point. No yellowing of poly panels except in the south-facing doors, which stand open all summer with the unprotected side to the sun. (should have turned the panels around years ago, but too lazy.) Located in lower Alabama, it sees mild winters, hot humid summers, occasional strong thunderstorms, but no hurricanes yet. As noted by others, air sealing is something the factory leaves largely up to you, and it takes considerable observation and ingenuity to plug all the air inlets, somewhat akin to the structural enhancements the Harbor Freighters have to contend with. Also, as noted by others, water sealing is an ongoing process. In my case, I had water leaks under all four vents. I finally cured the leaks by taping all the seams around the vents with Nashua Waterproofing Tape (photo below). The tape has lasted several years now and still looks new, again in a sub-tropical climate. The Rion Hobby Greenhouse looks like a big kid's toy. But it's not. It's made very precisely, and you have to assemble it exactly as the manufacturer intends (but sometimes does not explain very well), perfectly square and level. That pesky stripping that secures the poly panels and the torsion wires across the top look easy, but are particularly tough to get right. Structurally, the greenhouse sort of hangs by it's thumbs, i.e. everything about it contributes to its structural integrity. It helps enormously if you have built many things before taking on a Rion. I would posit that a much of the trouble people have with the Rion derives from their inexperience in building things, or just plain old carelessness and inattention to detail. With all due respect, if you lack building experience, or otherwise have trouble figuring complex things out, you might need to get experienced help in setting up a Rion. Rion Greenhouse: Nashua Tape:

Here are my answers based on my own experience and exposure to the product (Rion Prestige). *WARNING* This is long :) 1. Foundation. Can you describe the included base? The base is made of a black plastic/resin material that has one side completely open. Imagine this text bracket: [ except the top and bottom pieces extend a bit longer. When fully assembled, the open side faces the inside of the GH. The idea is that if you plan to bury (or fill in) the base with gravel or soil, the shape of the base will allow it to grasp the soil/gravel and give it stability. If you plan to use wood beams for the base, then you really dont need to use the optional base kit that comes with the Rion. In most cases, your own custom wood beam base would be sturdier (and more level) than Rion's base kit. Just anchor the GH straight to your wood beams. 2. You said to be careful in placing the side louvers - how should I decide where to place them for maximal cross ventilation? Also, did you add a vent (it looks like you did from the picture)? What's a HAF? The Rion Prestige kit I bought included 3 windows and 3 roof vents. There are several greenhouse design books that deal with the window/vent placements in more detail - the $20-$30 spent investing in those books will be well worth it :). The placement of your windows and vents will largely depend on your sun exposure, prevailing winds, etc. For the "basic" ventilation layout, you will want all your intake ports (windows) placed on the "cooler" side of the structure. And then place all the exhaust ports (roof vents, exhaust fan, etc) on the opposite side of the intake ports. Again, consider the prevailing winds when designing the location of the windows. You want the wind to aid the ventilation, not hamper it - So facing an exhaust fan against the prevailing winds would reduce its efficiency. In some cases, you may want all the intake windows to face the prevailing winds to take advantage of the air movement provided for free. Here's a suggestion: Stick a few pieces of wood or plastic rods into the ground surrounding the planned greenhouse site. Space them about 5 feet apart and attach lightweight strips of plastic or paper on the top. These strips should be about the height of your GH windows (between 3 to 5 feet high). For several days, observe how the strips move. This should give you an idea of how the wind works in that area for that time of year. Wind flow could vary from season to season though, so determine which season you will need the best possible airflow (usually summer) and face the windows accordingly. HAF stands for Horizontal Air Flow (or Horizontal Airflow Fans). These fans are used inside the GH to keep the air moving. Stagnant air is a big No-No inside a GH. 3. Is the solar light at all useful? Yes. It is serving me well inside my garage :) Seriously, these lights are nice but I think they were designed just for the 6x6 greenhouse or smaller. They cannot possibly provide enough illumination to work properly at night. If you need "real" working lights for the GH then you should plan on setting up an electrical outlet where you can plug in any electric light bulb of your choice. You will most likely need an electric outlet installed for the fans anyway. *CAUTION ABOUT ELECTRICAL OUTLETS* Make sure that you locate your electrical service outlets in a section of the GH that will not get any water from your sprinklers/misters/garden hose, etc. If at all possible, dedicate a section of your GH as the "Dry Area". This is usually near the front door for convenience. This sacrifices planting space, but ensures that you do not have water and electricity getting in contact with each other. My "dry area" also contains the potting bench and supplies storage shelves so it works out well for me. I have a little nook in the GH that stays dry all the time. "I dare you to unplug that fan with wet feet" :) 4. Is your shade cloth aluminet (sp?)? No, but I have one ordered and awaiting delivery :) Right now I am using generic shade fabric from Lowes. 5. do the auto openers work well? Ahh, the auto-opener pistons... hmmm. What can I say, it has been hit or miss from what I have read on the forums. I have not had any problems (yet) but a couple of members here actually had to call Rion to get replacements because they got defective units. ** did you have to cut a hole in the shade cloth? I did cut squares around the roof vents (and windows). This allows the roof vents to operate without any interference from the shade cloth. ** is there ample room to hang plants? The Rion's roofline is a bit too low to effectively hang anything from the central brace. Unless you are planning on hanging small, light baskets, you would be limited to hanging them closer to the sides so that you have room in the middle to walk across the GH interior. Also, I personally do not like to hang anything from the GH brace itself. I'm just not so sure if the GH can hold all the weight (despite manufacturer's claims). I would err on the side of caution. I hope that you found this information helpful :) ~John